A Catered Halloween

Amethyst Applegate receives a blackmail letter from deceased Bessie Osgood, who died years ago when they attended school together. Unshaken Amethyst plans to take care of the blackmailer as she took care of Bessie. The Simmons sisters, Libby and Bernie, owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, are ecstatic to cater the Halloween festivities at the Peabody School, a place rumored to be haunted. Businessman Mark Kane is going all out to include construction of a haunted house with high tech special effects that a Hollywood horror move would envy. Everyone is stunned when they see a torso on a table with the severed head of Amethyst nearby. Finding the killer will not prove easy as everyone has a motive to murder the universally loathed Amethyst whose list of enemies exceeds the Longley phonebook. Libby thinks she sees the ghost of Bessie, but rationalizes that her imagination got the best of her rather than her intuitive powers. Bob Small who is working at the haunted house has a strong reason to kill Amethyst because he spent jail time due to a stunt she pulled. Inez Colley hated the female abomination for stealing her husband and her wealth by seducing and blackmailing her weak spouse. Zachary Timberland held Amethyst culpable for ruining his daughter Zoe. The list goes on. However, the police arrest Bob as he is the only one with opportunity. The Simmons siblings think otherwise so with their father along they investigate the murder of an odious witch. Isis Crawford outdoes her usual superb catered amateur sleuth novels with A CATERED HALLOWEEN as ghosts and Libby's visions enhance a whodunit in which the townsfolk, the sisters, and the readers agree beheading is befitting the odious ogress. The two sisters are total opposites yet best friends as each is always there for the other. Due to Libby's paranormal skills they feel obligated to unmask the real killer as they believe strongly the cops got the wrong person. With euphoric ghosts and plenty of eccentric suspects toasting the killer, solving the case of the murdered witch may prove a recipe for failure for the Simmons, but catered entertainment for series fans. Harriet Klausner

A Catered Halloween is number five in this fun series featuring sisters Libby and Bernie Simmons, who run a shop and catering service, A Little Taste of Heaven. They are catering the Longely Volunteer Firemen's Halloween Haunted House, run as a fundraiser by wealthy Mark Kane out of the mansion he had just purchased as a home for his Foundation. He has had experts put in all sorts of eerie holograms and special effects. Before it is even open to the public, Mark, Libby and Bernie find the severed head of nasty Amethyst Applegate at the foot of some steps, her body on a platform with a pendulum swinging above it. There is no end to the possible suspects for Amethyst's murder because she ruined so many people's lives. The two most likely are cleaning woman Inez and handyman Bob. Both were on site, and the police consider Bob Small the main suspect as he had knowledge of the wire that was used in the murder. But was he framed? Ex-policeman Sean Simmons helps to clear Bob. He is also Libby and Bernie's father, and is aided by Marvin, Libby's boyfriend. Complicating the investigation is the history of the mansion. It used to be The Peabody School, where young Bessie Osgood fell out a window and died. Was it an accident, or was Amethyst involved? The intrepid investigators-Libby, Bernie, Marvin, Sean and friends-find Bessie's diary buried under a tree on the grounds, and learn the truth behind her miserable life at the school, and about her death. While working at the mansion all alone, Libby feels that she is targeted by Bessie's ghost, asking for help. This pleasantly shivery culinary cozy mystery will keep you intrigued as the motives of various suspects are investigated and the sisters squabble. The book includes recipes as well. Armchair Interviews says: Good characters and good mystery are combined for a very fun read.