This is book two in the series and does seem to stand alone. I might recommend reading the first one only to be more familiar with the main characters I thought this was a nice cozy mystery. I love the cover!
It had a few surprises along the way. I didn’t think Saffi was too smart at times.

Book 2 in this series doesn’t disappoint! Saffi is once more on the road in the Pacific north west, ignoring her own deadlines and helping out new friend Malcolm. Malcolm and his tourist park needs help as his wind in the willows themed adventure centre is suffering from poisonous writings and disappearances. Saffi remains as mad and all over the place as previously living in her RV and digging into things that get her into trouble, attacked and trapped in burning buildings. Saffi is real, with great conversation, a love of her bed and a good coffee and made reading this book a lark.

This is the second book I’ve n a series about a widowed writer who has settled at least for now in the Pacific Northwest after traveling the country in her RV. Saffi’s first experience as an amateur sleuth leads directly to her second in this book, as she gets drawn into a series of mysteries around a former horror movie star trying to open a mini theme park around his movie memorabilia. The plot is interesting and the recurring characters are well written, with plausible relationships that draw you in. A few elements of the plot didn’t quite work for me at the end, with some questionable decisions by Saffi and a few extra plot points that aren’t quite resolved. It’s an enjoyable series, though, with particularly good descriptions of the settings. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are offered voluntarily and are entirely my own.

An abandoned amusement park in the middle of the woods is brought back to life for the spooky season in this cozy that combines cozy and creepy to create a perfect Halloween murder mystery

Saffi is a writer, she lives and tours about in her RV, when a horror movie tv star Malcolm asks for her help as a sleuth. He’s wanting to open a horror park and keeps getting postcards telling him not to, but who’s setting them. This was a good read, set at Halloween in a spooky wood Saffi is determined to find out who. Great characters and a great plot. A great 4 star mystery read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

A clever and entertaining cozy mystery. I have not read the first one in this series. I plan to do so now that I have discovered these characters. An interesting group. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A misty October road trip, a forgotten theme park, and a murder beneath the dock—Kim Griswell’s Death in the Haunted Wood is a cozy mystery steeped in autumnal charm and cinematic suspense.

Writer Saffi Graywood returns in this second Pacific Northwest mystery, hoping for a brief escape from her manuscript deadline. Instead, she finds herself entangled in a chilling case involving threatening vintage postcards and the eerie reopening of “The Haunted Wood,” a derelict theme park once graced by horror legend Malcolm Morton. With jack-o’-lanterns flickering and costumed guests arriving for the Halloween Spooktacular, the setting is pure seasonal delight—until the fog thickens and the body count rises.

Griswell’s prose is brisk yet evocative, painting the Pacific Northwest in shades of cedar, chai steam, and creeping dread. Saffi is a relatable sleuth—curious, grounded, and just the right amount of skeptical. The cast of suspects is delightfully quirky, and the mystery unfolds with satisfying twists that keep the pages turning well past dusk.

Perfect for readers who crave their whodunnits with a side of spiced tea and vintage flair, this installment blends cozy comforts with just enough menace to make the shadows dance. A treat for fans of Lauren Elliott and Merryn Allingham, and a must-read for anyone who believes that every pumpkin hides a secret.

With thanks to Kim Griswell, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Death in the Haunted Wood by Kim Griswell is the kind of book that lures you in with the promise of cozy fall vibes and then smacks you upside the head with murder. And I say that with love. Huge thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted ARC—I was not prepared for how badly I needed a Halloween-themed mystery involving an aging horror star, a spooky campground, and a sarcastic children’s book author turned reluctant sleuth.

Here’s the setup: Saffi Graywood, widowed writer of the wildly successful Aunt Saffi’s Bedtime Reader series, is hiding out in her RV somewhere along the Oregon coast, supposedly working on her next book. In reality, she’s ignoring deadlines, sipping hot drinks, and minding her own business—until a friend ropes her into helping Malcolm Morton, a retired horror movie icon with a flair for drama and a sudden stalker problem. Malcolm’s planning the grand reopening of an abandoned campground-slash-theme park called “The Haunted Wood,” which sounds perfectly normal if you’re into derelict animatronics and fog machines operated by unpaid theater kids.

But someone’s not thrilled about this comeback. Malcolm’s been receiving creepy, vintage Halloween postcards—each one more threatening than the last—and when a body turns up beneath the dock, Saffi finds herself in yet another murder mystery she did not ask for. Because of course she does.

The town is picturesque, the locals are weird, and the suspects are exactly the kind of people you hope to encounter in a cozy mystery: a sheriff who clearly knows more than he’s saying, a too-helpful campground manager, some intense costumed guests, and enough passive-aggressive tension to fuel a murder weapon or two. Everyone’s got secrets, everyone’s got motive, and somehow Saffi’s chai supply is always running low at the worst possible moment.

