Erica and her whinny sidekick Freddie are search the woods for kids being kids, when they come across a shoe with a bone in it. Laugh out loud scenes makes this a fun cozy mystery. With her hunky cop friend (although to be honest, do not see much chemistry there) and lots of interesting characters this is one I highly recommend. Second I've read in the series, of which this is number 6, but was not lost at all. Liked this one much better than the other I read, which was also set around Halloween. Looking forward to reading more and highly recommend this book and author.

This is the 6th book in the Otter Lake Mystery #6 series. I had not read any prior, but I was still able to catch up quickly. It is set in the fall season in Otter Lake, New Hampshire. Love that atmosphere. Our protagonist, Erica Bloom and her maybe boyfriend, Sheriff Grady Forrester are hoping to enjoy the fall weather, but of course that is hampered by a murder. Not letting Grady have all the fun, Erica, Freddie, and Rhonda are determined to solve the mystery. This is defiantly a series I want to catch up on. These characters are too good to not know more about them. This was such a fun and enjoyable mystery. I gave this a solid 4 star review. I was thinking 4.5, but we can only use even numbers.

You'll enjoy Haunted Hayride with Murder; it will have you laughing out loud. Auralee Wallace’s sixth book in the Otter Lake Mystery, Haunted Hayride with Murder was a fun read filled with mirth galore and interesting characters. Although it's the 6th book in the series, you can read start with it and not feel lost however after reading this latest installment, you'll want to read the other books in the series.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
Erica Bloom and Otter Lake Security are once again on the case in Haunted Hayride with Murder, the next installment in the hilarious Otter Lake mystery series.

Trick-or-treating just got a whole lot deadlier.

Erica Bloom is loving everything about autumn this year in Otter Lake, New Hampshire: changing leaves, apple cider, cozy sweaters… and the warm and fuzzy relationship that’s heating up between her and Sheriff Grady Forrester. But when some local teens out to find some Halloween thrills come across a boot with a dead man’s foot bones still inside it, a chilling new reality comes into play. Everyone in Otter Lake knows about the age-old witch who haunts the apple orchard bordering the White Mountains. So when the bones turn out to belong to a long-gone local with a scandalous connection to the orchard, stories of the spooky figure roaming the forests at night once again rise up from the past. Now it’s up to Erica and the rest of the Otter Lake Security team to expose the identity of the killer. Will they be able to lay this ghost to rest…or will this witch hunt be their last?

Princess Fuzzypants here: Some cozy mysteries are funny with slap stick characters and over the top humour. It can be a tricky thing to pull off since humour is so personal. Often the ones that succeed best are the ones that just let it rip and go for total absurdity. This one has some very oddball characters who provide plenty of chuckles only occasionally overreaching. For the most part, it works a charm especially when our heroine is second guessing herself and everyone around her. It is a treat when she is trying to balance friendship with romance with her on again boyfriend.
It seems there may be an old witch in town- or at least in the apple orchard owned by the family she babysat when she was a teenager. Erica thinks there is someone totally corporeal responsible for the foot bone she found. One of her partners in Otter Lake Security believes it is the witch. He is afraid of everyone and everything which makes him a questionable choice her partner. Erica is quite capable herself of getting into unfortunate messes. For whatever reason, it is this relationship that just misses the mark for me, which is a shame.
The story itself is good. The family is all grown up and the baby sister is pregnant. She is afraid to tell her three brothers. Is she afraid because she knows what happened to the last boyfriend who got too close to her? If that is the case, which one of her strapping brothers is a murderer? Or are they trying to protect her?
When the full story comes out, it is a surprise.
I give the book four purrs and one paw up.

This book is part of a series but you will love it whether it's your first book or the 6th. I loved the Halloween and fall themed. It's a fun read and I will read more by this author. Thanks netgalley for the free arc of this book. The review is soley my opinion.

I have not read any of the other books in this series. In this book, it is almost Halloween, and the Otter Lake Security team is working security at the local apple orchard, which offers attractions during this holiday season. Their job is to ensure the security of the orchard and of those who come for the attractions and to keep the local teenagers out of the nearby woods, as they search for local legendary apple witch. The witch is supposed to come out at night and to do all sorts of harmful things to anyone who dares to go into the woods. During a quick chase of local teens through the woods, Erica Bloom and her partner Freddie, who are working the security detail, discover an abandoned boot that just happens to have the decayed remains of a foot. Naturally, everyone begins to speculate about whose foot the boot contains. It is obvious that someone has died and possibly even been murdered. Quickly, everyone concluded the boot belonged to a murdered man, Danny, who had disappeared a while ago. However, Danny’s social media, complete with pictures and notes about Vegas, confirms the missing Danny has just left Otter lake for Vegas and is not the dead body to whom the decaying foot belongs. Erica and the rest of her team quickly become involved in the mystery of whose food was found, who was really killed (or possibly died from who knows what) along with the local sheriff, who just happens to be in an on-again/off-again relationship with Erica. They find several clues and move through many twists and turns as they all try to figure out just what has happened in Otter Lake.

