I would recommend Chaps at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan. This was a cute and cozy mystery. It did my heart a lot of good since I hate the summer but love the fall and Halloween time of the year. I would love to live in a Halloween town. The characters and setting of this book mixed with a little bit of mystery was exactly what I was looking for. Great book!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the arc!

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop
(Halloween Bookshop Mystery 1)
Emmeline Duncan



This is my first book by authoress Emmeline Duncan, it will definitely not be my last. She also writes the Ground Rules mystery series.

Lazy Bones Books is a second generation bookstore in Elyan Hallow, Oregon. We arrive at the beginning of the Halloween festival. Which will feature the Lazy Bones’ inaugural Literary festival, featuring hometown bestselling writer Rex Abbot. The Literary Festival is donating proceeds to the Tots Book Bank.

Bailey has also been approached by Taylor an assistant on Gone Ghoul, a popular ghost-hunting show; to shoot in her bookstore Lazy Bones. Thinking it would be a great promotional opportunity she agrees. Ohhh, how she regrets this decision. Bailey leaves Danby in charge of Lazy Bones while the ghost hunters are recording overnight before the festival. She receives a 5 am awakening, arriving at LB she walks in to find the bookstore in shambles books, glass, and merchandise all damaged or destroyed! A favorite store prop is also broken. She’s devastated by the wanton destruction of her store. When Lance and Taylor dismiss her, she kicks them out of the store and threatens to call the cops if they return.

Bailey arrives at the Sleepy Hollow B&B to help prepare for the welcome party, opening the Literary festival. While in the maze walking off her anger at Rex missing his feature at the bookstore. Bailey and Colby find a body with a pumpkin over its head, obscuring the identity.
Where’s Rex?! Who died? Were they murdered?
All this and so much more we find out!

Action, mystery, books, and family secrets coming to light. This is a bit busy, in the best way. I felt instep with Bailey and her reasoning. Heck, I only figured out the killer less than a chapter before her! I loved the location and business names in this book; Goblin Gate Bridge, Boorito, and the Mortuary & Deli Bottle Shop. They produced a smile each time.
Even though the book references the difficult matter of teen pregnancy and its aftermath. I thought it was handled well.
There are some plot inconsistencies that disturbed me to the point I had to find and re-read the sections. Hopefully, book two will address these.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Duncan, and the publisher for the ARC.
#Chaos@theLazyBonesBookshop #Halloween #Bookshop #Mystery #EmmelineDuncan #Halloweentown
4****

A great start to a new series by a favorite author of mine. This is one bookshop I would love to visit!! And a town that celebrates Halloween so nicely. A fun quick read. One you will have trouble putting down so be prepared. Fun mystery! Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

I really liked the setting of the book- it reminded me of a Hallmark movie set but of course with Halloween. It was a bit of a slow start, but eventually picked up a bit. I will say I was surprised at the outcome of who was guilty of the crimes- didn’t see that one coming at first. Overall, it was a cute read, just a little on the slow side.

Oh, the reveal!

It's super cute and easy to read. Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop follows our main character Bailey who was raised by her grandfather in a Halloween-themed town and has taken over his bookshop. It's an important time of the year for Bailey as she is running a literary festival while a reality TV crew is causing much chaos. To add fuel to the fire a murder takes place shortly after Bailey has a confrontation with the victim and is now a suspect. We get a chance to follow Bailey as she attempts to not only solve the murder but learn about the secrets this small town is hiding.

I will say this was a good read but there was a lot of repetition throughout the book. For example, we’re nearing the end but are still reminded that Evelyn is the lawyer renting space above the bookstore. It just felt redundant. Also, there were a few missing details, for example throughout the book we were told that Bailey's grandfather had given her the bookstore but that information hasn't been shared with Bailey's Uncle Hundson who wants to get rid of the bookstore. We never get a resolution to that, did they tell him Bailey is now the owner of the store?

Overall, I highly recommend everyone pick this book up! It makes me miss October.

Thank you to Emmeline Duncan, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

A fun, fast read that draws you in and makes you skip your chores for a couple of days! This has all the appropriate cozy attributes: small business, small town, lots of quirky residents, a couple of good friends and a great pet. I really enjoyed reading this!

(A note: Although the author credits her editor at the end, I feel like this needed a better editor. There were quite a few times where the author repeated introductory information in a manner that made me say, "Yes, you told us that already." There were also some typos. These flaws didn't stop me from enjoying the book, but it did dim the enjoyment somewhat.)

