BAD BLOOD With Halloween just around the corner, Dodie O’Dell is making preparations to transform the Windjammer Restaurant on the Jersey Shore into a haunted house, while the Etonville Little Theatre is staging Dracula. But casting the titular Transylvanian is proving challenging. The amateur actors in the company are not shy about chewing the scenery, but who among them can convincingly sink … them can convincingly sink their fangs into a victim’s neck? When a mysterious newcomer with a transfixing Eastern European accent lands the part, rumors that he might be an actual vampire start to take flight—not unlike the bat who’s recently been spotted in the town park.
But everyone’s blood really runs cold when a stranger is found in the cemetery with a real stake in his heart. Dodie decides to put her Halloween theme menu on the back burner and stick her neck out to bring the killer into the light of day. She’d better keep her wits about her, though—or Dodie may be the next one to go down for the Count . . .
more
I loved every minute of this fast-paced, fun cozy mystery that had me turning pages as fast as I could, unable to put it down cause I had to know what was going to happen and whodunit!! I feel like I’m friends with Dodie O’Dell and love her dynamic with the cast of quirky and interesting characters in Etonville, New Jersey especially her best friend Lola and her fiance Chief of Police Bill Thompson. This must-read series gets better with each book and “Killing Time” is my favorite so far but I can’t wait for another “visit” to the Jersey Shore and see what happens next with all the folks in Etonville. I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
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.
This is the 6th book in the series; I believe this is the 3rd in the series I’ve read, and they all work well as standalones. (I still want to go back and read the ones I’ve missed.) I really enjoy the main characters, the seaside town, and the local theater aspect that is in all of the books; the writing and editing are of good quality. I found the Halloween theme of this book fun, even out of season—it made me look forward to fall. The mystery was intriguing and fun to solve. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. I was provided a copy of this book, but these opinions are my own.
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.
Halloween is coming and so is an unexpected death. Was it Murder or death by natural causes? To add to the spookiness the Etonville Little Theater is doing Dracula and the town is freaking out. The lead actor is too realistic. Dodie O’Dell is trying to calm her best friend, Lola, and keep the town gossips from making matters worse. Unfortunately she’s not successful. The Grim Reaper is found dead in the Cemetery on Halloween night. Dodie’s instincts are tingling. She saw Carlos (aka Dracula) make a silent communication with the victim. I knew that she would be checking Carlos out. Her fiancée, the Sheriff, wants her to behave and be safe. I had to laugh at his request. I knew that she would try but would fail. She loves Bill. He’s a wonderful thoughtful man. He’s a great At his job but Dodie knows that she can help him find the truth. I enjoyed the small town setting and the colorful residents. Dodie and Bill are a special couple. Their interactions are sweet and loving. The story was filled with unexpected twists and surprises. Suzanne Trauth kept me guessing. Nothing was as it seemed. I enjoyed this fast paced cozy mystery. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
First off, I have to say that I really appreciated a Halloween-themed cozy that WASN’T paranormal. That’s very rare in this genre.
Beyond that, the story itself was great. I loved the idea of the mystery tying in to a local theater production. Since I’m a big fan of the original Dracula, I enjoyed reading about the town’s staging of their own production. The mystery made sense, with plenty of red herrings to distract the reader, but in the end, the killer and motive were logical.
I also enjoyed the characters. Dodie is tons of fun, and I adore Aunt Maureen and her funny quips. I hope to see more of her in future stories.
This book can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I had not read any of the previous installments, and had no trouble picking right up and figuring out the characters and their relationships. Of course, now I’ll have to track down books 1-5!
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
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
Killing Time earns 5/5 Garlic Necklaces…an Engaging Treat!
