Halloween Cozy Mysteries

by Annabel Chase
Starry Hollow Witches #1
Published 2017

Ember is a single mom, working hard in New Jersey as a Repo agent. When one of her jobs goes wrong, she and her daughter are in danger. But then a visit from estranged relatives changes everything. Ember, her daughter, and their Yorkie are transported to Starry Hollow, a paranormal town full of magic.

Sadly, as usual, trouble seems to follow Ember everywhere. A witch is dead, and the sexy werewolf sheriff suspects newcomer Ember. She has to put her investigative skills to use quickly to clear her name.

The Book Girls Say…There are currently 16 books published in the series. The most recent is Magic & Midnight published in 2022. Book 17, Magic & Mirrors is scheduled for release in 2023.

All of the books in this series are currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Auralee Wallace
Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery #1
Published 2021

New England town Evenfall has been quietly helped by the Warren witches for four hundred years. They’ve been able to solve every problem…until now. Brynn Warren runs a B&B with her aunts, and demanding local resident Constance Graves dies there during her stay. Aunt Nora is the prime suspect!

Brynn wants to prove Nora’s innocence, but her powers haven’t been used since her husband died two years ago. She’s not even sure if she still has them. But it seems like the only way to figure out what really happened.

The Book Girls Say… The second book in this series, When the Crow’s Away, was just published in 2022 and is also full of Halloween vibes.

by Amanda M. Lee
Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch #1
Published 2020

Stormy left her hometown with huge dreams of being a best-selling author. Although she sold her first novel right after college, she soon fell into obscurity. Without a new book contract, she had to return to her one-stoplight town to work in her family’s restaurant and live in the apartment upstairs.

During her first shift, she trips over the body of Roy Axe, one of the most hated men in town. Just her luck, the detective on the case is her high school boyfriend, and their reunion is tense. As a distraction, Stormy and her cousin get drunk and find their great-grandmother’s Ouija board. It starts a whole series of magical events, even if Stormy isn’t sure she believes in magic. Shadow Hills is full of secrets and sorcery, but Stormy just wants to solve the case and move on. But is there more to the story? Is she actually a witch? 

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Carol J. Perry
Witch City Mystery #1
Published 2014

Lee Barrett returned to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to interview as a reporter at the local TV station. However, the only job available is for a call-in psychic to host the late-night horror movies. She reluctantly takes the job, but then starts seeing real events in her prop obsidian ball.

Then she starts thinking the previous host, Ariel, might have been a practicing witch before her murder. Along with the job, Lee inherited Ariel’s cat, which seems to have its own strange powers. With Halloween right around the cover, Lee must find Ariel’s killer before they find her.

The Book Girls Say…The most recent book (#12)  in this witchy series, ‘Til Death, was published in 2022 and gets great reviews!

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Denise Jaden
Tabitha Chase Days of the Week Mystery #1
Published 2022

Realtor Tabitha Chase visits the small beach town, Crystal Cove, to sell her late aunt’s houseboat. She expects it to be straightforward, but nothing in town is as it seems.

A local witch has died, and Tabby is a suspect. She’ll need the help of a handsome forensic expert, a dashing detective, and her newly inherited psychic cat to clear her name and reveal the truth.

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Lee Hollis
Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #13
Published 2020

Minister Ted and his wife Trudy are newcomers to Bar Harbor, Maine. Trudy runs a food truck called Wicked ‘Wiches and makes fast friends with Hayley after stopping in Island Times to place an ad for her food.

While catering a Halloween party, Trudy tragically dies in her truck. A cranky, competitive caterer is the prime suspect, but Hayley’s husband saw someone dresses as a witch rushing away from the truck. That’s not super-helpful since many women at the party had the same witch costume. Which witch is to blame for the Wicked ‘Wiches murder?

The Book Girls Say… This book is a newer release in a cozy mystery series of 15 books featuring Hayley, a food and cocktail newspaper columnist who always gets roped into investigating a murder. The first book is Death of a Kitchen Diva, published in 2012. Other Halloween-themed titles in this series include Death of a Pumpkin Carver (#8) and Death By Haunted House (#11.5).

by Lynn Cahoon
Kitchen Witch Mysteries #1
Published 2021

When Mia finds herself newly single and unemployed, she’s ready for a big change. It’s time to start over in Magic Springs, Idaho, where magic, witches, and warlocks are mostly welcome. She loves to cook, so sets up a new gourmet dinner delivery business. She hopes the touch of magic added to her recipes is the perfect secret ingredient.

But then her first catering job is a disaster…the client is stabbed and left under the table! Suddenly, she’s both prime suspect and next on the killer’s list. She has to work together with her meddling Grandma and her ex’s little sister, who showed up looking for her own fresh start, to figure out which eccentric resident is a killer.

by Tonya Kappes
Magical Cures Mystery #1
Published 2012

June relocated her homeopathy business from a flea market booth to a shop in her hometown of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Whispering Falls seems like a quiet and cozy little town, but June will soon discover that it’s actually a supernatural town with a lot of magical secrets.

