Cartoon of the Day: Frankenstein

 

Twisted & Whodunnit Daggers added to CWA Awards

Two new Dagger Categories have been added to the Crime Writers’ Association’s (CWA) awards for crime, mystery and thriller writers. Entries for the new categories will open in early 2024.

From The Bookseller

The Twisted Dagger award is aimed at psychological thrillers set in any period, as well as suspense thrillers and domestic noir. According to the prize organisers, the prize will celebrate "dark and twisty tales that often feature unreliable narrators, disturbed emotions, a healthy dose of moral ambiguity, and a sting in the tail".

Meanwhile, the Whodunnit Dagger covers cosy crime, including the "modern cosy", traditional crime, and "Golden Age mysteries". The entries in this category will focus on the "intellectual challenge at the heart of a good mystery, and revolve around often quirky characters".

Read more here. 

Cartoon of the Day: Demon

 

DEADLY WINES & BLOODY COCKTAILS: Halloween

Happy Halloween!! Bloody Cocktails and Deadly Wine!

DEADLY WINES

Chateau Du Vampire Wines Bordeaux Style Cabernet Blend (Vampire Vineyards – Paso Robles, California): blend of cabernet sauvignon (60%) with cabernet franc (30%), and 10% malbec to finish it off.

Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon (Vampire vineyards – Paso Robles, California): Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from several small-berry clones of this traditional Bordeaux varietal, grown in the Paso Robles region of California’s Central Coast.

Dracula Wines: Zinfandel and Syrah (originally the grapes for this wine were grown on the Transylvanian plateau, now they're made from California grapes).

Trueblood Napa Valley Syrah: This wine will "bruise your soul" with its palate crushing cherry, plum smoke and spice.

Ghost Block: 100% cabernet from Rock Cairn Vineyard in Oakville, next to Yountville's Pioneer Cemetery.

Twisted Oak 2011 River of Skulls in Calaveras County. Limited production vineyard mouvedre (red wine grape). Label has a bright red skull. English translation of calaveras is "skulls."

Ghostly White Chardonnay and Bone Dry Red Cabernet Sauvignon. Elk Creek Vineyards in Kentucky

Poizin from Armida Winery in Healdsburg is a 'wine to die for..". This Zinfandel sold in little wooden coffins

Big Red Monster  Red wine made from Syrah, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah.

Spellbound 2012 Merlot. Full Moon on the label. 

Ravenswood 2013 Besieged Red Blend. Ravens on the label.

Michael David 2012 Freakshow Cab.

Other Wines, Beers and Ales: Witches Brew, Evil (upside down and backwards label), Sinister Hand, Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad, Zeller Schwarz Katz.

Want to give the personal touch to your Halloween wines? Add ghoulish labels or rebottle in cool jars with apothecary labels from Pottery Barn (or make them yourself). For a great article, go to Spooky Halloween Bottle & Glass Labels.

BLOODY COCKTAILS

And what about an awesome cocktail? Make Nick and Nora proud! They always loved a good party. Throw in some rubber spiders or eyeballs as garnish. Want to make your own Halloween Cocktail Garnish--some eyeballs and fingers?  Click HERE.

Blood Bath
1 Part Tequila Silver
1 Part Strawberry Liqueur

Shake with ice, and strain into shot glass.

Blood Test
1 Part Tequila Reposado
1 Part Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into shot glass

Blood Shot
1 part Iceberg Vodka
1 part peach schnapps
1 part Jagermeister
1 part cranberry juice

Chill all ingredients. Combine in shaker with ice. Strain into shot glass. shoot!

Bloody-Tini
2 oz VeeV Acai Spirit
1 oz acai juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Top with fresh champagne
lime wedge for garnish

Combine VeeV, Acai juice and fresh lime with fresh ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.
Strain into chilled martini glass and top with champagne.
Serve with fresh lime wedge.

