This was a short quick novella in the Tourist Trap series. In this one the friends from South Cove are celebrating Halloween in an abandoned house that maybe haunted. Together they set out to solve the disappearance of the woman who lived their. It is a light ghost story and mystery. A Perfect read for Halloween

A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, her boyfriend, and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Dermerit home. The house is due to be demolished in a month time, but has been given the go ahead by South Cove’s mayor to be used as a Halloween Haunted House for a few weekends before the demolition begins.

But what begins as a all-in-good-fun fright fest turns into a mystery begging to be solved.

This is one of Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap novellas, which is well plotted, written and fun to read.

Loved it!

Lynn Cahoon writes fun cozy mysteries that are well plotted, have fantastic, relatable characters and and leaves readers excited for the next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books/Lyrical Press for this ARC.

A Deadly Brew is a quick but fun mystery read! There is a little something for everyone; mystery, ghosts, the feel of autumn/Halloween and a good story.

Maryanne dissapeared without a trace 15 years ago. Her house fell abandoned and when the trust ran out of money, her house was purchased for land development. Jill and her friends are able to stay in the house for a weekend before the house is torn down. Once locked inside, the mystery begins to unfold. Who was Maryanne really and what did she try so hard to hide?

I found this book enjoyable to read and it kept my attention throughout. I would recommend giving this one a read!

A Deadly Brew
(Tourist Trap Mysteries #9.5)
by Lynn Cahoon 

Kindle Edition, 67 pages
Published September 4th 2018 by Lyrical Press (first published August 4th 2018)



Goodreads synopsis:
As Halloween approaches South Cove, California, four couples get into the spirit of the holiday by conjuring up spirits. . .

The house has sat empty for fifteen years, taking up prime real estate along the picturesque coastline. Built by one of the founders of South Cove, its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace. Now her home will be demolished for a condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house.

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, her boyfriend, and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Demerit home. But what begins as an all-in-good-fun fright fest turns into a mystery begging to be solved as Jill is contacted by the ghost of Maryanne . . .

***

4 Stars

This novella is book 9.5 in the Tourist Trap Mysteries series.

This was a fun little ditty featuring a lot of South Cove residents in one short story. It is a perfect read for a Halloween night or any night right before all the spooks come out.

I thought the mystery was interesting although the clues the ghost provided were pretty difficult to decipher. And the dream, was that ever deciphered? I thought that should have had more symbolism in it. But that is just me. I particularly liked the scene with the Ouija board and Esmerelda. Classic.

This book is like a little teaser to help us, the loyal readers, keep a bit of South Cove in our hearts until the next novel appears. Waiting patiently.

You will most likely need to read other books in the series to get anything out of this book but that is where the fun lies, right? My favorite series world.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

"The house has sat empty for fifteen years, taking up prime real estate along the picturesque coastline. Built by one of the founders of South Cove, its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace. Now her home will be demolished for a condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house."
I have to start by saying that I was already a big Lynn Cahoon fan and I do love a good cozy mystery. This is a short but fun read. When four couples visit an old house for Halloween fun, Maryanne (the house ghost) shows up in the hope that Jill can help solve her dilemma....... It is fast paced and kept me interested from start to finish. I would not hesitate to recommend this, or any other, Lynn Cahoon titles.

A Deadly Brew was another exciting adventure in Cahoon's Tourist Trap mystery series. Jill, her boyfriend, Greg, and a group of their friends decide to do something special for Halloween. They decide to spend the weekend locked in a "haunted" house that will soon be condemned. The adventure starts out pretty normal until strange things start to happen that make Jill and her friends think the place really is haunted.

Cahoon does a great job at setting up a spooky tale that is perfect for the Halloween season or at any time of the year. Jill learns a little more about herself when the house's ghost chooses her to communicate her dilemma. Despite being a shorter story, Cahoon delivers an exciting tale that captures the reader's interest from the very beginning and never lets go. Overall A Deadly Brew is a great read that I would definitely recommend, and I am looking forward to reading Jill's next adventure.

Received a copy of A Deadly Brew through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon

Synopsis

Cat Latimer, a former English professor,  is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited. She has turned it into a bed and breakfast.  It was an  extremley interesting surprise, because it is from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway!
The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and the guest from the first retreat are arriving.  One of them is bestselling author Tom Cook who is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.

Cat’s high school sweetheart Seth, who’s fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat…some of them a little overpowering. However, her uncle, the local police chief, whom she’ll call for help when there’s a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?

I've loved this series from the start and this novella is book 9.5 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series. It's Halloween in South Cove, California and Jill is turning the bookshop over to her staff so she and Greg can spend the weekend in a haunted house with 3 other couples. This is a nice cozy about a ghost who wants Jill's help solving her murder. A quick read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught.

This one is a perfect cozy. It has a lot of positive feedback here on Netgalley so far, and rightfully so. This book had all of my buzzwords: bookshop, haunted house, halloween, and paranormal. I love it when cozies delve into more experimental genres such as adding paranormal elements, and it definitely worked for A DEADLY BREW. I highly recommend this one for those who enjoy a classic cozy mystery.

