Review

For fans of: Diane Mott Davidson and Kate Collins

It’s the week before Halloween and domestic diva Sophie Winston and her rival, Natasha, are going all out with regard to decorations.  Sophie’s got her hands full with the community haunted house, and Natasha’s determined to throw the most elaborate costume party the neighborhood has ever seen.  Sophie’s haunted house looks great (thanks in no small part to niece Jen and friends), but when she shows up at Natasha’s party, she’s forced to admit that the house looks incredible – especially the creepy tableau that Natasha’s set up on the front lawn.  When Sophie goes in for a closer look, however, she quickly discovers the reason the scene looks so convincing: the vampire is a real live person.  And the pirate, as it turns out, is a real dead one – complete with bite marks on his neck.

The vampire takes off before Sophie can call for help – or identify the man behind the mask.  But soon, misfortunes start to befall Sophie that make her wonder if the killer thinks she saw more than she did.  Can Sophie help make the streets safe again in time for the neighborhood kids to enjoy the holiday – or will she become a grizzly bit of decoration, herself?

The Diva Haunts the House is the fifth of Krista Davis’ Domestic Diva Mysteries, and it’s a fantastic read.  This book fires on all cylinders.  The mystery is clever, the plot has more twists and turns than a funhouse maze, and the sense of atmosphere is so strong you can practically smell the wood smoke and hear the dead leaves rattling in the street.  Davis does a great job of making her story seem cozy whilst simultaneously keeping the tension high; scenes of domestic bliss are routinely interspersed with John Carpenter-esque scares.  The final wrap-up is perhaps a tad overly complicated, but I appreciate Davis’ attention to detail, and the book’s ending is ultimately quite satisfying.

Davis’ character work is top-notch, adding warmth, humor, and realism to an already stellar story.  Sophie’s a sweet and caring heroine with a sharp wit and a steely resolve, handsome homicide detective Wolf strikes just the right balance between cop and boyfriend, and Sophie’s once-again-smitten ex-husband Mars makes for a humorous and charming complication.  And as for the supporting cast, neighbor Nina makes for an entertaining sidekick, Natasha is high-maintenance comic relief at its best, and tween mean-girl Heather and her predatory father Karl are characters you’ll love to hate.

Really the only complaint I have is the decision to place Halloween-related craft tips at beginning of every chapter.  The tips themselves are quite clever and add to the “domestic diva” theme of the series, but Davis’ chapter breaks are often located smack in the middle of action-packed scenes, disrupting the flow of an otherwise rocket-paced story.

Reviewed by Kat