I really did not enjoy reading this book. I never did grow to like Erica, and her side-kick Freddie drove me crazy with his naivety and lack of basic understanding, knowledge and common sense. There was no real chemistry between Erica and the sheriff, though they had been and were still going in and out of a relationship. The other characters, especially the Honeycutt family members who owned the orchard, also were not done very well, in my opinion, and I never did grow to like any of them. Finally, the ending was flat, and finding out who had committed the murder really didn’t provide a very satisfied conclusion for me. After reading this book, I am not really sure if I will go look for the others in the series or anything else the author has written. I guess her style was just not for me. However, based on the reviews I have read, others do enjoy her stuff. Thus, another reader might enjoy the story and the others in the series. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Haunted Hayride with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the sixth book in the Otter Lake Mystery series. Erica and Freddie of Otter Lake Security are hired to provide security for a local apple orchard during their October Halloween events. When some teenagers roaming in the woods searching for the Apple Witch uncover a body, Erica and Freddie initially refuse to be drawn into another mystery. Despite Freddie's reluctance, they are soon deep in a mystery. This cozy series has a humorous element that has me laughing out loud at times. The characters are quirky and maybe a bit immature at times, but for this series it works. The Halloween theme was well done, and I am already looking forward to the next book.

This is book six in the Otter Lake Mystery series and can be read as a stand alone.
i do recommend very highly the entire series.
This is a fun book to segway into fall season with a Halloween theme throughout.
Erica is trying to discover who murdered the person whose bones are found near where the Apple Witch legend is rumored to occur. The rumor may be just fodder for Halloween kids or it may be true. Erica is a smart savvy protagonist who is on the case with both smart investigating as well as humor throughout. .I found this book very delightful. I recommend this book. I loo forward to reading further books in the series.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Autumn is a great time of year for Erica Bloom. At least it is this year. Otter Lake Security (OLS) has a job with a family that Erica used to babysit for, her... friendship... with Sheriff Grady Forrester is going well, and, well, Halloween is just a good time all around.
Too bad local legend, the Apple Witch, rumored to haunt the apple orchard Erica and Freddie are supposed to be guarding, seems to be rearing her ugly head. When OLS is rousting some local teens, a boot is discovered. One with a bony foot still inside. And it seems to belong to a former Romeo who was supposedly out filming a reality show about ghosts.

Four stars
This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Haunted Hayride with Murder: An Otter Lake Mystery
By Auralee Wallace
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
October 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Just in time for Halloween, this sixth Otter Lake mystery begins and ends with a questionable retelling of the Apple Witch ghost story to eye-rolling, snarky girl scouts. Why it is Freddie Ng telling the tale is as much a mystery as the murder that follows, since Freddie hates corn mazes, witches, ghosts, ghost witches, and especially Halloween. As one of the partners of Otter Lake Security though, he and our narrator Erica Bloom have been hired to watch over the Honeycutt Apple Orchard’s multitude of Halloween activities, which is a step up from following cheating spouses, insurance scammers, and peeping Tom mooses. It also unfortunately places them in the middle of Apple Witch territory, although it’s not a witch but a very dead foot they discover when tracking down partying teenagers.

Along with their one legitimately licensed private investigative partner Rhonda Cooke, Erica and Freddie make the democratic decision to avoid horror movie tropes and stay completely out of the murder investigation. Which is immediately overturned when the youngest Honeycutt sibling, Mandy, comes to them for help. Mandy’s former boyfriend had been intent on capturing the legendary Apple Witch on tape, and now that she is in a delicate condition she absolutely needs answers. Freddie implements baby rules that make them pregnancy genies, forced to grant Mandy’s wish, but it is actually a bet with Erica’s maybe-sorta-something friend/rival Sheriff Grady Forrester that puts them on the case. Now all they have to do is solve a murder, capture a witch, and hopefully not be killed in a haunted maze. All while not breaking the law. Easy peasy.

