this is a fantastic seasonal cozy mystery. Halloween is present on almost every page, so that is fun. there are lots of characters, lots of suspects, lots of interpersonal drama, costume parties, haunted houses, lots of recipes (included in the back of the book). there are also some creative ideas for decorating, party-planning, etc at the beginning of each chapter. this is the first book I've read in this series, I think I would like to read more. however, the reason I'm giving this 3/5 stars is that I just didn't like some of the characters (there are a bunch of 12/13-year-old girls who behaved more like they were 15, regarding boys and making out, but like they were 8 or 9 when it came to believing in vampires and actually wearing garlic) and the main character's love triangle (her husband apparently left her for another woman, and he's decided that the other woman has no redeeming qualities and cannot compare to his ex-wife, so he tries to see if they can rekindle their relationship, but while he's still with the other woman - that's super gross, no?). maybe if I were more familiar with the series and I've seen all of this develop over time, it would make more sense to me. Sophie is turning an empty boarding house into a haunted house for the community. A local legend says that a vampire once resided at the boarding house -- and which a vampire "victim" turns up dead, Sophie's haunted house is threatened with closure. Can Sophie solve the crime without encouraging the local teenagers' excitement over vampires?I really enjoyed reading about the process of developing the haunted house -- it inspired me so much that I might have to participate in creating one someday! The murder plot was also good... but not the best when it came to suspects. I didn't care for the loose way suspects were connected... it just wasn't very believable. Krista Davis did a great job of portraying the current "vampire mania" happening in the tween & teenaged generations. By including Sophie's teenaged niece and Natascha's cousin as main characters (other than Sophie,) the vampire aspect to the story was definitely strengthened & made more enjoyable. *Review Disclaimer* This review reflects my honest personal opinion of this work, and was written to help others who have the same tastes as mine. That being said, everyone has their own opinions and there will be disagreements -- so please show my opinion respect, as I show your opinion respect.
Do You like book The Diva Haunts The House (2011)?
Seem review of the first in the series. Very fun and addictive series.
—sharonsuitor
kinda tired of vampires.also, really not interested in her mars saga.
—mhai
I always like reading Davis' Domestic Diva books. Very entertaining.
—Angie
