It all started with a blue moon in the town of Sanguis (pronounced San-gwee), where the people are a wee bit murdery! Sienna Benjamin, Benji, took on a job as an assistant to the owner of a huge estate with many secrets, some dark as night. She wanted a change of pace, to be closer with her best friend, Karma, and to enjoy a life in the picturesque community, however what Trubbleton offered was quite the opposite. During the Grand Opening, there are three murders, which create the essence of the series. On her adventures she meets intriguing characters who create a convoluted storyline filled with suspense, murder, and add a touch of humor, as well as captivating subplots.ย
Many characters return in the series, some having tales of tragedy, some go on to have happy lives and are easy to fall in love with. Just do not get too upset if they get murdered! โThere is a touch of the paranormal as the estate is haunted, where the guests suffer from experiences or visitations, but the ghosts just want to be heard. Benji learns how to listen to the apparitions, however it is not a main element in the series. Definitely murder is the main component, and it is surrounded with trails of clues to sleuth, even if it means leaving Sanguis for school, work, or holidays, the murders follow her like a shadow.
#1 - MURDERY
THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE BLUE MOON MURDER MYSTERY SERIES!
They paid for a murder mystery weekend party, and let's just say they got their money's worth and more.
After leaving the big city, Sienna Benjamin takes on the role of assistant, in order to help save the old, estate manor, outside the town of Sanguis, where nothing ever happens... until the blue moon.
Sienna organizes a murder mystery weekend at Trubbleton, but things get out of hand and beyond her control. She needs to figure out whodunnit to help solve the murderous dilemma, all the while playing the charming hostess.
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โWARNING: You better think twice before going to a murder mystery party!
Donโt count your chickens until they are dead.
The blue moon murders of Sanguis continue. Sienna Benjamin takes on the role of amateur sleuth in order to help the short-staffed police detachment, but the job isnโt all itโs cracked up to be. In fact, just when Sienna thinks she has everything under control, it all falls apart.
How does country hospitality turn into country hostility? Youโll find out in the second book in the Blue Moon Murder Mystery series.
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WARNING: You better think twice before raising chickens!
โโOnce, twice, third timeโs a killer.
The blue moon murders of Sanguis continue. Sienna Benjamin struggles to solve the mysterious deaths not only in Sanguis, but also in the picturesque countryside at Sun Shadow Stables. Just when she thinks she has life by the reins, death strikes again.
The question is, can she ride this one out? Youโll find out in the third book in the Blue Moon Murder Mystery series.
โWARNING: You better think thrice before riding a horse!
This time it's serial...
The blue moon murders of Sanguis are at a peak. Sienna Benjamin juggles her time between managing the old, estate manor, Trubbleton, solving several murders, as well as a missing persons case, but also tries to get riding her horses and have a social life. Is that too much to ask for? Well, maybe yes, when there is a serial killer on the loose.
The question is who is still left alive? Youโll find out in the fourth book in the Blue Moon Murder Mystery series.
โWARNING: Do you really know your neighbors?
One may escape the murderous town of Sanguis and head to the Blue Moon city only a few hours away, but one cannot escape murder.
โSienna Benjamin attends the Blue Moon Private Eye Academy and hopes to focus on her studies, however, spying on her neighbors is so much more interesting. Don't judge. What else should she do with her free time since she does not have to manage Trubbleton every day? And it never hurt anyone anyway, well, unless she sees something that someone didn't want anybody to see. Going back to school is never easy. Some might say itโs murder.
The question is how much is it before it is too far? Youโll find out in the fifth book in the Blue Moon Murder Mystery series.
โWARNING: Always listen to your mates, even if they are full of nonsense. One never knows when assumptions are real.
