Pumpkin Picking with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the second book in the “Otter Lake” mystery series. Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, August 2016

When murder strikes in the Tunnel of Love, Erica Bloom has to rock the boat to catch a killer. . .

For a small town like Otter Lake, New Hampshire, the annual Fall Festival is a big deal: a Ferris wheel, corn maze, caramel apples, and pumpkin pies―even a Tunnel of Love. Back in her hometown, Erica Bloom is trying to enjoy herself, which includes getting better acquainted with Sheriff Grady Forrester. But when a swan boat sails out of the heart-shaped exit of the tunnel with a dead man slumped over a wing, her own romance will have to take a backseat.

PUMPKIN PICKING WITH MURDER
Speaking of love affairs, the other passenger in the boat―and only witness to the elderly Mr. Masterson’s swan song―is not his wife. It’s Erica’s beloved and feisty “aunt,” Tweety, who quickly becomes the prime suspect. Vowing to clear Tweety, Erica teams up with her sassy BFF and self-appointed security expert Freddie Ng to solve the murder―despite the objections of Grady, who’s convinced the amateurs are going overboard in their investigation. And he just may be right. But as Erica and Freddie start to dredge up long-kept small-town secrets, will they heading straight into troubled waters?

Erica is back home in Otter Lake hoping rekindle her relationship with Grady. Only one thing hinders that…Freddie. He’s made himself a security officer and when Erica’s aunt is implicated in a recent murder…you know what happens and what a hilarious romp that we are witness to as these two amateur sleuths try to solve yet, another murder in this small town.

I love the way the author set-up this whodunit where the key characters all play pivotal roles in the telling of this tale. The antics that the two sleuths finds themselves involved in had me laughing out loud. The mystery was well done with some surprises that added to the enhancement of the multi-plot scenario. With the way this book ended, I’m looking forward to the next book in this amusingly entertaining series.