Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed reading Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. It’s like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen for a while—3 novellas that give the reader a peek at what the main characters of 3 well-loved mystery series are up to between novels. Definitely helps pass the time while we wait for the next novel to be published.

This is a fun book to get you ready for Halloween! There are three cozy novellas to get you in the spirit. I enjoyed the stories and found them to be well written.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a Halloween-themed cozy mystery collection by three well-known mystery authors. I'd expected a bit more mystery than I found in the stories, but perhaps that was due tot he novella nature of each one. The third story was a bit slow for me to get into, and I think I preferred the first two. Overall, it's a quick read for the upcoming holiday.

Do not hesitate to buy this book! I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 stories, and they are a great way to start the Halloween season..
Leslie Meier Haunted House Murder
The Halloween mystery was so good! As always, I devour anything that Leslie writes. I loved that Patrick came for a visit and we got to catch up on what is going on with his life. I only wish it had been longer! I never want her stories to end.
Lee Hollis Death by Haunted House
I really enjoyed this book. I have read a couple of them when reading some of Leslie's other books and I really like them. I'm going to start reading some of the others. The mystery was good and creepy, and I never would have figured out who the murderer was. Hattie's articles and recipes were so awesome! She is hysterical!
Barbara Ross Hallowed Out
This murder mystery was one of the best that I've read in a while! I couldn't stop reading it and had to get to the end to find out who did it. I will definitely be reading more of this series!

These three short mysteries will help get you into the Halloween spirit, especially if you're so busy you don't have time to settle in with a full length book right now. I've got mixed feelings about the individual stories. Leslie Meir's protagonist managed to push all of my buttons with her snap judgments about her unfriendly new neighbors. Barbara Ross's mystery about a ghost tour gone murderously wrong was definitely my favorite and I'm happy to report that I already had the first of the clambake mysteries on my Kindle so I'll be able to find out more about Julia Snowden and her friends soon.

This is a fun introduction to the Halloween season with three novella's written by popular cozy mystery author's. Any reader can follow along with each story if you have not read their series. All three stories are fun, short mysteries with a Halloween theme and lots of sleuthing fun !

Lucy Meir writes her story based on a haunted house mystery. Lee Hollis's mystery is a prequel to her series and readers will enjoy knowing Haley Powell prior to when she was married. This story is based on a haunted house that opens next door to her and many fun holiday theme incidents occurs. Barbara Ross's protagonist is Julia. This story features a haunted tour she goes on. Of course, the tour has very funny occurrences that had me laughing out loud . Al; were enjoyable short Halloween mysteries that are delightful to read and spend time with.

A very enjoyable holiday theme set of novella cozies... Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. .I highly recommend this book for all that enjoy Halloween theme fun cozies.

Another great holiday cozy mystery collection of Maine cozy mysteries from authors Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. The first in the book is Leslie Meier's Haunted House Murder, featuring Tinker Cove's intrepid part-time reporter and full-time mom/grandmother, Lucy Stone. A scary house across from the school has new, and not very friendly, owners, and when strange noises and sounds start emanating from the home Lucy's on the case to discover what's going on behind closed doors! The second story in the book is Lee Hollis's Death by Haunted House. This was a very interesting read because it takes place prior to the beginning of the series, when Hayley and Danny are still married. When the house next door to the Powell's in Bar Harbor gets new creepy residents - appropriately named Damian, Rosemary, Casper, and Carrie - Danny is convinced there's something sinister going on, especially when their real estate agent is found buried in the woods behind their home! The third story is Barbara Ross's Hallowed Out, which takes place in Busman's Harbor. Julia Snowden, along with boyfriend Chris, brother-in-law Sonny, and restaurant owner Gus, are helping with Harley Prendergast's Haunted House Tours. When a participating actor is shot dead in front of the entire group, Julia investigates to discover who killed the man and why. One of the tour guests? One of their own? A member of his family??? Haunted House Murder is a very nice collection, and a perfect Halloween read!

Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series has been getting a bit ridiculous lately and Haunted House Murder isn't much better. The series was my go-to on a rough day, but lately, it's just so unbelievable. I really want this series to rebound and Mrs. Stone reverts to the strong, intelligent character she previously was. The second "haunted house" story, Death by Haunted House by Lee Hollis gets a bit better, as a new family with distinctly horror movie based names moves in beside the main character. There's an actual murder in this story and while short, it had a great conclusion. My favorite was the final story, Hallowed Out. I plan on picking up the first book in the Clambake Series - that's how good it was!

There were three really fun mysteries in this compilation. I love all these authors' series to begin with, so I wanted to finally read one of their holiday collections, and since Halloween is my second favorite holiday, (Christmas being my first fave), I couldn't resist requesting it from NetGalley.

The first one, Haunted House Murder, is a Lucy Stone mystery and is actually a shorter missing person type of mystery, but the other two did have the expected murders, and I didn't guess the killers in either of one of them. I couldn't believe that Lucy's grandson Patrick is already eight years old.

