Kimberly N. (kimberlyrav) -
I really enjoyed this book! I had not read any of the other in the series. Did great as a standalone. Any back story was summed up easily in this one.
I felt like the main character should have been a cop as opposed to a coffee shop owner. It read more like a thriller/mystery as opposed to a cozy. It had a bit more violence in it than what you read in a cozy.
I liked the book and I loved the characters. The main character does some things that are improbable at times. Normal peeps wouldn't act so much like a cop. That was a bit odd to me. I feel like the author should have created the main character a police officer, it would have made more sense in the characters actions. Also I was confused by the title of the book. No one dies from Pumpkin Spice, so that was odd and a bit deceptive.
I deff want to read the next book.
I felt like the main character should have been a cop as opposed to a coffee shop owner. It read more like a thriller/mystery as opposed to a cozy. It had a bit more violence in it than what you read in a cozy.
I liked the book and I loved the characters. The main character does some things that are improbable at times. Normal peeps wouldn't act so much like a cop. That was a bit odd to me. I feel like the author should have created the main character a police officer, it would have made more sense in the characters actions. Also I was confused by the title of the book. No one dies from Pumpkin Spice, so that was odd and a bit deceptive.
I deff want to read the next book.
Jody M. (jodymcgrath) -
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki own Death By Coffee, a cafe and bookstore in one. When Krissy gets invited to a swanky Halloween party at a eccentric mansion by handsome Will Foster, she isn't sure if she wants to go or not. She knows she won't fit in. She wavers on her answer, because Will is really nice and she hasn't had too much luck in the dating department, so she agrees to go.
Will is great, but she already feels out of place as soon as she walks in. Everyone is so rich and decked out to the nines. The mansion is also completely Halloween themed, year around. The owner built it that way because he loved the holiday and the horror genre so much, but sadly he recently had passed on. Keeping with tradition, his widow throws the party this year in his memory.
When Krissy's long-time crush, Officer Paul Dalton, walks in with his beautiful date, Krissy knows this party cannot get worse. But when a body is found, brutally strangled, Krissy is horrified and excited. Solving mysteries is a favorite pastime of hers, much to the chagrin of Paul. With no one else to turn to, and the storm of the year seclude get the mansion from backup, Paul asks Krissy to help him investigate. Krissy's Halloween just got a whole lot better!
This is the third book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series, but it is the first one I have read. I really liked the mystery a lot. It reminded me of an old English mystery in a secluded manor house, even though there were over 100 people there. The mystery had some twists, but when a glaring clue is discovered, the reader can't help but wonder how Krissy can't figure it out. It becomes very obvious who the culprit is. I also really enjoyed the setting. The house was a permanent haunted mansion. I wish the author would have put more effort into incorporating that fact into the story. The eccentricities of the mansion were just a mentioned upon backdrop though. I felt like a giant opportunity was lost there.
The main character Krissy is very annoying. One minute she is full of self-doubt and needs to be coddled, then the next she is sassy and thinking she is Rambo. Someone give this girl some Lithium. She is also almost TSTL. She has no training at all, but she runs headfirst into dangerous situations, even when she knows she should get Paul. She thinks she is a great consultant, but really she is a Police lawsuit just waiting to happen. She is also an adult and business owner, but has a horrible time saying "slept with" or "had sex with" out loud. What? She isn't that young, but she is that immature. She was not very likable at all.
I am not sure if I would read other books in this series or not. It would depend on my mood. I would recommend it to cozy fans though, because it did keep my interest and they might be more inclined to like Krissy's Bipolar personality.
Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki own Death By Coffee, a cafe and bookstore in one. When Krissy gets invited to a swanky Halloween party at a eccentric mansion by handsome Will Foster, she isn't sure if she wants to go or not. She knows she won't fit in. She wavers on her answer, because Will is really nice and she hasn't had too much luck in the dating department, so she agrees to go.
Will is great, but she already feels out of place as soon as she walks in. Everyone is so rich and decked out to the nines. The mansion is also completely Halloween themed, year around. The owner built it that way because he loved the holiday and the horror genre so much, but sadly he recently had passed on. Keeping with tradition, his widow throws the party this year in his memory.
When Krissy's long-time crush, Officer Paul Dalton, walks in with his beautiful date, Krissy knows this party cannot get worse. But when a body is found, brutally strangled, Krissy is horrified and excited. Solving mysteries is a favorite pastime of hers, much to the chagrin of Paul. With no one else to turn to, and the storm of the year seclude get the mansion from backup, Paul asks Krissy to help him investigate. Krissy's Halloween just got a whole lot better!