โI canโt remember!โ ~ most famous phrase ever spoken by practicing alcoholics, druggies and the unfortunate
The city of Blue Moon is hosting all kinds of events that promise to bring exciting entertainment for participants. The problem is that the events should have come with warnings and waivers. Benji, Allan, Karma, and Damien wake up in a hotel room and have no recollection of how they got there. Thereโs also the problem of deciphering reality from tripping. It seems as though everyoneโs got a makeover, just not for the good. They spend the rest of the weekend trying to figure out last nightโs events and what happened to Mad Dog? They go through some harsh situations and mature scenes, but the question is what would you do if you were in their situation and just how far would you go?
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WARNING: Drinking can cause serious issuesโฆ and a lack of drinking can cause serious boredom. Cheers!
Itโs time to get into the Halloween spirit, but in Sanguis it can be scary, and a full moon in Sanguis can be fatal; therefore the two together equal a deadly combination.
The old estate is lively again, hosting a Halloween themed bed and breakfast event. As All Hallowsโ Eve approaches, the dead are getting louder, some a bit more bossy and cantankerous. Benji is back from the city and ready to settle into the country setting again, however, this time she has to manage the trouble that Allan has caused, or shall I say hired! Trubbleton tries to offer it all to its guests. There are ghost hunters, a sรฉance, a party, a haunted house complete with secret passageways, mixed in with a coquettish boss, a sassy friend, a lascivious co-worker, and a sexy adversary vying for Benjiโs position, which all spell Trubbleton!
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WARNING: Trick or treat?
Ashes to ashes and dust to dustโฆ
Just when things start to settle down, someone pokes the fire. From out of the dusty ashes, an ember can be brought to full function, and its heated influence can destroy everything in its path. Benji tries to pick up the pieces, putting together another murder, with the aid of a hot firefighter at her side. However, it isnโt enough. Sheโs beginning to feel like her own life is succumbing to the flames in the town that was largely owned by a dead man.
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WARNING: Always be careful when playing with fire.
โSsh!โ said the Librarian, but what is a librarian hiding that no one is allowed to talk?
They say that when the cat is away, the mouse will play, but what happens when the dog is away? With Allan in Blue Moon, and Mad Dog is who knows where, searching for his father, Benji is left to manage Trubbleton and all of its troubles. If that isnโt enough, sheโs caught up in the drama that surrounds the town of Sanguis. It's a free country as long as you pay your taxes, follow the rules, and watch what you say... Itโs not all drama, but Sanguis certainly has a lot of it, not to mention corruption, despair, and a slew of grisly murders. You gotta know who is on your side, but who can you really trust, especially when you donโt even know who you really are?
โWARNING: Omerta.
Happy Holidays?
Allan and Benji try to escape for Christmas, travelling to the Blue Moon Mountains. The plan is to celebrate at his cabin, however a dead body gets in the way. Even though the temperature is drastically colder than what Benji has experienced before, she braces against it, and is determined to solve this โcold caseโ. Things come to a head, and the drama continues as the body count rises.
โWarning: Merry 'X'-mas
โHappy New Year?
Allan and Benji host another celebration for New Yearโs Eve at Trubbleton, but itโs not just the ball thatโs going to drop. As Benji tries to decipher between reality and psychosis, mixed in with religion and a death of a high nature, she finds that there is a strong possibility that the new year will be just as relentless.
โโWARNING: Just because itโs a brand new year, doesnโt mean last yearโs corpse will disappear.
Is that love in the air or the scent of dried blood?
Trubbleton finds itself filled with lovers. While a Valentine retreat sounds enticing, fate throws in a different twist. It seems as though love will make people do crazy things, including Allan Trubble himself. Benji is stuck sorting out the mess between those who love each other until death and those who love to see them dead.
WARNING: Valentineโs Day is a special time to show your love, or your lack of it.
Aloha,ย
Maybe it is island magic, but several beautiful islands of Hawaii, with alluring appeal of sunny shores, blue waters, delicious food, and friendly locals, there are a few surprises for those who want to dig in. It may be paradise, but for Benji, her practicum is anything but happy. Things are about to get ugly. Even though Mad Dog and Allan Trubble have come to check in on Benji, and have a little holiday, island paradise is going to turn into a sailing, castaway nightmare. And in the end, Benji is stuck trying to figure out who the murderer is all by herself.
