This is a great novella to start the fall season and get in the Halloween spirit.
Fun characters and an intriguing plot, make this a fast and enjoyable read.

If you read a lot of series like I do, I know you must get impatient waiting for the newest installment to come out. Author Lynn Cahoon has rescued us from that with her Tourist Trap Mysteries by offering up delightful novellas like, A DEADLY BREW.

With all the same mystery and intrigue as her full-length books, Ms. Cahoon has penned a tale that allowed my imagination to run wild. I could feel the ghost of Maryanne peering over my shoulder as I read her story.

A DEADLY BREW was just the cunning whodunit I needed to hold me over until the release of the newest Tourist Trap full-length book.

A Deadly Brew is the latest installment in Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mysteries. IT is a fast-paced novella that is quick and easy to read. Easily be read as a standalone. IT is well-written story, with well-developed and believeable characters, that moves along at a steady pace, with a reveal that surprised me. Ms. Cahoon’s writing style flows smoothly; the engaging characters and interesting plot drew me right into the story.

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

This is a great novella with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book is part of the Trourist Trap Mystery series written by Lynn Cahoon. This book will keep you reading until the end. If you are looking for a great shorter book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author.

The house has set vacant for 15 years. Now as a Halloween challenge, they are going to be locked in for two days to see if it is haunted. You wouldn't see me doing that...

Lyrical Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.

There is a ghost. There's an old mystery, too. As they snoop through what remains of the house, they find she had a baby. She gave it away. She wasn't married, had no boyfriends, so how did she get pregnant?

When they puzzle it out, it's almost too late for them. It's a good thing they had their boyfriends with them or more would have died.

This cozy wasn't too scary. It made me feel sorry for the woman who had lived there alone. She was raped, had to deal with an unwanted pregnancy and then was murdered. Not a good life. But her killer is going to jail now...

A cozy mystery novel by a new to me author, Lynn Cahoon. It is perfect reading for Halloween with a ghost, a missing person and hidden treasure.

A Deadly Brew
A Tourist Trap Mystery, Book #9.5
Lynn Cahoon
5 Stars


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 . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed and I feel like they are old friends. Any time I get to spend with Jill and her friends is time well spent.

The writing style flows smoothly and this novella is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was right there with them in the haunted house. There is a mystery in this book, but it does not revolve around a dead body that someone stumbled upon. I find that very refreshing.
I would recommend this novella (and series) to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This a a great series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novella provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Jill Gardner, her boyfriend Greg and three other couples do a weekend getaway in an abandoned mansion that is set for demolition. As the couple's try to enjoy themselves they also get caught up in the mystery of the former homeowner who disappeared and the circumstances that surround it It's a quick seasonal read that gets you into the spirit of Fall
(See what I did there?).

This was my first book by Lynn Cahoon and now I plan to read the entire series. This was a great cozy mystery with the ambiance of a scary weekend at a suspected haunted house. There was mystery, romance, friendship, and a haunting backstory that was a bit more graphic than I expected. I read this in one sitting. Quick, entertaining read.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37801721-a-deadly-brew" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="A Deadly Brew (A Tourist Trap Mystery #9.5)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524209672m/37801721.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37801721-a-deadly-brew">A Deadly Brew</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon">Lynn Cahoon</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2276687382">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
With Halloween approaching South Cove, California, four couples get into the spirit of the holiday by staying in an abandoned house while trying to conjure up the spirits of the previous occupants. The house has sat empty, taking up some prime real estate along the very picturesque coastline. Built by one of the founders of South Cove, its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace 15 years ago. Now the city is going to demolish the house to make room for a condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house.<br />Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, her boyfriend Greg King, and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Demerit home. 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 in her dreams.<br /><br />Even though this mystery is written as a novella the author does a great job of giving the reader the same kind of plot twists character development, and surprising conclusion written with the same intensity that she puts into her full length mystery novels. I like that the author gives us a new way to get to know the personalities of the characters while they are solving the mystery of the missing woman. I am looking forward to reading the next 3 upcoming books in this series.<br /><br />I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1344649-faythe-shattuck">View all my reviews</a>

A little pre-Halloween spookiness fell into my lap via #NetGalley. It was enjoyable and very short but the creepiness I craved fell a little flat. The story of a group of friends spending the weekend in a haunted house before its demolition appealed to my sinister side but it was more of a mystery than a ghost story. Still a good read though.