Griswell nails the tone here—sharp, warm, atmospheric, with a touch of noir peeking through the autumn leaves. The pacing is just right: not so slow you’re yawning between chapters, not so fast that it feels like a Scooby-Doo chase scene. And Saffi? I’d absolutely follow her into another murder. She’s clever, emotionally guarded, appropriately skeptical of everyone she meets, and exactly the kind of woman who would rather ask snarky follow-up questions than politely ignore a lie. Relatable.

The real draw, though, is the setting. Griswell paints the Oregon coast like a postcard soaked in fog and secrets. Every scene is dripping in atmosphere: mist rolling through the evergreens, jack-o’-lanterns flickering on cabin porches, the faint scent of woodsmoke and cinnamon in the air. If you’re the type who puts up Halloween decorations before the first leaf falls, this book is your aesthetic on paper.

And the mystery? Surprisingly layered. The murder isn’t just a plot device—it’s a puzzle, and a good one. Clues are dropped like breadcrumbs, but Griswell doesn’t make it too easy. You’ll have your list of suspects, and you’ll change your mind at least three times. I had a working theory halfway through that was very satisfying to be wrong about.

One standout quote that sums up the book’s vibe perfectly:
“The Haunted Wood may be reopening, but something in the shadows never closed.”
Tell me that’s not the perfect tagline for a murder mystery set in a foggy Halloween wonderland. Go on, I’ll wait.

Also, can we talk about the Halloween Spooktacular? It’s everything: costumed chaos, themed drinks, suspicious party guests, a performance from a man who peaked in 1973, and a killer lurking just out of frame. It’s like Knives Out met Hocus Pocus at a campground and brought murder as a plus-one.

This is book two in the Pacific Northwest Cozy Mystery series, but it stands alone just fine. That said, you’ll absolutely want to go back and read book one once you’re done. Saffi’s character arc is subtle but strong, especially in how she’s navigating grief without being swallowed by it. She’s not your standard sunshine-and-scones cozy heroine—she’s real, a little rough around the edges, and genuinely fun to read.

If you’re the kind of reader who wants high-stakes murder but refuses to give up fall comfort in the process, this is your book. It’s the literary equivalent of wearing a chunky sweater to a crime scene: warm, moody, slightly unhinged, and stylishly practical.

Five stars. No notes. Except maybe “bring a flashlight” if you’re reading at night.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#DeathInTheHauntedWood #KimGriswell #NetGalley #PacificNorthwestCozyMystery #CozyMysterySeries #FallReads #HalloweenMystery #SpookySeasonReads #WomenWhoSleuth #AmateurSleuthFiction #MurderAtTheCampground #MysteryBookReview #CozyMysteryWithBite #OregonCoastMystery

Saffi (who writes Aunt Saffi’s Bedtime Reader Series) has temporarily left Lost Cove to investigate the threatening postcards received by Malcolm. Malcolm, an aging, former horror movie star, is reopening a Wind in the Willows resort further up the coast, but repurposing it as a horror-themed resort. Not everyone is happy about it, but someone is threatening him. By the time Saffi drives to his campground, a murder has occurred and Saffi begins collecting suspects and new friends.
I love the setting on the beautiful Oregon coast and the descriptions of the scenery and the wildlife. The story is filled with interesting characters and the mystery is complicated. This was an enjoyable cozy mystery and I am enjoying this series very much.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a cozy mystery steeped in autumn atmosphere and small-town secrets. When Saffi Graywood stumbles into a murder at a long-abandoned Halloween theme park, she must sift through quirky locals, eerie clues, and buried grudges to unmask the killer. With its mix of suspense, charm, and seasonal spookiness, this is a perfect read for fans of cozy whodunits with a Halloween twist.

A fantastic, twisty murder mystery! Saffi remained in Last Chance Cove after her last murder mystery and now, 4 months later, she's asked by one of her new friends to investigate a series of threatening post cards being sent to retired horror actor, Malcolm Morton. The postcards warn him against opening his Haunted Wood Theme and RV park further along the coast. Saffi agrees to look into it and makes her way to the park. Plenty of entertaining characters, a murder, several suspects for both the postcards and the murder, and a Halloween extravaganza of an opening night. Fun and fast paced. I look forward to more in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Kim Griswell for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

Recently/suddenly widowed author Saffi had embarked on a peripatetic RV tour as a way to learn to deal with her grief. She comes to the opposite coast and a nice little RV park in a small town with hope of being alone to write a new Bedside Reader for her publisher. Good luck with that. Not long ago she had been involved in solving a murder, and now a retired horror film actor wants her to go to his theme RV park and preview the first book he's written. He tells her that someone has been threatening him with postcards with unusual statements on them and having been mailed from different places. She's on a time crunch but agrees. Once she gets to the theme campground things change and enter the Postal Inspector/investigator. Lots of twists and loops to this unusual story!
I requested and received a temporary electronic review galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. #NetGalley **** review @goodreads #librarything #storygraph @bookbub
#Death in the Haunted Wood by @griswellkim #PacificNorthwestCozyMysteriesBk2 @stormbooks_co
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