โWARNING: Just because itโs salt water, doesnโt mean a body will float, unless itโs dead.
I do, I don't...
No one can understand the stress of a wedding more than the parents of the bride and groom. Money is flying out the window, every which way. Flowers, cakes, candles, centerpieces, venues, menus, liquor, licenses, officiants, invitations, the photographer, the videographer, the flower girl, the ring bearer, the dress, the tuxedos, the bridesmaidsโฆ oh! The Bride! Of everything, the stress is higher than normal, emotions are running rampant, and the things can become more than chaotic. They can become downright deadly. Do you fear the Bridezilla? Everything must be perfect! But with the groom in jail, there may be no wedding at all. Once again, Benji is asked for a helping hand in solving this blue case.
โWARNING: Make sure there is always something blue in a wedding, or suffer ill luck.
Would you go if you were invited?
Benji and Allan travel to a secluded island for a murder mystery party. However, upon everyoneโs arrival, she soon realizes that it is a different kind of a party. Things come to a head when Benji learns the truth, as the world turns upside down in a chaotic mess. The trick is to stay alive, which is easier said than done at this party.
โWARNING: It is a good idea to pack a weapon in a travel bag.
There's something sinister about Trubbleton is saying the least, no matter what year it is.
Trubbleton is brought to the brink of destruction, taking Allan and Benji with it. More dark secrets are revealed into a spider web of chaos. It is an age old mystery going back in time, all the way back to the 1980's. Can Benji sort it out before it is too late? Or will she lose Allan forever? ... and what about the ghosts?
โWARNING: Beware the statues that watch you.
French for 'Die'
Benji travels to see Allan, who is working in Paris. It is not all it is cut out to be as an employee is killed on the job site. Benji came to tell Allan about his past family history, but there is too much going on. She vows to find out who the killer is, however Paris is an easy place to get lost in, especially in the catacombs with Abbigail Meadows and her hidden agenda. A huge twist is when you, the reader, is asked to help solve the murder. Can you do it? Can you choose the right murderer?โ โ
โWARNING: There's no place like home.
Once, twice, three times a charm.
Benji is asked to check in on Kyiaโs aunt, but there are things that even Benji is not prepared for. Time takes an unusual twist forcing her to relive the same day. She has to put it all together, give up on some thoughts, develop new ideas, and experience several situations before she can move on to the next day.
WARNING: How well do you like your music?
Neil Diamond's song is a classic melody that played in my head when I really did have the nightmare! Yes, that's right. That part is true from start to finish. It's a good thing that I only had that nightmare once. Sorry Neil, no offence, it was just the music playing in the car.
Martha and the Vandellas is also a favorite, however if you are caught in a time loop. isn't it perfect?
The third one is a newer favorite. I even set my alarm clock to it for weekdays. When you read the book, you may find that funny.ย
Does this mean Christmas is cancelled?
Now that Allan has returned to Trubbleton, Benji is forced to make some difficult decisions, while dealing with unpleasant situations at work. The inhabitants of Sanguis are feeling a wee bit murdery again. Christmas is supposed to be filled with happiness, love, giving, and excitement, however there is a rash of crime, leading to a spree of robberies, slashing hopes and dreams. If that was not bad enough, Santa Claus takes a fatal tumble, and the children of Sanguis are traumatized. Who would want to kill Santa? Can Benji save the Christmas spirit?
โWARNING: Everyone grows up sooner or later, no matter how hard one tries not to.
As for Wendell Ferguson's 'Cranky Christmas' song, it perfectly describes the horrors of no more Santa!
As far as I am allowed to say, according to 'All I Want for Christmas is You', this is the only song that really popped into my head. Sorry, no spoilers.ย