Blood and Sand
3/4 ounce Scotch
3/4 ounce cherry liqueur
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce orange juice
1 thin strip orange zest

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the liquids. Strain into martini glass, then garnish with the strip of zest. (recipe from Bank Cafe & Bar in Napa)

Corpse Reviver
1 ounce gin
1 ounce Lillet (blanc)
1 ounce triple sec
Juice of half a lemon
5 drops of absinthe
1 thin slice orange

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the liquids. Strain into martini glass, then garnish with the orange slice.
(Recipe from Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco)
 
Vampire Blood Punch
4 cups cranberry raspberry juice (or cranberry juice cocktail)
2 cups natural pineapple juice (100% juice)
2 cups raspberry-flavored seltzer water
wormy ice cubes (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, and pour into large, decorative punch bowl.
Serve punch with wormy ice cubes, if desired

Corzo Bite
1-1/2 parts Corzo Silver Tequila
1/2 parts Campari
1 part fresh blood orange juice
1/4 parts blood (aka home-made grenadine) **
2 parts Jarritos Tamarindo Soda

Build all ingredients into highball glass filled with ice. Add “blood” at the end.
Garnish: Blood orange wheel and strawberry syrup

** Home-made grenadine: Add equal parts white sugar and POM pomegranate juice together and dissolve sugar over high on stove-top

Midori Eye-Tini (from Rob Husted of Florida)
1-1⁄4 parts Midori Melon liqueur
3⁄4 parts SKYY Infusions Citrus
1⁄2 part Finest Call Agave Syrup
2 parts of Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale
2 parts Finest Call Sweet & Sour Mix
3 Orange Wedges
2 Fresh Ripped Basil Leaves
Strawberry Sundae Syrup

In shaker glass combine Midori Melon liqueur, SKYY infusions Citrus, Finest Call Agave Syrup, 3 Orange Wedges and 2 Fresh Ripped Basil Leaves.
Muddle ingredients together. Add ice and Finest Call Sweet & Sour Mix.
Shake for 10 seconds.
Add Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale and roll drink back and forth between your mixing tin and shaker glass.
Strain into a chilled martini glass drizzled with Strawberry Sundae Syrup to give an effect of a bloodshot eye.

Garnish: Chilled red seedless grape at bottom of glass (to look like an eyeball) and bruised basil leaf floated on top of cocktail for aroma.

Black Martini

The Black Martini replaces vermouth with either blackberry brandy or black raspberry liqueur.

3 1/2 oz gin or vodka
1/2 oz blackberry brandy or black raspberry liqueur
lemon twist or black olive for garnish or gold flakes

Pour the ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously.
Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or black olive or sprinkle in gold flakes.

Cartoon of the Day; Cats

Happy Caturday!  

Cartoon of the Day: Old Ghosts

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DETECTIVE FICTION: Guest Post by J.L. Abramo

SHORT CUTS (Down & Out Books, October 2023) is a collection of short crime fiction and writings about writing. Since many of the short stories and the novella collected in the anthology feature detectives, it seemed appropriate to include an essay addressing the origins of detective fiction. Here is that essay.

 

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the protagonist discovers the truth about his origins after questioning various witnesses. John Scaggs suggests in Crime Fiction: The New Critical Idiom (2005) that although Oedipus's enquiry is based on supernatural, pre-rational methods that are evident in most narratives of crime up until the development of Enlightenment thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this narrative has all of the central characteristics and formal elements of the detective story—including a mystery surrounding a murder, a closed circle of suspects, and the gradual uncovering of a hidden past.

According to Mia Gerhardi, the One Thousand and One Nights contains several of the earliest detective stories—anticipating modern detective fiction. The oldest known example of a detective story was The Three Apples, one of the tales narrated by Scheherazade. In this story, a fisherman discovers a heavy, locked chest which he sells to the Caliph.  In the chest is found the body of a young woman who has been cut into pieces. The Caliph orders his minister to solve the crime and find the murderer.

Gong'an fiction is the earliest known genre of Chinese detective fiction. Some of the well-known stories include the Yuan Dynasty story Circle of Chalk, the Ming Dynasty story collection Bao Gong An and the 18th century Di Gong An collection. The hero/detective of these novels was typically a traditional judge or similar official.

One of the earliest examples of detective fiction in Western Literature is Voltaire's Zadig (1748), which features a main character who performs feats of analysis. The Danish detective story The Rector of Veilbye by Steen Steensen Blicher was written in 1829 and the Norwegian detective crime novel Mordet paa Maskinbygger Roolfsen by Maurits Hansen was published in December 1839.

Detective fiction in the English-speaking world is considered to have begun in 1841 with the publication of Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, featuring the eccentric and brilliant C. Auguste Dupin.

Émile Gaboriau was a pioneer of the detective fiction genre in France. In Monsieur Lecoq (1868) the title character is adept at disguise, which is a key characteristic of detectives. 

