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A Domestic Diva Mystery #5
The Diva Haunts the House
In the fifth mystery in the New York Times bestselling Domestic Diva series, Sophie Winston is getting into the Halloween spirit, but someone else is intent on mischief ...
Sophie's decorations for a community haunted house are so good, it’s scary. Not to be outdone, rival domestic diva Natasha is throwing a spooktacular Halloween party at her house. But when Sophie arrives, she discovers one of Natasha’s guests dead in a hair-raising Halloween display, and a pale, fanged partygoer fleeing the scene.
The cause of death is not immediately apparent, but the victim does have two puncture wounds on his neck. While Sophie’s boyfriend, homicide detective Wolf, investigates, rumors start flying faster than witches on broomsticks. Could the killer be a real vampire—the same one rumored to have lived in Sophie’s haunted house back when it was a boardinghouse? Good thing a domestic diva never runs out of garlic...
Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!
Sophie's decorations for a community haunted house are so good, it’s scary. Not to be outdone, rival domestic diva Natasha is throwing a spooktacular Halloween party at her house. But when Sophie arrives, she discovers one of Natasha’s guests dead in a hair-raising Halloween display, and a pale, fanged partygoer fleeing the scene.
The cause of death is not immediately apparent, but the victim does have two puncture wounds on his neck. While Sophie’s boyfriend, homicide detective Wolf, investigates, rumors start flying faster than witches on broomsticks. Could the killer be a real vampire—the same one rumored to have lived in Sophie’s haunted house back when it was a boardinghouse? Good thing a domestic diva never runs out of garlic...
Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!
287 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 2011
242 people are currently reading
1705 people want to read
About the author
Krista Davis
36 books3,256 followersKrista Davis lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she writes mysteries. She lived in Northern Virginia for many years and resided for a time in Old Town Alexandria where her Domestic Diva Mysteries take place.
Krista also writes the Paws and Claws Mysteries, which debuted with MURDER, SHE BARKED. Her Pen & Ink Mysteries featured covers that can be colored! Read the book and have fun coloring the cover.
WEBSITE: https://www.kristadavis.com
NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/3Wi0jcR
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/KristaDavisAu...
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/kristadavisauthor
Krista also writes the Paws and Claws Mysteries, which debuted with MURDER, SHE BARKED. Her Pen & Ink Mysteries featured covers that can be colored! Read the book and have fun coloring the cover.
WEBSITE: https://www.kristadavis.com
NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/3Wi0jcR
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/KristaDavisAu...
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/kristadavisauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
July 1, 2021
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October 30, 2017
Sophie Winston is helping with a local haunted house while her long time frenemy Natasha is throwing a big Halloween bash at her house. When a local man (who is also not very well liked) turns up murdered outside Natasha and Mars's house (he's Sophie's ex husband) a vampire looking person escapes and starts showing up around town. Sophie herself has a near miss with this person so she's determined to help find the flesh and blood perp who seems to be trying to wreck her haunted house and the middle schoolers' chances at having a project finished that they will get school credit for. The vampire legends start going viral and sometimes it's a little hard to tell the difference between legend and reality!
I really enjoyed this fun Halloween book by Krista Davis. I had recently read another series of hers that has a good Halloween book as well and I knew she would not disappoint. There were so many awesome twists and turns--and genuinely spooky moments--that I wasn't sure of the killer until the author chose to start revealing them. I thought it was cool how the community came together and allowed the middle school kids to work on this haunted house project and get school credit for it. Most of the kids were pretty well behaved aside from one little incident and of course there's always a mean girl and her minions in a school.
I have to admit, I normally start a series with the very first book and I felt really weird diving on into book 5 of this series but Krista Davis does such a wonderful job with her characters that it really didn't take me long at all to know who was who and what the relationship statuses were. I do want to start the series from book 1 and see just how Sophie and Wolf's relationship got started so I'll know whether I should root for them or root for Sophie getting back with Mars. That's not really the most important thing in a cozy though, but it's part of the fun.
With the online book clubs I've been in, I've read some really awesome Halloween stories this month and I'm so glad this book was among them!
I really enjoyed this fun Halloween book by Krista Davis. I had recently read another series of hers that has a good Halloween book as well and I knew she would not disappoint. There were so many awesome twists and turns--and genuinely spooky moments--that I wasn't sure of the killer until the author chose to start revealing them. I thought it was cool how the community came together and allowed the middle school kids to work on this haunted house project and get school credit for it. Most of the kids were pretty well behaved aside from one little incident and of course there's always a mean girl and her minions in a school.
I have to admit, I normally start a series with the very first book and I felt really weird diving on into book 5 of this series but Krista Davis does such a wonderful job with her characters that it really didn't take me long at all to know who was who and what the relationship statuses were. I do want to start the series from book 1 and see just how Sophie and Wolf's relationship got started so I'll know whether I should root for them or root for Sophie getting back with Mars. That's not really the most important thing in a cozy though, but it's part of the fun.
With the online book clubs I've been in, I've read some really awesome Halloween stories this month and I'm so glad this book was among them!
October 4, 2016
Ok... a good Halloween book... the ending was the very best for me. Cute spooky ending to a long book. Some could have been cut out to make for a shorter story. Overall not entirely horrible.
