Review: The Diva Haunts the House

Summary: Domestic diva Sophie Winston is getting into the Halloween spirit- her 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 Halloween display, and a pale, fanged partygoer fleeing the scene. 

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. -- Berkley Prime Crime

I've read quite a few good cozies these past few months as part of Mystery Mondays, but only a few have really stood out to me. That was certainly the case with THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE by Krista Davis. Maybe it's because it's starting to feel like fall and I'm anxious for football, apples, and Halloween, but I absolutely loved this book. It was a very fun, very cute book! And it totally got me in the mood for Halloween and spooky things!

The main character in THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE is Sophie Winston, and can I just say, that I loved her? Sophie lived in Old Town Alexandra (a very cute town, not to far from where I used to work!) and she is involved in setting up a community haunted house. When her arch nemesis (and husband stealer) Natasha throws a Halloween party and ends up with a dead guest, Sophie is knee-deep in mysterious events as well as solving the murder.

I was surprised by how much I loved this book! I thought the spooky and mysterious storylines related to the haunted house were so much fun -- and they were a little creepy. There were even a few vampire sighting for those readers who like vampire occurrences in their books. And finally, I thought the murder mystery was very well-done. I thoroughly enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and I was kept guessing about the motive and the villain until the very end.

If you are like me and love decorating and cooking, then you will love Sophie's character! She has the best ideas for Halloween decorating and recipes. In fact, the beginning of each chapter starts with a Dear Sophie (or Dear Natasha) letter followed up with some helpful "domestic" advice; and in the case of THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE, most of the advice is Halloween decorating-related. In addition, there are a few of Sophie's recipes in the back of the book. So much fun!

THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE is the fifth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series. And just in case you were wondering, it works extremely well as a stand-alone. Unfortunately, I haven't read the first four books yet, but that didn't stand in the way of my enjoyment of this book. Although, I admit that I am desperate to get my hands on the first four books in this series. The author did a great job of providing the necessary background information about the characters and their lives.

If you are looking for a cute cozy, and especially one that will get you in the mood for the Halloween season, then I highly recommend THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.