This book is stuck in a weird spot for me. I like the lightness of the mood despite the murder mystery. I really didn't guess the murderer so that was a plus. The author really kept me guessing but man did the plot get weird in the end.Other issues I had included problems with the characters. Just how old are Bernie and Libby? Bernie mentions both but man they argue like 10 year olds. Libby lacks any self esteem like someone who is 18 or younger. Also the deceased mother and the father seem to jump from old to super old when we talk about the past. There were supernatural parts that seemed pretty odd to me. It adds a weird third storyline that was never fleshed out enough to justify its presence in my opinion.Up until the last third of the book it was an enjoyable read. The case got dragged out and muddled with the culinary business. The girls also started bickering to no end and goodness did that get boring fast. Anyone who knows me, knows that one of my favorite things to do is to read a book that is seasonally appropriate, particularly during the fall/winter holidays. So when I saw that this book was available for my Nook Color, I decided to download it. I'd read "A Catered Thanksgiving," and though it's not great literature, enjoyed it a lot, so I thought I'd try another of Isis Crawford's mysteries featuring Libby and Bernie Simmons.In this installment, the sisters are asked to provide the food for a new attraction in town, a haunted house. It's in a building that was formerly the Peabody School, a successful private school until a couple of students died mysteriously. As the new owner is showing them through the haunted house prior to opening night, they discover the dismembered head of a well-known community member who had attended the school and was always suspected of one of the students' deaths. This was fun to read at Halloween time - ghosts, sounds, twists and turns. The conversations between the two sisters is always fun to read, and the story is told well-enough to make you want to see how it all ends.My only problem with these books is that, because the sisters own a cafe called A Little Taste of Heaven, there is a lot of discussion and description of food - it makes me so hungry! However, there are always a few recipes at the end, so if I just have to know what some of the dishes taste like, I can try them on my own. This is not, however, much consolation when reading at 9:o0 in the evening ...
What do You think about A Catered Halloween (2008)?
Fun read. Enjoy Bernie and Libby's adventures and the quirky characters in these books.
—LC92
