This was a fantastic read! Halloween is one of my favorite themes and Charlene is participating as a judge for The Witch Ball. Charlene's friend, Brandy, is none too pleased with her daughter's new boyfriend, which Brandy informs Charlene that Alaric claims to be a vampire. Charlene observes Serenity and Alaric and overhears them arguing and the next moment, Serenity is love-struck.

Right before the judges can announce the costume winner, Alaric pulls a theatrical stunt where he'd disappear to prove to the doubters that he was who he claimed to be. The lights went out, the door locked and when the lights came back on Alaric was nowhere to be seen. In his place were a cloak and a wooden stake. Serenity came to after fainting and mentioned that the spell must've worked but questioned the stake. Charlene wasted no time calling Sam.

When Charlene returned to her B&B and spoke to Jack, her resident ghost, asking him if he believed in vampires, he admitted that he didn't but added he didn't believe in ghosts either. Yet there he was, a ghost.

When a body washes up on shore with a hole in the chest, Serenity becomes a suspect. Charlene joins her friend Brandy to find out more about the coven of vampires that are new transplants to Salem, Massachusetts.

I really enjoyed this story with a lot of twists and turns to keep me guessing. This will get you in the mood for Halloween, with witches, vampires & mystery. I highly recommend this series!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Kensington and I have voluntarily reviewed this book. #KensingtonPublishing #TeamCharlene

Mrs. Morris and the Vampire by Traci Wilton is the 5th in the Salem B&B mystery series. Charlene’s B&B is full and she is eagerly anticipating her first Halloween in Salem especially the Witch Ball. After all, what better holiday to truly experience Salem than Halloween? If running a B&B isn’t complicated enough, Charlene’s friend Brandy Flint, who owns the local winery, confides in Charlene that she is none too fond of her daughter’s new boyfriend who claims to be a vampire. When he vanishes during the Witch Ball and later washes ashore, Brandy’s daughter becomes the chief suspect.

Detective Sam Holden is once again on the case, while Charlene and her resident ghost Jack Strathmore work together to solve the mysterious death. Another fun installment in this series, full of mystery and mayhem. This book captures the essence of Salem and gives the reader a peek behind the scenes of running a B&B - a thoroughly enjoyable read. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

This is my second in the series although it is the fifth instalment, and Charlene Morris's 2nd Halloween at her B&B is looming. The annual Witch Ball, held at the historic Hawthorne Hotel is the place everyone wants to be. Protagonist Charlene is a terrific amateur sleuth and gets stuck in when a naked man washes up on the beach with a hole in his chest. It's winery owner Brandy Flint's daughter's beau, called Alaric who claims to be a vampire from Romania.

Set in Salem, Massachusetts, Mrs. Morris and the Vampire was well-crafted, swift-paced, witty and thoroughly entertaining. Charlene is a widow who bought an old mansion now called "Charlene's" and she enjoys the company of Jack Strathmore, the progressive ghost of the former homeowner. The mystery was very engaging and I was kept guessing by the great killer concealment in this lively yarn of surprises. I can’t wait to visit Charlene's in Salem again. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Mrs. Morris and the Vampire is the 5th book in a Salem B&B Mystery series. It’s Halloween and Charlene has joined her guests and the residents of Salem at a costume ball. She is helping to judge.
Brandy is concerned about her daughter Serenity because she is very involved with a new man, Alaric, who claims to be a vampire. By the morning after the ball, Alaric is dead. Brandy asks Charlene for help to keep Serenity out of jail.
And so the action starts interspersed with the lovely life at the B&B. This mystery has a good mix of every day life, new information and details about Salem, and the investigation into Alaric’s death. The story is well written and the killer concealed until the authors were ready to reveal how the pieces fit together.
I like Jack but I still wish he would move on to the afterlife so that Charlene would move on too. I think she may be ready because there was less dwelling on her husband’s death in this book.
Each Salem B&B Mystery gets better. And each mystery takes on a new paranormal story - ghosts, witches, sorceress, vampires. Sometimes I almost believe in the paranormal in the way these mysteries play out.

Mrs. Morris and the Vampire is the fifth book in Traci Wilton’s Salem B&B Mystery series. ( Traci Wilton is the pen name for the collaboration of seasoned authors Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton.) Charlene Morris is a young widow who has established her bed and breakfast in Salem, Massachusetts, and has discovered that she is joined in her home by its late resident, Dr. Jack Strathmore. This book takes place at Halloween, several months after the third book in the series and about 15 months after she has taken possession of her bed and breakfast.

Charlene has been asked to be a costume judge at the yearly Witch Ball held at the historic Hawthorne Hotel. The ball is a Halloween(Samhain) staple in Salem. There are many interesting costumes, from a pair of Dalmatians to vampires that believe they truly are vampires. As the ball closes in on midnight and the time for naming the best costumes, Charlene and her fellow judges are off to the side comparing notes when there is a commotion at the center of the dance floor. It seems one of the vampires has called attention to himself repeating his name, Alaric, over and over. As midnight hits, the lights go out and the main door is locked. While there is still candlelight little can be seen until someone outside the door opens it and the exterior light switch is found. The self proclaimed vampire has disappeared leaving behind his cape, a bloodied stake, and a dazed and confused young witch, Serenity, the daughter of one of Charlene’s good friends.

