I really enjoyed this one. The characters are fab and I loved the story it told. This was the first book I read in this series but the author did a great job on catching us up on who is who and background stories. The writing was great! I'll def keep this author and series on my radar.

This was a great quick mystery read I loved the characters and found the plot engaging. Highly recommend.

Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth is the sixth book in the Dodie O'Dell mystery series. Halloween is fast approaching and to set the mood the Eatonville Little Theater is showcasing Dracula. Dodie plays along with a garlic themed menu for the Windjammer restaurant. When someone is found dead with a stake to the heart, it becomes an instance of life imitating art. I do like this series and the characters. The mystery on this one was a bit on the weak side, and by book six I would hope that Dodie will start being a bit smarter. It was still a fun seasonal cozy mystery.

Halloween in Etonville and the community theater is putting on Dracula with a newcomer to town who seems to fit the title character just a little too closely. The story explpdes from there and just keeps getting better. Dodie O'Dell manages a restaurant for a day job, but her detection skills are paramount. Actually the Halloween being of the story was ok, while the second two thirds of the book were terrific with great pacing and red herrings.

This book was just what I needed during this crazy time we are stuck in. The town is gearing up for Halloween and all it entails. The theater is putting on Dracula to go with the theme with the Windjammer fixing garlic based foods to go with it. As usual the production is cursed with a murder. We gets all kinds of twists, turns, and laughs as she starts investigating only to find herself in danger by the end. Full of quirky characters, mystery, and surprise that all combine until you cannot put it down. A must read for fans of cozies. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Dodie’s fiancé is coming around to her skills in sleuthing but when he leaves town, Dodie doesn’t waste time getting into trouble. Bad enough to have the Etonville troupe put on Dracula around Hallowe’en but could they have hired the real thing to play the titular role. Not only does this guy look the part, he and his wife live in a reportedly haunted house and the town is abuzz with speculation.

Rumours go into hyperdrive when a man in an Angel of Death mask is murdered in the cemetery the same night as the big town bash and Dodie saw the victim and the actor in a heated discussion. When the identify of the victim is learned it does not help that he is a hit man. It looks like he was on a job and there are lots of shady characters roaming around town, some of whom have no compunction about hurting Dodie. She does barge in where angel fear to tread but to be fair, sometimes she is in the wrong place for the right reason.

While the plot was complex with lots of deals and double crosses, I did figure out what was the secret of the actor. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing however. It makes for an entertaining read.

Four purrs and two paws up.

This is book 6 in the Dodie O'Dell mystery series and it can be read as a stand alone. I have only read a couple in the series and had no trouble catching up with the residents of Eatonville, New Jersey, a shore town that panders to the tourist. Dodie runs the Windjammer restaurant and is going all out for Halloween. The local theater is putting on a production of Dracula to get the town into the spooky mood. Now a cast member is dead with a stake in the heart and rumors of the mob in town are flying. A good cozy mystery to solve. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth is a lovely little cozy mystery featuring Dodie O'Dell and her Windjammer restaurant. The Windjammer is located on the Jersey Shore just south of New York City in a community that is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. It's Halloween and Dodie has herself a pretty sexy Wonder Woman costume. Her fiancé, Bill, Chief of Police of Etonville agrees. Dodie is peripherally involved in the local theatre, run by her best friend, Lola, and they are mounting a production of Dracula, sure to line the theatre's pockets. They had a fabulous, if creepy lead, in Carlos Villarias, a newcomer to town. All seems to be going well, until suddenly it isn't. Of course, some of that is just people and how they talk. Some of it turned out to be real, though. There were even mobsters involved, and not from New York as one might expect, but from Chicago.

Dodie and her friends are terrific characters, like those found in any small town. Bill, her fiancé, is not right out front, but present enough for the reader to really like him and appreciate their relationship. Halloween is always a terrific time to bring out people and their eccentricities, like the elderly sisters who are so full of personality that it's almost, no quite, too much. It's also a great time to hide behind a costume. The mystery is a pretty good one, although dependent on people that are non-residents, although they have been introduced. There is deceit, betrayal, and murder. Everything you need for a terrific mystery. I enjoyed it. It is the second I have read in this series, and worth a second look. I recommend it.