Don’t be misled by the cover with a witch flying across the full moon; this is not a paranormal hocus-pocus mystery; although there are vampires, but only on stage. However, Suzanne Trauth has provided a very entertaining “time” in Etonville. It’s Halloween, and the town is ready for a host of activities from a kids’ trick-or-treat parade and a costume dance for the adults. The Windjammer restaurant, too, will have everyone in costume as well as once again serving themed favorites to celebrate the local Little Theater’s newest production…Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula. Lola, the theater’s artistic director, is frantic since the final tech rehearsal has been experiencing a slew of mishaps. Haunted? Well, old theaters always have their stories. Even casting the lead character was a mysterious venture. Lola delivered a “Welcome” basket to new resident Carlos and Bella Villarias, and there he was…Etonville’s Dracula! His uncanny resemblance and questions surrounding who he is, where he works, and why he chose to rent the old abandoned place outside of town sent conspiracy theorists and vampire worriers into overdrive. Do you want a garlic necklace? Dodie O’Dell joins her friend Lola to watch the tech rehearsal where she witnesses a confrontation between one of the other actors and Carlos, and at the costume party she sees Carlos uneasy when he catches a glimpse of…the Grim Reaper. All this may serve as pertinent when teenage tricksters discover the costumed Reaper, sprawled out in the cemetery, with a stake in his chest! Death is dead!
It’s June, here, and enjoying a Halloween-themed mystery was a nice “treat.” I’m new to Suzanne’s Dodie O’Dell mysteries, but I comfortably joined in with this sixth book; enough references were made about background and character connections. It seems murders plague openings at Etonville’s Little Theater, but that sure didn’t cause anyone to be complacent when “Death is found dead.” The compelling mystery included links to the victim that go beyond Jersey with complex and surprising connections. The Dracula worries, palm and tarot readings, dynamic among Dodie and her friends, and all the wedding talk for Dodie and Detective Bill were entertaining side stories. I was completely taken by Suzanne’s ability to paint pictures and induce emotions with her descriptive language which lended itself well to the intense nature of the Dracula lore. The characters are wonderfully realistic and quirky (Big kudos to the Bangor sisters and police dispatcher Edna’s reciting and defining police codes all the time). Dodie’s frequent “neck hair” alarm and her attempts to investigate without stepping on her fiancé’s toes makes her fun to follow. I’ve got to read the rest of the series…I’ve got “time to kill.”
Although…it would have been nice to have a few garlic-infused recipes included. I sure do enjoy this little bonuses.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
FANTASTIC! I really love the series but it kind of seemed like Bill and Dodie were having some post engagement regrets and I got nervous . I really loved the ending and now I’m reassured that the series and the relationship (Woowzers) will continue on. Can’t live without all that knowledge that Penny brings to every book. She’s the BEST!
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 a fast paced, action packed thrill ride. I loved Dodie, Bill and the supporting cast of characters. There were so many twists and turns and I couldn’t put this book down. The writing is phenomenal, and the descriptions had me wishing I was there. I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait for the next one!
This is the sixth book in the series. Lola needs Dodie’s help to find out what is going on in the etonville little theater production . Set with a Halloween twist with some strange characters something strange is a foot!! Will Dodie finally Marry Bill or will her cold feet get the best of her. A fast fun mystery great to pass the time with
KILLING TIME by Suzanne Trauth
The Sixth Dodie O’Dell Mystery
Vampires have descended upon Etonville! OK, one vampire. OK, it’s a newcomer playing Dracula in the Etonville Little Theater’s latest production. But this suave yet spooky actor has the town atwitter, apprehensive about vampires even if they are getting a bit tired of the Windjammer’s garlic infused specials. As if a vampire wasn’t enough, the Grim Reaper shows up. Seeing the Grim Reaper at the town’s Halloween party is one thing, but when some teens find him dead in the cemetery, it’s another. To ease Lola’s mind and protect the production, Dodie agrees to do a little snooping into the leading player’s background. But will digging into Dracula’s past prevent Dodie from having a future?
KILLING TIME is about identity: keeping it, changing it, and losing it. Are you willing to give up the intrinsic parts of who you are? What part must you keep, no matter the cost? There is no doubt that Dodie loves Bill and is happy to be engaged. But, is she delaying the wedding plans out of a fear of losing herself? Her life will obviously change, but how much of a change is she willing to make? And Dodie isn’t the only character facing these concerns.
I love the Dodie O’Dell Mystery series and this sixth entry is a great addition. The wacky citizens of Etonville never fail to make me laugh and the trials and tribulations of the Etonville Little Theater bring back happy memories of my time in the theatre.
KILLING TIME looks at identity while providing a complex mystery. Deep characterizations combined with fun and laughs make this a book you won’t want to miss.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.