Has a crime been committed? When the vampire’s body washes ashore the next day it is certain that it was murder and Charlene’s young friend is a top suspect. When a second murder occurs and is linked to the first, a full fledged investigation begins, both on the part of Detective Sam Holden and the curious Charlene.

With so many twists and turns the reader is kept guessing and second guessing until the very end of the story. Again this series entry will not disappoint fans of these books. I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it

Here we are at the fifth book in this series, and it’s still going strong. Charlene seems to be really successful with her B&B, and yet again, she gets tangled up in a mystery. This time, the daughter of a friend is mixed up with a man who claims to be a vampire, and he ends up dead. Charlene takes the case to find out who actually committed the murder when the daughter is one of the suspects even when Sam isn’t happy when she’s involved in murder once again. I love how this world is expanding when Charlene comes to realize that witches with powers exist, and how accepting she is of that. This was an entertaining read from beginning to end. I hate to harp on the same thing ever book, but I still don’t like that Jack is still kinda a contender for Charlene’s heart. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Yeah yeah yeah, he's a vampire. It's Halloween and Salem is overrun with those who want to present as witches and vampires, among other things but Charlene has an actual ghost- Jack- in her B&B. Her friend Brandy, who is a witch, is unhappy about her daughter Serenity's boyfriend - he's older, he's Romanian, he claims to be a vampire- but she didn't kill him nor did Serenity,. But who did? Charlene, Jack, and Detective Sam Holden all work the case. I love this series because it's a hoot. Yes, there are ghosts and witches and so on but it never gets too woo woo. Moreover, Jack is smart, funny, and very much attuned to Charlene. Then there's Sam.....Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fun, entertaining read that will be fine as a standalone. Series fans will be delighted.

This is the 5th installment in the Salem B&B mystery series. Charlene Morris moved to Salem from Chicago over a year ago to move on from the loss of her husband. Charlene is attending the Halloween Annual witch ball and is one of the costume judges. Charlene’s friend Brandy’s daughter Serenity is with a much older man named Alaric who recently arrived from New Orleans and he tells everyone he is a vampire. At midnight, he tells everyone he is going to prove he is a vampire and the lights go out and then when they come on, he is gone but his cloak and a stake in on the ground with blood on it. No one can find him and Serenity leaves with Alaric’s friend Elisabeta. Charlene believes something is off and calls Sam to tell him and he comes but they are still mad at each other for her involvement in other investigations and she is mad as he put her in jail. They are keeping things “professional” and he agrees to look into it. Alaric is later found dead and Serenity becomes a prime suspect and Brandy requests Charlene to help her investigate this to get Serenity off the hook. Charlene and Brandy go to the house where Alaric was living and then visit another man who is in town from New Orleans who knew Alaric and his friends. As soon as they leave, the man falls to the street below from his hotel room. Yikes Charlene is at yet another crime scene and Sam is less than thrilled. Once she gets home she runs everything by Jack her resident ghost and he is willing to help her investigate .. amazing that Jack as a ghost can work the computer but it is fascinating to see the two of them work together. Charlene is a great sleuth and tries to be careful but of course she gets into trouble along the way. This is a great series and this was a great addition to the series and kept me reading into the early morning hours to finish the book. Cannot wait for the next installment.

amateur-sleuth, bed-and-breakfast, cozy-mystery, friendship, ghosts, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, witches, snarky*****

Charlene Morris is a fairly recent widow who bought a marvelous old mansion which she operates as a B&B in the historic town of Salem, Massachusetts and enjoys the company of a wonderful man who is a rather progressive ghost. This is book 5 in series, but easily stands alone.
This time the holiday is Halloween and a scam artist/magician from NOLA purporting to be a vampire has set his sights on the daughter of one of the witches. But he winds up dead for real so Charlotte and friends get involved in the investigation despite the objections of the local detective. Great characters, both ongoing and temporary make this a great escape! Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Mrs. Morris and the Vampire is the 5th book in Traci Wilton’s Salem B&B Mystery series, but can be read as a standalone. I was very impressed with this book. There is a little bit of everything: suspense, action, tragedy, humor, secrets, history, romance, a ghost, witchcraft, and vampires.

When a wannabe vampire goes missing during the annual Witch Ball and his body later washes ashore, Charlene Morris, owner of a local B&B, is determined to find the killer before her friend’s daughter goes to jail for murder.

Salem, Massachusetts is a great location to set a mystery, especially at Halloween. I love that the author included so much history about Salem. The fast-paced action kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Vivid descriptions allowed me form mental pictures of people and places. The book is expertly plotted, with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. A wide range of personalities, from sugary sweet to truly bizarre, made for very interesting characters. Charlene Morris, the protagonist, has a heart of gold, but a snarky side, which I love. I particularly like Brandy, and that she comes from a long line of strong women/witches. I wish I had her powers. Jack is an extremely considerate and loving man, it’s a shame he’s a ghost.