Another early example of a whodunit is a subplot in the novel Bleak House (1853) by Charles Dickens. A Dickens’ contemporary, Wilkie Collins— sometimes referred to as the grandfather of English detective fiction—is credited with the first great mystery novel, The Woman in White, while T. S. Eliot called Collins's novel The Moonstone (1868) the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels. 

In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, arguably the most famous of all fictional detectives. Although Holmes is not the original fiction detective (Conan Doyle was certainly influenced by Poe's Dupin and Gaboriau's Lecoq), Holmes’ name has become a byword for the role. 

Martin Hewitt, created by British author Arthur Morrison in 1894, is one of the first examples of the modern style of fictional private detective. This character—described as an Everyman detective—challenges the Detective-as-Superman that Holmes represented. 

The period between World War I and World War II (the 1920s and 1930s) is generally referred to as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. During this period, a number of very popular writers emerged, including British and a notable subset of American and New Zealand writers—perhaps most notably Agatha Christie. 

In the 1930s, the private eye genre was adopted wholeheartedly by American writers. One of the primary contributors to this style was Dashiell Hammett with his famous private investigator, Sam Spade. His style of crime fiction came to be known as hardboiled, which is described as a genre that usually deals with criminal activity in a modern urban environment—a world of disconnected signs and anonymous strangers. Told in stark and sometimes elegant language through the unemotional eyes of new hero-detectives, these stories were a uniquely American phenomenon. In the late 1930s, Raymond Chandler updated the form with his private detective Philip Marlowe, who brought a more intimate voice to the detective than the more distanced operative's report style of Hammett's Continental Op stories.  And by the late forties into the fifties hardboiled was redefined and made harder by private detectives in the mold of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.

Along came Lew Archer, Travis McGee, C.W. Sughrue, Spenser, Matthew Scudder, Amos Walker, Kinsey Millhone, Elvis Cole, Dave Robicheaux, Easy Rawlins, Nick Stefanos, Moe Prager, Alex McKnight, Duncan Sloan, Jake Diamond—and here we are.

***

J. L. Abramo is the Shamus Award-winning author of ten novels—including the Jake Diamond mystery series, 61^stPrecinct Brooklyn police procedurals, and the crime epic American History—and the true crime work, Homeland Insecurity.  

Marv Lachman: R.I.P.

I feel I am a better person for having known Marv Lachman. His dedication to the mystery community is unparalleled. Besides everything mentioned below, he was the short story columnist for Mystery Readers Journal for over 40 years. His columns were always thorough and insightful. His knowledge of the genre was broad and deep, and he shared it with us all. Marv also compiled a yearly obituary list for Bouchercon. Sadly his will be included this year.

He wrote to me in February, telling me know about his illness. Always the professional, he wanted to let me know about his column. Marv wrote, 

"I don't know when (and if) I'll do another IN SHORT column for MRJ, which is a shame because I so enjoy doing them. Who knows? Miracles happen. 

It has been a joy knowing and working with you for forty years, and I wish you all the best in the future." 

Marv Lachman, it's been a joy knowing and working with you, too. You will be missed.

MARVIN LACHMAN

1932-2023

 
Marvin Lachman died on October 21 of complications related to cancer.  He grew up in the Bronx, New York, the son of Louis and Helen (Rickner) Lachman.   He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the City College of New York.  Then he suffered through his two years of service as a draftee in the U.S. Army. But because he was stationed in New York for part of his time in the service and had access to the USO, he became a fan and scholar of theatre.   Following his honorable discharge he moved to Los Angeles where, in 1956 he was introduced to the future love of his life, Carol Ganelin.  Six weeks later, on January 12, 1957 they were married, and stayed that way until his death. On March 15, 1958, their son Steven was born in the Bronx.  Marvin was a loving and patient father.
 
He was passionate about a number of things – theatre, tennis, birding, show music, classical music, English language, but especially mysteries of which he became one of the world's preeminent scholars, writing extensively about the field in books and magazines. He was recognized by the Mystery Writers of America with “Edgar” and “Raven” awards, as well as many other awards.
 
As to tennis, he started playing at 17 and played his last set at 87, at which time he said “I think playing for 70 years is enough.
 
Marvin and Carol moved from the Bronx to Suffern NY in 1979 and then to Santa Fe in 1988 where they lived for more than 35 years.
 
Marv and Carol took great pride in starting the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the Southside Branch of the Santa Fe Public Library.
 
Besides wife Carol and son Steven, Marvin is survived by grandson Matthew Lachman (of Washington D.C.), granddaughter Shannon Dennis (of Menlo Park, CA) and great granddaughters Anna and Zoe.  Marvin loved and was proud of all of them.

