Halloween Cupcake Murder is a collection of three seasonal mystery novellas which take place from Galloway to Salem and even the North Pole. I enjoyed that they all connected by a cupcake. These quick stories immediately put me in the Halloween mood with their descriptive prose and atmospheric vibes. Although formula they are a fun read and a great way to sample potential authors.There is great plot and character development with some twists in the mix. I particularly liked A Triple Layer Halloween Murder because I loved the Salem setting and protagonist Lee Barrett with her unreliable visions. So if you are craving some quick cozy reads with Halloween vibes then this is the set of novellas for you. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books Kensington Cozies for this eARC that will be released August 22 2023.

This is a collection of three Halloween themed novellas. I’m familiar with the Mrs Claus and Irish Village Mystery series. The Witch City mystery series is new to me. I enjoyed all three stories. These collections are great because I can read series I’m familiar with and be introduced to new authors and series.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE MURDER – Tara Meehan is looking for Halloween decorations and items to sell at her newly opened architectural artifact store. After visiting one store and finding the owner dead at the next visit, she becomes embroiled in a strange murder mystery. She’s invited to a club who support the enhancement of a local haunted cave. The club members are all a little scary – could one or more be the murderer? This is an addition to the newer Home to Ireland series by this author. I really enjoy the characters. They mystery was unique and spooky-perfect for Halloween.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE CANDY CORN CAPER – This was a new author to me. The story was interesting however I felt it was more on the juvenile side. It was interesting and a fast read.

A TRIPLE LAYER HALLOWEEN MURDER – Welcome to Salem Massachusetts. It’s always a spooky place to be in late October. The local baker has gone missing along with his cat. Lee’s aunt calls to say she think that O’Ryan, their shared cat, has another cat treed in their yard. Lee’s significant other is a local detective. He’s happy to find the cat is the missing cat, but where is the baker. I enjoyed this story. It’s been awhile since I read this author and I’ll certainly be watching for more in this series.

First is Carlene's Halloween Cupcake murder. Tara Meehan is visiting the local shops for Halloween decorations for her shop. She finds a shop owner dead with a cupcake smashed all over his face. Then she receives a cupcake with a hidden item inside and someone wants that item from her.
Second is Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper by Liz Ireland. A stolen batch of candy corn and a dead cake baker usher in the first Halloween in Santaland.
Third is A Triple Layer Halloween by Carol J. Perry. October in Salem celebrates Halloween all month long. TV reporter Lee Barrett is now the station programmer but that doesn't stop her from chasing the story of a missing baker and his beloved calico cat Cupcake.

A collection of seasonable short stories by three seasoned writers they may be a little “ formula” based but all in all enjoyable

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from net galley.

This book is a collection of short stories by three different authors. Two of the authors were new to me. I enjoyed the book and the different takes on the idea of murder with a Halloween cupcake. I found a new author to try out, but one I will not be reading more of their writing.. I found the stories enjoyable and the plots interesting.

Halloween Cupcake Murder is a book which contains three cozy mysteries by three different authors. In the first story, Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, Tara enters Val Sharky’s shop to buy decorations for her store. While there Val tells Tara how he is getting a free cupcake from a bakery in Galway and signs her up for one too. Later on, she walks by his shop and hears a loud commotion. She enters the shop and finds Val dead with a cupcake in his mouth.

In Mrs. Claus and The Candy Corn Caper by Liz Ireland, Christmas town is celebrating Halloween by having a huge carnival. Also, there is a new bakery in town. Unfortunately, when Mrs. Claus decides to visit the new bakery, she comes across a dead body.

In Triple Layer Halloween Murder by Carol J. Perry, a wealthy baker goes missing. Lee Barrett who is covering all of the Halloween happenings in Salem on Witch TV finds his cat, Cupcake in her tree. Now she begins to investigate the baker's disappearance.

All three of these stories are fun reads with quirky characters and fun plots. A recipe to make some yummy Halloween cupcakes is included at the end of the book.

A delightful collection from three top notch cozy series.
Each story stands on its own merits. This is a must read for cozy fans!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Three great Halloween themed novellas that are sure to put you in the spirit. Murder, mayhem, and great heroines all wrapped up in three stories written by three awesome authors. These stories are in different settings and will have you rooting right away for the truth.

5 stars

The holiday novellas from Kensington are always a great way to sample new series, as well as a great bonus read from series I love already. The Carlene O’Connor and Carol J. Perry series were new to me, and the novellas were enjoyable.

But the real star of this collection is Liz Ireland’s entry from her fabulous Mrs. Claus series. She excels at creating holiday ambiance, and Santaland has been vividly rendered in such an entertaining and humorous way. It’s hilarious seeing how Christmastown has latched on to Halloween celebrations, and of course found ways to make baked good essential to the holiday. The story is so much fun, just like the rest of the series.

Three fun Halloween -themed novella cozys in three different settings! Each of these has a slightly different tone but fans of the three authors know that they all have a nice touch with heroines, mysteries, and settings, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE MURDER is a scary-licious trio of novellas by Carlene O’Connor, Liz Ireland, and Carol J. Perry. The thing that I love about these themed novella books is the opportunity to find new-to-me authors, or catch up with characters that I already know and love. I’m always impressed that each author manages to fit in a full mystery, with enough intrigue, in such short stories!