I highly recommend this book to any cozy reader, but especially fans of Salem, witchcraft and the paranormal.

Thanks to Traci Wilton for providing me with a digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all the books in this paranormal cozy mystery series and this one was quite good, although I still think the first book in the series was the best. The reason I am giving four stars was I thought the book went on for just a bit too long and I was getting annoyed.

Charlene Morris is celebrating her second Halloween in Salem, MA as a successful B&B owner. This time she is at the annual Halloween masquerade ball when a man professing to be a real vampire pulls off a stunt at midnight supposedly to demonstrate he is the real deal. Instead he disappears from the ball as intended but did not plan to end up dead later with a "stake hole" through his real human heart. Charlene's friend Brandy's daughter is a possible suspect so Charlene again dons her detective hat to discover whodunit.

I thought the vampire lore in this book was a little cheesy, especially with some of these characters that took the charade a bit too far. Sure there were the usual clichés about sunlight, garlic and drinking blood but apparently also drugs, theft and a whole host of other non-supernatural business followed. I still enjoyed the story and I figured out whodunit before the review but again, I thought this was just too long to give 5 stars.

What a wonderful story and all the ins and outs of who did what. I love the ghost Jack and can't wait for more books to give him more storylines.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publications for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series. I believe this is book 5. I have not read all the others, but it does read well as a stand alone. I was a bit confused by the main character's behavior. Charlotte is a widow and runs a B&B. She lives with a ghost but it seemed as if Sam was a love interest? or not? The actual mystery was interesting and the characters were fun. The story was full of surprises. Even the killer was a surprise to me. Didn't really appreciate the ending. I enjoy the bits of paranormal and the setting of Salem, MA. Overall a decent quick read. 3 stars I think most cozy paranormal mystery readers will enjoy.

Charlene Morris is my absolute favorite book character. This book series keeps getting better and better. Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton have made this series and it's characters so addicting. Charlene's character is always finding a mystery to solve, and this time she has to solve the murder of a so called real vampire. With so many lovable characters, Charlene has her pick of supporting friends. Not to mention she still has her live in ghost, Jack. I can't wait to see Traci and Patrice have in store for Charlene next. I do know that with these two authors we can expect more great mysteries for Charlene to solve!

"Mrs. Morris and the Vampire" is the 5th instalment in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton. This is my favourite one so far, I just loved it, but I say that with each new book!

It's B&B owner Charlene Morris's second Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, and one she won't soon forget when a self-proclaimed vampire is murdered...

What can I say, this go around it’s Halloween and Wannabe Vampires abound. I love visiting Salem and Charlene’s B&B with its resident ghost Jack and her B&B family. I love all the characters Charlene, Jack, Minnie, Sam and Avery.

The mystery was interesting, well plotted, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end. I definitely was surprised by the ending and can’t wait for book 6 to see what happens next!!!

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mrs Morris is at it again. This time a “vampire” is dead after disappearing at the Witch’s Ball at the Hawthorne hotel (where Charlene is a judge in the costume contest.) This installment has witches, vampires, tour guides, another a Halloween in Salem, an author, and of course a certain detective,

I loved this book! I am a fan of the city, and have been there a bunch of times so the settings are all familiar to me (at least the real ones!) I can imagine these characters living in Salem. The mystery is my favorite yet. A vampire who wants to die so he can prove he is immortal- I mean wow! It is so out there, but it works. Charlene is getting more aggressive and involved.

Part of the ending disappointed me. Saying too much might give it away. I hope that it is rectified in the future. It won’t stop me from reading more and I am spooking forward to what is next for Mrs. Morris!

Charlene Morris, owner of Charlene's B&B in Salem, Massachusetts, is called on to solve a murder by her friend Brandy, who owns the local winery and also happens to be a witch. The murder victim, Alaric is a guy who professes to be a vampire and was seeing Brandy's daughter Serenity. The police believe Serenity may have murdered Alaric. Charlene is determined to help Serenity prove her innocence. During the course of Charlotte's investigation Charlotte faces some danger but still manages to ferret out who the murderer is. I liked this storyline as it includes the sleuthing by Charlotte but also includes Charlotte's enjoyment of hosting guests in her B&B.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This series has been a hit or a miss for me. I really enjoyed the previous book, but this latest offering just did not grab me.

I will read the next one in the series, as I enjoy the paranormal aspect.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Mrs. Morris and the Vampire was my introduction to the Salem B&B Mystery series, and I should have started reading the series earlier. I had a great time reading this book. The story starts during a Halloween party and nicely sets out everything that follows. I really liked the fact that elements from both the party and what happens at the B&B get connected as the story progresses. The characters, even minor ones, are multidimensional, which makes for a mystery that appeals to the reader's intelligence. Once you find out who the culprit is, previous elements from the story are seen in a different light. This book is highly recommended to people who love good mysteries and Halloween. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This book like the rest of the books in the series was a quick read. However, I didn't really like this one as much as I did the pervious books in the series. But it was still an enjoyable read.