This is the third book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series, but it is the first one I have read. I really liked the mystery a lot. It reminded me of an old English mystery in a secluded manor house, even though there were over 100 people there. The mystery had some twists, but when a glaring clue is discovered, the reader can't help but wonder how Krissy can't figure it out. It becomes very obvious who the culprit is. I also really enjoyed the setting. The house was a permanent haunted mansion. I wish the author would have put more effort into incorporating that fact into the story. The eccentricities of the mansion were just a mentioned upon backdrop though. I felt like a giant opportunity was lost there.
The main character Krissy is very annoying. One minute she is full of self-doubt and needs to be coddled, then the next she is sassy and thinking she is Rambo. Someone give this girl some Lithium. She is also almost TSTL. She has no training at all, but she runs headfirst into dangerous situations, even when she knows she should get Paul. She thinks she is a great consultant, but really she is a Police lawsuit just waiting to happen. She is also an adult and business owner, but has a horrible time saying "slept with" or "had sex with" out loud. What? She isn't that young, but she is that immature. She was not very likable at all.
I am not sure if I would read other books in this series or not. It would depend on my mood. I would recommend it to cozy fans though, because it did keep my interest and they might be more inclined to like Krissy's Bipolar personality.
Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson is the third book in Bookstore Café Mystery series. Krissy Hancock is invited to the exclusive Yarborough Halloween Party by Dr. William Foster. Krissy purchases her costume at the local Halloween pop-up store (for a fancy, exclusive party). Krissy goes as Sherlock Holmes and Will is Phantom of the Opera. The Yarborough driveway is steep and under construction (just gravel). It is difficult for the cars to get up the driveway due to the pouring rain. The Yarborough house is unique (wait until you read the description of the kitchen). Howard Yarborough, who recently passed away, loved Halloween and the house reflects his taste (it is this way all the time). After Margaret Yarborough addresses the guests, Quentin Pebbles steps up and proposes to his girlfriend, Jessica. Jessica rejects Quentin's proposal (she humiliates him). When the guests are invited to explore the house (each room has a different theme), Jessica is found dead in the pumpkin room. Officer Paul Dalton is the only police presence in the house and responders cannot get up the drive. Paul asks Krissy for assistance (she is thrilled to help). They are searching for Quentin (who disappeared) when Margaret states her jewels are missing. Does it have anything to do with the murder? Paul and Krissy have their work cut out for them. The guests refuse to stay in the ballroom. They keep taking off to explore the house. Krissy is also distracted by her ex-boyfriend, Robert. He showed up at the party so he could talk to Krissy. Robert wants Krissy to give him another chance (after he cheated on her). Will Paul and Krissy be able to find the killer before the guest's mutiny and demand to be released? To find out who killed Jessica Fairweather, you will need read Death by Pumpkin Spice!
I thought Death by Pumpkin Spice was disappointing. I thought Krissy was an extremely unlikeable character. Krissy has confidence issues and is constantly doubting herself (it is unappealing). Her self-doubts and lack of confidence make it really hard to enjoy the book. Krissy seems very immature. The book also focused too much on romance. Krissy is at the party with Will, but she keeps thinking about Paul (blushing when his name is mentioned, when she thinks about him). Then Robert pops up and wants her back. I also found some contradictions in the novel. She agrees to go to an exclusive party with Will. But after seeing Will's costume, the fancy house, and the other guest's costumes, she realizes it is a fancy dress party (she did not get that from the invite and her friends telling her how this is a very exclusive event). Death by Pumpkin Spice is easy to read and can be finished in a couple of hours. The mystery can be easily solved (you can solve it before you get to page 100). You only need two clues to figure it out. I give Death by Pumpkin Spice 3 out of 5 stars (it is okay). This book was just not for me. The premise is good, but I did not like the final product.
I thought Death by Pumpkin Spice was disappointing. I thought Krissy was an extremely unlikeable character. Krissy has confidence issues and is constantly doubting herself (it is unappealing). Her self-doubts and lack of confidence make it really hard to enjoy the book. Krissy seems very immature. The book also focused too much on romance. Krissy is at the party with Will, but she keeps thinking about Paul (blushing when his name is mentioned, when she thinks about him). Then Robert pops up and wants her back. I also found some contradictions in the novel. She agrees to go to an exclusive party with Will. But after seeing Will's costume, the fancy house, and the other guest's costumes, she realizes it is a fancy dress party (she did not get that from the invite and her friends telling her how this is a very exclusive event). Death by Pumpkin Spice is easy to read and can be finished in a couple of hours. The mystery can be easily solved (you can solve it before you get to page 100). You only need two clues to figure it out. I give Death by Pumpkin Spice 3 out of 5 stars (it is okay). This book was just not for me. The premise is good, but I did not like the final product.
