A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again. After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named … past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.
In book 5 in the series, the new bank president, who happens to be the son of the man who founded the community bank, is found dead and buried in his own grave. The man was not popular in the small community after making a lot of changes with his fathers passing and the list of possible suspects who might want him dead is extensive.
Meanwhile, it is October and the inn is hosting Halloween themed events including a murder mystery dinner party. The haunted weekends are just for fun but when guests report hearing noises in the hallway, Abby wonders if the inn might actually be haunted for real.
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Another winner from Kathi Daley! This series has quickly risen to the top of my must-buy-the-next-one list.
Besides having the wonderful characters her readers become attached to as friends and grow to love, which Kathi Daley is known for, and the theme weekends that small town cozy readers adore, this series gives us not just one crime to solve but intertwined mysteries.
I also have happy to report that characters we meet promise to return in future books!
When we had been lulled into thinking the closed case that Abby’s husband had been looking into at the time of his death had been taken care of, it resurfaces in an unexpected way. Then a real life mystery is tied to one of Abby’s own books she has authored. Her inn, run with partner, Georgia, is now open for business and fun weekend events and there is need for additional help. Guests check in with mysteries of their own to solve and talk soon rises about a ghost roaming the hallways late at night.
So much going on that I could not put it down!
I enjoyed this fifth in the series.
Abby’s bed and breakfast is up and running but noised in the hallway at night is waking the guests, could the place be haunted? On top of that Abby figures out where the body of a missing bank manager could be found and the list of suspects is long.
It was a fun read although I admit there seemed to be so many characters that I was starting to get confused. However as always Ms. Daley’s characters are real and likable, people that I would like to hang out with.
I will continue on with this series.
Great Story
Another great story by Kathy Daley. If you are looking for fun and entertaining book to read, this the one!!
I love this series! I can’t wait for the next book!
Haunting in the Hallway earns 5/5 Mazes of Pumpkins…Engaging and Clever!
There are a few things Kathi Daley does well making her this work a personal favorite. First, a clever murder along with an inn of secrets, desires, and queries is engaging. Abby’s hunch where to find the missing bank manager uncovered two murders and then missing siblings, fresh starts, and ghostly noises. Next, her vivid descriptions for holiday prep and festivities put me into the holiday spirit. It’s October in Holiday Bay with pumpkins and a hint of restless ghosts playing tricks. Third, is family! She creates a marvelous group of characters that become intimately connected, and dialogue that illustrates well the different personalities. With a heartwarming surrogate family, Daley includes a bit of a sibling issue between Abby and her sister. But she rarely highlights disfunction…well, unless those are motives for murder. Next, Kathi’s writing style focuses on realistic crimes, creative motives, and investigative techniques that always include, not circumvent, law enforcement. Abby sees things others might not using informal questioning, the internet, and local “in the know.” The town’s Chief of Police and friend values her input, but he his “by the book” attitude is apparent as he tries to steers her away from danger. There’s always a delightful conclusion to all the mysteries and someone carted off to jail! A personal issue is that clues and revelations too often occur “off camera.” I enjoy this series and recommend this fifth book Haunting in the Hallway!
The Inn at Holiday Bay is a relatively new series from Kathi Daley. The Haunting in the Hallway is book 5 in the series and revolves around Fall and Halloween. Abby Sullivan previously from California has settled well into her new venture, The Inn at Holiday Bay, after dealing with a tragic loss in her life previously. Abby along with her business associate, Georgia Carter have lots of events scheduled to promote the newly opened Inn. However when the bank president comes up missing, Abby relates to her friend and Chief of Police, Colt Wilder, the plot from one of her thriller books she authored. Although it might seem silly to consider, Colt and Abby follow through on her suggestion. While back at the Inn, those who have reserved rooms at the Inn relate they have heard strange noises at night but when checked out, there isn’t anything to see. Several events from a Pumpkin Patch to a Mystery Dinner are planned for Fall and Halloween and Abby and Georgia work together to accomplish them. This book was enjoyable but I found some items in the story were passed over and not developed completely. Do you need to read other books in this series, no but if you do it will help you know more about the various characters that return in this book. Once again Kathi Daley has hit the ball out of the park.
In this next book of the series the bank president has gone missing and people are speculating on just what could have happened to the man. After leaving the bank one evening he just up and disappeared, most people think someone killed him but without a body whose to know what happened. While writing Abby remembers something that she wrote in one of her earlier books and takes the idea to the local police, she had a character bury their victim in their own grave. When the Colt digs up the grave not only do they find the body of the missing banker but a body under his that is much older. Who is the second body and how did he come to be in the grave? Are the two deaths connected? The banker had many enemies and so finding his killer isn’t going to be easy, plus Colt has to figure out just who the second body belongs to. Follow along as Abby and Colt take their own paths into investigating who killed the banker and why. Along the way Abby has to deal with a haunting in her newly opened inn, and a great group of guests. Will she be able to juggle her writing, investigating, and keeping her guest happy? This is such a heart felt series that is filled with a wonderful group of characters. I love the addition of the pets and how they themselves are their own characters and not just filler. I look forward to seeing what type of guests visit next and what mystery is thrown upon Abby.
