Designed for Haunting (Aurora Anderson Mystery, #4)

by Sybil Johnson

[Mystereity Reviews]

I picked this one up for the r/CozyMystery Halloween theme read. I've never read this series before, so I can safely say this can be read as a standalone.

Absolutely loved this one, it had everything I want in a cozy; a twisty plot, charming and likeable characters (I loved Rory and Liz, they were a fantastic team!) realistic police interactions and procedures (often a sticking point for me!) and a great atmosphere.

But the plot was the star of this book; Zelena, a former child actress, goes missing, which triggers an email to her friend, Rory. Rory contacts her detective boyfriend Martin Green and begins to search for Zelena, who is later found dead. While I figured out the WHO before the end of the book, I never saw the WHY coming, although the clues were all there. The side plot, concerning escalating Halloween pranks (that skeleton in a hammock is on the cover for a reason!) made for a great distraction/red herring that muddied the waters even further. Really, this was a superbly written plot that kept me guessing all the way through.

A fantastic read and I'm definitely going to pick up the other books in the series. Can't recommend it enough!