When a woman in town is found dead holding June’s favorite bracelet. June’s best friend is a police officer in town, but now that June is the main suspect in the murder, she’s on her own to try to prove her innocence.

The Book Girls Say… There are thirteen books in this magical cozy mystery series, the most recent of which was published in 2020. There’s also an additional title that crosses over with the author’s Killer Coffee series.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Bobbi Holmes
Haunting Danielle #1
Published 2017

Despite never being to Marlow House in Oregon, Danielle has inherited it and dreams of turning it into a Bed & Breakfast. To her surprise, she didn’t only inherit the home, it comes with the ghost of a resident who has been dead for almost ninety years!

Luckily, Walt is charming. He convinces Danielle that she needs to solve the mystery of his death so he can finally move on. But she also has challenges from the living. Marlow House is full of other secrets.

The Book Girls Say… All 30 books in this series have some series Halloween vibes. However, there are two specifically set on Halloween, book #5 is The Ghost of Halloween Past and book #22 is The Ghost and the Halloween Haunt. 

by Carol J. Perry
Haunted Haven Mystery #1
Published 2021

Just before Halloween, the department store Maureen worked for a buyer declared bankruptcy. Her golden retriever Finn just has his own setback, failing a guide dog test for being too friendly. Just as Maureen faces that she can no longer afford her Boston apartment, she receives a mysterious inheritance. It’s a Florida in on the Gulf coast in a quiet, scenic town.

While she’s ready to make a fresh start in her new business, she has a setback when a dead body shows up on the property. She’s not sure if it makes it better or worse that the Inn came with ghosts of former tenants who want to help her solve the mystery.

by Eva Gates
The Lighthouse Library Mysteries #4
Published 2018

Jay Ruddle, a wealthy businessman, plans to donate his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to one lucky library, and the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is hoping to be the one he chooses. But while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends of the Outer Banks, Jay is found dead in the rare books section.

The murder is not the only strange thing happening in town. Haunted horses are materializing in the marsh, the lights have taken on an eerie life of their own, and things keep moving when no one is looking. Is the Lighthouse really haunted? Is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow real?

The audiobook version is currently included free with an Audible membership as of 9/1/2022.

by Angie Fox
Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1
Published 2015

Verity is an out-of-work graphic designer, but that isn’t her biggest problem this week. She accidentally trapped a ghost on her property and now has a supernatural sidekick. And when the sidekick joined her, she also gained the ability to see spirits.

This leads to an offer from someone she shouldn’t partner with for more than one reason - Ellis is the brother of her ex and the town's bad boy. He owns a stunning historic property, but it’s haunted by the town's former citizens. They seem to be growing restless. He needs Verity’s help stopping the disturbances. While she tries to figure that out, a modern-day mystery also arises.

The Book Girls Say… There are now 9 books in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery Series, with the latest, Give Up the Ghost, being published in 2022.

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Barbara Ross
Maine Clambake Mystery #7.5
Published 2022

Busman’s Harbor has a history of hauntings and ghost sightings, making it the perfect town to host Halloween festivities. Julia Snowden agrees to help out with a haunted house tour that includes a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster murder. But when one of the actors winds up dead, Snowden must find the killer.

The Book Girls Say... This novella is only available in ebook form, but at under 100 pages, it makes a perfect, quick read during a busy Halloween season.

by Alexis Morgan
Abby McCree Mystery #2
Published 2019

Abby is on the planning committee for Snowberry Creek’s annual Halloween Festival. She volunteered to pick up the pumpkins from the ornery farmer in town, but when she arrives, she finds him dead in his corn maze with a knife in his back.

The police suspect a homeless veteran named Kevin, who was seen arguing with the farmer after being accused of stealing pumpkins. But Abby’s tenant, Tripp - another veteran - is sure that Kevin is not the culprit. Together Abby and Tripp will follow the twists and turns of the case to find the corn maze killer. 

by Kathleen Suzette
Pumpkin Hollow Mystery #1
Published 2017

Halloween is celebrated year-round in the town of Pumpkin Hollow. This is Mia’s hometown, and she’s just moved back after a decade away. Soon after she returns, her neighbor - the most hated woman in town - is murdered and Mia is a suspect. Can she find the real killer and save the town’s beloved Halloween celebration before it’s too late?

The Book Girls Say… There are 23 books in this Halloween cozy mystery series, with the most recent published in 2018.