July 27, 2020
This was a fun Halloween read.
May 24, 2015
This month has been a catch-up month for me, out of the 14 books I've read this month 10 have been in series I've already started. This book fits perfectly into that, it's the third book in this series I've read this month, but it was an amazing read with just the perfect amount of spookiness to go with the Halloween theme.
Sophie is once again back, and she's better than ever. Like in her other books she is one of the most knowledgeable MCs I've read about recently, but yet she's one of the most humble, too. All of the normal cast is back except for Sophie's parents and Hannah, Sophie's sister, but a whole group of new characters is introduced at the same time. That was probably the largest drawback of the entire book, so many new characters were present that I got them confused quite often.
As I said above, the spookiness factor was right on par with the Halloween theme of the book,and at some points I had goosebumps wondering what would happen next. The author did such a good job of steering me away from the murderer that when they were exposed I was shocked. A bit of superstition is also raveled into the mystery to set you on edge, and oh boy did it work!
Overall a wonderful book, one of the best this month. I hope the next book stays this good!
Sophie is once again back, and she's better than ever. Like in her other books she is one of the most knowledgeable MCs I've read about recently, but yet she's one of the most humble, too. All of the normal cast is back except for Sophie's parents and Hannah, Sophie's sister, but a whole group of new characters is introduced at the same time. That was probably the largest drawback of the entire book, so many new characters were present that I got them confused quite often.
As I said above, the spookiness factor was right on par with the Halloween theme of the book,and at some points I had goosebumps wondering what would happen next. The author did such a good job of steering me away from the murderer that when they were exposed I was shocked. A bit of superstition is also raveled into the mystery to set you on edge, and oh boy did it work!
Overall a wonderful book, one of the best this month. I hope the next book stays this good!
March 7, 2016
This fifth installment of the Domestic Diva series, has, in my eyes, proven to be very fresh still and still proven to have enough life to last for long. The heroine, Sophie Winston, has changed her clique thoroughly. Even her arch nemesis, Natasha, is almost out of the picture. There is no mention of many previous acquaintances. Her own parents, her siblings and in-laws? All gone. Other changes include the much reduced(no pun) spotlight on her cooking. Prior books almost had a revolving door in her oven. The book was a breeze to read, which is always good, no matter what the snooty hardcore, elitist crowd says. The ending clinched that fourth star for me. It was short. Nobody was harmed and nobody had to indulge in a chase scene or feature in a sort of duel. Here's to hoping there'll be an 8th book.
February 3, 2023
Such a good cozy. This is the first book I’ve read from Krista Davis and I loved it so much. There was so much going on. And I kept thinking to myself how come Sophie is not exhausted with the amount of people in her house and with some incidents waking her up in the middle of every night. The mystery was very well done and it kept me glued. And I’m glad to say that the perpetrator was on my list.
July 13, 2017
Found this one a little more contrived than the others. Still funny.
October 9, 2023
Sophie is building a haunted house for Halloween. Not to be outdone, her rival is having a big Halloween party. One of the guests is murdered, with vampire like marks on his neck. There are legends of a vampire in the area. Things start spiraling out of control, as the murderer comes after Sophie, and people start hunting vampires.
A very good cozy.
A very good cozy.
October 29, 2022
4.5 stars
A fun installment in one of my favorite cozy series. This is the perfect Halloween read. Event planner Sophie Winston is in charge of setting up a community haunted house so there are ghosts, vampires, decorations, costumes, as well as parties and trick-or-treating - every thing Halloween related to get you ready for the holiday. Of course, there is also a murder mystery. Sophie's investigation goes around in circle for a while, but I was having so much fun with the rest of the book, it took me a while to realize that!
A fun installment in one of my favorite cozy series. This is the perfect Halloween read. Event planner Sophie Winston is in charge of setting up a community haunted house so there are ghosts, vampires, decorations, costumes, as well as parties and trick-or-treating - every thing Halloween related to get you ready for the holiday. Of course, there is also a murder mystery. Sophie's investigation goes around in circle for a while, but I was having so much fun with the rest of the book, it took me a while to realize that!
December 11, 2019
Digital audiobook narrated by Hilary Huber
Book five in the cozy series featuring Domestic Diva Sophie Winston and her rival Natasha. As the title implies, this one focuses on Halloween. Sophie is in charge of the community’s fund-raiser Haunted House, which Natasha takes as a personal affront to her own “fabulous” costume party. The rivalry escalates when one of the displays in front of Natasha’s house turns out to be an actual body, and, of course, it’s Sophie who discovers the grisly scene.
There’s no lack of suspects, and plenty of costumed vampires around to confuse everyone from the police to the amateur sleuths. Add a gaggle of teen-age girls (and the teen boys they’re interested in), a séance, a riled parent, and the drama of both an ex-husband and a police detective who are quick to come to Sophie’s aid and you have a formula for a successful cozy.
I like the decorating tips at the beginning of each chapter. While I don’t ever throw a Halloween party, I certainly liked some of the suggestions. And the recipes at the end were a nice addition.
Hilary Huber does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has a good pace and handles the many characters easily.
