A set of three stories set in the worlds of these cozy series, we get three Halloween themed stories. The first follows Lucy Stone, the second Hayley Powell, and then the third Mrs. Claus. The first two were just ok for me. I felt like they did not really have serious mysteries to them and didn't give me that cozy mystery vibe. The third one with Mrs. Claus was the one I enjoyed most, although I wish it had a bit more of the investigating part we love with cozies.

Fans of these series though will enjoy this new collection. I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow, my rainy, cool weather seemed to indicate this would be the perfect time to curl up with three favorite authors and check out their Halloween tricks-and-treats. I won't go into great detail as I've noted others already have, but will note that while I wasn't quite in the mood for the "Yikes! Oh, no, look behind you!" flavor of Lee Hollis'"Death of a Halloween Night Stalker", it was probably the most Halloween-y of them all. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent tale, perfect for those in the mood for serious chills and thrills and the feeling of being trapped with spooky, scary killers on the lam. I just wasn't there yet. An accident on the way home from a concert leaves Hayley, Liddy, and Mona stranded with no internet or way of contacting outside help during a spooky rainstorm in a house that sounds straight out of a gothic horror movie. The residents are, well, not someone you'd want to spend time with, especially the zombie son. Nope, not sharing any more. I'll be going back to this one, I assure you, when I'm more in the mood for having chills run up my spine. Yes, Hollis can do spooky and do it well.

The first story, Leslie Meier's "Halloween Night Murder", seems to only briefly touch on Halloween. A young, ragged looking teenager shows up at Hayley's door as the night of trick-or-treat is winding down and she spontaneously gives him all the candy she had left. The next morning she's horrified to hear that he was killed by a hit-and-run driver. That's where the story veers away from the Halloween spirit, though there are some scary things to be learned as she dives into investigating not just the social services available to the children and their seemingly abused mother, but into politics, shady dealings, and the corruption of some in positions of power over others. What she finds isn't comforting and, in fact, should probably spook us more than made-up ghosts and goblins.

The third story is the most fun of the bunch, taking us back to Christmastown. If you'd not familiar with Liz Ireland's series with April Claus' (yes, married to that certain Claus we all assume wears a red suit and is a jolly, fat ol' guy) life with talking snowman and reindeer, snow monsters, elves, flying sleighs, and some of the most fun, quirky residents you can imagine. Be prepared to suspend disbelief and simply go with the flow. Not only is Santa, aka Nick, not old, he's quite a hunk but takes his temporary status as Santa seriously while holding the position until his nephew, Christopher, reaches maturity. In this installment, we have a snowman in a coma, thought to be the victim of a just released from elf prison, caramel maker extraordinary Flake. All this in the midst of a reindeer stampede, er, race, and hotly competitive caramel baking contest that even has the elder Mrs. Claus caught up in the spirit of the competition. April's too busy snooping, er, investigating to bake although not to enjoy samples of the entries. Somehow her best friend and her boyfriend, Jake, a relative of Jack Frost wind up going to the frozen reaches of the furthest north to convince a cranky witch to return to Christmastown with them to help remove any spell of the poor, dormant snowman but wind up newt-sitting. Don't ask. Just suspend belief and enjoy. Who knew Santa's life was so complicated. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing for allowing me this sneak peek at these well-down stories based around the Halloween theme. Bet you never thought about Santa's elves celebrating Halloween, did you? Grin.

I love the Liz Ireland series and thought this short story fit in well with the other books in the series. I love the characters and the whimsical setting. I have read the other two authors before and really enjoyed their stories as well. I'll be going back and reading more of them soon.

