Tunnel Vision by Eloise Corvo

Cozy meets thriller in this delightful mystery that puts the fright into Halloween. Tunnel Vision blends the right touch of spooky small-town vibes with murder during the scariest holiday of the year. A fun book to get lost in, with secret tunnels and a haunted hayride through the woods, it’s a perfect read for lovers of the fall season.

Author Corvo uses her environmental background to good advantage in the creation of Stone’s Throw National Park featuring Maudy Lorso as a park ranger organizing a Halloween-themed hayride through the park as part of a Homecoming celebration. The historic clubhouse on the lake, its tie-ins to bootlegging, and the basement tunnels add to the ambience. At the start of the book, Corvo drops the reader right into the scene with her descriptions of children in costumes on a scavenger hunt in the forest and their quest for candy on the town’s decorated streets. 

Charming and quaint with a twist when the night ends with a body on the porch next to a bowl of candy, the story takes on a macabre tone when it is discovered the victim, Senator Paige Ramos, was poisoned. As part of a homecoming weekend, Paige was in town for a school reunion and was staying with an old friend, Eli Nett, along with three other school buddies. Eli’s neighbor, main character, Maudy Lorso, who wears many hats (park ranger, candidate for town council, amateur sleuth), investigates Paige’s death at his request. It turns out that Maudy’s best friend and wannabe boyfriend, Eli, is a suspect in her murder. The tension between Maudy, her current boyfriend Jeremy, and Eli takes on a greater intensity amidst the drama enfolding with Eli and his houseguests.

What starts out as a charming school reunion turns dangerous as a killer pursues victims during what was supposed to be a fun holiday weekend. The suspense ramps up with a Halloween hayride through the wooded area of the park where plastic monsters morph into real-life horror. With her sidekick, Martin Short (her lovable pup), Maudy puts an end to the mayhem. Highly recommended for fans of Halloween and mystery lovers!