Bell, Book and Corpses (A Nick and Nora Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio
About Bell, Book and Corpses
It’s Halloween trick-or-treachery when murder pays a visit to a cursed mansion in the new Nick and Nora mystery . . .
Waincroft Manor has long been tied to rumors of witchcraft and fatal curses, and to Nora Charles, that makes it the perfect place for a Halloween fundraiser. But her first trip to the deserted old mansion turns out to be truly ghoulish when she discovers a dead body. What’s more, the corpse is laid out in a coffin—with two bite marks on its neck. Then the autopsy comes back showing that the body was drained of blood, and there’s no stopping the local gossips from whispering the word vampire to anyone who will listen.
Determined to dispel the rumors and save the fundraiser, Nora sets out to prove the murderer was quite human after all. Sifting through the clues, she learns of a bitter family rivalry that spans generations, and a more recent conflict that may point to the motive for the murder. And when Nick spells out a clue that proves to be the missing piece of the puzzle, Nora knows she’ll have to watch her back—because there’s a killer out there who wants to keep some secrets buried, and they’ll happily bury Nora right along with them . . .
Includes mouthwatering recipes!
My Review
It’s Halloween and the people of Cruz are ready for a party. They are planning to hold a fundraiser at Waincroft Manor. However, it’s not just any manor. There is history and gossip about witchcraft and curses there. When Nora and her faithful feline Nick go to check it out, they find a dead body in a coffin. The townspeople immediately suspect a vampire since the body was drained of all its blood.
Nora takes it upon herself to figure out what happened. She is afraid no one would want to attend a fundraiser at a place where a vampire might be killing people. Not to mention a friend is arrested for the murder and Nora knows she's innocent. Nick and Nora are on the case, and they enlist the help of their friends for this one.
This is the perfect cozy mystery for this time of year. The author puts you right into the Halloween spirit even if it’s a little early in the season. It comes complete with the backdrop of a haunted mansion and a group of ghostbusters. Even the cover is perfect.
In this 7th book of the Nick and Nora Mystery series we get a chance to revisit old friends. That’s always a fun thing. Nora, Nick and their supporting cast are a perfect fit in this series. Of course Nick is always my favorite character and it’s so clever that he communicates through scrabble squares. He seems to always be one step ahead of Nora.
As often is this case with a cozy mystery series, the actual mystery is contained in this one book, but you really would enjoy it even more if you read the entire series starting with the first book. There are a couple of continuing threads throughout the series.
This author has become a favorite of mine in the cozy mystery field. She has several other cozy series and all are wonderful. I can never turn down one of her books. She’s such a master of the cozy mystery writing craft and she’s perfect at including the kitties.
I’m looking forward to the next book.
For reading challenges:
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2024
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
About T.C. LoTempio
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Many thanks for that lovely review! more nick and nora to come through 2028!
ReplyDeleteNick sounds like my cat, always a step ahead.
ReplyDelete