The fifth book in the series can be a stand alone but I think you will find you will want to read them all as you become book friends with the characters. I love finding out more about Abby and her friends and what is happening in their lives plus reading about the community interaction and festive events that happen throughout the story. . Also love putting on my sleuthing skills to solve the mysteries and murders that pop up in the story. — lots of twists and turns will keep you guessing. Interesting discovery about the haunting in the hallway – didn’t see that one coming! Highly recommend to all.
Haunting in the Hallway is book five in The Inn at Holiday Bay series. This book was another great addition to this series. I loved the Halloween events, and the story kept me hooked from start to finish. I definitely recommend it.
Haunting in the Hallway is the fifth book in the exciting The Inn at Holiday Bay cozy mystery series. The elements of a cozy mystery are present including suspense, romance, humor, love, friends and family, and a sense of community.
This story takes place in the charming tourist town of Holiday Bay, Maine. The main character is Abby Sullivan, a mystery writer from San Francisco who, after suffering a devastating personal tragedy, sold her condo, packed up all her belongings, bought a huge old house she had never seen in a town she had never been to, and moved to Holiday Bay. The story starts with Abby and local police chief, Colt Wilder, in a cemetery on a dark and rainy night. They are looking into the possibility that a local man missing for 10 days is buried in his own grave. Renovations in the old mansion are complete and the inn is open for business. Abby is busy getting to know and seeing to the needs of her guests, while planning a murder mystery dinner and other festive events. She works with her new friends to uncover the answers to the many questions they encounter in three or four different mysterious circumstances.
This book is filled with the sights of Halloween. The fall season and fabulous Halloween decorations: with pumpkins, orange and white lights in the trees and around windows and doors, ghosts and skeletons hanging from the doorways, and flickering lights, strange noises, and decorations in the hallway at night at the inn make for a festive and spooky atmosphere.
There is a theme of second chances in this series and in most of Mrs. Daley’s stories. I love the way she writes in a continuing saga fashion with hints and clues to stories in the future (and red herrings). I love that not all questions are resolved in each book. I enjoy the character development. As always, this author’s writing flows smoothly, and her setting and relatable characters make for an extremely enjoyable and quick read. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series.
The Inn at Holiday Bay: Haunting in the Hallway Book #5
By: Kathi Daley
Haunting in the Hallway is book five in The Inn at Holiday Bay series. I really enjoy this series. Daley just keeps on writing stories that will grab your attention till the end. A President of the bank is missing. They are getting ready for Halloween , a death or two to be solved . Abby’s book she has published and strange things at the Inn is happening. Do they have a ghost?
Haunting in the Hallway is the fifth book in Kathi Daley’s awesome The Inn at Holiday Bay series. The writing style flows smoothly, and the book is a clean and easy read. The storyline is well-plotted and complex, with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing. The setting is charming, and the well-developed characters are affable, compassionate, and caring. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted cozy mysteries.
Abby Sullivan’s life changed dramatically when she lost her husband and their infant son in a tragic accident, but she’s adjusting well to her new life in Holiday Bay, Maine. Abby, who has started writing again, has a book signing at the local bookstore. Georgia Carter is a talented cook and baker, who is also recovering from traumatic events in her life. Georgia and her dog, Ramos, are living with Abby, Rufus, the Maine Coon cat who adopted her, and Molly, a terrier mix Abby recently adopted, in a cottage located on the property. Abby and Georgia have been working hard to complete the renovations on the mansion she purchased and have opened their inn to guests. They are hosting fun-filled Halloween themed events each weekend, including a murder mystery dinner. Both women love mingling with their guests and learning what brought them to the area, and Georgia is truly in her element, feeding and caring for their guests. When several guests report hearing noises in the hallways during the night, everyone wonders if the inn is haunted. The new bank president, Wesley Hamilton, has been missing for over a week, and on a hunch provided by Abby, her friend, Police Chief Colt Wilder, finds Wesley’s body buried in his own grave in a private cemetery located on property owned by the Hamiltons, but that’s not all he finds. Wesley made lots of enemies when he started making changes after his father passed and he took over the bank, so there’s no shortage of suspects for Colt to check out. The case turns into a complex mystery, and Abby brainstorms with Colt regarding his investigation.