The term “cozy mystery” first registered with me shortly after finishing Real Murders, the first book in the Aurora Teagarden series, written by Charlaine Harris. It probably goes without saying, but I’ve read that series and just about all the other books she’s written, including the Southern Vampire Mysteries. You know, the Sookie Stackhouse books. I’m not sure that I find them particularly cozy, which isn’t to say that I didn’t like them. I think Harris kind of lost the thread toward the end, but that isn’t the point. The point is that if you’ve ever said to yourself, “You know, self, I really wanted to like the Adventures of Sookie and Bill and Eric and Alcide and everyone else, but this is not the cozy mystery/paranormal romance that I pictured,” then there’s a really good chance that Ali K. Mumford and K. Elle Morrison’s new book Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist is the book for you.
Also, if you watched True Blood and your favorite character was Jessica—read Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist immediately. Run, don’t walk.
In the small town of Maple Hollow, best known for its year-round Halloween vibe, the supernatural is real. Witches, werewolves, vampires, and many of your other favorite bump-in-the-night types live here, and many of them make their living by catering to the human tourist crowd. The tourists are not the only humans in town, however; non-supernatural residents like Willow, the owner of the Witch’s Brew Café, exist as well. In fact, the human population of Maple Hollow goes up by one when Willow’s sister Harlow moves to town.
Meanwhile, over at the apothecary, Jordyn (a witch, naturally) is conjuring up the spirit of her dead ex-girlfriend Lou. Why? Because she needs closure (again, naturally). Unfortunately, the definition of “closure” becomes a bit murky when Lou can’t disappear back to whence she came. Lou thinks closure will only come from Jordyn finding a new love. (You have to both admire and love the logic here.) If only there was someone new in town who could catch Jordyn’s eye… cue the meet-cute with Harlow. Will these two misguided but well-meaning women (who are constantly accompanied by the ghost of the ex-girlfriend) fall in love?
Another aside: I have never seen Halloweentown. However, in a completely unrelated conversation earlier this week with some of my college students, I was informed that I should definitely watch it. Based on their description, it seems like Maple Hollow is a sort of grown-up version of Halloweentown.
You might be wondering: what’s the mystery that makes this book a “cozy mystery”? To answer that question, does it really matter? The mystery itself is interesting, and it has stakes. (Look, if you don’t like paranormal puns, this might not be the book for you.) Again, though, it definitely takes a backseat to the romance. And there is a bit of spice to that romance. And before you ask if it’s pumpkin spice: yes, it is. Although Harlow’s sister has very little tolerance for whimsy, so it’s best to keep the punnery to a minimum at the Witch’s Brew Café. I assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of Willow in the future as well as a certain baker/werewolf named Wyatt.
One of the things that I’m always looking for when I read romances is whether or not I would want to spend more time in this place or with these people. For example, if Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls was a real place, I could send you a postcard from there, because it would be where I live now. Maple Hollow is the same kind of place. When I finished reading, I was relieved to see that Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist was the first in a series. I want the number of books in this series to at least match the number of Southern Vampire books (thirteen, plus short stories and other material). And, yes, I do want to see lots more of the vampire residents. As long as they don’t sparkle. Or play baseball.
Liv (she/her) is a trans woman, a professor of English, and a reluctant Southerner. Described (charitably) as passionate and strong-willed, she loves to talk (and talk) about popular culture, queer theory, utopias, time travel, and any other topic that she has magpied over the years. You can find her on storygraph and letterboxd @livvalentine.
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