Book five in the cozy series featuring Domestic Diva Sophie Winston and her rival Natasha. As the title implies, this one focuses on Halloween. Sophie is in charge of the community’s fund-raiser Haunted House, which Natasha takes as a personal affront to her own “fabulous” costume party. The rivalry escalates when one of the displays in front of Natasha’s house turns out to be an actual body, and, of course, it’s Sophie who discovers the grisly scene.
There’s no lack of suspects, and plenty of costumed vampires around to confuse everyone from the police to the amateur sleuths. Add a gaggle of teen-age girls (and the teen boys they’re interested in), a séance, a riled parent, and the drama of both an ex-husband and a police detective who are quick to come to Sophie’s aid and you have a formula for a successful cozy.
I like the decorating tips at the beginning of each chapter. While I don’t ever throw a Halloween party, I certainly liked some of the suggestions. And the recipes at the end were a nice addition.
Hilary Huber does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has a good pace and handles the many characters easily.
September 7, 2011
Krista Davis has created another gem of a book, with a winning protagonist in Sophie, a woman who can cook for an army while solving crime. Lovable characters and neighbors abound. Davis has created a diabolically perfect arch nemesis in the sassy Natasha. A haunted house, coffins, rumors of vampires, and things that go "Boo" in the night. The food descriptions are mouth-wateringly good. The mystery is deliciously crafted.
October 5, 2020
A great Halloween book! I really enjoyed this one. Lots of fun with Sophie running a haunted house and lots of Halloween hijinks going on including murder. I was happy to see who the killer was and Natasha wasn't in the book too much. #readforkimberly
August 5, 2019
It might be my mood but I wasn't as interested in this book as I normally am with this series. The vampire bit got old and by the time the story ended, I didn't care too much who the murderer was.
January 12, 2022
Do not read this if you don't do Halloween or don't like scary Halloween, ghosts, seances or vampires.
Sophie Winston is busy working on a community haunted house with a bunch of kids from the middle school, including her niece Jen, who is staying with Sophie while Sophie's brother and his wife are away. Jen's 13th birthday is coming up and she's eager for an epic Halloween birthday party to cap off the spooky season. An angry man comes to threaten Sophie and warn her that Blake, whoever that is, is NOT to work on the house and NOT allowed to "do" vampires. This man, Patrick, threatens to shut the house down but Sophie won't back down. When an adult helper is scared off by something in the house, it fuels legends of a vampire that once visited Old Town and killed a woman. Then a three-year-old neighbor comes running to Sophie's while his parents are at Natasha and Mars's adults-only Halloween party. Gabriel claims there's a bad man out there but Sophie is convinced the tot was terrified of Natasha's decorations and goes to show the boy how the "bad men" are merely straw. However, two of the figures in the tableau prove to be all too real and one was just murdered! Is the other man who runs off the murderer? Why does the victim have two tiny puncture wounds on either side of his throat? Sophie doesn't believe in vampires but everyone else sure does, including the victim's girlfriend and Blake's mother, Maggie. The murderer comes after Sophie and she knows he's no vampire. Luckily her friends and pets were around to save her but someone seems to be stalking her and she's certain it's the murderer. Can her friends catch him in time before she becomes the vampire's next victim?
I HATE vampires! I don't do spooky Halloween and this book was way past my creepy limit. It freaked me out so much I had to skip to the end to see whodunit and go look at something else before I went to sleep. I finished it during the daytime when it won't be fresh in my mind before I sleep. I read the first two books and skipped ahead to this one, the next available on OverDrive at my library. The references seem really dated like turtlenecks, videos and CDs but as if the author forced her story into modern times with references to cell phone texting and going viral. It works better in the pre-digital age. Don't kids WANT to be bitten by vampires now? (thank you Twilight). They do mention vampires sparkle in the sunlight. :eyeroll:
The mystery itself was tight. I never would have guessed on my own who did it. I had my suspicions and turned out to be wrong. The motivie never would have occured to me either. I couldn't put it down.
Since I skipepd ahead two books, Sophie has improved slightly. She's now involved with Wolf and they're open about being together. She also is no longer on the bad side of the police force, in fact nasty Detective Kenner actually has the hots for her and is a creepy stalker apparently. EW and totally grounds for being fired if you ask me. She explains more about Old Town being a wealthy area but this time her domestic diva tips make sense. Natasha has some good ideas as well. Sophie is less of a doormat now. She stands up for herself and the kids when they're bullied but she can't say no to June. There's now a love triangle with Mars, who for some reason, is still with Natasha yet has feelings for Sophie still. He's unwilling to take the plunge and marry Natasha but won't leave her either. Now Mars falls in the douchebag category. Natasha is still AWFUL! She has no sense of reality and swings from one extreme to the other. She keeps suspecting June of being "batty" yet her own mother is the same way and she accepts it. When something bad happens, which is a recurring theme now, Natasha is quick to suspect June but just like last time, June is not to blame.