I was invited to read an ARC of Killing Time by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #killingtime

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 6 in the series.

This is a fun series, about a collaboration between a restaurant and a community theatre. Dodie always ends up right in the middle of murder.

This one was a light, quick read, set at my favorite time of the year, Halloween. My only complaint about this one was that Dodie had more than the usual too stupid moments that got her quite banged up in the end.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley*

Dodie O'Dell is manager of the Windjammer Restaurant in Etonville, New Jersey. Their restaurant is near by the Etonville Little Theatre, and each time the ELT puts on a play, the Windjammer coordinates their menus to fit. Right now they're planning on running Dracula, and Dodie is looking forward to it, visiting the theatre and her friends. She's as surprised as everyone that the man chosen to play the famous count is from out of town and living with his wife in what the locals consider a haunted house. When Dodie meets Carlos Villiarios, she's not sure what to make of him. He's mysterious, tall, dark, and fits the role perfectly.

She's also looking forward to Halloween, when she can wear her specially chosen costume for her fiancé, Bill, who also happens to be police chief in their little town. The costume's a hit, and Dodie can start planning her wedding, but something inside her is keeping her from making the plans with her wedding planner, her best friend Lola.

But the theatre has problems of its own, with accidents and lights failing, and her friend Lola is worried that the show won't go on. But it does; and things seem to settle down. Then there's a costume party at Carlos's home, with his wife Bella reading fortunes to keep the fun going, and during the party Dodie notices a man dressed as the Grim Reaper standing in a corner. He meets eyes with Carlos, and then seems to disappear from sight.

When a body is found in the cemetery later that night, it turns out to be the man in the Grim Reaper costume. Now Dodie has questions about what's going on. She knows that Carlos knew the man even if he denies it; she saw him but it seems no one else did; and why doesn't anyone know anything about Carlos's past? Dodie has a mystery on her hands, and even when Bill tells her to leave it alone, she can't. But will looking into the mystery put her in danger?...

I know it's not even near Halloween, but I do so like Ms. Trauth's books that I wanted to read this latest one, and I wasn't disappointed. I began this book in the dentist's office (I was there for a cleaning, but my husband was getting a crown, so...) and it was so enjoyable that I hated to put it down until I got home. Oh, well...

I love the characters in this town. They're like a family to each other, watching each other's backs and even the Banger sisters are a hoot, hearing a snippet of something and running with it like they're running with the bulls in Pamplona. These are people you'd like to spend time with, given the chance.

Dodie is an intelligent woman who likes the puzzle of a mystery, and even though she's the manager of a restaurant, she'd rather be taking those pieces and putting them together. The problem she has is trying to keep everything she's doing from Bill; but she doesn't hide information that she gleans. She gives every bit of it to him when she discovers it, which shows they're more or less a team, and I like that.

As to the mystery, it was done nicely; and even though I figured out what was going on a lot earlier than Dodie (I read a lot of mysteries) I relished watching her take each little thread she found and weave it slowly together, along with the others, to give her a tapestry of what she was looking for.

And what she discovered wasn't what she expected to find -- nor me. There was an intriguing twist toward the end that even I didn't expect, and I found it fascinating. When everything came together and the murderer was discovered, it was definitely a surprise; and then there was even one more surprise that was given to the reader that leaves us looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