_._,_._,_

MACAVITY AWARD WINNERS 2023

The Macavity Award Winners 2023 
(for works published in 2022)

The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends of MRI.  Congratulations to all.

 

Best Mystery Novel
 
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
 

Best First Mystery

The Maid by Nita Prose (Ballantine)
 
 
Best Mystery Short Story
 
“Beauty and the Beyotch” by Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Jan 2022)
 

Best Mystery Critical/Biographical
 
The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwards (Collins Crime Club)
 
 
Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery
 
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen (Forge)

 

VINTAGE WPA PROJECT OCTOBER LIBRARY POSTER

I love this WPA Library Project Poster (1936-1939)

Cartoon of the Day: Haunted House

 Happy Caturday!

Cartoon of the Day: The Butler Did It

 

SHETLAND SEASON 8 NEWS

Alas, Jimmy Perez has left the building! 

Shetland, Season 8, stars Ashley Jensen as the lead following the departure of Douglas Henshall. 

Shetland season 8 will start on Wednesday, November 1 at 9 pm on BBC One. No release date yet for the U.S. Let me know if you find a date. We're all anxious to watch the new series. 

From WhatToWatch

Ashley Jensen taking over as the island's top cop following the departure of Douglas Hensall as DI Jimmy Perez.

Shetland will have a new feel as Ashely's DI Ruth Calder will be teaming up with long-standing series regular DS Alison "Tosh" McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell). 

The plot will see Calder heading back to her native Shetland to protect a vulnerable witness to a gangland murder. But can Calder and Tosh find the witness in time? And how will the pair work together, especially given Calder's hostility towards Shetland?

Talking about joining the team, Ashley said when she was cast: "I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Shetland as DI Ruth Calder. It's such a hugely successful show and I am aware I have very big boots to fill since the departure of DI Perez, who was very much loved by fans of the show.

"There will be a different dynamic with Ruth amongst the regular characters and a few more new interesting characters to enjoy. However, the integrity of the show and the world that has been created will remain very much in the same tone as the last seven seasons. It's a real privilege to be asked to lead this show into a new chapter. I can’t wait to be working in Scotland again. I have missed it!”

Also joining the cast are Phyllis Logan (Guilt, Downtown Abbey), Jamie Sives (Guilt, Annika), Dawn Steele (Holby City, Granite Harbour), Don Gilet (EastEnders, Sherwood), Ann Louise Ross (River City, Katie Morag) and Lorraine McIntosh (Outlander, My Name is Joe). The guest cast will star alongside series regulars including Steven Robertson (playing DC Sandy Wilson), Lewis Howden (Sgt Billy McCabe), Anne Kidd (Cora McLean), Angus Miller (Donnie), Conor McCarry (PC Alex Grant) and Eubha Akilade (PC Lorna Burns).

Hitchcock Film Festival: 60th Anniversary of The Birds

HITCHCOCK FILM FESTIVAL 

BODEGA BAY CA 

Friday, October 20, 2023 - Saturday, October 21, 2023 5:30pm-9:30pm

Get ready for a thrilling weekend at the Hitchcock Film Festival celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the release of The Birds. Prepare to be captivated by suspense, mystery, and haunting storytelling.

Dan Sneed, Special Guest and Hitchcock Enthusiast, will open each film with interesting facts and highlights. 

Silent auction and prizes - drawings held after each film. 

Wine, beer and soft drinks, clam chowder by Spud Point Crab Company, hot dogs, popcorn and other concessions available for purchase. Price $15 - $50

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hitchcock-film-festival-tickets-700556993827?aff=oddtdtcreator

HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION // HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES

Happy Halloween! Halloween so lends itself to crime fiction! Here's my updated 2023 List of Halloween Mysteries (mysteries that take place on or around Halloween). Let me know if I've missed any titles. 

I'll have a separate Day of the Dead list. Watch for it!

HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION

Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathie Aarons
The Root of All Evil by Ellery Adams
The Pumpkin Killer by Stacey Alabaster
Green Water Ghost by Glynn Marsh Alam
Witches Bane by Susan Wittig Albert
Antiques Maul by Barbara Allan
The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander
In Charm's Way by Madelyn Alt
Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews
Strange Brew by Mary Kay Andrews
A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer

Double Jinx by Gretchen Archer

Killing Time by Amy Beth Arkaway
Far to Go by May Louise Aswell
Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun, Calamity Jayne and the Haunted Homecoming by Kathleen Bacus 
A Haunting Homicide: Halloween Cozy by Kathy Bacus and Sally J. Smith

Closely Harbored Secrets by Bree Baker  
Trick or Treachery: A Murder She Wrote Mystery by Donald Bain and Jessica Fletcher
The Ghost and Mrs Fletcher by Donald Bain, Renee Paley-Bain, & "Jessica Fletcher"
Punked by the Pumpkin by Constance Barker
Last Licks by Cynthia Baxter
Scary Sweets by Jessica Beck
In the Spirit of Murder by Laura Belgrave 
The Long Good Boy by Carol Lea Benjamin
Spackled and Spooked by Jennie Bentley 
Watchdog; Howloween Murder by Laurien Berenson
The Ginseng Conspiracy by Susan Bernhardt
The Halloween Pumpkin Spell by Morgana Best
A Haunting is Brewing by Juliet Blackwell
Dial Meow for Murder by Bethany Blake
Ghost of a Potion by Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber)
The Scent of Murder by Barbara Block
Under an English Heaven by Alice K. Boatwright
Witches of Floxglove Corners by Dorothy Bodoin 

Death of a Wolfman by Susan Boles
Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin
Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton 
Death of a Trickster by Kate Borden 
Post-Mortem Effects by Thomas Boyle
A Graveyard for Lunatics; The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Rebel without a Cake by Jacklyn Brady
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher
Death Overdue by Allison Brook
The Hunt Ball; The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown
Death on All Hallowe'en by Leo Bruce
Dessert is the Bomb by Catherine Bruns
Scrapbook of the Dead by Mollie Cox Bryan
The Big Chili by Julia Buckley
Killer Takeout by Lucy Burdette

Halloween by Leslie Burgess
All Hallow's Eve Heist by Anna Celeste Burke
Wycliffe and the Scapegoat by W.J. Burley
Death Goes Shopping by Jessica Burton
Murder on All Hallows by Beth Byers
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron 
A Deadly Brew by Lynn Cahoon
Halloween at Pumpkin Hill by Thea Cambert

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Ann Campbell
The Wizard of La-La Land by R. Wright Campbell
The Charm Stone by Lillian Stewart Carl
The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

Dark Loch by Sarah L. Carter
The Halloween Murders by John Newton Chance 
Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance
Death with an Ocean View by Nora Charles 
Frill Kill, Tragic Magic, Photo Finished, Bedeviled Eggs The Jasmine Moon Murder, Fiber and Brimstone, Bedeviled Eggs, Frill Kill, Gossamer Ghost, Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs
Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow
Hallowe'en Party (A Haunting in Venice) by Agatha Christie

Jam Up and Jelly Tight by Donna Walo Clancy
Hazelnuts and Halloween by Leena Clover
Fudge Bites by Nancy Coco
Haunted Hair Nights by Nancy J. Cohen
Poison Buried Punch; Boo Buried Cupcakes by Lyndsey Cole 
A Holiday Sampler by Christine E. Collier
Lost Souls by Michael Collins
A Gala Event; Search for the Dead by Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell)
Under the Hill by Sheila Connolly
Witch Hunt: A Full Moon Mystery by Cate Conte

Not in My Backyard by Susan Rogers Cooper
Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman 
Crypt Suzette by Maya Corrigan
The Ghost and Mrs. McClure; Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle
Deadly Magic by Elisabeth Crabtree
Trick or Treat by Caroline Crane

Pumpkins are Murder by Kathy Cranson
A Catered Halloween by Isis Crawford
Spooky Business: Spooky Spider by Addison Creek
Newly Crimsoned Reliquary by Donna Fletcher Crow
Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney
Silver Scream, Bantam of the Opera, The Alpine Uproar by Mary Daheim
Halloween Hijinks, Pumpkins in Paradise, Haunted Hamlet, Legend of Tabby Hallow, Ghostly Graveyard, Costume Catastrope, Count Catula; Trick or Treason, Deja Diva by Kathi Daley
The Dracula Murders by Philip Daniels

Cake Popped Off by Kim Davis
The Diva Haunts the House, The Ghost and Mrs Mewer; Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis
Fatal Undertaking by Mark de Castrique
And Murder for Dessert by Kathleen Delaney
Swamp Spook by Jana Deleon
No Gravestone Unturned by Debbie De Louise