June is too funny. She loved her sister and they had a great time back in the day, especially when Viktor Luca came to stay, even if he was a vampire. I don't blame her for wanting to go through Faye's old boxes of photos and things or wanting to hold a seance. It makes her feel closer to her sister. Her interest in the supernatural isn't half as weird as Wanda's. Wanda isn't in the book much at all though. Sophie's BFF Nina also provides comic relief. She's busy chasing after a stray black cat. It's for his own good to keep him safe on Halloween but he won't be caught. Nina is fiercely protective of Sophie and is willing to take down a murderer on her own to protect Sophie. Bernie is also on hand, I guess he stuck around, and eager to help. Sophie is lucky to have such good friends. The younger crew is not so friendly.
I was shocked how much Sophie's niece has grown. Wasn't she like 9 or 10 in the first book? Now she's turning 13 and she and her friends are very mature for their ages. My oldest niece is the exact same age and I do not hear any talk of boys, let alone see the girls kissing boys or hear them talk about sexy hairstyles on the boy they like. At 12? Just 13? Yikes! What was cute and precocious is now obnoxious. I don't like all that boy-girl stuff. Jen's new best friend is Vegas, who apparently came to town with her dad to visit Mars and Natasha but then the mom skipped town and the dad was deployed. Vegas lives with Mars and Natasha now and attends a school in town where she has run afoul of a mean girl named... Heather. yep. Heather is EVIL for a child! She calls Vegas names she shouldn't understand and threatens the other girl all over a boy. She lies, she's manipulative and the adults believe her. She's a terrible babysitter to her little cousin. Gabriel keeps escaping Heather's care. Is it because she's busy texting or is she busy making out with a boy? PLEASE say she's not making out with a boy- at 12/13?
Blake seems like a good kid, the silent, brooding type teen girls love. Yet he was seen in a vampire costume near the scene of the crime by multiple people. He was known to have hated Patrick. Patrick was a horrid man. He was lazy, selfish and a gold digger. He seemed to be controlling Blake's mother but I got the impression Maggie is the type who needs a man to be happy. She's high strung. I also sense from what Blake is NOT saying, Patrick may have done something bad to Blake prompting Blake to murder his would-be stepfather. It could have been Maggie. She seems more frightened than upset at her boyfriend's death. There's also the matter of a neighbor's car parked near her house the very next night. Hmmm... She also seems to know more about this Viktor Lucas story than anyone else and is absolutely terrified. Her ex-husband, Dash, thinks her fear is irrational, but is it? Dash seems like a nice guy and a good dad. He's firm with Blake but not too tough. He seems to have a good relationship with his kid but could he have murdered Patrick? He has three motived: 1)protect his kid, 2)protect his ex or 3) jealousy.
None of the other new chararcters are all that appealing. I kind of like Ray Barnett, owner of the antiques shop next to the haunted house. Make that JUNK shop. He's good to Sophie and doesn't mind the kids being silly. The haunted house is good for his business. Yet, Sophie uncovers clues that point to Ray being the murderer! What motive does he have? Frank Hart, Sophie's neighbor and father of little Gabe, is eager to help out with the haunted house until he gets spooked. What on earth can spook on a grown man in his 30s? He's a terrible father to his son and a complete moron because he believes everything everyone tells him. Frank is a wine merchant hoping to capitalize on the vampire craze. Again Sophie uncovers clues that point to Frank being the murderer. He had the means and opportunity but what was his motive? Frank's brother-in-law and Heather's dad, Karl, is completely horrible. He's as bad as Patrick was. They're both men who try to throw their weight around and intimidate a woman but Sophie has never heard of either of them in spite of living in or near Alexandria her whole life. Frank and Karl will not win father of the year awards. Karl seems extra nasty and latches on to Maggie to provide comfort. She seems to have a type. Karl is nasty towards Sophie for no good reason other than his spoiled brat of a daughter is in a feud with Sophie's niece's best friend. grow up dude!
The murderer is out there and will stop at nothing to get away with it. They're a very nasty person and seem to have no morals.
I didn't like this one so much but I may backtrack and read the Christmas book if I can get it or go forward one or two more and see if I like this series any better as it goes along. The mysteries ar good but the cozy just isn't really doing it for me.
Sophie Winston is busy working on a community haunted house with a bunch of kids from the middle school, including her niece Jen, who is staying with Sophie while Sophie's brother and his wife are away. Jen's 13th birthday is coming up and she's eager for an epic Halloween birthday party to cap off the spooky season. An angry man comes to threaten Sophie and warn her that Blake, whoever that is, is NOT to work on the house and NOT allowed to "do" vampires. This man, Patrick, threatens to shut the house down but Sophie won't back down. When an adult helper is scared off by something in the house, it fuels legends of a vampire that once visited Old Town and killed a woman. Then a three-year-old neighbor comes running to Sophie's while his parents are at Natasha and Mars's adults-only Halloween party. Gabriel claims there's a bad man out there but Sophie is convinced the tot was terrified of Natasha's decorations and goes to show the boy how the "bad men" are merely straw. However, two of the figures in the tableau prove to be all too real and one was just murdered! Is the other man who runs off the murderer? Why does the victim have two tiny puncture wounds on either side of his throat? Sophie doesn't believe in vampires but everyone else sure does, including the victim's girlfriend and Blake's mother, Maggie. The murderer comes after Sophie and she knows he's no vampire. Luckily her friends and pets were around to save her but someone seems to be stalking her and she's certain it's the murderer. Can her friends catch him in time before she becomes the vampire's next victim?