The Grim Reaper is DEAD in a cemetery in
Etonville, New Jersey! A stake is in the middle
of the person’s chest! Several mischievous
teenagers found the body.
A Halloween costume party is taking place
in the Episcopal Church. Earlier there was
bobbing for apples, the candy corn count,
the pumpkin carving, the palm reading and
the kiddie costume parade down Main Street.
The Windjammer Restaurant, run by manager,
Dodie O’Dell is providing spiced apple cider
and homemade donuts for the parade. Dodie
is offering theme food this week to coincide
with the opening of the Eltonville Little Theatre’s
production of Dracula.....Garlic Cuisine.
The question arises....Is the theater haunted?
Costumes pieces are missing, the cues card are
being mixed up, the light board was fooled with
and the stake to be used to kill Dracula has gone
missing!! Was the missing stake used to murder
the a Grim Reaper? Who is this dead person?
Why was he in Etonville at the Halloween party?
The man playing Dracula is new to Etonville. He
is the perfect Dracula for the production but
what is he hiding? He is scary.
Dodie can not resist investigating even though
her fiancé is the police chief of Etonville, New
Jersey.
Dodie should be planning her wedding but lets
herself get involved in solving this murder.
Is she running from her fears that marriage will
change what she does and says or does her
curiosity dictate her investigating??
A fast paced, complex murder mystery which
is extremely well written. The vivid description
used in the story will let you feel Dodie’s pain
when she sprains her ankle, breaks a wrist and
gets an eye infection. The reader will hear the
dogs on the street wailing at night and visit
the old rickety house where Dracula the actor
lives.
The characters are very realistic, well fleshed,
some quirky, others scary but all add flavor to
the story.
Drama, intrigue, mishappenings, blackmail,
threats, suspense with situations that are
precarious make this a good read.
The reader will also learn some theatre lingo
plus police codes such as 10-36, 10-61, 10-30.
Code 2, 187 and more but you need to read
the book for what the codes mean.
The book ends with Thanksgiving feast.
This is book # 6 in the Dodie O’Dell Mystery
series. It can be read as a stand alone.
A Highly Recommended Read!!!
I volunteered to read Killing Time. I received
a pre-release copy of this book and I’m
reviewing it voluntarily. My opinion is my own.

Although I have not read the previous stories in the ‘Dodie O’Dell Mystery‘ series, (an oversight that will be corrected soon) I wasn’t the least bit lost in ‘Killing Time‘. Anything that I absolutely needed to know was mentioned in dialogue or narrative, and the rest simply falls into the ‘just read the book and enjoy’ category for me. For this reason, I’d say that you ‘could’ read this title on its own, but I’m sure there are nuances I missed by not having read the earlier books.

It’s Halloween time in the small, quirky town of Etonville. The local theater company is putting on a Dracula performance for the spooky holiday. What no one expected was for a very realist newcomer to play Dracula – or for the Grim Reaper to end up in the local cemetery with what appears to be a stake through his heart. Now there’s a mystery needing to be solved before people really begin to panic at vampires and such overtaking the town.

Dodie is newly engaged to Bill, the local police sheriff and at his request has sorta kinda scaled back on the solving mysteries part of her life. Really, she never intends to get caught up in them it just sort of happens when her own unique ‘spidey sense’ shows itself. And that murder radar is blaring right now as Dodie is, once again, pulled in to investigate another murder.

‘Killing Time‘ is full of twists, turns, red herrings, and surprises – and I had such a good time with all of it. I usually try to not get so far into a series before reading the earlier ones but time got away from me on this one… still, I had no trouble following along and completely enjoying myself in this world. As with any review, especially Mystery of any kind, I’m careful of spoilers – so, perhaps vague but I had fun being caught up in this world and I’m betting you would as well. If you love Cozy Mysteries then this is one you’ll want to add to your list if you haven’t already.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth is an exciting tale with lots of twists and turns, with secret identities and double agents.

Will Dodie figure out who "Dracula" is before he takes her life?

Dodie
Dodie and Bill are engaged now, and Dodie is questioning herself. Will she have to give up investigating? Will she have to give up managing the Windjammer? What will she do? These are some of the personal questions that she is asking herself. Then the townsfolk come up with these crazy rumors about her and Bill. Through all of it, the only thing that she knows is that she loves Bill.

I love that Dodie has doubts and is realistic. Yet, she is brilliant and has this "Spidey sense" where the hair on the back of her neck stands on end. She has learned to trust her instincts. Dodie isn't afraid to help friends and likes being part of the community. This little town suits her well.