Love, love, love cozy mysteries and Halloween, what a great new series to be introduced to, can't wait for the next one.

I enjoy cozy reads and love spooky season, so I was excited to read Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop. The book is set in a Halloween-themed town, with Bailey taking over her grandfather’s bookshop. She’s trying to run a literary festival while a reality TV crew causes chaos, and then a murder happens.

The book is cozy and has a fun Halloween vibe. The characters are likable and easy to keep track of, and the setting is charming. However, there were too many small details, and the character development felt shallow. The writing style sometimes felt flat, lacking emotional depth.

Overall, it’s a quick, enjoyable read but just okay. It’s the first in a series, so I hope the next books improve. If you’re looking for something light and spooky, this might be for you.

This book has a lot going for it: a town that celebrates Halloween in a big way with business names that go along with that idea. and a murder mystery. I just thought it dragged a bit and the character development could have been better. Most of my favorite books have characters that the author expands on in such a way that you get to know what motivates them and what they are thinking. This one fell a bit flat. There were also so many people in the story that I had to takes notes.

Overall, the plot was carried out well.

A charming new cozy series from the author of the Ground Rules series. Still in the PNW, this series eschews coffee for books as the protagonist, Bailey, has taken on her grandfather's beloved bookshop. She's trying to get a book festival up on its feet while a group of ghost hunters with a TV show run around town causing mayhem for local merchants. When one of the TV people ends up dead, Bailey has to try to keep the festival on track while clearing herself of the crime. She's got a giant dog, lots of friends, and a cute town to run around in while she works to prove her innocence. This has everything you want in a cozy, and I look forward to returning to these characters.

This is a cute, cozy mystery. The setting is very well done, and the author does a great job of taking the reader right into the town and its events. The plot trudges along in a straightforward way with no real twists or turns. This is an easy read that moves right along. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

As an avid reader, and an avid consumer of crime/murder mysteries, I thought a murder mystery set in a bookshop would be right up my alley! Unfortunately, this didn't click with me. I may not be a "cozy" mystery person, so take it with a grain of salt, but I didn't find it charming enough to satisfy my cozy itch (like Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers), and the mystery wasn't compelling enough to satisfy my thriller itch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Expected publication date: July 23, 2024

The setting is warm and spooky. The characters are warm. The plot is intriguing and mysterious. There are buried secrets. Author’s writing is exquisite and compelling. I loved the spooky setting and description about the halloween festival. The Character development is spot on.I liked the literature festival.

Set in a town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. Bailey Briggs has taken over grandfather’s beloved bookshop, Lazy Bones Books. But it’s hard to manage the bookshop and do other things. She is working on her graphic novel too. She has an adorable dog, Jack Skeleton and her best friend Colby. The reality show is also filming in her town. Though things get upside down and takes a dark turn when the murder happens at the time of Elyan Hollow’s Halloween festival. And unfortunately she becomes the suspect. To clear her name, she investigates herself but in the midst of it, family secrets finds their way out and unfortunate things keeps happening. The sooner she will find the killer, the sooner the town will become free of all the unthinkable happenings. There were twists and turns. I loved the cosy and suspenseful feel of the book. I loved the characters. Loved Jack and Bailey’s librarian friend.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

Bailey Briggs lives in a Halloween-themed small town. She loves running her book shop and is running her first Spooky Season Literary Festival. When two men who went to high school with her mother show up, ghosts from the past abound, especially when one of them ends up dead.
Duncan does a wonderful job building the town and all the relationships. Each character is well-defined an interesting. I can’t want to read more about Bailey, her dog Jack and her friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this DRC.
#ChaosattheLazyBonesBookshop #NetGalley

I was really excited to read this book, but after only a handful of chapters in, it joined a short list of DNF. Usually I’m able to push through and finish the book anyways, which I thought I could do with this one, especially since it was so short. But the writing seemed very immature for me, extreme YA feel to it. I was having a really hard time making it through the chapters I did.
This may be some people’s cup of tea, I was enticed by the Autumn spooky vibe and murder mystery, but the writing style could definitely use some work. I won’t be reviewing on other platforms because I feel as though compared to other reviews, my opinion could be an isolated one. Other people did seem to enjoy this book, which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 1. I like the idea of the story, others really like it, but it just wasn’t for me.