While I’m quite familiar with author Carlene O’Connor, somehow her Home to Ireland Mystery series escaped my attention. I was delighted to be introduced to her protagonist, Tara Meehan, an American transplant now living in Galway, Ireland. Despite the short length of Halloween Cupcake Murder, there were enough details to make me feel like I was right there and enough clues to keep me guessing. The author deftly provides the setup for the murder and then quickly gets to the action. I enjoyed getting to know Tara and now have to add her full-length books to my TBR pile!

A fan of the Mrs. Claus Mystery series by Liz Ireland from the very beginning, I couldn’t wait to dive into Mrs. Clause and the Candy Corn Caper. The author’s North Pole world-building is delightful and her use of fun puns adds great humor. Mrs. Claus, a gal from Oregon who just happened to have fallen in love with Nick Claus while he was on vacation, has introduced Halloween to the elves. With a candy corn dessert bake-off, a theft of candy corn resulting in a shortage, a new competing bakery in town, and a disgruntled employee leads to disaster for the festivities. With a strong descriptive voice, Ms. Ireland brings the North Pole and its various characters to life. Mrs. Claus is a tenacious amateur sleuth who states, “I might not have been born Mrs. Claus, but I was born nosy”. She still exhibits the caring, tender qualities you’d imagine Santa’s wife to have, even while investigating. If you’re a fan of this series, this is a great way to get your “fix” before the next book releases. If you haven’t read any in the series before, this is a fun way to explore the North Pole and whet your appetite!

A Triple Layer Halloween Murder by Carol J. Perry is a new-to-me author and series. I found it easy enough to get to know the characters and become acquainted with the setting without feeling lost. I’m so impressed with the amount of information the authors can include in the novellas without detracting from the pace of the plot. Protagonist Lee Barrett works as a program director for WICH-TV. There’s a touch of paranormal—Lee can see visions, although the meaning is never very clear—along with her cat, O’Ryan, pointing her toward clues. Lee’s detective boyfriend isn’t all that keen about her “abilities” but still respects her enough to listen to what she finds out. I enjoyed their interaction and the core characters and I’ll be seeking out the books in this series to get to know them better!

Three novellas murder mysteries. I enjoyed the 1st story Carlene O’Connor, Halloween Cupcake Murder. The 2nd story is Halloween being celebrated for the 1st in the North Pole. I really thought it was geared for middle school reading. Wasn’t that into it. It does end up with a 3rd enjoyable read, but the ending was rushed. I felt like I just skimmed read the ending.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #HalloweenCupcakeMurder

This is a nice collection of stories to get you in the Halloween spirit. I enjoyed the various settings (Ireland, North Pole, and Salem). I've read and enjoyed stories by each author, and this book is no different. It's a quick read, perfect for those who want a holiday story without the horror.

I think this is a good collection of Halloween themed mysteries by three different authors. Ireland, North Pole and Salem. Traditional Ireland, Christmasland and Salem at Halloween.
I wanted to read it because I'm a huge fun of Carol J Perry's Witchy City but I also thoroughly enjoyed the other novellas.
Well plotted and entertaining stories.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley and publisher. When I saw O’Connor name it was a must have and I wasn’t disappointed. I haven’t read anything from the other two authors before but now they are on my list of authors to read. Perry even gave an easy cupcake recipe I’ll have to try at Halloween.

If you enjoy seasonal cozy mysteries, I'm sure you would enjoy this collection with three different Halloween mysteries written by some popular authors.

While the collection has some excellent plots and good characters, my favorite is A Triple Layer of Halloween Murder by Carol J. Perry. I've read other books by her with the same characters, and it just feels like I'm getting together with people I've come to know and like when I read books in that series.

Mrs. Claus and the Candy Cane Caper by Liz Ireland was an interesting plot with Mr And Mrs Claus celebrating Halloween. While at first I enjoyed all the cute names the elves had, I must admit that the constant addition of new characters in such a short story was a bit too much. Since you never know what role a character will play in a murder mystery, less is more.

Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O'Connor was another great addition. I remember reading another book by this author and that I feel her stories are well done.

3 tales to get you into the Spirit of Halloween. Some elves, a little supernatural and some twists and turns. I enjoyed these.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Three great cozy mysteries in one book! I can’t get enough of these holiday cozy mysteries. I’ll definitely be rereading this when the fall season comes around.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the arc of this book.

The Halloween Cupcake Murder is wonderful compilation of three cozy mysteries set around Halloween and cupcakes! I’m a big fan of Liz Ireland’s Mrs. Claus series and Carol J. Perry’s Haunted Haven books, so I was excited to read the stories. Now I’ve found a new author in Carlene O’Connor. The Mrs. Claus was my favorite of the three and it was a great tease to get ready for the next book “Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys”.

I highly recommend this book. I was provided an advanced readers copy from Netgalley and these are my opinions.