Halloween is coming to South Cove, California and Jill and the gang are getting into the spirit with a weekend getaway...to a haunted house! When they arrive they learn more about the former owner who disappeared 15 years ago, and decides to pay Jill a visit and wants her to share the truth.

While a Halloween story, this one will appeal to all of us ghost and paranormal lovers! It's short story, so light a fire, grab something to drink and curl up with this one....but you might want to keep a light on!

I love all the Tourist Trap mysteries, they're great reads with fun characters and interesting plots. This latest novella is set at Halloween. Jill and her boyfriend go with their friends to an abandoned house for the weekend for some spooky fun.

The previous owner disappeared mysteriously and when Jill is visited by her ghost, the f=group is determined to find out what actually happened to her.

Another great book in the series, I highly recommend it. Thanks to Lyrical Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A light spooky cozy mystery from the Tourist Trap mystery series caught my eye when I was hunting for an Autumn seasonal read. It was my first time with author and series and it was a great experience that has me eager to return for more.

A Deadly Brew is book 9.5 in the A Tourist Trap Mystery series. It probably wasn’t the best place to start as it was obvious that the heroine and those in her circle had prior experiences together, but, that said, I had no trouble diving in because the author gave a brief intro to the characters and setting as it appeared in the story.

This was a quick read novella that falls between the usual novel-length mysteries. It was a lock in haunted house weekend for four couples. They wanted to explore the old house by the sea that would be torn down for developments and have a nice weekend getaway. But, strange things start to happen and Jill Gardner, local bookshop owner and amateur sleuth, begins to wonder if the ghost of the long time missing owner is trying to help her discover the truth of what happened back in the past.

The four couples were a fun group together and I liked the cold case and spooky manifestations. I thought their time at the old spooky place was fun and entertaining. The backstory and descriptions of the world and setting were minimal and things moved along swiftly with the mystery, but it worked just fine for an afternoon quick read. The heroine Jill was engaging enough and I liked the time with her boyfriend the town police detective, her friends and neighbor. It did have a nice twist or two even if it was a light-weight story.

I think those looking for a fun, light cozy mystery that would be perfect for Halloween would find this one a good bet.

Jill, Greg, and their friends have decided to spend the weekend in a abandoned house which is being demolished to make way for a condo development. They are hoping to solve the mystery of what happened to Maryanne Demerit who disappeared fifteen years ago. While there Jill feels a strong connection to Maryanne leading to some weird dreams/visions. What happened to Maryanne and will they figure it out or pay the price for snopping?

Some believe Maryanne was a witch and something went wrong. But as they search deeper they learn Maryanne had a baby and something happened with the baby. Now if only they could solve the bigger questions being brought to the surface.

I love this series it's fun and never a dull moment with Jill at the helm uncovering the clues and adding to the mystery. Definitely a great Halloween treat to read. I found myself captivated and unable to put it down!

A slightly spooky read, perfect for a quick visit to South Cove. In a soon to be torn down house, Jill, Greg and friends find themselves signed up for a weekend lock-in inside the purportedly haunted house. The owner, Maryanne Demerit, having disappeared without a trace years earlier. This was an ideal October read filled with a lot of twists for such a short story. Fans of the series will enjoy this, plus I think it would be a great way to introduce new readers to this small town.

What could be more fun than spending time with friends, maybe spending time with friends solving a 15 year old mystery about a supposed witch in an abandoned house right before Halloween! With a ghost and a séance the "lock-in" is sure to be an experience none of the group is soon to forget. Excellent Halloween read with a great cast of characters. Jill Gardner makes a great heroine, very real and relatable. The story line was very interesting and while I was able to figure out part of the mystery I did not see the whole picture until the author was ready for the big reveal. I cannot wait to get my hands on more of the Tourist Trap Mystery books to see how Jill and her Aunt Jackie fend with their shop, Coffee, Books, and More.

It's almost Halloween and Jill Gardner and friends have agreed to a locked room experience (it's really a house rumored to be haunted). Holding a seance the group is visited by the resident ghost who is searching for her lost child.

What happened in the past and why is the house haunted? Great Novella for the Halloween season!

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you are looking for a quick read that will entertain from beginning to end, this could be it. It is a novelette of the Tourist Trap series. I have grown to love the characters of these books as their characters and relationships have grown. This book puts seven friends and one “wild card” into a haunted house that is slated for demolition. As a fundraiser, people can pay to stay overnight and be scared out of their wits.
The ghost who lives in the house has other plans. She has unresolved business and she is determined to be heard. Jill and her friends, both believers and non-believers join forces to resolve the mystery of the disappearance of the woman who owned the house. The ghost chooses Jill as the one with whom she communicates and when the group uncovers the truth, there are plenty of surprises.
It is a good little Halloween story with some twists. But at the heart of it, as it has been throughout the series, it is the personal relationships between the characters that makes the story sparkle.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.