Halloween Night Murder is three cozy mystery Novelas written by Leslie Meyer, Leigh Hollis and Liz Ireland. When Lucy Stone is cleaning up after the Halloween event at her home she gets a late night trick-or-treater who she can instantly tell he threw his costume together but he seems very nice so she gives him the rest of the candy in the bowl. The next day she learns not only was he hit by a car But was killed when his head struck a rock on side the road. Lucy will get involved in the case more than she thought she would one clue leads to another in the case turns out to be much bigger than she first believed. in the second book Haley and her two best friends Mona and Lydia are coming home from a concert in Boston and veer off the road to avoid hitting a buck. They wreck Lydia‘s new car. They go to a nearby home and this is where they meet Bella and her son Gregory although Bella seems like the quintessential homemaker what they really have stumbled on as much stranger than any of them can’t believe to make matters worse Mona may have a concussion and doesn’t look well at all Lydia and Haley think Mona may be in danger but they soon learn all three of them are playing with life in depth,… Their life. in the next book we spend Halloween in the North Pole, an elf was recently released he once stole a peppermint recipe but flake butter worth isn’t going to be so easily believed especially when strange things start happening can Mrs. Claus solve the case before flake is once again accused of something only this time he may be innocent. I have recently been consuming lots of cozy mysteries and think I am becoming severely addicted to them whether they’re short long or in between it seems I cannot get enough and this one did not disappoint although I did find the first book seem to be cut down to fit the book I still enjoyed the story loved Lucy and will definitely read more of her books in the future I loved Mrs. Claus and the magical Christmas village with her and husband Nick live I loved all the crazy side characters but I must admit Haley made me laugh so much all of them were great stories for one reason or another they all have their charms and I can’t say a negative thing about any of them I love them and highly recommend them if you love cozy mysteries these are three you will not be disappointed by at all.#NetGalley, #KensingtonBooks, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #LeslieMeyer, #LeighHollis, #LizIreland, #HalloweenNightMurder,

HALLOWEEN NIGHT MURDER by Leslie Meier

Lucy Stone is shocked on the morning after Halloween when she learns that a teenage trick-or-treater was killed by a hit-and-run driver near her home. The teenager’s siblings are living in squalor at a nearby abandoned house where their mother’s boyfriend is illegally breeding cats. Lucy helps the younger kids get into a foster home and then, under the guise of her newspaper reporter job, investigates who killed their brother and then fled the scene.

I have read a couple of Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone Mysteries, so I was familiar with the main characters and the setting. Out of the three novellas, I enjoyed this one of the most. There was not as much focus on Halloween as I would have liked, but the mystery was solid and the plot kept me engaged.

DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN NIGHT STALKER by Lee Hollis

Following a concert in Boston, Hayley Powell and her friends attempt to return to their homes in rural Maine during a severe storm. After accidentally driving off the road, they seek help at an isolated house that they come upon in the literal middle of nowhere. The residents—a mother and son duo—give Hayley and her friends the creeps. Unable to call for help, the three women try to flee the house of horrors but are repeatedly thwarted by the weather and their hosts.

It’s obvious who the bad guys are in DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN NIGHT STALKER. The question is, what exactly have they done in the past? What crimes are they guilty of? And what lengths are they willing to go to continue hiding those crimes? This story was full of suspense and kept me rushing to the end to see what would happen.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE WILY WITCH by Liz Ireland

It’s Halloween at the North Pole, and a disgraced, caramel-making elf is accused of casting spells on a grumpy snowman. Mrs. Claus believes Flake the elf is being wrongly accused, and she recruits a witch from the outreaches of the North Pole to help reverse the spell and find the person responsible before Halloween is ruined for everyone.

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting with MRS. CLAUS AND THE WILY WITCH, but it was not this…The elves I could deal with. But the talking snowmen and reindeer…It was just too much for me to handle. The story was well-written, but it did not compel me to read any more of the books in the series. I did thoroughly enjoy the crazy witch that Mrs. Claus brings in to help reverse the curse on the snowman. If there was a series featuring Imelda as the main character, I would be tempted to read that. She was a hoot.

These are three very interesting stories – all with a Halloween theme of course. I did have a favorite, but I’ll let you decide yours. The line story lines are great, and the characters are wonderful. A perfect fall read. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier; Lee Hollis; Liz Ireland is a great trio of cozy mystery novellas that really bring the Halloween spirit.

This group of novellas bring together three cozy mystery series into one book. I am a total pull-in when it comes to cozy mysteries and themes…especially holidays. Also, my two favorite series ever are in this group: A Lucy Stone Mystery and A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery. So for me, it was a win-win. The first two novellas are associated with the above mentioned series:
HALLOWEEN NIGHT MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN NIGHT STALKER by LEE HOLLIS

I thoroughly enjoyed both, but especially the Lee Hollis installment. It had the perfect balance of humor, sass, seriousness, outlandishness, and an all around interesting plot.