The Mystery
It's Halloween in Etonville, New Jersey, and they are going all out this year. Dodie is on numerous committees to help with the festivities. She is also supporting her friends at the Etonville Little Theatre group. They have decided to do Dracula and found a new actor to play the part. In fact, he plays it so well that most of the town believes that he and his wife are vampires. Then a man dressed as the grim reaper is found dead in the cemetery with a stake in his chest.

Dodie starts investigating the actor, not the dead man. While Bill is focused on the dead man, will their cases connect? Let me just say that there are a lot of red herrings and double motives.

The end of the story is at Thanksgiving, and there is a surprise for Dodie. So, watch out for that.

Five Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth, and therefore am giving it five stars. The characters, Eatonville, and the complexity of the mystery are fabulously written. I highly recommend this book to all mystery readers out there.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth.

This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Killing Time is the 6th book in A Dodie O'Dell Mystery series, and I have read them all. I loved all of the well developed quirky characters in this book. In this adventure, Dodie is busy planning the food for the Dracula theater production, planning all that garlic foods. The actor cast as Dracula is very convincing, could he be the one who killed the stranger in the cemetery with a stake to his heart?? Once I started this book, I could not stop reading it until I was done. Not only is this book an exciting mystery but also very refreshing and a quick read. If you love fun cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book and series. Highly recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the sixth book in the series by cozy author Suzanne Trauth. I loved this introduction to fall season which is perfect reading for turbulent times. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read . I love the author's apt descriptions of Halloween time with the sights and sounds.
Dodie is the manager of the Windjammer restaurant in Etonville, New Jersey. She helps her fiancé, Police Chief Bill occasionally solve crimes. Etonville Little Theater’s production of Dracula will soon prove to be fraught with problems . A mysterious couple moves into town and the husband Carlos even looks a little like Dracula and has never been seen during the day. His wife is a psychic. No one in town trust them and soon the gossip is rampant and the production sees many mysterious problems occurring.

When the town puts on a Halloween party Carlos goes dressed at the Phantom and his wife does palm reading. When a murder occurs with a eerie similarity to the play Dodie and her husband investigate all the nefarious accusations to solve their case.

This is such a fun read with the various charcters and personalities the author has crafted. The sleuth had plenty of red herrings to keep this reader guessing to conclusion. I love the setting and the Halloween theme. During this hot summer this is the perfect introduction to fall cozy reading.

While this is the 2nd book in the Dodie O'Dell series this is the 1st book I've read that's set in Dodie's hometown of Etonville. I had liked her and the various side characters previously but I really enjoyed seeing them all in their usual places.

Things are quite dramatic when this book opens. The Etonville Little Theatre (aka ELT) is putting on the perfect Halloween production - Dracula. And the lead, a newcomer to the town names Carlos, just happens to be incredible at the role. So good in fact that some of the townspeople start to wonder if the reason he's so good at the role is because he can relate to it a little too much. And so Vampire fever is sweeping Etonville. A dead body being found in the cemetery dressed as the Grim Reaper with a stake through the heart does not help matters.

Dodie is trying to respect her fiance's wishes and stay out of the police investigation but she can't turn down her friend's desperate plea and starts digging into the Carlos' past. I'm always up for a deep dive into someone's history and really enjoyed this one. Especially when more mysteries seem to spring from every answer and the danger gets a little closer to home with every turn.

This was a fun read and I really enjoyed the mix of Halloween, theater drama, and restaurant time. Dodie plans specials to coordinate with the theater's play and I kind of like that not all of her ideas are a win. There were a few clues that Dodie didn't pick up on that seemed so obvious that it got a bit frustrating and slightly slowed down the pacing at time. Despite those minor issues I really enjoyed my time on the Jersey shore and am looking forward to seeing where the series goes!

Fall is closing in, Halloween is upon the town of Etonville and the Etonville Little Theatre has decided on running with Dracula with a great new actor playing Dracula. Problem is, someone in a Grim Reaper costume is found in the local cemetery with what appears to be a stake through his heart. This definitely carries the whole Halloween production too far.

Dodie O'Dell is manager of the Windjammer Restaurant and engaged to the local police chief, Bill. As she begins her carefully calculated sleuthing, we are introduced to the restaurant regulars, the town's recurring characters, and some description of the area and contiguous little villages.

