Recommended Reads

One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman's award-winning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium's most gifted artists, the series is a rich blend of modern and ancient mythology in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven.

The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition collects issues #1-8 of the original run of The Sandman, beginning an epic saga unique in graphic literature and introducing readers to a dark and enchanting world of dreams and nightmares--the home of Morpheus, the King of Dreams, and his kin, the Endless.

A bone-chilling anthology from legendary horror editor, Ellen Datlow, Screams from the Dark contains twenty-nine all-original tales about monsters.

From werewolves and vampires, to demons and aliens, the monster is one of the most recognizable figures in horror. But what makes something, or someone, monstrous?

Award-winning and up-and-coming authors like Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw, Indrapramit Das, Priya Sharma, and more attempt to answer this question. These all-new stories range from traditional to modern, from mainstream to literary, from familiar monsters to the unknown ... and unimaginable.

This chilling collection has something to please—and terrify—everyone, so lock your doors, hide under your covers, and try not to scream.

Contributors include: Ian Rogers, Fran Wilde, Gemma Files, Daryl Gregory, Priya Sharma, Brian Hodge, Joyce Carol Oates, Indrapramit Das, Siobhan Carroll, Richard Kadrey, Norman Partridge, Garry Kilworth, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Chikodili Emelumadu, Glen Hirshberg, A. C. Wise, Stephen Graham Jones, Kaaron Warren, Livia Llewellyn, Carole Johnstone, Margo Lanagan, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Evenson, Nathan Ballingrud, Cassandra Khaw, Laird Barron, Kristi DeMeester, Jeffrey Ford, and John Langan.

Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn--only to discover that it's already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out . . .

Maureen's career as a sportswear buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted. Sadly, only one of them can earn unemployment, so Maureen's facing a winter of discontent in Boston--when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida. A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks, Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property--and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...

As the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, counts down to a spooky celebration on October 31st, a horrifying murder leaves Melanie Travis pawing for clues in a hair-raising game of trick-or-treat . . .

With just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating the guaranteed sugar high they'll experience from gorging on Harriet Bloom's famous marshmallow puffs. The private school's annual costume party revolves around the headmaster's assistant and her seemingly supernatural batches of gooey goodies. So, it's a shock when Harriet's elderly neighbor is suddenly found dead with the beloved dessert in his hand. In a snap, police start questioning whether Harriet modified her top-secret recipe to include a hefty dose of lethal poison . . .

Melanie knows her tenured colleague would never intentionally serve cyanide-laced puffs to a defenseless old man. But as explosive neighborhood gossip reveals a potential culprit, it also brings her closer to sealing her own doom. Because on an evening ruled by masked revelers, bizarre getups, and hidden identities, Halloween might just be the perfect opportunity for a cold-hearted killer to get away with murder once again--this time sending a nosy, unsuspecting sleuth to an early grave!

Halloween in the small town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut Caf owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer.

October 31st is just around the corner and Emily Westhill's Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he's ordered three dozen, with twice the fudge icing, for his 70th birthday--a special event in more ways than one. It's to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.

But the next day, when Emily arrives with her scrumptious screamers, she stumbles upon Rich's corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash--just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators, and his last will and testament suspiciously left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallowbrook to go out screaming.

Praise for Jealousy Filled Donuts

"Charming . . . Yummy donut recipes round out a whodunit (or is it a whodonut?) sure to please cozy fans."
--Publishers Weekly

It's autumn in the Hudson Valley, and Kate McKay has some tricks up her sleeve for a deliciously spooky season at her Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. But with a cold-blooded murderer thrown into the mix, the scares are about to become a little too real . . .

Kate receives the shock of a lifetime when she's blindsided by an offer she can't refuse. An assistant movie director desperately wants to shoot a key scene at Lickety Splits and she's willing to pay big bucks to sweeten the last-minute deal. All Kate has to do is tolerate a bustling film crew for a few hours and provide one important prop--a scoop of handmade ice cream . . .

But when up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after spooning down some chocolate almond fudge, Kate's first taste of Hollywood might be her last. Someone poisoned the leading lady, and with Lickety Splits draped in yellow crime scene tape, detectives are ready to cast Kate as the leading suspect . . .

Determined to clear her name, Kate finds herself churning through a long list of unsavory characters to catch the real killer lurking around town. As she uncovers the truth about the jealous rivals and obsessive stalkers who haunted Savannah's life, Kate soon realizes that tangling with the late starlet's "fans" could make this her most terrifying fall yet . . .

Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe!

The roots of the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency reach back to the 1980s in the little town of McGill, Georgia--where Stella Reid and her seven grandkids enjoy some spooky Halloween fun and stumble into murder . . .

Even if she has to stick to a budget, Stella Reid always makes holidays like Halloween memorable for twelve-year-old Savannah and the rest of her grandchildren. After joining trick-or-treating and the annual parade down Main Street, Granny Reid and the kids head to Judge Patterson's antebellum mansion, where a corn maze awaits. Most of the youngsters are too terrified to make it all the way to the middle. It's lucky for them, because when Savannah and Granny get there, it proves to be even scarier than they expected--half buried in the mud at the center of the maze lies a human skull.

The grisly discovery uncovers a mystery that stretches back decades--and seems to be related to the long-unsolved murder of Granny Reid's own part-Cherokee mother. After all this time, the culprit may be long gone . . . or still hiding among them. It'll be up to Granny to dig into this Southern town's history and a mess of old family secrets . . .

From the award-winning author of Trace of Evil, a detective dealing with the scars of her past must solve a seemingly unconnected string of murders, and face the impossible question of what to do when the killer may be hiding amongst the ones you know, in Alice Blanchard's The Wicked Hour.

“Readers will welcome a return to Burning Lake with Natalie at the helm.”—Associated Press

“Lockhart is a relatable new heroine on the police-procedural scene, and one who will appeal to readers of Tana French."—Booklist

The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene—a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.

As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers a deeper, darker horror—a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other—and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago.

As she digs deeper within the mind of the hunter, Natalie finds a darkness she could never have imagined. And as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove inescapable.

Every autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o'-lanterns ... and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment.

Witches, goblins, the occasional ghost--they're all sure to be spotted at the annual Halloween parade, where adults and children alike dress in costume to celebrate Moonbright's favorite holiday. And no place has more seasonal spirit than Bellaluna's Bakeshop, a family business steeped in traditional recipes, welcoming warmth--and, legend has it, truly spellbinding, heart-melting treats ...

Between good-natured Halloween tricks, frothy pumpkin lattes, and some very special baked goods, for three Moonbright residents looking for love--whether they know it or not--the spookiest thing will be how magical romance can suddenly be ...

PRAISE FOR THE COTTAGE ON PUMPKIN AND VINE

"This wonderful, well-written collection calls to mind brisk autumn nights cuddled with a loved one."
--Publishers Weekly

"This diverse trio of stories bring three couples to love with a charming, slightly sexy Halloween flair ... Sassy, funny, and dusted with magic."
--Library Journal

"Delightful and spicy. . . . With humor and a little mysticism thrown in, each story winds its way to a happy ever after. Every pairing comes to fruition in a unique way."
--RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

Includes cookie recipes!

For Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Halloween is all about costume parties and holiday treats--until a killer crashes the party...

This Halloween, Hayley can't imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor. Her kids may be happy to see their dad, but Hayley's determined not to be taken in by his charms, and suspects he's in financial trouble--again.

Still, the haunted holiday is about to get a whole lot scarier after Danny's moonshine-making uncle is found lying dead next to a tombstone in a cemetery--and Danny quickly becomes the prime suspect. To prove her ex is innocent, Hayley will have to dig deep into her own bag of tricks to unmask the real culprit . . . before anyone else--including her--ends up in the graveyard...

Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley's kitchen!

Praise for Death of a Cupcake Queen

"The real treat is the author's skill at writing witty, light-hearted humor, which makes this series truly shine."--RT Book Reviews

Sid the Skeleton bones up on clues to solve a Haunted House homicide in this mystery from the author of The Skeleton Takes a Bow...

What holiday could bring more warmth to a skeleton's chest cavity than Halloween? And when you're a living skeleton who's not supposed to be seen outside the house, it's a welcome chance to get some fresh air and rub bony elbows with people. That's why Sid doesn't mind wearing a full-body dog suit and going as Scooby-Doo along with Georgia Thackery's Velma to the Halloween Howl.

Sid can't wait to go through the Haunted House--but he gets rattled for real when a genuine dead body is discovered. Trapped inside as the police quickly seal off the crime scene, Sid makes no bones about dropping the dog suit and posing as an actual skeleton. This murder is a skull-scratcher, but as long as Sid is on the inside, he might as well case the joint to figure out who used the cover of darkness to commit the perfect crime...