A review by theavidreaderandbibliophile
Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carol J. Perry, Carlene O'Connor, Liz Ireland

3.0

Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, Liz Ireland, and Carol J. Perry contains three Halloween novellas. Cupcakes are the common thread between the stories (the thread may be looser in some than in others). Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O’Connor is book 2.5 in A Home to Ireland Mysteries. I was able to read it as a standalone. I did not find the story engaging. I thought the story was slow in places which made the story feel long (I was beginning to think it would never end). Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper by Liz Ireland is book 3.5 in the Mrs. Claus Mysteries. I ended up skimming through this short story which seemed geared towards a younger audience. The final book is A Triple Layer Halloween Murder by Carol J. Perry. It is A Witchy City Mystery novella. It can be read as a standalone since the necessary background information is provided. I like the author’s writing style which makes the story easy to read. I enjoyed the Halloween atmosphere in Salem. I like the supernatural element and how it is incorporated into the mystery. The whodunit suited the length of the story. I did feel that the ending was rushed. I felt that Halloween Cupcake Murder was like receiving raisins when trick or treating instead of a candy bar.