The setting for this cozy ghost murder mystery was intriguing: a paint store, full of potential for colorful clues and hidden secrets. However, despite the promising premise, I found myself not as captivated by the story as I'd hoped. The mystery itself felt somewhat underdeveloped, lacking the intricate twists and turns I typically enjoy in this genre. While the ghostly element added a unique touch, it wasn't as seamlessly integrated into the plot as it could have been, leaving me wanting more. The characters, though likable enough, lacked the depth and complexity to truly draw me into their world. Ultimately, the book fell short of my expectations, leaving me with a sense of unfulfilled potential.

I picked up All Spooked Up because the premise intrigued me—a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist sounded like exactly the kind of light, entertaining read I was in the mood for. While the book had some fun moments and a solid mystery, it didn’t fully win me over.

First Impressions
The story starts off slowly, and I found it took until about page 60 before it really picked up. Once it did, I was more engaged, especially in the last 40 pages where the tension and momentum kept me hooked. The tone is light and witty, and the main character feels relatable, which helped me stay invested even during the slower parts.

Plot & Pacing
This is definitely a slow-burn mystery. The pacing never felt unbearable, but it didn’t make me desperate to keep turning pages either—until the final stretch. The mystery itself, however, is an interesting one, with a backstory that stands out from the usual cozy mystery fare. The resolution of the murder mystery was satisfying and tied together well, even if the final wrap-up of the book as a whole felt weaker.

Characters
The characters are where the book shines the most. I particularly enjoyed the quirky side characters from the small town—they added warmth, humor, and color to the story. The main character is relatable and grounded, with dialogue that felt natural, even to the point where I could imagine myself saying some of the same things. Relationships, both friendly and romantic, are a big part of this book and felt believable without overwhelming the mystery.

Writing Style & Atmosphere
Copperman’s style is light, witty, and easy to read, which suits the cozy mystery genre well. The small-town American setting is quickly recognizable and easy to imagine, making it an accessible backdrop for the unfolding paranormal-tinged mystery.

Emotional Response
For me, the book was entertaining but stayed mostly surface-level. I didn’t laugh out loud, nor was I deeply moved, but I did enjoy the humor and found myself pulled along enough to finish. The mystery arc had a satisfying ending, but the emotional investment wasn’t strong enough to make me feel like I had to read more in the series.

Critiques
The pacing was my biggest issue—slow at the start and a bit weak in the very end, even if the murder mystery itself was well resolved. The wrap-up didn’t leave me eager to pick up the next book. Additionally, while the paranormal twist was fun, it didn’t always feel fully integrated or impactful.

Content Warnings
Murder (gruesome but not graphically described)
Teacher–student relationship (a significant element of the plot, which some readers may find sensitive or uncomfortable)

Final Thoughts
All Spooked Up is an easy, cozy mystery with light paranormal elements and charming side characters. Fans of small-town mysteries with a touch of the supernatural may enjoy it, but for me, it landed as a 3-star read—pleasant, but not gripping, and not quite strong enough to make me seek out more from the author.

Best for readers who want a light, easy cozy mystery with a paranormal edge and don’t mind a slower build.

Unfortunately I have decided to DNF this one, it wasn't for me.
I will continue to check for future books from this author as I like to give author's a second chance and I won't be put off from DNF this one for my future reads.

I enjoyed EJ Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse series and thought this book would follow along those lines. All though it does seem to try that, it just doesn’t seem to work out quite the same. The ghost is not likeable or very helpful. The idea of giving up two very good jobs to sell a few gallons of paint a day seems like a very bad idea and the whole mystery in the book just didn’t work. The motive was pretty thin and the resolution was really unbelievable. I do have to say it was one of the most unique cozy methods of death I’ve ever read, but even that did not make the book more interesting. It is a quick, easy to read mystery and not unenjoyable, just not very exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book. All opinions are my own.

After his successful Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries, Jeff Cohen (writing as E.J. Copperman) has returned to ghostly themes in The Haunted Paint Store Mysteries. The first title, ALL SPOOKED UP will be released November 4, 2025.

Laura Meehan returns to New Jersey after her father’s death to operate his paint store business and is hit with a double whammy. Not only does she discover a dead body in the shop but she encounters her father’s ghost who is lingering there. After the initial shock, she’s grateful that her father, a former police detective, can offer support and guidance as she begins to investigate the crime.

The dialogue in Copperman’s books is always sharp and fresh, peppered with one-liners and his trademark wit. When Laura first encounters her father’s ghost she (understandably) thinks she’s going insane. She considers her options: medical treatment, a psychologist, a psychiatrist? She’s in a quandary about the next step and decides to buy a small calzone at San Remo Pizza to weigh her choices. This makes perfect sense to me and every woman I know. When in doubt, eat a calzone.

Hannibal Watson, a local police detective isn’t spared her rapier wit. She notices Watson always repeats his questions. Ask a question, get an answer, ask the question again. Watson has also developed the knack of never revealing any facial expressions. Laura imagines him practicing this ability in the mirror. Laura is two steps ahead of Watson at every turn and notices that a door to the paint store has been left open.

Cohen explains his technique for creating paranormal fiction. “This new book, starting the Haunted Paint Store series, is a return to paranormal subjects for me. But I don’t think of the ghosts as ghosts. I think of them as people who just so happen to be dead. They’re still themselves; they just don’t walk around and eat or anything. I don’t read a lot of supernatural or paranormal fiction—the fact is, I don’t read a lot of mystery novels when I’m working, because I don’t want another writer’s voice in my head. So the characters are just who they are, but they walk through walls and appear somewhat… unfinished.”