I lost count how many times I laughed, snickered, or snorted out loud during this novel, which ceaselessly entertains with the absurdities inflicted upon and by Erica Bloom. She pretends to be the normal sole normal resident of Otter Lake, but she has left a considerable trail of chaos and accidental traumas in her wake. Her earthmother mother is determined to hand out homemade vegan treats to millennials on Halloween, and encourages Erica’s relationship with Grady as long as he doesn’t crush her dreams and identity. Even if that identity is that to solve murders. The humor is never over-the-top or outlandish, and derives from the long-established friendships and relationships between characters. Even when fighting, Erica and Grady wordlessly unite and eventually fist-bump after running into their exes. Freddie continues to be an absolute treasure and the all-star of this series, never the more so than when his attempts to taunt Erica into paintball result in the entire OLS team donning Wizard of Oz costumes in the middle of a zombie paintball apocalypse. Only true best friends could declare, “If we die…I want you to know that you are my best friend, and I love you, and this is all your fault.” A hilarious ending worthy of Scooby-Doo is sure to please fans of this extraordinarily entertaining series, and I can’t encourage readers enough to join in on the rollicking adventures of Erica and the rest of Otter Lake.

This was the perfect book to get ready for fall and Halloween fun. When bones of a past resident are found near where the Apple Witch is said to haunt Erica and the security team must uncover a murderer and do their best to not be haunted by the local legend. This is the seventh book in this series and the first I have read, I didn't feel lost or like I should have read the books before it. I liked the humor that Wallace provided and Erica was a delightful sleuth. I recommend this book especially if your looking for a great fall read

This is book 6 in the Otter Lake mystery series by Auralee Wallace. It works well as a standalone; there aren’t any places in the book where you will feel as if you needed information from a previous book to understand what is happening in this one.

I have never come across a funnier cozy mystery. The main characters: Erika and Freddie, self proclaimed BFF forever ( Best Friends Forever Forever), have stumbled upon a dead man’s foot bones in a boot in the woods and are really trying to stay away from this murder mystery, but keep getting pulled in. Freddie is the most easily scared man I have ever had the pleasure to read about, and since their job requires that they provide security at a business that celebrates Halloween, there are a lot of things that frighten him including the Apple Witch. The way the characters go about their jobs can best be described as bumbling and madcap with lots of humorous observations about what they think they should do thrown in for good measure.

While I enjoy this series, the author has thrown in scenes where Erika is sleeping with the local sheriff, and I prefer my cozy mysteries not to dip into that territory. Other than that it has been a good series.

It's autumn in Otter Lake, New Hampshire and the Otter Lake Security team of Erica Bloom and Freddie Ng are hired to provide security at the local apple orchard during the lead-up to Halloween. Things go awry when teenagers roaming the woods in search of the Apple Witch ghost end up finding a boot with a dead man's foot bones still inside it. Who is the victim and where is the rest of the body? Erica has a bet with her boyfriend Sheriff Grady Forrester about who is going to solve the mystery first.

This was a quick read and another hilarious entry in the Otter Lake mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, I kept on reading but before I could get halfway through the book; I gave up. I enjoy a cozy mystery with a healthy dose of humor, but it just wasn't funny. The jokes were like an overdone laugh track. Such a disappointment.

Haunted Hayride with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the 6th book in the Otter Lake Mystery series, and a terrific fun read. I love this book/series, and can't wait for the next adventure. This adventure takes place around Halloween in Otter Lake, New Hampshire. Otter Lake Security, Erica Bloom and her best friend Freddie, are hired to watch over the apple orchard and festivities. When human bones are found, the mystery begins. There is also fun with the apple witch legend and Erica and Sheriff Grady Forrester relationship moving forward. I loved all the well developed quirky characters in this book. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading it until I was done. This book also made me laugh out loud. Not only is this book an exciting mystery but also very refreshing and a quick read. If you love funny cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book. It is recommended, the book and the series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Looking for the Apple Witch? Surprise! Human remains! This is a cozy so it's not gruesome and in fact, Wallace keeps things light, largely because Erica (our intrepid amateur of sorts) and her friends (notably Freddie) are lightly written. Erica's love interest Grady (who is law enforcement) deals with the cold case so that Erica and the Otter Lake Security team can look into the ghost. There are some twists (nothing too complicated). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre.

I will admit starting off a series on book 6 might not have been the best of ideas. I will admit I didn't find it all the inspiring enough to go back and start with book 1.

The story and characters are flat, the mystery predictable, and very little suspense even for a cozy mystery.

Auralee Wallace tries hard to have readers fall in love with her characters but this reader was unable to connect.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Paperbacks for the advance copy Auralee Wallace Haunted Hayride with Murder.

What a great ghost story!. I really enjoyed this book. It's spooky and fun. #HauntedHayrideWithMurder #NetGalley

I did not rate this book highly because it is outstanding literature, destined to become a classic. This is a cozy mystery....among many others of the genre. It is a light, quick read with the characteristic mystery and romance. However, this tale has more humor (without over the top, ridiculous characters), a more complex storyline, and better twists than average. I generally find myself disappointed or at best, mildly entertained by cozies, but this book has inspired me to go back and read this series from the beginning. I will be spending much more time with this author.