It's a cozy mystery. They do tend to begin a bit slow for me, but Dodie has a fine way of handling the restaurant while inquiring into details of the victim's death. Meantime, the reader is treated to the eccentricities of some of her closest buddies, Edna the police dispatcher who speaks in code--and Penny who enjoys famous quotes, but always get them wrong.

"What doesn't kill you makes you live longer."

Not character-driven really, as Dodie makes steady progress with her investigation and the well-plotted mystery becomes more complex.

Dodie's quandary regarding Bill isn't really hammered out until the conclusion (but then very satisfactorily), and the climax ramps up the excitement considerably with a real surprise you probably didn't see coming. The sixth in the Dodie O'Dell mystery series, this can function fine as a standalone, and is certainly a series with setting, premise, and characters you'll enjoy. There are some wacky characters contributing to humorous dialogue and situations.

I received this digital download from the publisher through NetGalley and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to read and review. Recommended cozy mystery.

A cute little Halloween mystery to sink your fingers into and get your sleuthing juices flowing along with Spunky and entertaining Dodie! A quick and easy story to jump into and although you don't necessarily have to read the first 5 books of the series to enjoy this one it's still recommended.

Halloween has come to Etonville and the Etonville Little Theater has decided to perform the holiday classes: Dracula. To get into the vampiric mood, Dodie and the staff at the Windjammer restaurant will be dishing up garlic laden goodies. Some of the patrons fully embrace the galore of garlic while others are wondering why there is garlic in the ice cream. Oh how I wish that those wonderful menu items suggested throughout the story had recipes at the back. Later on I was inspired to find a pulled pork slider recipe (slider week menu) with Henry's ingredients and can't wait to try it out! With all that garlic you would think that not only vampires would be avoiding Etonville, but so would the shadow of death, not so for in fact Death is found dead in the graveyard or at least a mob enforcer dressed like Death with a stake. Dodie has no desire to get involved in this latest mysterious death, after all there were no apparent signs of foul play and Dodie needs to get busy with wedding plans, she is sure that her fiance, Chief Bill has a proper handle on the situation. Or at least that is what she thought before gal pal Lola came to her worried that Carlos Villarious, the consumate Dracula, and his wife Bella are a bit off. Is it the accent or the way he so easily morphs into the Count, as if he has done it before? A little too good of an actor for some of the cast, and his wife is a little woo woo as well with her palmistry and tarot card reading. She certainly has Dodie worried after revealing that Dodie's palm speaks of discontent, decisions and surrendering interests. There is something secretive and strange about the couple who are renting a very run down and creepy house, but he is a "creepy bloke" which might explain why he likes a creepy house. All in all they seem to be keeping secrets. Secrets aren't easily kept in a close knit town like Etonville, in fact it is quite easy to follow the story and "get to know" the characters making it possible to pick up any Dodie O'Dell book to read without needing to have started at the begining to know who the cast of characters are and what rolls they play.

I love Halloween, no secret it is my favourite holiday so I could not wait to delve into this story! Killing Time is book 6 in this series and I have not read the previous, and I do think it would be advantageous to have read them as the characters are all well established and I need more backstory on certain relationships. That being said, I did fall into line with the story and loved every minute of it.

Dodie O’Dell owns the Windjammer Restaurant, and it appears they like to theme their menus with events or seasons so with Halloween near and the Etonville Little Theatre hosting a production of ‘Dracula’ the menu features a lot of garlic! There are a few wacky moments with people being superstition about the lead of Dracula Carlos being an actual vampire, and with the time of year everyone’s is on edge. And rightly so as following a costume party a grim reaper is found dead in the cemetery!

Dodie’s fiance Bill investigates the murder whilst Dodie decides to do some sleuthing into Carlos, is there a connection between the two? There a few hairy moments for Dodie, and I loved the mystery with its little twists and turns.

Overall this was a great Halloween mystery, and I can’t wait to get the time to go back and start this series from the beginning!

4 stars