How to Party with a Killer Vampire
A Party-Planning Mystery, No 4
Penny Warner

Obsidian
Oct 2011/ 978-0-451-23501-5
Mystery / Cozy / Amateur Sleuth / Party Planning
Amazon

Reviewed by Laura Hinds

Presley Parker is living her dream as she runs her event-planning business in San Francisco. High profile movie producer, Lucas Cruz, hires Presley to stage a wrap party for his latest flick, “Revenge of the Killer Vampires.”

The movie is a spoof, but Cruz wants the party to be realistic, so he wants the wrap party to be held in a real cemetery. While not the most conducive place for the type of fun party Presley would like to plan, she learns cemetery events are more popular than she’d imagined.

When one of the movie’s extras is murdered, alarms go off in Presley’s mind. She’s been involved in solving murder cases before. Then, a member of the paparazzi is also killed, and the list of suspects is a long one. Will Presley help or hinder the police investigation?

Warner writes in a relaxed and natural manner, setting her readers at ease as they get to know the characters and sink their teeth into the story. The mystery is solid, although there are leads that take the reader off the beaten path, which serves to further enhance the mystery. The setting of a cemetery for a party is unique and clever. The story features some romance and some light-hearted humor as well.

This is a fun entry in this series, and mixes elements of a contemporary cozy mystery with the current fad of vampire-themes. It’s a fun read, appealing to both teens and adults. As the spirit of Halloween passes, this book is a great November read to keep the spirit of Halloween alive just a little bit longer. I give this book four sharp fangs!

Party Planning Mystery series at Amazon