As Halloween approaches South Cove, California, four couples get into the spirit of the holiday by conjuring up spirits. . . The house has sat empty for fifteen years, taking up prime real estate along the picturesque coastline. Built by one of the founders of South Cove, its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace. Now her home will be demolished for a condo development, … condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house.
Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, her boyfriend, and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Demerit home. But what begins as an all-in-good-fun fright fest turns into a mystery begging to be solved as Jill is contacted by the ghost of Maryanne . . .
Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.”
—Fresh Fiction
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Nice short story.
A Deadly Brew by Lynn Cahoon is A Tourist Trap Novella. Jill Gardner owns Coffee, Books and More in South Cove, California. Halloween is approaching, and Jill has various activities planned at the store for her patrons. This weekend, though, Jill and her boyfriend, Greg along with three other couples are going to spend the weekend inside South Cove’s “haunted” mansion. The house has been empty for the last fifteen years since Maryanne Demerit, the last owner, disappeared without a trace. This is the last opportunity for people to see the home before it is demolished for a new condo development. The house has been left as it was when Maryanne went missing. That night they break out the Ouija board and get a ghostly missive. It is just the first. It seems that someone is sending the group messages with clues. What will they uncover? The group is in for a hauntingly good time while locked inside the spooky manor.
A Deadly Brew is a well-written and engaging cozy mystery. I do not recommend reading A Deadly Brew on its own. The series contains well-developed characters and a charming small town. Lynn Cahoon created a ghostly short story that I found charming. The mystery is light and can easily be solved before the solution is revealed. However, that did not detract from my reading pleasure. I do wish the story had been slightly longer to allow the mystery to be more developed (twenty-five pages would have made a difference). A Deadly Brew is reminiscent of my favorite scary movie, Rose Red (starring Nancy Travis). A Deadly Brew is short, fun cozy mystery that will put you in the mood for Halloween (I want to start decorating). I cannot wait for the next installment in A Tourist Trap Mystery series.
Very short read.
Another great short story to supplement the Tourist Trap Mystery series. Fun plot involving an old house that is being rented out over weekends for people to camp and ghost hunt in while helping the town raise money for charity. Once again Jill stumbles upon information that indicates the previous owner may not have left of her own free will, but who is making the noises in the night? An interesting way to get to know the characters better and their personalities get fleshed out just a bit more. However, I have to warn you that this book is also a bit out of order. It fits in closer to the fourth of July themed book.