October’s Featured Cozy Mystery

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is the first book in Emmeline Duncan's new Halloween Bookshop Mystery series. The story is set in Elyan Hollow, a Halloween-themed town in Oregon. The protagonist is Bailey Briggs, an aspiring graphic novelist in her late twenties. Bailey has taken over her grandfather’s bookstore, Lazy Bones Books, and is helping to coordinate the town’s annual Spooky Season Literary Festival.

The plot revolves around Bailey's discovery of a dead body while organizing the festival, running the bookshop, and dealing with the film crew from a ghost-hunting television show. As evidence piles up against her, Bailey becomes suspect #1. She embarks on a journey to clear her name, uncovering old rivalries, family secrets, and plenty of puzzling clues along the way.

While organizing the festival, running the bookshop, and dealing with the film crew from a ghost-hunting television show, Bailey finds a dead body. To her dismay, the evidence piles up against her and turns her into suspect #1. Bailey knows she isn’t the real culprit and eventually learns there are quite a few people in town who have a motive for murder. As Bailey investigates, she uncovers old rivalries, family secrets, and plenty of puzzling clues.

Reasons to Read Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop

One of the most compelling reasons to read Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is its unique blend of mysteries. It presents not just the stand-alone murder mystery typical of most books, but also a family history mystery that allows the main character to delve into her past. These intertwined mysteries make the book a truly engaging and captivating read.

Another good reason to try this series is that the main character of Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is multi-layered and complex. She has a unique backstory that has the potential to develop even further in future books. One of the best aspects of her character is that she is principled—she tries to be a good person—an important trait that the best amateur sleuths tend to have in common.

The book’s setting also adds to the fun. The action occurs in Elyan Hollow, a small riverport town just west of Portland. Tourists were coming to the town in droves because it was the location for a famous Halloween film, so the town decided to capitalize on its reputation and become spooky-themed all year long.

The town is a Halloween enthusiast's dream, with its streets and shops adorned with spooky decorations. Many of the town's areas and shops have fun Halloween-themed names, such as Morning Broo, Haunted House B&B, and Pumpkin Plaza. Other fun Halloween-themed elements in the book include the bookshop's mascot, a fake skeleton named Stanley, and Bailey's cute dog, Jack Skeleton.

Many of the town’s areas and shops have fun Halloween-themed names, such as Morning Broo, Haunted House B&B, and Pumpkin Plaza. Other fun Halloween-themed elements in the book include the bookshop’s mascot, a fake skeleton named Stanley, and Bailey's cute dog, Jack Skeleton.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop could certainly be read any time of the year—it doesn’t have to be read around fall or Halloween—but it does make an excellent seasonal read. The book's Halloween-themed setting and the town's preparations for the Spooky Season Literary Festival create the perfect festive atmosphere for readers who love Halloween and holiday cozies.

If you enjoy audiobooks, the audio version of Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop is quite good. It is read by Emily Durante, who does a nice job with the character voices and pacing.

Reviews for Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop

Many readers are leaving positive reviews for Chaos in the Lazy Bones Bookshop. Here are some of the things being written:

An exciting mystery whose answers lie deep in the past of the complex characters.

- Kirkus Reviews

Emmeline Duncan has crafted a captivating tale where ordinary life meets the extraordinary, all wrapped up in Halloween charm.

- Goodreads.com Reviewer

What a fun town! The characters are all very well written and the plot itself kept me guessing until the end. Highly recommend and hope there will be more in this series

-Amazon Reviews

The plot is well crafted, drawing you first into the personal lives of the characters and then sucking you even further into the book with the mystery that follows. I absolutely am placing this series on my must-read list...

- Net Galley Reviewer

Cozies are my favorite genre to read, and this series debut encompasses everything I love about the genre: Small towns, close-knit communities, themed storyline, BFF, cats, etc.

- Barnes and Noble Reviewer

Fun Fact About Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop

Elyan Hollow, the Halloween-themed town in Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, was inspired by St. Helens, Oregon. Several movies have been partly filmed in St. Helens, including Twilight (based on the Stephanie Myer novel), Halloweentown (a Disney Channel Original Movie), and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.

Every year, St. Helens has a month-long Halloween celebration (much like the Halloween celebration in Elyan Hollow) with a pumpkin carving competition, haunted tours, a massive trick-or-treating event, activities in the plaza, and other fun attractions.

Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Emmeline Duncan

You can learn more about how Emmeline crafted the settings and cozy elements in her two mystery series and get advice for writing your own mystery in this interview with Emmeline Duncan.

Recipes from Emmeline Duncan

Like many culinary cozy mysteries, the books in Emmeline’s Ground Rules Mystery series include delicious recipes at the end so you can “cook the books.” Here are two fun recipes to try:

• Ground Rules Espresso Brownie Recipe (On CozyCrimeReads.com)

• Ground Rules Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup (On EmmelineDuncan.com)

Learn More About Emmeline Duncan

Learn more about Emmeline Duncan, her books, upcoming meet-and-greet events, and more on her website, www.EmmelineDuncan.com.

Other Mystery Series by Emmeline Duncan

Emmeline Duncan also writes the Ground Rules Mystery series. This series follows Sage Caplin, a hardworking young barista with a coffee cart in Portland, Oregon. Books in this series include:

• Fresh Brewed Murder

• Double Shot Death

• Flat White Fatality

• Death Unfiltered

• Fatal Brouhaha (Scheduled for release April 29, 2025)