Looking forward to many more adventures with Laura Meehan in this entertaining series.

.

☕Review: All Spooked Up

💗Rate: 5 Stars!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🦄Praise: LOVE ANYTHING E.J. WRITES!! I couldn't believe a new series had been made!! I love any kind of cozy mystery that involves someone from the other side of the realm basically saying "Hey!! Not to bother you..... I know I'm dead and I am here to help!" So cute, cozy, and fun!! The mystery really had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I may have walked around a few times pacing and pondering!

🌸 Being introduced to Laura was like meeting a new friend! She decides to take over her recently passed on Father's painting shop! 😞❤️ When she finds a dead body in her father's store she decides to figure out who did it not only that her deceased father the ghost is helping her! Ok!! Awesome! Love this basis for the book!

💕Characters: All the characters really had my attention! They all had their quirks and their qualms to work through! (But all in all it's really a very light-hearted read!) The character who passes away, Ernie, really was not liked! So the premise that it could be anyone that decided to get ride of him.......well .....what a mystery to solve!! All the characters were worthy of intrigue and investigating!

📚Extra: I have to say I hope this series continues to go forward with many many books! Because I will for sure be reading all of them!

🎁Bravo!

I picked up All Spooked Up hoping for a zany cozy mystery with a ghostly twist, but it felt more like slogging through a corporate memo. A policeman named Hannibal Watson should’ve been a playful nod, but instead it pulled me out every time I read it. That moment set the tone for much of my reading experience: clever ideas that never really found their footing. The murder body drops fairly early—about 10% in—but instead of diving into the mystery, the story stalls.

The bulk of the narrative is spent on the main character’s disbelief about her father’s ghost. She knows she’s seeing him… but also insists she can’t be seeing him… and then a therapist even advises her to “just accept it.” Meanwhile, she frequently comments on how wonderful her husband is, especially how supportive he was in quitting his job so they could run her late father’s struggling paint shop. Logically, I couldn’t help but wonder why both of them would abandon steady jobs to take on a barely-thriving business.

What surprised me was just how little sleuthing actually went on. Her father, once a sharp police detective, doesn’t contribute much beyond shrugs and cheap shots at his son-in-law. Laura, meanwhile, spends her energy sparring sarcastically with Hannibal Watson, flattening him into the butt of jokes rather than a functioning detective. Honestly, I didn’t understand what Watson had done to deserve being the butt of so many remarks, other than stand around looking frustrated.

The mystery’s resolution comes out of nowhere, with clues and connections conjured like a bad magic trick. It’s a slow crawl to a rushed, nonsensical end. The premise has undeniable charm: a haunted paint store, family legacy, and paranormal cozy energy. But the execution felt scattered, weighed down by skepticism circles and side-commentary rather than a satisfying mystery core. I finished this ARC out of obligation, but I’m not itching for the sequel.

A fun mystery that make you laugh out loud at times. EJ delivers a story that is easily read in a short amount of time and is hard to put down. Laura takes over her dads paint shop after he has passed away. She discovers two things--a dead body and her dad's ghost. I look forward to reading more from Copperman. These cozy mysteries are great to curl up on the couch with on a rainy day.

Tries to hard, adds to much “side tracks” while a conversation is going on. Pretty predictable, sometimes the protagonist seems stupid. If you have cameras around the store, you should pick up,someone stealing a huge item. Would not recommend.

While this was a fun and quirky cozy mystery, I did feel this was almost too predictable and either there were a couple plot holes or I just missed some things somewhere.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A lighthearted, funny story that involves a paint shop, a ghost and a murder. I enjoyed this book, it was a fun investigative mystery with some good banter between characters, particularly Laura and Detective Watson.

Unfortunately, I found it a little predictable and it lost a bit of momentum in the middle with some pointless rambling.

My biggest issue was possibly a plot hole in Chapter Four? Laura mentioned installing a “Closed Circuit Monitor System” and was watching these monitors while in her office, however this was never mentioned again, even when there was an important mid-day theft later in the book? This confused me.

A very fun cosy mystery about a woman who recently has taken over for late father's paint store. I enjoyed the overall mystery and ghostly aspect. I look foward to see more from this series.

This is definitely a fun cosy mystery story with an unique location: a paint shop! I had a lot of fun reading this book. It took a while to get into the solving, and the main character was a bit slow on that and almost acting a bit foolish, and that also made the reading slow at times. However i really liked the addition of the ghost and the working together with her husband. It made for a surprising ending! I would recommend this to all cosy murder mystery lovers.

A great start to a new series. Laura has moved back to take over her father’s paint store after he passed away. Of course she didn’t expect his ghost to still be handing around. When an irritating customer is found murdered in the paint shaking machine it just gets complicated. Enjoyed this one and would highly recommend. Look forward to the next in the series.

#AllSpookedUp #NetGalley is the first in a new paranormal series by the very talented E.J. Copperman.
Laura has decided to take over her father's paint & wallpaper shop in New Jersey.
Her father's recent death spurred the decision, but she has no idea her dad is still there, tethered to the shop, in ghost form.
Laura thinks she's crazy, she blames it on her grief, but whatever the reasons, he's there.
Laura is trying to make the store her own, but the longtime customers don't make it easy. Ernie, the slacker, thinks he can intimidate her into letting him get his supplies with his take now, pay later tactics, but Laura isn't falling for that.
Ernie's temper doesn't scare her, but when she finds him dead, in her store, she realizes somebody was mad enough to shut him up, permanently.

This is a fun, laugh out loud cozy mystery, that I enjoyed reading.
Laura is a great character, the author's take on her sense of humor is refreshing, and I was immediately drawn to her character.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this fun cozy mystery series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.