3.75
The main premise of this novel is that the main character Bailey Briggs is the owner of a very cozy bookstore called Lazy Bones Books (adorable name by the way), and is based in the town which is famous for its annual Halloween festival and celebrates it year-round. Gearing up for a big week ahead, her normal routine is disrupted when a filming crew decides to trash her place while filming a supposed paranormal show, following the events she comes across a dead body, and is blamed for it due to the very public scuffle she had in the days leading up to the event. The charges are later dropped as there wasn’t enough evidence linking her to it.
This is a very cozy and fast-paced book perfect for those cozy rainy weekends where you just a fast-paced cozy mystery read (to be honest it is more cozy than mystery and the murder mystery part does take a bit of a backburner).
I liked the little descriptions of Bailey's mundane work as a bookstore owner.
I am also really looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bailey Briggs has taken over her grandparents’ bookshop, Lazy Bones Books, in her hometown of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. Elyan Hollow takes spooky season seriously and keeps the seasonal vibes going all year long. But things get deadly in the quiet little town, when a ghost hunting film crew arrives, and a murder takes place at the beginning of the Literary Festival that Bailey is hosting. During the investigation, Bailey becomes a suspect and has to work to clear her name, while navigating her own past family secrets that come to light.

I really loved the atmosphere of Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop. Anything Halloween themed is a hit with me. It was fun that all of the businesses in town had Halloween/spooky themed names. I also loved all of the bookish talk, and Bailey’s work on curating book/gift boxes for customers.

I thought the murder mystery fit perfectly in with the storyline. It added to the Halloween feel of the book. Although, I found the reveal of the murder to have sort of a Scooby Doo vibe.

The book fell flat for me, in the writing style. There were times that I felt like I was reading a manual. A lot of the scenes and characters felt like they were lacking an emotional pull. I never really found myself immersed in Bailey’s character. And, I also felt like I was getting mini commercials throughout the book for the businesses in town. There were a lot of descriptions and repetitive mentions of the businesses and I think some of that could have been left out to impart more of an emotional connection to the people in the book.

This is the first book in this series, so I definitely think there are some issues that could be worked out for the next book. I did enjoy the story and cozy, mystery feel of this first book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and most importantly the author - Emmeline Duncan. As it usually goes… I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary

This story follows Bailey Briggs, who operates the Lazy Bones Bookshop, in Elyan Hollow, Oregon. What Elyan Hollow is famous for is its annual Halloween festival, and Bailey’s participation in this year’s festivities has her time stretched thin. From ensuring the bookstore’s stock is full and just right for the season, to wrangling authors to coordinate schedules for the book signings, and of course the rest of the festival, all items now within her purview. What she does not need is another distraction, and during the first night’s activities for the festival, a dead body is found. Enter the police with their investigation, and their operating theory: murder.

Based on evidence collected at the time, although Bailey does become a suspect and is questioned, but its not enough information to point one way or another. She’s allowed to continue with her overseeing of the festival, but now Bailey has it within her mindset to figure out exactly what happened, and to ensure her name is cleared of any wrongdoing. What transpires past this point in time is primarily focused on Bailey, and all the things she has to do in order to ensure the festival runs smoothly. However, she is also sleuthing around to gain more insight into the murder. As the story progresses, Bailey discovers that some secrets are a little too close to home in this small town, and some truths - if uncovered, produce more questions than answers.

I found this to be less murder mystery by way of a police procedural, but a comfy, cozy type of read that just so happens to have a murder investigation occuring. Besides what’s happening in the background with the investigation via the police, and Bailey doing her own thing, what the author did well was really set the tone for the atmosphere of not just the festival, but how important the Halloween season is to the town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. When we think about a small town, it’s usually how connected it is, sometimes much to the dismay of those who wish not to participate in gossip, or indulge in drama. It’s still going to happen, because everyone knows everyone; word spreads quickly. Elyan Hollow is also a small town with its own connected elements, but it’s also a place with its own secrets, and ghosts that have yet to be revealed.

I was stumped until the end, is what I will say; and, the build up to this one was worth the wait.

This book was absolute perfection. It takes place in a town in Oregon made famous by a Halloween movie filmed there (hello Halloweentown)! The town has leaned into the Halloween theme and all the businesses have Halloween names (i.e. Boorito, Lazy Bones Bookstore). The main character is the owner of the Lazy Bones Bookstore, who has my dream job in my dream location. Things get a little crazy when she happens upon a dead body!

I read this book in a matter of hours and being someone who lives for Halloween, it was so soothing to my soul! This is what I would call a cozy murder and is exactly what you’ll need during the hot days of summer to get yourself in a spooky mindset

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.