Deliciously Devious: Halloween at Beachside (A Beachside Boys Novella)

CONTEMPORARY: When Leo Cusano is expected to organize a Halloween mystery party, his enthusiasm is not as high as it should be. With the help of Arie Winters, he begins to come around. However, business issues like creating sweet treats and finding a location for his dessert bar are sapping some of his usual love for the spooky holiday. Turning a novel into a play for murder mystery dinner theater is proving to be a challenge, especially when they can’t decide which family member to kill off in the name of entertainment. Can they pull it all together? And will their past relationship help or hinder the process?

 “Deliciously Devious: Halloween at Beachside” is the continuation of the romance between another Cusano brother and his sweetheart from the previous novella in this short-read series. It finally answers the ‘will they or won’t they’ question left hanging at the end of “The Donut Guy from Beachside”. And, as with all the previous Beachside novellas, this one shares the wonderful community of Beachside, including all its most colorful inhabitants. Unfortunately, the reader is at a distinct disadvantage in reading this story if they haven’t read at least the one story just before it. While the author does bring in some of the background, the main characters’ past relationship is still a bit muddled for a new reader. The story is a sweet/clean romance with lots of comedy inserted in the right places. If one enjoyed the other books in this series, this one will be enjoyable as well. Or, if you’re not familiar, this may prompt you to read the entire series just to get to know the people who inhabit Beachside.

N.E. Kelley