Halloween Hijinks: Amid a backdrop of zombies on the run and Halloween festivities, animal control officer Zoe Donovan is faced with losing something she loves in order to save someone she loves when she finds a dead body in the basement of a haunted house just two days before Halloween. With the help of her best friends, Levi and Ellie, and her dog Charlie, she delves into a mystery as complex … complex and multilayered as the feelings she develops for her ex-nemesis Zak Zimmerman. Halloween Hijinks is the perfect recipe, combining holiday fun with a touch of humor, a pinch of romance, and a dollop of murder.
Zoe’s Treasure Hunt: Zoe and Charlie meet a mysterious stranger at the hospital while doing therapy dog rounds. The man is in town to look for a 70 year old treasure. When he is unable to continue the journey into the past himself, Zoe and Charlie take over the quest with the help of Pappy and a few of his friends.
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I’ve seen author Kathi Daley showing up in my feed on various social media platforms, but I hadn’t downloaded any of her books in the last few years. I decided to give one a try, and since I was in a fall and Halloween mood, I went with the first book in her Zoe Donovan series, Halloween Hijinks. It was free this week due to an anniversary sale, and when I looked up more on Daley, wow… She’s got a lot of books and this is a lengthy series. How cool to find a very prolific author.
In this series debut, Zoe rescues various animals with her partners Ellie and Levi. There’s a growing rivalry between two sports teams, but it soon gets personal and more dangerous. When Zoe discovers the dead body of one team member, things look bad for a close friend of hers. Then an ex-enemy (now possible friend?), Zak, shows up to help save the day. Zoe has a few scenes with her complicated family, just enough to set the scene for the series. It’s a light investigation meant to wet our appetites for the characters and the setting… and it works.
I enjoyed the animal rescue background. The writing is easy to follow. It’s less than 200 pages which meant I devoured it in under two hours. It fit the bill for a Halloween-themed book, and I am curious to read more this fall. Kudos to the author for offering it up years later as it’s found her a new fan.
There is nothing like a cozy mystery set in a small town with great food, mountains, lakes, and close friends. Zoe and her best friends Levi and Ellie do alot for their town and each other. Halloween is a busy time with contests of zombies running, pumpkins, adoptions of pets and a high school rivalry that is getting out of hand.
Zoe and her dog Charlie, along with two rescue cats, live in a boathouse that her granfather gave her. Her parents never married and her father raised her. Very interesting background I hope to learn more of in the series.
The people are well drawn and the town makes me want to move, if not for the yummy food, for the beautiful scenery.
Zoe works rescuing animals and has a hilarious scene with a dog up a tree. But something weird is going on with the rivalry between the two schools going to extremes…graffiti, danage to equipment, players being injured and now threats. As the town readies to make money for their charities, Zoe and Ellie must try to save Levi from a stint in jail. Zak is home, wealthy and ready to join the three in events and fun, only now he has to work to save Levi with Ellie and Zoe.
Tons of atmosphere, terrific and very realistic characters make for a fun read. But what blew me away was the plot and its solution. A tight and well written plot and I didn’t guess the killer but it made so much sense!! No red herrings, just detective work and listening to the gossip and figuring out what was true. 4.8 stars
If you have a couple hours, read this and just enjoy the mystery, the people and the light humor. Plus, a big plug for animal rescue shelters.
This is the first in the Zoe Donovan cozy mystery series. There are Halloween thrills! And there are lots of hijinks! Zoe and the rest of the town are preparing for the upcoming Halloween festivities, but then Zoe finds a dead body. There’s a lot hidden in the background. There’s possibly some new romances blooming. There’s lots of animals. I loved Zoe and her friends!
This was a cute easy to read cozy mystery. I like books with animals they are in this book along with interesting dynamics between the characters.
Zoe is a twenty-something-year-old gal that lives in the small town of Ashton Falls with her dad, grandpa, and besties Ellie and Levi. And don’t forget Charlie her sweet puppy companion!
Zoe is an animal lover and runs the local animal shelter. She is all heart and very much involved in what is happening in the local community that she was born and raised in. In the first book of the series, Zoe finds herself involved in a murder case when she finds a body in the basement of a supposed haunted house. She enlists the help of her two best friends and somehow her grade-school nemesis Zak to help solve the mystery.
Halloween Hijinks is the perfect first book in an entertaining cozy mystery series. If you have never read a book by Kathi Daley, I highly suggest you read this book and get hooked just like me.