The third novella is from another series that I have not read. It was ok, but I think I was not able to jump on board only because I have not read any of the books in this series so far.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE WILY WITCH by LIZ IRELAND

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/26/25.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Lucy Stone's Halloween has been just as she planned it. The party, the kids, and finally, the time at home with husband, Bill, after everything was over. She'd only had to deal with one trick or treater at the house before she switched off her spooky vibes for another year. The following morning Lucy hears about a hit and run which killed a young reveller close to her house and is determined to follow the case in her guise of reporter for the Chronicle, her local online and physical newspaper. There appears to be very little to actually investigate, and any available information is brief and unhelpful. Determined to dig a little deeper, Lucy is soon shocked at what she discovers, but can she present her findings to someone she can trust, or has it all been in vain?
DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN NIGHT STALKER by LEE HOLLIS
A country music concert and a road trip with your besties sounded wonderful to Hayley Powell until the weather turned, the traffic snarled up, and they crashed into a tree! That was when it started to get dangerous!  The only house, seemingly for miles, looked like a rain drenched haven, but something was a bit off with the folks who lived there! Unable to contact the outside world, Hayley, Libby, and Mona find themselves more and more desperate to leave, but with no transport and no phone signal, will this be their last ever road trip?
MRS. CLAUS AND THE WILY WITCH by LIZ IRELAND
With Halloween just around the corner, and after spending five years in exile, Flake, an expert caramel maker with poor judgement, is back in Christmastown. He is home just in time for a blue ribbon cooking competition which he should easily win but, unfortunately, before that can happen, Pumblechook the snowman and one of Flake's closest elf friends are hit with Halloween misfortune and murder! Mrs Claus is almost sure Flake has been framed but must follow the clues to find out who is responsible, even if it means the little elf can no longer make the best caramels in all of Santaland as well as having to invite a witch into Santa’s home to help remedy what has happened.

I love this series of books consisting of three short stories set around special holidays and occasions. I have discovered some great cosy titles through reading them and found more authors to follow. This trio is a little different to normal, though, but no less engaging. The first two stories are more serious than usual, covering poverty, domestic abuse, seriously creepy home owners, stalking and, of course, murder! I would consider both to be crime fiction rather than cosy crime fiction. Liz Ireland's tale, however, is definitely a cosy, the eponymous witch steals every scene she's in, and Halloween in Santaland? What's not to love?

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cosies, but the opinions expressed are my own. Although not what I envisioned originally, the stories are engaging, and I enjoyed all three.

I always love the Lucy Stone series from Leslie Meier. It is just the quintessential cozy mystery for me. The author is always consistent in her character development and seeing the mystery through in a way that is engaging but not overwhelming. Best of all it is an early taste of Halloween! I did not read the other novellas in the novel, so I don't have a review for those.

In the Lee Hollis story, Death of a Night Stalker, Hayley is with her BFFs Liddy and Mona when they take an unplanned detour during a torrential downpour and end up crashed in a ditch. Their car undriveable, they manage to get themselves free of the wreckage and make their way to a nearby home. Inside they find Bella and her son Gregory... not exactly a welcoming committee.

This story is more of a Halloween Slasher than a cozy mystery but I was hooked from page 1. I love Hayley and when she's with Liddy and Mona wild things always happen. They each play off of each other so well, and this had the added catch of taking place in the middle of a storm with no cell service, land line, internet, or eventually electricity. It was a great story with a super exciting ending.

I started to read the Leslie Meier story but I couldn't finish it. Leslie Meier's books are more just essays on the tragedy of poverty from the lens of a very privileged person (poverty being driving a used car and buying generic brands). So when I got to the part about a farmhouse down the road "the derelict place was no long fit for chickens, much less a family," I couldn't continue. I didn't want to read about there being a tear in the wallpaper somewhere and maybe a cracked pane of glass in a window and how it's not fair that everyone can't be rich and the author is going to drive that idea home by killing off a child in her story. I did really enjoy the first dozen or so books in the Lucy Stone series when Lucy herself was poor but perfectly happy and didn't seem to feel the need to measure the rest of the world by her own expectations and prejudices.