In the Hayley Powell mystery, Death by Haunted House, readers don't have to be worried at all if they haven't read any other Hayley Powells, because this one takes place before the series even started. It was fun getting an insight into what Danny was like as a husband (kind of goofy and didn't think things through a lot.) The first two books definitely had a similar theme: don't judge your new neighbors by what they appear to be.

In the last mystery, Hallowed Out, by Barbara Ross of the Maine Clambake series, there was a really interesting murder that took place during a ghost tour reenactment. I loved that Le Roi the cat unraveled something that was bothering Julia a little bit. After reading this, I realized that it's been far too long since I read a Maine Clambake mystery, and that I need to read one soon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross is a very entertaining book that contains three Halloween stories. Leslie Meier wrote Haunted House Murder, a Lucy Stone mystery. Lee Hollis wrote Death by Haunted House a Hayley Powell mystery. Barbara Ross wrote Hallowed Out a Julia Snowden mystery. I really enjoy all three authors, so this was a real treat. Not only is this book really fun, it has three great mystery. Whether you have read these authors before, or are new to them the stories are easy to follow. I recommend this book and all three series, for any one who enjoy cozy mystery books. 

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

This is a collection of three novellas on Halloween. Each author has utilized their main character from their regular series to give you a small taste of their activities close to Halloween. Leslie Meier uses Lucy Stone and a surprise visit from her grandson as background for a tale about a local house that seems haunted, especially when a 'scary' couple seem to inhabit the house. Lee Hollis travels back in time for his story about Hayley Powell and a time when the kids were growing up and her marriage was intact. Barbara Ross has a 'dinner' theater murder as the centerpiece of her story. All were fun, quick reads and a great way to celebrate the Halloween season!

I so enjoyed this book! I like cozy mysteries. I like holiday and seasonally-themed books. I like novellas. Haunted House Murder is all three wrapped into one wonderful anthology! The pacing is spot-on and the writing by all three authors is superb.

Haunted House Murder starts out strong with a delightful Lucy Stone mystery by remarkable author Leslie Meier. Someone has moved into the old dilapidated Victorian by the elementary school. The new homeowners' behaviors are mysterious and downright frightening at times. Leave it to Lucy to unravel the haunting mystery.

Death by Haunted House by talented author Lee Hollis carries on the Halloween theme. An old house has sat abandoned for years after the previous owner met a mysterious death. A new family has moved in and the real estate agent that helped broker the deal has vanished inexplicably. Hayley Powell takes it upon herself to solve the mysteries surrounding this seemingly malevolent home.

Hallowed Out is an enjoyable Halloween novella by entertaining author Barbara Ross. There has been rumblings for years that Busman's Harbor is haunted. What better way to capitalize on these rumors than a haunted house tour and ghastly re-enactments in October? It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt....or murdered, I should say. The twists and turns kept me turning the pages.

The Haunted House Murder is a compilation of three stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross. All contain “haunted houses” and there is much fun to be had in the reading of this book. 
The title book, The Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier actually contains no murders but that is immaterial—the story is a lot of fun. Though the novella is lightweight, that isn’t what draws me to Leslie Meier’s books. What I have always enjoyed most about the Lucy Stone series is how the central characters ring so true to life. Lucy is a nice woman, hardworking and always willing to hel, but she also has more than occasional snarky inner thoughts—pretty much like most off her readers do, if I’m correct. She and her husband Bill, through the course of this long series, have successfully raised four children, but the children aren’t always angels and frequently sound and behave like most children, teens and young adults. These now mostly grown children all play some part in this book, as well as grandson Patrick, and It is refreshing to read about their less than perfect lives and their obnoxious conversations with Lucy. Three and a half stars.
I was less than enthralled by the second novella, Death by Haunted House written by Lee Hollis. The central character, Hailey Powell was okay but her husband had the emotional age of a twelve year old and was so unlikable that I couldn’t understand why Hailey wanted anything to do with him nor let him influence her into doing stupid things. There indeed was a murder and some truly creepy neighbors with fun names (Damien, Rosemary, Carrie and Casper) but they were not likable and didn’t bring much else to the story. Two stars for this one. 
The best of the three novellas is Barbara Ross’s Hallowed Out. The story features characters from her Maine Clambake Series, which I will certainly seek out after reading this book. I found it to be a well crafted, tightly plotted mystery without an easy solution, though when presented, it made sense. This entry was a classic cozy where the number of suspects is quite limited. I enjoyed the main character, Julia Snowden. Four and a half stars.
I recommend this fun three book Halloween read, especially for those who enjoy cozy mysteries, holiday based stories or are fans of the three authors.
I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions stated are solely my own.

You have three great stories rolled into one book. You also have three great authors. Perhaps you’ll find your new favorite author in this book. These all have a Halloween theme, of course, which I love. You might meet a ghost or two or hear a scary story. All three stories are about different characters and places. You may just find a yummy recipe that you’d like to try also. Small towns, great characters, and Halloween. How could you go wrong? I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross.
I usually love anthologies especially by these renowned authors and have read a lot of their books ,but I was a little disappointed in the first two mysteries as they were very similar Halloween stories. I did enjoy Barbara’s story .
This won’t stop me from reading any more books from these authors who I would definitely recommend .