I really enjoyed this South Cove novella but wished it were a full novel. I enjoy all the Cahoon series, but this one is my favorite. Love Jill, her book store/coffee shop, her bossy but loving aunt and her friends. Deadly Brew makes you wish fall and Halloween would hurry up and get here. Ghosts and a haunted house! It’s a quick and fun read. If you like Cahoon and Jill and don’t have much time, this is the book for you.

A perfect novella that is packed with intrigue and mystery. This book is set in a haunted house, with four couples being locked in for 48 hours. The story was interesting and I was surprised with the reveal. This author never disappoints me.

I finished it in one sitting.

This is a standalone story but is more enjoyable if you’ve read any in the series.

I liked that we learned a little more about Esmerelda.

A fun cozy mystery to get you in the Halloween spirit. Jill and her boyfriend Greg and some friends have a chance to stay in a mansion rumored to be haunted before it is torn down. A good, well-paced and fun novella and I enjoyed it from start to finish. I can't wait to see what Ms Cahoon has in store next.

I received a review copy thru Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Jill Gardner is taking the weekend off from her bookstore/coffee shop to have a getaway trip with her boyfriend and a group of their friends. It’s almost Halloween, so what would make a better getaway than a local haunted house? It’s about to be demolished to build condos so this is the perfect time to check it out while they still can.

They quickly learn about the last owner, Maryanne Demerit, who disappeared many years ago. Suddenly, strange things happen and the friends wonder if Maryanne’s ghost is trying to tell them something.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series set in the small town of South Cove, California. A Deadly Brew is #9.5 in the series. It’s a quick read but it gave me a chance to revisit my South Cove friends until book #10 is released.

It’s a bit different than the usual mystery stories in this series. This one has a touch of the paranormal added to it. It's an intricate story that intertwines the past with the present.

It’s a short novella which isn’t really connected to the rest of the series. It’s a nice way to get an intro into the series, but for me, it was a great way to meet up with old favorite characters and see what’s been happening with them. I read this in one sitting. It went by way too fast. Another novella is coming out soon and I’m looking forward to it.

Know up front that this is a novella- which means you only get a taste of how much fun a Cahoon book can be. Jill and her love interest Greg spend the weekend at a haunted house with three other couples. They have a fun relationship, btw, and I like that he is a law enforcement officer. There's a ghost, the mystery is fairly simple, and all in all, it's a nice quick read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next full length book!

What an entertaining read. It is short and sweet. Jill and her friends decide to spend a weekend in a haunted house. Are there really ghosts? What happened to the owner? The friends decide to solve the mystery of the owner's disappearance. Are they being helped from the great beyond? I enjoyed this, nothing super scary. The mystery was fun and the characters were unique and some quite quirky. The villain was a surprise. This is easy-to-read and enjoyable.

This book made me wish it was fall already. I live this series and was looking forward to reading this book. It is a fun spooky mystery that is perfect for a cozy scare. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.

A Deadly Brew is a great addition to the Tourist Trap series. This has been a fun and enjoyable series to read and I look forward to reading more in the future. Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books and More in South Cove, California, seems like an old friend. When she, her boyfriend police detective Greg King, best friend Amy and her boyfriend Justin along with fortune teller Esmeralda and others decide to spend the weekend in a lovely old mansion on the coast that is about to be demolished so that condos can be built, things get a little crazy. It is almost Halloween and the house is supposed to be haunted so the gang is ready for some spooky fun. The former owner of the house disappeared fifteen years ago. No one has seen Maryanne Demerit but maybe her ghost will appear to the group. Maybe they can figure out what happened to her. This is a cute novella that is a quick read in the same style we have come to expect from Lynn Cahoon and the South Cove gang.
I received a complimentary ARC from Lyrical Press and Kensington Books through NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions are mine only.

I've read a lot of Lynn Cahoon's South Cove mysteries, starring coffee/bookshop owner Jill Gardner. This one is set at Halloween, where Jill and her boyfriend (the police chief) and two other couples spend the weekend in an old mansion set for demolition. The one thing that surprised me was the shortness of this novel, compared to others in the series. But, considering the "weekend" timeline, maybe that was necessary. I was rather shocked to see it end so quickly, and it seemed less complex as a result. Fewer twists and turns.