All five books are currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Kate Bell & Kathleen Suzette
Freshly Baked Cozy Mystery #2
Published 2016

As Halloween nears in Sandy Harbor, Maine, blogger and foodie Allie McSwain finds the coordinator of the town’s Halloween bazaar dead. Allie is determined to find the murderer, but the detective on the case just wants to keep Allie out of harm’s way. With romance blossoming between Allie and the detective,

The Book Girls Say… This Halloween cozy mystery is a short 142 pages. Other titles in this series set at Halloween include Mummy Pie Murder (#10) and Web of Deceit (#15).

All of the books in this series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Leslie Meier
Lucy Stone Mystery #22
Published 2015

Reporter Lucy Stone is covering the town’s annual Giant Pumpkin Fest, which features a pumpkin-boat regatta, a pumpkin weigh-in, and even a pumpkin catapult contest. For the contest, locals bring their home-built catapults and take turns hurling pumpkins at an old car. Lucy’s husband, Bill, and his friend, Evan, have been hard at work on their own catapult. But when the day of the contest arrives, Evan is MIA. When one of the pumpkins hits the old car hard enough to pop the trunk open, they discover Evan’s body inside.

Lucy knows that Bill can’t be the murderer, but she’ll have to prove it, and in doing so, she’ll also wind up investigating a decades-old unsolved mystery.

The Book Girls Say… Trick or Treat Murder, published in 1996, and Wicked Witch Murder from 2010 are older Halloween-themed titles in the same Lucy Stone series.

by Michele Pariza Wacek
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries #3
Published 2022

Vampires don’t exist… or do they?

Charlie Kingsley makes teas and solves mysteries. When one of her customers is convinced that their neighbor’s house sitter is a vampire, Charlie wants to figure out the real story. The house sitter is digging holes in the backyard in the middle of the night - but surely they aren’t graves. Or are they?

When Polly - a local teenager - goes missing, and then a body turns up in the “vampire’s” yard. Charlie races to find Polly before any more bodies pile up.

The Book Girls Say… This cozy mystery series is set in 1990s Redemption, Wisconsin, and is a spin-off of the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. The spin-off prequel, A Grave Error, also has Halloween-y vibes, and the fifth book in the Charlie Kingsley series, The Murder of Sleepy Hollow, is set to be published on October 28, 2022.

Reviewers note that all the books in this series are clean reads, with no swearing, on-page sex, and minimal violence.

by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross
Lucy Stone Mystery #27.5
Published 2021

Published under the title Halloween Party Murder, this book includes a trio of Halloween cozy novellas. The other titles in this collection are Death of a Halloween Party Monster and Scared Off.

Halloween Party Murder features a couple who turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise money for charity, but when the wife overdoses on tainted drugs, the husband finds himself the prime suspect. Journalist Lucy Stone uncovers secrets in the couples’ past.

Halloween Party Monster begins with a Halloween party where everyone comes dressed as their favorite movie monster. But when one of the guests is found bludgeoned, Hayley Powell must figure out whodunnit. 

Scared Off is the story of three teenage girls having a Halloween night sleepover. High schoolers crash the party, but one of the costumed crashers turns out to be an elderly neighbor who winds up dead in the backyard. Julia Snowden has to unmask the killer.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.

by Carolyn Haines
Sarah Booth Delaney #24
Published 2022

Sassy Southern PI Sarah has gathered with friends to decorate for Halloween and gush over a new baby. Just as she’s about to refresh everyone’s cocktails, there’s a knock at the door.

A woman named Frankie pleads for help finding her daughter, Christa, a journalist. Christa was investigating a trend of young women disappearing every Halloween, one per year. It’s been happening for five years, and Frankie is distraught with worry that Christa was this year’s victim.

Frankie is concerned that a cult, People of Eternity, is behind the disappearances. They have far-reading connections in New Orleans, and their reach is believed to include law enforcement, so Frankie wants Delaney Detective Agency to investigate instead. Soon Sarah is deep in a secret world of cult leaders, witchcraft, and maybe even human sacrifice.

The Book Girls Say… The Sarah Booth Delaney series started in 1999 and is still going strong! It’s described by Kirkus Reviews as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” which sounds like fun to us!

by Kathi Daley
Resort at Castaway Bay #3
Published 2021

It’s Halloween on Shipwreck Island, where forensic psychologist Sydney moved to join Ezra, a reclusive billionaire to enjoys trying to solve cold cases. In this book, Ezra believes that the person convicted in an old murder case is innocent. Eugene Hatfield was convicted of killing Carl Rubio on Halloween night three years ago, but has always maintained his innocence.

While working on the Hatfield case, Sydney also needs to assist the sheriff with a stabbing on the beach and is pulled in to assist with a kidnapping near a school.

The Book Girls Say… This series might be best enjoyed in order as there are more repeating characters than you commonly see in a cozy mystery series. They’re on the shorter side, and are all included with Kindle Unlimited. The first book is Resort at Castaway Bay: Truth or Dare.

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of 9/1/2022.