Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

 Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop

Book Summary

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 . . .

My Thoughts

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan takes us to Elyan Hollow, Oregon where it is Halloween all year round (my type of town).  I especially loved the Lazy Bones Bookshop (I could happily spend hours in there browsing for books to add to my TBR stack).  We are introduced to a host of characters in the beginning including Bailey Briggs along with a variety of businesses. I like that all the business has Halloween or spooky themed names plus the small-town feel.  The detailed descriptions of each business got to be a bit much after a while (it reminded me of a tourism video for a town).  The characters lacked emotion and needed further development. The story moved at a leisurely pace with repetitive details (about businesses, people, and the mystery).  The redundant details felt like filler.  There were continuity errors as well. 

The whodunit was uncomplicated. I thought the mystery was predictable with Bailey doing little investigating. I wish the story had focused more on the mystery and less on humdrum details of daily life. Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is a cute story, and I am sure that there will be improvement in the next A Halloween Bookshop Mystery.  I liked Bailey’s dog (a big, lovable dog) whose name fits right in with the town.  Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is a lighthearted tale with ghost hunters, book boxes, a big dog, domestic secrets, a murdered man, book fair fun, a generous grandfather, and Halloween hijinks.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is available from Amazon*.  It can be read for free through Kindle Unlimited.  You can find Emmeline Duncan's other cozy mysteries here.  I appreciate you stopping by today.  I will return on Tuesday, July 30 with There's No Murder Like Show Murder by M.S. Greene.   I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend.  I plan to stay inside to beat the heat.  There is plenty of work inside to keep me busy.  Take care, stay cool, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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