Killing Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
by Suzanne Trauth
Full of quirky characters, mystery, and surprise that all combine until you cannot put it down. A must read for fans of cozies. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth is an exciting tale with lots of twists and turns, with secret identities and double agents.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
The mystery aspect of this book was well done. There were a couple of surprising little twists along the way, and the denouement was exciting.
~View from the Birdhouse
KILLING TIME looks at identity while providing a complex mystery. Deep characterizations combined with fun and laughs make this a book you won’t want to miss.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
Overall this was a great Halloween mystery, and I can’t wait to get the time to go back and start this series from the beginning!
~eBook Addicts
. . . the climax ramps up the excitement considerably with a real surprise you probably didn’t see coming. (Well, okay, I didn’t.)
~Rosepoint Publishing
A cute little Halloween mystery to sink your fingers into and get your sleuthing juices flowing along with Spunky and entertaining Dodie!
~Gimme the Scoop Reviews
The mystery had a lot of twists and turns. I adored the small town setting and the supporting characters that lived there. Even while reading this book on a hot spring day, I could feel the brisk Halloween air.
~Diane Reviews Books
. . . it flowed well and went pretty fast. I enjoyed the setting and reading about the wacky characters of Eatonville.
~Melina’s Book Blog
About Killing Time
Killing Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Lyrical Press (June 2, 2020)
Number of Pages: 215
Digital ASIN: B07W8ZX8JV
With Halloween just around the corner, Dodie O’Dell is making preparations to transform the Windjammer Restaurant on the Jersey Shore into a haunted house, while the Etonville Little Theatre is staging Dracula. But casting the titular Transylvanian is proving challenging. The amateur actors in the company are not shy about chewing the scenery, but who among them can convincingly sink their fangs into a victim’s neck? When a mysterious newcomer with a transfixing Eastern European accent lands the part, rumors that he might be an actual vampire start to take flight—not unlike the bat who’s recently been spotted in the town park.
But everyone’s blood really runs cold when a stranger is found in the cemetery with a real stake in his heart. Dodie decides to put her Halloween theme menu on the back burner and stick her neck out to bring the killer into the light of day. She’d better keep her wits about her, though—or Dodie may be the next one to go down for the Count . . .
Excerpt
“It sure looks haunted,” Edna murmured to no one in particular, to the cast of Dracula in general. They were grouped around her on the sidewalk that ran past the old Hanratty place that Carlos and Bella had rented. I’d never been inside though once I’d driven by it when I first moved to Etonville on my way out of town. The house stood on half an acre of scruffy lawn with patches of dried dirt, surrounded by a few straggly trees—minus leaves at this time of the year—and no neighbors. The nearest houses were on a side street some distance away. The three-story building looked as if it might collapse at any moment, its outer walls covered with weathered, gray shakes, the steps to the front door supported by concrete building blocks. There was no handrail. Light leaked out of windows on the first floor. Curtains covering small, circular panes on the third story—an attic room?—quivered. Was someone up there watching us? I shivered. A turret rose upward from the right side of the structure, giving the house a smidge of outdated dignity. A drain pipe dangled loosely from the gutter.
“Let’s go.” Penny corralled actors and nudged everyone forward to the front door. There were six company members, Renfield saying he’d be along later, plus Penny, Lola, Pauli, and me. Strength in numbers.
We crept across the porch cautiously, aware of the creaking beneath us as the flooring shifted with each individual’s footsteps. Penny put out a hand to knock on the door. Before she could hit knuckles to wood, it flew open. “Welcome everyone!” Bella stood in the doorway, a silhouette backlit by muted foyer lighting.
Behind her Carlos stood silently, observing the group huddled in his entryway, like deer caught in headlights.
Lola took the lead, moving graciously into the house. “Thank you. So nice of you to invite us to your home.”
I’m not sure what the members of the Etonville Little Theatre were expecting. Given the exterior and location of the Hanratty homestead, I anticipated something out of a late-night classic horror film.
About Suzanne Trauth
Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a former theatre professor at a university. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Dramatists Guild, and League of Professional Theatre Women. When she is not writing, Suzanne coaches actors and serves as a celebrant performing wedding ceremonies. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey.
Author Links
Webpage: www.suzannetrauth.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneTrauth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzanneMTrauth
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6187623.Suzanne_M_Trauth
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
May 21 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Laura’s Interests– CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 22 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
May 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners– CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
May 25 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
May 27 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST
May 28 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
May 29 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
May 30 – Gimme The Scoop Reviews – REVIEW
May 31 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
May 31 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 1 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
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