At first, the Mischief Night Marathon seems like a good idea to Lindy. It promises to be an old-fashioned Halloween celebration, complete with bonfire, ghost stories, a Haunted Hay Ride, plenty of woods and dilapidated buildings for atmosphere, and a theatrical revue, directed by Lindy herself. And it’s a chance to raise money for a teen center to be housed at the historic VanCleef Farm site where the fair will be held. But instead of being a festive good time, Mischief Night is living up to its name, turning into a nightmare of flaring egos and outright hostility among the planners and participants. And then the pranks begin…

Initially they seem harmless, if annoying—just a series of bizarre practical jokes marked by the same calling card: a chilling limerick, based on the Seven Deadly Sins in Edmund Spencer’s, The Fairie Queen. Someone seems to know a lot about Lindy’s friends and neighbors, from their envy and gluttony, to their idleness and avarice. But what begins as misguided fun soon turns deadly when the body of sexy dilettante, Derrick Justin, is found hanging from a rigged platform with a single word—lechery—pinned to his shirt.

With the night’s ghoulish festivities becoming all-too-frighteningly real, it’s up to Lindy to discover who has a vested interest in ruining Mischief Night forever. Is it Melanie Grant, the acerbic drama teacher? Town scion Howard Porter, or his spoiled, tantrum-throwing daughter, Fallon? Could it be high school senior, Bryan Morrison, President of the Teen Council, whose disdain for the “weirdos” in the drama club is well-documented? And what about Adam Crabtree, a reclusive hermit and last remaining descendant of the VanCleef family, the only man who could still stake a claim on the land? As the night builds towards its unpredictable crescendo, Lindy has good reason to find a killer with more tricks than treats in store…because an eighth sin has been created just for Lindy…a sin more deadly than all the others…

Reviews

"Small-town committee work makes a realistic backdrop for HALLOWEEN MURDER. Although readers may find it hard to keep track of the large cast of characters at first, this is an enjoyable domestic mystery." -- Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times Book Reviews

"The fourth Lindy Haggerty amateur sleuth mystery, Halloween Murder, is a fun who-done-it that sub-genre readers will enjoy because the plot seems real due to the bickering of the ensemble cast that makes up the Mischief Night Marathon committee. The story line engages the audience from the very beginning when Lindy, feeling like a sucker, lectures the dirty dog snoozing in her car until the final curtain call. Series fans will relish this Halloween treat while newcomers will commence with a Shelley Freydont marathon." -- Harriet Klausner

"Lindy Haggerty, rehearsal director for the Jeremy Ash Dance Company, returns home from a long European business trip to find all is not well with the forthcoming Mischief Night Marathon in her perky fourth outing, Halloween Murder: A Lindy Haggerty Mystery, by Shelley Freydont. What start out as pranks based on the Seven Deadly Sins soon turn into murder, with the killer targeting Lindy with her own special eighth deadly sin. The skull-and-crossbones jack-o'-lantern dust-jacket art makes this a natural for any Halloween tie-in display." -- Publisher's Weekly

"I really enjoy this series. Lindy and her assorted dance company friends always keep the story interesting, especially Rebo. He is terrifically constructed. Plus Lindy is never certain what is going on with her marriage and this always lends to the story line as well.

The additional characters, those working on the fair as well as those against the fair, really assist the story line.

I highly recommend this book and series." -- Dawn Dowdle

"People who enjoy theater mysteries will love this one. Readers get an insider’s view of the production. The methods used by one of the teachers as she directs some of the high school students in their production of The Crucible are fascinating. The details of production, from costumes to lighting to timing, are shown in enough detail to interest the reader and support the story. The details never overwhelm the narrative. This mystery moves right along, the characters are likable and the protagonist is admirable, and the puzzle is pretty strong. All in all, a very enjoyable read. Recommended for mystery-readers who like cozies." -- Jill Long, Reviewing the Evidence

Excerpt

Lindy Haggerty lifted the tailgate of her station wagon. Sixty pounds of Irish Setter jumped inside, circled twice and flopped down on the floor.

"Good dog, Bruno" Lindy tossed in a bag of clothes destined for the cleaners and closed the hatch.

When she opened the door to the driver's side, Bruno was sitting upright in the passenger's seat, staring intently out the window.

"Very clever" she said, sliding into the car. "I suppose Cliff lets you sit in the front?'

Bruno snuffled against the window. H-is nose left a smudge across the glass.

"Well, your halcyon college days are over--at least for the next week. So it's into the back for you"

Bruno turned his head, ears drooping.

