Hallowe'en Party | 
so-soDuring a Halloween party, one of the children 13-year-old Joyce, declares that she saw a murder committed once. No-one believes her, but later that evening she is found drowned in a tub of apples. Author Ariadne Oliver calls in close friend, Hercule Poirot, to find the killer.
This one is a bit of a dog's dinner. For a start, I can't stand Ariadne Oliver, in fact she makes me think of Hastings quite fondly. (continued)
pickIt seems a little bit wrong to describe a mystery in which children are murdered as "fun," however, I did find this story fun. I figured out 2/3 of the solution before the reveal, which is unusual for me, and I found the descriptions of the party games intriguing (although also a great way to spread illness (bobbing for apples) and a big fire risk (snap-dragon, which I kind of want to do anyway)). I also like the use of the word "sartorial."
Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween team #DeadSerious! I hope you‘ve had lots of spooky fun this month and knocked some books off your TBRs. It‘s hard to believe October is almost over!
Please get me your second half points totals as soon as you can. You can comment below or make a separate post and tag me! 💀
#HauntedShelf
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, LadyCait84, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, SamAnne, Patchshank, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Bath & Body Works may have already moved on to Christmas, but by my calendar it‘s still Halloween…
Sour
Make
Ghost
Owls
Mummy
Party
Casper
Potion
Cobwebs
Paint
Graveyard
#wondrouswednesday
Thanks for the tags @TheSpineView @julieclair
Doing some audio stitching for Christmas with one of my favorite Halloween books!
Team #DeadSerious, welcome to the second half of #HauntedShelf! Today kicks off the second team game which can earn you unlimited points until Oct. 27.
It‘s word association, so post a word that has something to do with the word before it. Our starting word is phantasmal. Each word you provide is worth 10 points!
Have fun! 💀
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, LadyCait84, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, SamAnne, Patchshank, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Saw this house on our early dog walk today. Any other Halloween picks in the neighborhood?
#halloweeninthehood 🖤🎃🖤
So excited to get started.
Both 🐺🧛
Thriller
Neither
Funny costume 🤡
Sour candy 🍬
Both 🍎🎃
Sweater
Hayride
Neither
#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @originalCyn360
Team #DeadSerious! @OriginalCyn620
🧛♂️ vampires
🧟♂️ Thriller
🎃 pumpkin spice
🤣 funny costume
🍫 chocolate
🍎 apple picking
🧦fuzzy socks
🌽 corn maze
🎃 Halloween party
Hello team #DeadSerious! Tuesday is the start of Haunted Shelf, so I thought a round of this or that would be a fun way to get ready and get to know each other a bit. My answers are below. Post yours in the comments or make a separate post and tag me!
Vampires 🧛
Thriller 🧟
Pumpkin spice 🎃
Funny costume 😂
Chocolate 🍫
Pumpkin patch 🎃
Fuzzy socks 🧦
Corn maze 🌽
Hand out candy to trick or treaters 🍬
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, SamAnne, Patchshank, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Team #DeadSerious, here is the points system for #HauntedShelf. It‘s my understanding that any book on your radar as of Oct. 1 will count for points, even if it‘s not on your posted TBR for the readathon.
And here‘s a link to the Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nyYUKsgNAKETvS2oE3zduHta6OMJ2KFH?usp=sha...
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, TheAromaofBooks, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Team #DeadSerious, these are the early bird points opportunities! If you‘ve already posted your TBR and/or shared the sign up link or book recs, no need to post again, just tag me in the comments of your post/s.
And be sure to tag me in all your future posts, as well as using the #HauntedShelf and #DeadSerious tags! 💀
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, TheAromaofBooks, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Hello, all! Welcome to team #DeadSerious! I am your humble team leader for the #HauntedShelf readathon. October will be a month full of good books, games, and all-around spooky fun!