I HATE vampires! I don't do spooky Halloween and this book was way past my creepy limit. It freaked me out so much I had to skip to the end to see whodunit and go look at something else before I went to sleep. I finished it during the daytime when it won't be fresh in my mind before I sleep. I read the first two books and skipped ahead to this one, the next available on OverDrive at my library. The references seem really dated like turtlenecks, videos and CDs but as if the author forced her story into modern times with references to cell phone texting and going viral. It works better in the pre-digital age. Don't kids WANT to be bitten by vampires now? (thank you Twilight). They do mention vampires sparkle in the sunlight. :eyeroll:
The mystery itself was tight. I never would have guessed on my own who did it. I had my suspicions and turned out to be wrong. The motivie never would have occured to me either. I couldn't put it down.
Since I skipepd ahead two books, Sophie has improved slightly. She's now involved with Wolf and they're open about being together. She also is no longer on the bad side of the police force, in fact nasty Detective Kenner actually has the hots for her and is a creepy stalker apparently. EW and totally grounds for being fired if you ask me. She explains more about Old Town being a wealthy area but this time her domestic diva tips make sense. Natasha has some good ideas as well. Sophie is less of a doormat now. She stands up for herself and the kids when they're bullied but she can't say no to June. There's now a love triangle with Mars, who for some reason, is still with Natasha yet has feelings for Sophie still. He's unwilling to take the plunge and marry Natasha but won't leave her either. Now Mars falls in the douchebag category. Natasha is still AWFUL! She has no sense of reality and swings from one extreme to the other. She keeps suspecting June of being "batty" yet her own mother is the same way and she accepts it. When something bad happens, which is a recurring theme now, Natasha is quick to suspect June but just like last time, June is not to blame.
June is too funny. She loved her sister and they had a great time back in the day, especially when Viktor Luca came to stay, even if he was a vampire. I don't blame her for wanting to go through Faye's old boxes of photos and things or wanting to hold a seance. It makes her feel closer to her sister. Her interest in the supernatural isn't half as weird as Wanda's. Wanda isn't in the book much at all though. Sophie's BFF Nina also provides comic relief. She's busy chasing after a stray black cat. It's for his own good to keep him safe on Halloween but he won't be caught. Nina is fiercely protective of Sophie and is willing to take down a murderer on her own to protect Sophie. Bernie is also on hand, I guess he stuck around, and eager to help. Sophie is lucky to have such good friends. The younger crew is not so friendly.
I was shocked how much Sophie's niece has grown. Wasn't she like 9 or 10 in the first book? Now she's turning 13 and she and her friends are very mature for their ages. My oldest niece is the exact same age and I do not hear any talk of boys, let alone see the girls kissing boys or hear them talk about sexy hairstyles on the boy they like. At 12? Just 13? Yikes! What was cute and precocious is now obnoxious. I don't like all that boy-girl stuff. Jen's new best friend is Vegas, who apparently came to town with her dad to visit Mars and Natasha but then the mom skipped town and the dad was deployed. Vegas lives with Mars and Natasha now and attends a school in town where she has run afoul of a mean girl named... Heather. yep. Heather is EVIL for a child! She calls Vegas names she shouldn't understand and threatens the other girl all over a boy. She lies, she's manipulative and the adults believe her. She's a terrible babysitter to her little cousin. Gabriel keeps escaping Heather's care. Is it because she's busy texting or is she busy making out with a boy? PLEASE say she's not making out with a boy- at 12/13?
Blake seems like a good kid, the silent, brooding type teen girls love. Yet he was seen in a vampire costume near the scene of the crime by multiple people. He was known to have hated Patrick. Patrick was a horrid man. He was lazy, selfish and a gold digger. He seemed to be controlling Blake's mother but I got the impression Maggie is the type who needs a man to be happy. She's high strung. I also sense from what Blake is NOT saying, Patrick may have done something bad to Blake prompting Blake to murder his would-be stepfather. It could have been Maggie. She seems more frightened than upset at her boyfriend's death. There's also the matter of a neighbor's car parked near her house the very next night. Hmmm... She also seems to know more about this Viktor Lucas story than anyone else and is absolutely terrified. Her ex-husband, Dash, thinks her fear is irrational, but is it? Dash seems like a nice guy and a good dad. He's firm with Blake but not too tough. He seems to have a good relationship with his kid but could he have murdered Patrick? He has three motived: 1)protect his kid, 2)protect his ex or 3) jealousy.