"Get."

He scrambled over the gear shift and stretched out on the backseat.

"And tomorrow, you're going to the groomer's. Honestly, most college students bring home dirty laundry--I get dirty dog."

Bruno's tail thumped in reply.

Lindy had returned from Europe two days before to find Bruno waiting eagerly at the back door, a roll of shredded toilet paper in his mouth, and a note on the kitchen table. "Mom. Gone to a seminar in Boston. Can you dog-sit for a few days? A few weeks? Thanks. Love, Cliff."

"How is it" she asked over her shoulder as she pulled out of the driveway and onto the country road, "that I started out with a husband and two kids and ended up with you?" Cliff at college, Annie in Switzerland, and Glen---she had seen her husband for two days in the last two months. The only reason she had seen him at all was because she had detoured after her work in Spain to fly to Paris, where he was consultant to a multinational telecommunications firm. He hadn't been glad to see her.

Pushing that memory aside, she turned her attention back to Bruno. “Now, there are a few things we need to get straight. The Van Cleef farm and church is a historical site. That means no digging up plants, no marking territory on the shrubbery and absolutely no squatting, except in the woods, out of sight. And you'll have to stay in the car while I'm at the board meeting." She glanced in the rearview mirror. Bruno was asleep.

She slowed to the twenty-five mile an hour speed limit as she crossed the town line and drove along Main Street. It was crowded with cars, traffic brought to a standstill while people attempted to parallel park along the curbs. Quaint shops lined the brick sidewalks, their "to code" green awnings unfurled in the crisp sunlight. Display windows were decorated in the orange, gold and brown colors of autumn. Nothing so gauche as a skeleton or a witch in sight. A perfect, politically correct village of old wealth, upwardly mobile parents and exceptional children. People with money to bum and a need for "appropriate" family entertainment.

Which was the reason Lindy was headed to the scene of the Mischief Night Marathon on an early October morning, jet-lagged and feeling lonely.

The brain child of Mary Elisabeth Porter and Juvenile Detective Judd Dillman, the marathon would include haunted hayrides, ghost stories, games, food booths and a plethora of other theme-related acfivites. The proceeds would be used for the completion of the Van Cleef historical restoration and a new teen center to be housed in the church annex.

In a weak moment, Lindy had agreed to direct the Frightmare Follies variety show.

Since Annie and the Porters' youngest son, James, had been in the same class at school, the Porters and Lindy had served on many of the same committees. Mary Elisabeth had always been the consummate organizer. Howard had the clout to get things done. Lindy was better with ironing out details and troubleshooting. Over the years, the three of them had helped raise considerable money for local charities and community projects.

So when Mary Elisabeth, sounding uncharacteristically tired and frazzled, called the previous evening, asking Lindy to be her assistant for the entire event, Lindy didn't have the heart to say no. And she needed something besides the Follies and Bruno to keep her busy until she returned to work in November.

At the far edge of town, a mall sprawled across the bulldozed countryside. Being banned from the village proper, it encroached as closely as possible, its asphalt parking lot stopping two feet short of the town boundaries.

On the opposite side of the road was the Van Cleef property. Fortunately, it lay within the town borders and had thus far escaped the bulldozer. But there were plenty of others who desired this piece of prime real estate.

Lindy turned into the driveway. A wide graveled parking area separated the house from the Old Reformed Church. A macadam parking strip ran lengthwise between the church and the road. Behind them, twenty acres of woods rose into gentle foothills.

Lindy stopped the Volvo in front of the stone and clapboard farmhouse. Mary Elisabeth was waiting on the porch beneath a gable of white gingerbread fretwork.

"Stay" Lindy commanded in a low voice and got out of the car. Bruno lunged after her but only managed to get his nose through the opening at the top of the window.

Lindy rolled her eyes. He had gotten worse since living with Cliff, and he hadn't been that obedient to begin with, despite several attempts at doggie school.

Mary Elisabeth came down the steps to meet her. A few years older than Lindy, she was, as always, perfectly coifed and color coordinated, from her padded, plum-colored jacket trimmed in matching fur to her subtle mauve eye shadow. But as she drew nearer, Lindy noticed that beneath her eyes were circles of nearly the same color. Mary Elisabeth was losing sleep over this one.

"I owe you big time" said Mary Elisabeth, giving Lindy a light hug.

She's lost weight, too, thought Lindy, glad now that she had agreed to help. Good cause or not, Mary Elisabeth was working too hard for the money.