Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, the first book in Emmeline Duncan’s Halloween Bookshop Mystery, comes out on July 23rd from Kensington Cozies.
The first in a new Pacific Northwest-set mystery series inspired by the real “Halloweentown!”
Bailey Briggs adores her year-round Halloween-themed town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. But when she takes over her grandfather’s beloved bookshop, Lazy Bones Books, she accidentally discovers the town’s secret dark side . . .
Normally, spooky season is Bailey Briggs’ favorite time of year, and her Halloween-themed small town’s time to shine. But between managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel-in-progress, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, Bailey hardly has a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow’s spot-on seasonal vibes. Not to mention, at every turn she seems to be tripping over the contentious crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Bailey tries to stay focused on the Lit Festival, which is supposed to kick off Elyan Hollow’s annual Halloween Fair; instead, this year’s festival begins with a murder . . .
It’s bad enough Bailey discovered the victim, but now, as a lead suspect with some (admittedly) damning evidence pointing her way, she’s got to clear her name! With the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog (and the absolute bestest boy ever), Bailey sets out to solve a murder . . .
As her investigation weaves through family secrets, professional rivalries, and town feuds, the list of suspects is growing fast . . . and unfortunately, so is the list of victims. If Bailey doesn’t find the killer soon, Elyan Hollow’s haunted reputation will get a little too real . . .
Emmeline is celebrating with a launch party at Annie Bloom’s Books on July 23rd at 7 PM with fellow Portland Metro area writer Roz Noonan. [https://www.annieblooms.com/event/reading-emmeline-duncan-and-roz-noonan] You can also meet Emmeline (also known as Kelly Garrett) at this year’s Willamette Writers conference.
You can find more about Emmeline Duncan on her website.