I‘ll be posting some info and how to score early bird points shortly. 💀
Sarahreadstoomuch, ShananigansReads, Cuilin, LibrarianRyan, Bookwormjillk, Skygoddess1, vonnie862, Sleepswithbooks, CoffeeNBooks, TheAromaofBooks, katiekat311, AmandaBlaze
Reposting for @TheSpineView. I'll be participating and reading as many spooky/mysterious/cozy-filled books as I can! 🤩
#Spookoween
#frightclub
@jadams89
#HauntedShelf
C'mon, October! 🧡🎃🧡
Fall: Hallowe‘en Party - Agatha Christie
Winter: Wolf Winter - Cecilia Ekback
Spring: The Secret Garden - Francis Hodgson Burnett
Summer: A Salty Piece of Land - Jimmy Buffett
#ihavequestions
The Poirot Bird 🐦
#HalloweenParty #AgathaChristie #HerculePoirot #book #books #booklist #booklust #bookloot #booklove #booklover #booklovers #bookloversunite #bookz #bookzesty #bookzilla #bookzone #bookxcess #bookcase #bookcases #bookcover #bookcovers #bookcoverdesign #bookcoverdesigner #bookclub #bookclubs #bookvibe #bookvibes #bookvsfilm #bookvsmovie #Mystery #Fiction #Crime #Classics #MysteryThriller #Halloween #Audiobook #Detective #Thriller
“Good night, chère Madame. Lady Macbeth and Narcissus. It has been remarkably interesting. I have to thank you for bringing it to my notice—“
“That‘s right,” said Mrs. Oliver in an exasperated voice, “blame it all on me as usual!”
#HalloweenParty #AgathaChristie #Poirot #HerculePoirot #lastline #closingline #book #books #bookcase #bookcases #bookcover #Mystery #Fiction #Crime #Classics #MysteryThriller #Halloween #Audiobook #Detective #Thriller ?
pickAnother great Poirot mystery that was fun to follow along with and try to solve. I haven't watched the new adaptation yet but from the description I've read it seems completely different from the original story...
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
so-soThe newest Poirot movie was based on this, but very little of the story remained the same. This one didn't hold my attention like others in the series. A young girls is killed after claiming to have witnessed a murder, but everyone says she was a compulsive liar. Poirot works with a famous author to try to solve the case. Not a bad mystery, just missing some of the urgency in Christie's others.
pickOne of her later novels (published in 1969), Christie hauls out Poirot from her bookcase of detectives to solve the mystery of 13-year-old Joyce's death, an annoying girl who is drowned in a bucket while bobbing for apples at a Halloween Party. Even Poirot seems a bit hackneyed on this job. A semi-enjoyable and fast read, but not one of Christie's best. The ending also was too abrupt, like she was hurrying to meet a deadline. A low pick. 3.5/5.
And just like that, Halloween and #Scarathlon are over for another year. It was a great month!!! My points post will come later today! 🎃 #scarathlonphotochallenge #halloween #blackcatcrew
LibrarianRyan, TheBookDream, hes7, Allydanielle88, TEArificbooks, TheQuietQuill, BookwormAHN, RedxoHearts, 5feet.of.fury, Read-y_Picker, Yuki_Onna, Justmissc87
pickI finished this #scarathlon #hhc #buddy read. It did take me a few weeks- because I‘m slow reading these days, but I enjoyed it very much! I like the way Poirot seeks information, and was ultimately very surprised by the ending. (also @wanderinglynn I use this mug often 🖤🖤🖤)
BookmarkTavern, Liatrek, JessClark78, TheDaysGoBy, vonnie862, LadyCait84, Sresendez12, Nessavamusic, dabbe, kelli7990, JessieKB
#Scarathlon photo challenge Day 31
#halloween 🎃
I enjoyed this one
Last photo challenge, until next year 👋
Read this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it! Haven‘t seen the new movie adaptation yet but it‘s on my list.