In the first tale we are taken to Tinker's Cove where a new family has moved into what everyone looks at as a Haunted House. Lucy tries to meet the newcomers but soon learns that not only are they standoffish but also a tad weird. She soon becomes concerned that the husband is an abuser and tries her best to let his wife know that she is not alone. Things get crazier when strange noises can be heard coming from the house at all hours. Follow along as Lucy investigates and learns that looks can be deceiving.
In the second tale Hayley is excited to see that the abandoned house next door has a new family moving in. The house has many stories that have been told about it and the main one is that it is haunted. When the realtor that sold the house disappears, the strangeness of the family leads Hayley to believe that her new neighbors had something to do with her disappearance. Follow along as she soon realizes all isn't what it seems and the most unlikely of people can be killers too.
In the third tale Busman's Harbor is gearing up for some Halloween festivities. Julia has agreed to be a part of a ghostly reenactment but things turn sour when one of her fellow actors is really shot. Julia can't just stand by and do nothing so she dives right into investigating. She soon finds herself in deeper than she expected, will she identify the killer before something bad happens to her? Follow along and find out!! These were three wonderful tales in one book and they were all worth the read!!!

Quick, fast-paced Halloween short stories! I read this for Barbara Ross (and her Maine Clambake story was my favorite out of this collection), but the stories by Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis are worth reading too. (Spoiler: There is actually no murder in the first story.) Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier is a “Golly gee” kind of story. Just a little too local and homespun and “Oh gosh” with not much mystery.

Death By Haunted House by Lee Hollis is set in Bar Harbor, Maine and the story is tenanted by the most annoying characters who behavior falls over the line of ridiculous. None are likable and few are believable and while the story had potential, nope, not for me.

Hallowed Out by Barbara Ross is by far the most well thought out and best written of the three. The story was interesting, plausible but the ending was disappointing.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books

Anthologies are great to get a taste of different authors, and what better topic for one than haunted houses? Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross offer up samplings from their various series to entice readers, each offering their own spin on the haunted house theme. I’ve not previously read any of the series, although I have read other books by Lee Hollis before, so I loved seeing what each of these mystery series has to offer!

Leslie Meier kicks it off with her story, “Haunted House Murder”. Reporter Lucy Stone is used to hearing stories about the dilapidated home near the elementary school. New owners Ty and Heather Moon are moving in, however, and Lucy and the other residents of Tinker’s Cover are hopeful until strange sounds and noises start emitting from the home. Meanwhile, Lucy has her hands full as she’s unexpectedly caring for her eight-year-old grandson. I’m still not sure how I feel about Lucy as a main character. She was excited to take on temporary parenting duties for Patrick, but then appears easily flustered and irritated. However, I like the surprise twists and turns so I’ll have to check out another Lucy story to see if she’s my cup of tea or not.

“Death by Haunted House” from Lee Hollis is next, and I’m intrigued by this series. Hayley Powell is juggling work and parenting, while her husband, Danny, tends to be the “fun” parent. Normally this would irritate me, but Lee Hollis puts a unique spin on it when the new next-door neighbors arrive and Danny is immediately suspicious. To be fair, the new neighbors are named Damien, Rosemary, Carrie, and Casper and they are as odd as their horror movie themed names. A local realtor goes missing shortly after Hayley and Danny witness Damien arguing with her (while he’s holding an axe), and now Danny is sure they have a murderer next door to them. Can Hayley uncover who killed the realtor? Lee Hollis is a writer I’ve recently read and loved with a different series (see MURDER AT THE PTA) and I’m looking forward to more stories in the <i>Hayley Powell Mystery</i> series!

Barbara Ross’ “Hallowed Out” concludes the HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER anthology and is definitely my favorite story of the three. Harley Pendergast runs a local trolley tour and he wants to feature new places on his evening ghost tour. Julia Snowden encourages her boyfriend, Chris, as well as the owner of the building they rent from, Gus, to participate. Everything is all set for the re-enactment of a shooting by Al Capone’s gangsters, when something goes seriously wrong and now someone is dead. I loved every aspect of “Hallowed Out”, from the characters and their interactions, to the various suspects, and to the various ghost stories Busman’s Harbor has to share. I’ve never read anything by Barbara Ross but her first book in the <i>Maine Clambake</i> series is already loaded on my kindle!

HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER is a nice mix of cozy mystery stories, ranging in pace and style. Leslie Meier offers up a softer mystery that touches on the social issue of domestic abuse, while Lee Hollis provides us with a mystery featuring references to lots of old school horror movies that fit perfectly with a haunted house themed story. Barbara Ross tackles ghost stories as she rounds out the trio of talented authors. HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER is a fun anthology and will make a perfect read while on a sipping pumpkin spice drink in front of a roaring fire this Halloween.

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

I enjoyed this collection of three Halloween themed mysteries. My favourite was probably the Maine Clambake story - Barbara Ross's characters are very real. The second story, centred in Bar Harbour, was set in 2009 when Hayley was still married to her idiotic husband Danny. I feel this book is well worth reading for fans of these series.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.