None of the other new chararcters are all that appealing. I kind of like Ray Barnett, owner of the antiques shop next to the haunted house. Make that JUNK shop. He's good to Sophie and doesn't mind the kids being silly. The haunted house is good for his business. Yet, Sophie uncovers clues that point to Ray being the murderer! What motive does he have? Frank Hart, Sophie's neighbor and father of little Gabe, is eager to help out with the haunted house until he gets spooked. What on earth can spook on a grown man in his 30s? He's a terrible father to his son and a complete moron because he believes everything everyone tells him. Frank is a wine merchant hoping to capitalize on the vampire craze. Again Sophie uncovers clues that point to Frank being the murderer. He had the means and opportunity but what was his motive? Frank's brother-in-law and Heather's dad, Karl, is completely horrible. He's as bad as Patrick was. They're both men who try to throw their weight around and intimidate a woman but Sophie has never heard of either of them in spite of living in or near Alexandria her whole life. Frank and Karl will not win father of the year awards. Karl seems extra nasty and latches on to Maggie to provide comfort. She seems to have a type. Karl is nasty towards Sophie for no good reason other than his spoiled brat of a daughter is in a feud with Sophie's niece's best friend. grow up dude!
The murderer is out there and will stop at nothing to get away with it. They're a very nasty person and seem to have no morals.
I didn't like this one so much but I may backtrack and read the Christmas book if I can get it or go forward one or two more and see if I like this series any better as it goes along. The mysteries ar good but the cozy just isn't really doing it for me.
October 10, 2024
"The Diva Haunts the House (A Domestic Diva Mystery #5)" by Krista Davis has Sophie putting on a haunted house for Halloween with her nieces (yes, Vegas is kind of her niece too. She's her ex-husband's niece) and their friends. This one also has her being so friendly with her ex-husband finally biting her in the butt too.
The mystery starts when the neighbor's toddler is found at Sophie's house by himself, crying about the bad man he saw. When they go to take him home they find a man, seemingly attacked by a vampire among Natasha's party decorations. Of course, Natasha's party can't be disturbed until the police finally are able to be called and start questioning everyone.
It starts to seem that Sophie is a target as well. This leads to everyone camping out at her house, again. There are several possible suspects, one being a legendary vampire that may have attended some of the parties held at Sophie's house back when her ex-aunt-in-law owned it. In the end, it was the suspect I was hoping it would be.
The mystery starts when the neighbor's toddler is found at Sophie's house by himself, crying about the bad man he saw. When they go to take him home they find a man, seemingly attacked by a vampire among Natasha's party decorations. Of course, Natasha's party can't be disturbed until the police finally are able to be called and start questioning everyone.
It starts to seem that Sophie is a target as well. This leads to everyone camping out at her house, again. There are several possible suspects, one being a legendary vampire that may have attended some of the parties held at Sophie's house back when her ex-aunt-in-law owned it. In the end, it was the suspect I was hoping it would be.
October 15, 2019
This was a good one...4.5*
March 10, 2017
I have really come to enjoy this series, it quickly became one of my favorites. The characters are more life like and feel like old friends when I read the books. The pace was quick, the mystery and plot were good, and how can you not like a book centered around Halloween.
I love how Sophie has so much patients to deal with Natasha, because I wouldn't. But as I read this series, Natasha is needed in the book. Even if she's self-centered, egotistic, picture perfect within herself, her home, and with her show, her neediness . She does help break up the ho hum dum and she brings in the comic relief. Sophie also gets some good jabs at Natasha and she doesn't even realize that Sophie is being sarcastic towards her. I enjoy the other main characters that play parts in the series, Wolf, Sophie's boyfriend and detective on the police force, Mars, Sophie's ex-husband and Natasha's boyfriend (Don't ask), Humphrey who runs the local restaurant and is friends with both Mars and Sophie, and Sophie's neighbor Nina. All the character's fit well with each other, and in this book, both Natasha's mom Wanda and Mar's mother June are here to help Sophie with the haunted house.
Sophie is getting ready for Halloween and is getting a haunted house ready for the town to come through. June tells a story about an old vampire that use to stay at the house when it was a boarding house. When one of the kid's mother's boyfriend is murdered at Mars and Natasha's costume party, they notice that there are two puncture wounds in his neck. Was June's story just a story, or is there actually a real vampire on the loose?
I love how Sophie has so much patients to deal with Natasha, because I wouldn't. But as I read this series, Natasha is needed in the book. Even if she's self-centered, egotistic, picture perfect within herself, her home, and with her show, her neediness . She does help break up the ho hum dum and she brings in the comic relief. Sophie also gets some good jabs at Natasha and she doesn't even realize that Sophie is being sarcastic towards her. I enjoy the other main characters that play parts in the series, Wolf, Sophie's boyfriend and detective on the police force, Mars, Sophie's ex-husband and Natasha's boyfriend (Don't ask), Humphrey who runs the local restaurant and is friends with both Mars and Sophie, and Sophie's neighbor Nina. All the character's fit well with each other, and in this book, both Natasha's mom Wanda and Mar's mother June are here to help Sophie with the haunted house.
Sophie is getting ready for Halloween and is getting a haunted house ready for the town to come through. June tells a story about an old vampire that use to stay at the house when it was a boarding house. When one of the kid's mother's boyfriend is murdered at Mars and Natasha's costume party, they notice that there are two puncture wounds in his neck. Was June's story just a story, or is there actually a real vampire on the loose?
October 20, 2011
I get hungry and amazed each time I read a foodie cozy, but especially this series. There is always an occasion to pull out the themed food or meal or flatware/plate/napkin/table runner. I wonder where Sophie gets the time to prep all of these goodies and where the heck she keeps all of the holiday themed dishware. Sometimes this distracts me from what's going on in the story. I know it's likely that I am the only who notices this or is bothered, but there it is.