#scarathlon #TeamCreepinItReal #scarathlonphotochallenge #halloween 6 pts
I can‘t believe I‘m already posting the final photo of the #scarathlonphotochallenge 🎃 I do not understand how this month has gone by so fast
#scarathlon #skeletoncrew
#ScarathlonPhotoChallenge #Day31 #Halloween Happy Halloween my fellow Scarathloners! Of course I had to use Dame Agatha for this prompt🎃 #Scarathlon #SpookyGhostClub 6pts
pickBk15 of #Scarathlon & Bk3 of #20in4 & #FinalStretchathon is done! Woohoo!My annual reread of this Dame Agatha classic is always a joy. Love me some Ariadne Oliver! #31x31 #Falling4Books #Rushathon #Spookaween #AfterDarkBingo #BodyCountBingo #ISpyBingo #PromptMaze #NaturalitsyBingo #BookspinBingo #ScaredyCatRC #OctoberBingo #BookishFirst #ThrillerBooksBingo #OctoberRC #HalloweenReadathon #OctoberBookBingo #ReadLikeHellathon #SpookyGhostClub 5286pts
DieAReader, Clwojick, Read4life, Andrew65, TheSpineView, Catsandbooks, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, GHABI4ROSES, LiseWorks, AllDebooks
One of her later, weaker books Too many extremely similar speeches by different characters who all seem to have the mindset of an elderly person frightened by the changing world.
#Scarathlon #TeamMischiefAndMayhem
pickShe really stumped me with this one—I had no clue who it could be till the end! Not my favorite, but very good, of course. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
umm while i love Poirot i find myself bored more often than not 😅 this would be better as a podcast
Be kind to those with food allergies this Halloween 🎃 🩵
#HalloweenParty #AgathaChristie #HerculePoirot #Poirot #TealPumpkinProject #book #books #bookedit #bookedits #bookeditor #bookend #bookends #bookending #bookendings #read #bookrecommendation #bookrecommendations #recommendation #recommendations #bookreport #bookreports #bookreview #bookreviews #bookriot #Mystery #Fiction #Crime #Classics #MysteryThriller #Halloween #Detective #Audiobook
so-soFinally finished this team read! Moved a little slow to me overall and definitely had to be paying attention. I did enjoy Poirot‘s character and I still want to watch the movie. I think we all felt similarly.🤷🏻♀️#scarathlon #hhc
BookmarkTavern, Liatrek, JessClark78, Chrissyreadit, StayCurious, TheDaysGoBy, vonnie862, LadyCait84, Sresendez12, Nessavamusic, dabbe, kelli7990
so-soThe mystery of this one I thought was going to be compelling - but it feel quite flat and far fetched as we reached the ending. It was darker than earlier Christie‘s - the victims, largely ignore as is usual, but being children this seemed so much more callous.
pickCute book to read around Halloween and get a mental thrill from Christie‘s detective story. If you enjoy tracing through the wires and theories of detective stories then this is the book for you as always in the Hercule Pirot mystery books.
panNew book review up! Click the link to see what I think of this book.
https://youtu.be/4fBfL6PQVlI?si=eCMWjKIYcXExhrL2
pickThis was the perfect read for this month. Maybe now I will see the movie...maybe.
#Scarathlon #SpookyGhostClub #rushathon #OneMoreChapter #31by31 #falling4books #spookoween #scarathlonatoz #OutstandingOctober @Clwojick @Andrew65 @catsandbooks @Read4life @TheSpineView @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Texreader
pickThis is a low pick for me-definitely not my favorite Christie. Still interesting with lots of twists and secrets.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4324203014
Read 26th - 28th Oct 2025
#HauntedShelf #GrimReaders @CSeydel
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#ISpy Autumn Leaves @TheAromaOfBooks
#TBRCampSlasher Cat on cover
#ErasGhostBingo Evermore @CharityAnn 3d
#AfterDarkBingo Fantastically Indifferent @puddlejumper
#BodyCountBingo The meddling kids are useless
#192025 [1969] @LibraryBelle 3d