Murder on Halloween by Steve Demaree
Farmcall Fatality by Abby Deuel
Throw Darts at a Cheesecake by Denise Dietz
Trick or Treat, The Halloween Murder by Doris Miles Disney
A Map of the Dark by John Dixon
Halloween Party Murder by Leighann Dobbs

Ghostly Murders by P. C. Doherty
Died to Match by Deborah Donnelly
Cat with an Emerald Eye by Carole Nelson Douglas
Cupcakes, Bats, and Scare-dy Cats by Pamela DuMond
Not Exactly a Brahmin by Susan Dunlap 
Vampires, Bones and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett 
A Ghost to Die For by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
Be Careful What You Witch For; Do No Harm by Dawn Eastman 
Mischief, Murder, and Merlot by J.C. Eaton

The Bowl of Night by Rosemary Edghill 
The Frozen Shroud by Martin Edwards
Knit of the Living Dead by Peggy Ehrhart
Look Closer by David Ellis 

Ghost Story by K.J. Emrick
Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson
Door of Death by John Esteven 
The Witchfinder by Loren D. Estleman 
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Dark Tides by Chris Ewan 

Dead Pig in the Sunshine by Penny Burwell Ewing
Dead Ends by Anne C. Fallon 
Sympathy For The Devil by Jerrilyn Farmer
Five Dog Voodoo by Lia Farrell
Mulberry Mischief by Sharon Farrow
Dead in the Pumpkin Patch by Connie Feddersen 
It's Your Party Die if You Want To by Vickie Fee  
Blackwork, Hanging by a Thread, Blackwork by Monica Ferris
The Black Cat Sees his Shadow by Kay Finch

Scary Stuff by Sharon Fiffer
The Lawyer Who Died Trying by Honora Finkelstein 
Trick or Treachery by "Jessica Fletcher" and Donald Bain
Halloween by D.M. Flexer
The Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Halloween Murder, Foul Play at the Fair, Trick or Deceit by Shelley Freydont
A Harvest of Bones by Yasmine Galenorn
The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delany)
Broke by Kaye George
Stirring the Plot by Daryl Wood Gerber
Trouble Brewing by Heather Day Gilbert

Trick or Treat by Leslie Glaister
Mommy and the Murder by Nancy Gladstone
Haunted by Jeanne Glidewell 
Blood & Broomsticks by Jean G. Goodhind (aka J.G. Goodhind)  
A Few Dying Words by Paula Gosling
The Black Heart Crypt; Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstein
Monster in Miniature by Margaret Grace 

Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham 
Pumpkin Ridge by Pamela Grandstaff  
Nail Biter by Sarah Graves
Trick or Treat by Kerry Greenwood 
Halloween by Ben Greer 

A Waffle Lot of Murder by Lena Gregory
The Snafued Snatch by Jackie Griffey
Quoth the Raven; Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam
A Crime of Poison by Nancy Haddock
Hallowed Bones; Bone to Be Wild; Clacking Bones by Carolyn Haines
Muffin but Murder by Victoria Hamilton
Black Light by Elizabeth Hand
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

Delicious Mischief by Marianne Harden
Southern Ghost, Ghost at Work by Carolyn Hart 
Sweet Poison by Ellen Hart
Hide in the Dark by Frances Noyes Hart 
Halloween Homicide by Kelly Hashway

Revenge of the Cootie Girls by Sparkle Hayter
Town in a Pumpkin Bash by B.B. Haywood

Digging Up the Remains by Julia Henry
A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren
Samhain Secrets by Jennifer David Hesse
Dead Pirates of Cawsand by Steve Higgs
Asking for the Moon by Reginald Hill  (SS)
The Fallen Man, The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman 
Death of a Pumpkin Carver; Death by Haunted House; Death of a Wicked Witch by Lee Hollis
Delicious Mischief by Marianne Horden
The Color of Blood by Declan Hughes
A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes
Halloween Waffle Murder by Carolyn Q Hunter 

Murder on the Ghost Walk by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter 
From Bad to Wurst by Maddie Hunter  
Already Dead by Charlie Huston
Long Time No See by Susan Isaacs
Murder on Old Main Street; Dirty Tricks;Dying Wishes by Judith K. Ivie
The Pumpkin Thief, The Great Pumpkin Caper by Melanie Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Murder Among Us by Jonnie Jacobs
A Murder Made in Stitches by Pamela James
The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Designed for Haunting by Sybil Johnson
The Devil's Cat, Cat's Eye, Cat's Cradle, The Devil's Kiss, The Devil's Heart, The Devil's Touch by William W. Johnstone  
The Violet Hour by Daniel Judson
Muffins & Murder by Heather Justesen
A Stew to Kill by Jenny Kales