It is a fun series and I like watching Sophie and Natasha tangle. I'd kick Natasha to the curb, but she's with Sophie's ex, Mars, who Sophie still likes as a friend and Mars comes over to escape the foo-foo life that is Sophie.
The haunted house that Sophie and the kids are working on is pretty cool, the mystery is decent, the food and recipes are gonzo, so all the way around a pretty good book.
Four haunted house beans......
It is a fun series and I like watching Sophie and Natasha tangle. I'd kick Natasha to the curb, but she's with Sophie's ex, Mars, who Sophie still likes as a friend and Mars comes over to escape the foo-foo life that is Sophie.
The haunted house that Sophie and the kids are working on is pretty cool, the mystery is decent, the food and recipes are gonzo, so all the way around a pretty good book.
Four haunted house beans......
January 21, 2015
Book 5. I loved this book and it will always be in my top 5 favs for sure. Set during Halloween, loaded with cool advice at the beginning of each chapter and recipes in the back of the book, like making blood fingers and stuffed mummies lol. This book is very unique in story and in style. You can read these out of order as character developemnt is slower. This book is so full of Halloween you deff get geared up for the holiday. I read it during Halloween and it made it feel even more cool. I have got to try some of the things she made during the story. This was a spooky book but all in good fun. An excellent cozy!!
June 9, 2016
I found it incredible that these teenagers were 13 rather than 16 or 17. Also, I realize that there is a great amount of literature being written now about vampires, but do people really believe they exist?
February 22, 2019
Somebody help me out: I'm pretty sure in an earlier book in the series Sophie says that mars and natasha got together after mars and sophie had divorced. In this book she implies that Natasha made a move on Mars before the divorce. Am I remembering wrong?
October 6, 2021
I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a fun Halloween story, with some nice little twists.
January 16, 2016
Domestic Divas Sophie Winston and Natasha Smith are trying to outdo each other with their Halloween plans. Sophie is in charge of the community haunted house while Natasha is planning a huge Halloween Bash at her home. Sophie is worried the fake haunted house is really haunted and Natasha has costumes and caters on her mind.
Sophie was not really planning to attend Natasha's party but she ends up there to try to solve a small problem. When she arrives she discovers a much bigger problem, one a Natasha's guests, part of an elaborate Halloween display in the front yard, is not just playing dead, he is actually, really, very dead and he has two puncture marks on his neck!
Is there a vampire loose in Old Town? As people stock up on garlic, Sophie is going to figure out who is responsible for all this mischief and murder!!
This entire series has been terrific, but The Diva Haunts the House is so much fun. You could say it's "SPOOKTACULAR"! I caught myself laughing out loud several times. All the kids involved in the haunted house brought back some wonderful memories from way back when.
The constant neediness of Natasha to independent Sophie is such a great contrast. How could the same man have fallen in love with both these women? The dialogue between any of the two or all three together is perfectly written whether serious or hilarious. The mystery my have you laying in a supply of garlic.
I like that this book is being released well in advance of Halloween. There are wonderful tips, recipes and ideas for your own Halloween party, without the dead body in the front yard of course.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Sophie was not really planning to attend Natasha's party but she ends up there to try to solve a small problem. When she arrives she discovers a much bigger problem, one a Natasha's guests, part of an elaborate Halloween display in the front yard, is not just playing dead, he is actually, really, very dead and he has two puncture marks on his neck!
Is there a vampire loose in Old Town? As people stock up on garlic, Sophie is going to figure out who is responsible for all this mischief and murder!!
This entire series has been terrific, but The Diva Haunts the House is so much fun. You could say it's "SPOOKTACULAR"! I caught myself laughing out loud several times. All the kids involved in the haunted house brought back some wonderful memories from way back when.
The constant neediness of Natasha to independent Sophie is such a great contrast. How could the same man have fallen in love with both these women? The dialogue between any of the two or all three together is perfectly written whether serious or hilarious. The mystery my have you laying in a supply of garlic.
I like that this book is being released well in advance of Halloween. There are wonderful tips, recipes and ideas for your own Halloween party, without the dead body in the front yard of course.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 30, 2015
I hate giving what I consider a bad rating to any author. This author most likely does not deserve it. I just wasn't the right person to read this story.
What bothered me the most with the book was that there were so many characters that I was constantly confused for around the first quarter of the book. Of course, I realized that one should not start a series after a number of books have been written but I have done so before (number of times) and I never had that feeling that I had no idea of who is who before.
I realize that Halloween is a time of make believe (and this is the reason I chose this book. I remember the time of having the perfect costume and spookiness in trick-or-treating and coming to an HAUNTED HOUSE when young...) but, to me, the story was written slapstick style (I really do not like slapstick), and I found a number of characters ridiculous in a character type casting style. A sort of
perciflage.
And unfortunately, I found Sophie too Nancy Drew like, too perfect. Oh, she was likeable, but I find I like my characters to have a fault...this way I can connect to them a whole lot better.
What bothered me the most with the book was that there were so many characters that I was constantly confused for around the first quarter of the book. Of course, I realized that one should not start a series after a number of books have been written but I have done so before (number of times) and I never had that feeling that I had no idea of who is who before.