I also didn't read the Liz Ireland story. I haven't started that series yet and didn't want to risk any spoilers. I'll definitely come back to this when I read that series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ In our first tale, Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lucy Stone feels sorry for a young teenager who comes to her door. Thinking she'll probably not have any other trick-or-treaters, and noting how thin the boy is, she gives him the remainder of her candy. But the next morning she's told that the boy has died in a hit-and-run accident. Finding out he has siblings, she's more than happy to open her home for the night to the young trio, since their mother has been arrested.

The next day she discovers something odd at the old home where they've been staying, and reports it; all the while not wanting the children to go with the social worker. When she attends the boy's funeral, she finds out other things as well. This is all it takes for Lucy to go on a hunt to discover the truth.

But the truth isn't nice, nor will it be easy to prove. With the help of her editor Ted, she's determined to help the children and anyone connected with them. But will she be able to without proof? Or will she have to find help from a very unlikely source...

A very good novella from Ms. Meier. I really enjoyed this one, and it was centered on the mystery itself, which I always enjoy. The writing was very good, the story line interesting, and the finale worth reading it for. Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In the second tale, Death of a Halloween Night Stalker by Lee Hollis, Hayley Powell and her friends Liddy and Mona are returning from a concert by their favorite country-western singer when they hit a snag. Not only is it raining, but there's been an accident on the freeway, so they take another exit to get home, which will take longer, but it's better than sitting in traffic. Or so they think. When a deer is in the middle of the road, Liddy swerves to avoid it and ends up running into a tree. With Mona injured, they need to find somewhere to get help. Unfortunately, the only place is a spooky home, but Hayley insists they go.

The elderly woman who answers the door is more than willing to help, but her hulking son only speaks in grunts and looks at them suspiciously. Convinced to stay the night, Hayley soon becomes suspicious herself of what is going on downstairs and wants to investigate.

But is this the right thing to do? Fearing they may be in danger, she feels she has no choice. It's more than a Halloween night Hayley gets, it's a journey into Halloween horror -- and will she be able to save herself and her friends, or will this be the end of them? With nowhere to go, no internet, no one to help them, Hayley may just have signed all their death warrants...

This novella, in my humble opinion, is the best of the three. Ms. Hollis is a wonderful storyteller, and this one is perfect for reading on Halloween. It might just put you off driving in the country by yourself at night, too. The story is suspenseful, intriguing, and a bit of a nail-biter, if I'm telling the truth. The ending is is done well, as is the rest of the tale. Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ In our third tale, Mrs. Claus and the Wily Witch by Liz Ireland, Christmastown is having their annual reindeer festival, but it's upended when one of the snowmen, Pumblechook, is suddenly paralyzed. Unable to move at all, it's believed he's been hexed by Flake, an elf who recently returned from being exiled for something, and it doesn't help when someone dies and Flake is suspected of murdering them. April Claus (Santa's wife) must do what she can to help the poor elf -- even if it means bringing witch Imelda to Santatown.

Following is what you'd expect: a flurry of activities, a herd of reindeer bouncing around, and a plethora of elves trying to get into the Halloween spirit while trying to figure out who is also a killer. This book is centered more around April and the witch instead of the crazy elves, but is a lot of fun to read anyway. Recommended.

All in all, this was an enjoyable conglomeration of stories that I would re-read again without hesitation, and would definitely recommend to others.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It’s Halloween Night and there is murder in the air. In this selection of stories we get Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meir, Death od a Halloween Night Stalker by Lee Hollis and MMrs. Claus and the Wily by Liz Ireland. There will be more than just bump in the night n these scary stories. It’s a lght fun collection of shoert stories that will keep you on your seat.

Three great Halloween short stories by three great authors! Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Liz Ireland have added these short stories to their ongoing series and it was a good, quick cozy read.

#HalloweenNightMurder #NetGalley
I always enjoy these short stories who connect me to some of my favorite characters.
All three authors deliver spooky Halloween stories that will have you looking forward to the holiday!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.