A Charming Voodoo; Decaffeinated Scandal by Tonya Kappes
The Sacrifice by Karin Kaufman
The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice by Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell
Death by Chance by Abigail Keam

Day of Atonement by Faye Kellerman
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman
Wed and Buried, The Skeleton Haunts a House by Toni L.P. Kelner
Verse of the Vampyre by Diana Killian
Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack 
The Animal Hour by Andrew Klavan 
Mischief Nights are Murder by Libby Klein

The Legend of Acorn Hollow by Maureen Klovers
Paws for Murder by Annie Knox
The Spirit in Question by Cynthia Kuhn

Mean Girl Murder by Leslie Langtry
Murder in the Neighborhood by Janis Lane 
Ghastly Glass by Joyce and Jim Lavene 
The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee (aka Gayle Trent)  
Death of a Neighborhood Witch by Laura Levine 
Death Knocks Twice by James H. Lilley
The Legend of Sleepy Harlow by Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels)
All Saints' Secrets by Nicole Loughan
Picked Off by Linda Lovely
The Clock Strikes Nun by Alice Loweecey

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn
Smoke Screen by Marianne MacDonald
Pumpkin Pied; Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney 
Poisoned by Elaine Macko 
Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy
Halloween Flight 77 by Debbie Madison
The Haunted Season by G.M. Malliet  
Baby Doll Games by Margaret Maron
A Halloween Hookup by Jennie Marts
Satan's Silence by Alex Matthews 
Tricks: an 87th Precinct Mystery by Ed McBain 
Poisoned Tarts by G.A. McKevett 
Dark Chocolate Demise; The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay
Death on All Hallows by Allen Campbell McLean
A Sparrow Falls Holiday by Donna McLean
Witch of the Palo Duro by Mardi Oakley Medawar  
Trick or Treat Murder, Wicked Witch Murder, Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier 
Dancing Floor, Prince of Darkness by Barbara Michaels
The October Boys by Adam Millard

Monster in Miniature by Camille Minichino 
The Violet Hour by Richard Montanari
Bobbing for Bodies by Addison Moore

Death by Jack O'Lantern by Alexis Morgan
Stakes and Spells by Lynn Morrison
Cat Among the Pumpkins by Mandy Morton

A Biscuit, a Casket by Liz Mugavero
Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern
Bread of the Dead by Ann Myers 
Dead End by Helen R. Myers
Nightmare in Shining Armor by Tamar Myers 
Hatchet Job by J.E. Neighbors
Oink by Judith Newton
What Doesn't Kill Here by Carla Norton
Retribution by Patrick J. O'Brien
Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O'Connor

Deadly Places by Terry Odell
Halloween House by Ed Okonowicz
Curried Away by Gail Oust
The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page 
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
The Witch Who Hated Halloween by Katie Penryn

Caught Dead Handed; Grave Errors; Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry
The Skeleton Haunts a House by Leigh Perry
Flight of a Witch by Ellis Peters 
Twilight by Nancy Pickard
Strange Halloween by Horace Poulin

Pumpkin Spice Murder by Summer Prescott
Charmed Again by Rose Pressey
Drawn & Butter by Shari Randall
Murder at Witches Bluff by Silver Ravenwolf

No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly
Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes
Poltergeist by Kat Richardson 
Magnolias, Moonlight, and Murder by Sara Rosett
Scared Off by Barbara Ross

Death Notice by Todd Ritter 

Spook Night by David Robbins 

A Hole in Juan by Gillian Roberts

Murder in a Nice Neighborhood by Lora Roberts

Scared Off by Barbara Ross
Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan
Death of Halloween by Kim Sauke

Mighty Old Bones by Mary Saums 
Murder Ole! by Corinne Holt Sawyer
Tracking Magic by Maria E. Schneider
The Tenor Wore Tapshoes by Mark Schweizer

Trick or Treat or Murder by Kendall Scott

Devil's Day by Kyle M. Scott
Cementery Street by Brenda Seabrooke

Halloween, Hound, & Housesitting by Mary Seifert
Phantoms Can be Murder by Connie Shelton
A Killer Maize by Paige Shelton
Booked for Murder by Morgan W. Silver

