I started my October TBR list thinking it was going to be all spooky thrillers, and creepy ghost stories. Then The Ghost of Marlow House popped up, and I had to ask myself: Can ghost stories be cozy? Can a cozy ghost story be good? I finished The Ghost of Marlow House in October, even wrote the review. Things got away from me so… Spooky spring reading?

The Ghost of Marlow House is a sharp turn from The Book of Cold Cases. While there are more than enough ghosts to go around. It doesn’t share the sense of malice that The Book of Cold Cases had in abundance. However, like cozy mysteries, cozy ghost stories have a place in the TBR pile.

Danielle Boatman has inherited a house from her great aunt, and decided that it’s the best place for the new start she needs. So she and her best friend plan to spend the summer fixing it up into a Bed and Breakfast. Only when she gets there she finds it inhabited by a previous owner. A pervious owner who has no idea that he is dead. If a ghost in the house wasn’t enough, someone has been trying to break in.

I wouldn’t say The Ghost of Marlow House is the best book I’ve ever read, but I really enjoyed it. Any book that keeps me up late to finish it is a decent book in my mind. I would have enjoyed it more if it was read by someone else. I will probably read the next book in the series instead of listening to it.

So, can ghost stories be cozy? Yes. Can cozy ghost stories be good? A good addition to your easy reading TBR pile.

I’m looking forward to The Woman in the Library. It isn’t a ghost story, but a murder mystery. October’s TBR isn’t complete without a good murder mystery. What’s on your October reading list?

Content Warnings ⁶