I realize that Halloween is a time of make believe (and this is the reason I chose this book. I remember the time of having the perfect costume and spookiness in trick-or-treating and coming to an HAUNTED HOUSE when young...) but, to me, the story was written slapstick style (I really do not like slapstick), and I found a number of characters ridiculous in a character type casting style. A sort of
perciflage.
And unfortunately, I found Sophie too Nancy Drew like, too perfect. Oh, she was likeable, but I find I like my characters to have a fault...this way I can connect to them a whole lot better.
January 20, 2023
I spent a lot of this trying to remember the context of this series. I didn't get much help because most of the exposition was focused on the Martha Stewart type aspects instead of filling out the characters, most of which were interchangeable. I also found the adults spent most of the time acting more like teenagers.
Other entries might be fun, but this one was a miss for me. 2.5 stars.
Other entries might be fun, but this one was a miss for me. 2.5 stars.
October 26, 2011
I generally like this series, but this one seemed hastily written and hard to follow, both in terms of plot and characters.
October 27, 2022
Team Mars. Natasha and Wolfe can both go away. lol
October 12, 2018
Unfortunately, the library doesn’t have all of these available so I’m going to do this series out of order. I’m starting w/audio & then I’ll move onto printed format.
It shouldn’t be too bad b/c unlike other series, you’re not lost if you do that. It’s easy enough to follow along w/the character & story history.
The writer does a good job of summing up previous info in a few sentences to remind the reader of the previous books happenings.
One of the things I like about this cozy series is that Sophie has the a ghost in her home. And it's just accepted that yep, she lives here, and yep, her ex-mother-in-law talks to her. It’s the dead sister of her ex-mother-in-law. I find that amusing & a cool added aspect.
My one big negative is that there really are A LOT of characters!!! Seriously, what’s up w/that? I get that unlike other cozy series, this one doesn’t take place in a small town/village but in the suburbs of a metropolitan area which have larger populations but still….
Anyway all that aside, this was a good story, amusing, likable characters.
And b/c there are so many suspects, I don’t always figure out who the killer is. I just continue listening & enjoy the story.
The narrator was better in this one. Normal voices not those stupid accents like the first audiobook in the series.
And what is up w/all the men being attracted to Sophie? She has a great personality & attractive but seriously…
It shouldn’t be too bad b/c unlike other series, you’re not lost if you do that. It’s easy enough to follow along w/the character & story history.
The writer does a good job of summing up previous info in a few sentences to remind the reader of the previous books happenings.
One of the things I like about this cozy series is that Sophie has the a ghost in her home. And it's just accepted that yep, she lives here, and yep, her ex-mother-in-law talks to her. It’s the dead sister of her ex-mother-in-law. I find that amusing & a cool added aspect.
My one big negative is that there really are A LOT of characters!!! Seriously, what’s up w/that? I get that unlike other cozy series, this one doesn’t take place in a small town/village but in the suburbs of a metropolitan area which have larger populations but still….
Anyway all that aside, this was a good story, amusing, likable characters.
And b/c there are so many suspects, I don’t always figure out who the killer is. I just continue listening & enjoy the story.
The narrator was better in this one. Normal voices not those stupid accents like the first audiobook in the series.
And what is up w/all the men being attracted to Sophie? She has a great personality & attractive but seriously…
October 15, 2018
I cannot get enough of this series!! I have to admit, usually 4-5 books into a series, I am kind of bored with the characters. This is a series that I know I will be so sad when I am finally current and have to wait for the next book to come out. Also, you don't have to read this series in order. Obviously, the character development will be stronger for you if you do but Ms. Davis does an amazing job recapping the characters' backstories and each book is its own story.
It was perfect timing to read this one. This got me into the Halloween Spirit for sure.
Krista Davis has some of the best character development of any author, any genre, that I have ever read. Usually, I loath books with too many characters, mainly because I feel like they're just fillers and add nothing to the plot. In every book in this series, there are 5-10 "main" characters and at least 5-10 "one book appearance" characters, yet they all have a role and a personality and all add something to the story.
I love the Vampire story line and the Haunted House. This ranks #2 so far in the series for me behind book 1. I think the first book will always be my favorite just because it introduced me to these amazing people. I want to be Sophie Winston! She is my hero.
I am listening to the audio books and the narrator is fabulous. She totally brings the story to life. I literally LOL. This would be an awesome television series.
It was perfect timing to read this one. This got me into the Halloween Spirit for sure.
Krista Davis has some of the best character development of any author, any genre, that I have ever read. Usually, I loath books with too many characters, mainly because I feel like they're just fillers and add nothing to the plot. In every book in this series, there are 5-10 "main" characters and at least 5-10 "one book appearance" characters, yet they all have a role and a personality and all add something to the story.
I love the Vampire story line and the Haunted House. This ranks #2 so far in the series for me behind book 1. I think the first book will always be my favorite just because it introduced me to these amazing people. I want to be Sophie Winston! She is my hero.
I am listening to the audio books and the narrator is fabulous. She totally brings the story to life. I literally LOL. This would be an awesome television series.
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