Dance of the Scarecrows by Ray Sipherd
The Sterling Inheritance by Michael Siverling
Halloween in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth
The Lawyer Who Died Trying by Susan Smily
Recipe for Murder by Janet Elaine Smith
Halloween Season by Lucy A. Snyder
The Egypt Game by Zilch Neatly Snyder (YA)
Town Haunts by Cathy Spencer
Carbs and Cadavers by J.B. Stanley
Black Cats, Corpses and the Pumpkin Pantry by Rachael Stapleton

In the Blink of an Eye, Halloween Party by Wendy Corsi Staub
Halloween Party by R.L. Stine (YA)
Tiaras & Terror by Anne Marie Stoddard
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Ripping Abigail by Barbara Sullivan
Candy Coated Murder by Kathleen Suzette
Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson
Mourning Shift by Kathleen Taylor

The Darkness Deepens by S.D. Thames
Halloween Homicide by Lee Thayer
Inked Up; Inked Up by Terri Thayer
Sharpe Point by Lisa B. Thomas
Charlie's Web by L.L. Thrasher
Gods of the Nowhere by James Tipper
Pine by Francine Toon

Death in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope
A Room with a Brew by Joyce Tremel
A Dash of Murder by Teresa Trent
Strange Brew by Kathy Hogan Trochek
Bitter Harvest by Wendy Tyson
Masking for Trouble by Diane Vallere
Pineapple Mystery Box by Amy Vansant
I Will Fear No Evil by Debbie Viguié
Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait
Haunted Hayride with Murder; In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
How to Party with a Killer Vampire by Penny Warner
Murder by the Slice, Trick or Deadly Treat by Livia J. Washburn 
Five-Minute Halloween Mysteries by Ken Weber
The Scarecrow Murders by Mary V. Welk
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

Gourd to Death; Never Say Chai by Kirsten Weiss 
Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells
Halloween Hayride Murder by Linnea West 
Ghoul of My Dreams by Richard F. West 
Sweet Fire & Stone by J.A. Whiting
Blood Moon by J.A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy  
All Hallow's Eve by Charles Williams
Mayhem, Marriage, and Murderous Mystery Manuscripts by J.L. Wilson

Mrs Morris and the Witch by Traci Wilton
A Stitch to Die For by Lois Winston
Killer See, Killer Do by Jonathan Wolfe
All Hallow's Evil by Valerie Wolzien
Trick or Murder?; Reading Between the Crimes by Debbie Young

Halloween Mystery Short Story Anthologies

Homicidal Holidays: Fourteen Tales of Murder and Merriment, edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, & Marcia Talley
Deadly Treats: Halloween Tales of Mystery, Magic and Mayhem, Edited by Anne Frasier 
Trick and Treats edited by Joe Gores & Bill Pronzini
Asking for the Moon (includes "Pascoe's Ghost" and "Dalziel's Ghost") by Reginald Hill
Murder for Halloween by Cynthia Manson
The Haunted Hour, edited by Cynthia Manson & Constance Scarborough
Murder for Halloween: Tales of Suspense, edited by Michele Slung & Roland Hartman.
Mystery for Halloween (an anthology), edited by Donald Westlake
Halloween Horrors, edited by Alan Ryan
All Hallows' Evil, edited by Sarah E. Glenn
Chesapeake Crimes: Homicidal Holidays, edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman and Marcia Talley

Halloween Thirteen-a Collection of Mysteriously Macabre Tales, by Bobbi Chukran
Happy Homicides 4: Falling into Crime, edited by Joanna Campbell Slan et al.
A Very Cozy Halloween, Summer Prescott & 7 others
Midnight Mysteries: Nine Cozy Tales,  Ritter Ames and others
Murder on Halloween by Steve Demaree

Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallows' Eve, Edited by Diana Cat and Tony Perona 

THE OCTOBER COUNTRY by Ray Bradbury, which includes some of his H'w horror stories and some suspense fiction, and RB's LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT for his best suspense story, "The October Game".

Robert Arthur and Henry Veit's "Alfred Hitchcock" volumes for Random House's YA division...and my first "true" horror and related anthology

Wilhelmina Harper's (1936! but several times reprinted) Ghosts and Goblins: Stories for Hallowe'en and Other Times.

Want some Halloween Chocolate Treats to accompany your reading? Head over to my Chocolate Blog  DyingforChocolate.com.

And here's a great article about Halloween, Cozies, and Fall Foodie Mysteries by Raquel V. Reyes: Pumpkins and Peril: Halloween Mysteries for US Scaredy Cats