It’s pumpkin weather and I have a great pumpkin read to share today. Craig Boyack has a new Lizzie and the Hat adventure, and it’s a perfect fit for this month. The great thing about Lizzie and the Hat novellas is that you can read them in any order. Each story is complete to itself. They’re also an ideal size for a fairly quick read.
And let’s not forget the Hat or his trademark snark. I LOVE that character! 🙂
C. S. Boyack’s unique crime fighting duo is back in a new Lizzie and The Hat adventure. Not familiar with these two? Lizzie is a twenty-something who wields a mean pistol and plays the upright bass in a cover band with the help of the hat. He may look like a fedora (or whatever hat style he chooses), but he’s actually a being from another world—capable of zinging some of the best snarky dialogue you’re likely to encounter. These two play off each other with witty banter and plenty of adventure as they go up against supernatural bad guys. This time, it’s a group of vampires haunting the rodeo circuit.
That makes for a lot of colorful happenings as Lizzie, the hat, and their band take on the country music scene, mingling with broncobusters and cowboys. Boyack treats us to plenty of rodeo experiences in addition to Lizzie and the hat working to track down the vamps. Some of the moments that stood out for me included Lizzie target-shooting ghouls in a cemetery, egged on by the hat’s snarky asides; a vampire with a speech impediment; the hat’s addiction to “my internet” and his ongoing insistence the band should have a fog machine. And then there’s Mrs. Molony—but you’ll need to read this supernatural romp yourself to find out just how she plays into the story. Clever, clever, clever!
AMAZON LINKGenre: Superhero Fantasy > Superhero Science Fiction > Paranormal & Urban Fantasy
I give The Ballad of Mrs. Molony 5 Stars, and 5 Spooky Bats
And speaking of spooky things—if you’re out and about the blogosphere, you can find me at Teri Polen’s place today. Want to find out what book scared me so much, I threw it in the trash? Hop on over for my turn on Teri’s Halloween-themed Bad Moon Rising.
Great review! It really makes me want to move this up on my TBR list 🙂
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I know you’ll enjoy it, Denise. This one was especially fun 🙂
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Yes, I’m super excited about this one!!
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It’s a great read, Jess. Very creative, as all of Craig’s books are.
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This sounds like a great story. Lovely review.
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Hi, Nadene. Thank you for checking out the review. I’m glad you stopped by!
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“Five spooky bats,” heehee. This one sounds fun!
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I’ve never earned bats before. I’m kind of excited about it.
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Cool! I thought about 5 snarky hats (using fedoras) but I thought maybe that was too obvious, LOL!
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It was wonderful.
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It was definitely fun, Priscilla. And I couldn’t resist the bats 😉
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Nice review, Mae. Love the five spooky bats!
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I love adding something other than the usual stars 😀
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So glad you enjoyed the story. It means a lot to me that you blogged about it. Thank you.
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You’re welcome! Thanks for an entertaining read 🙂
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Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
The Ballad of Mrs. Molony has its first review up over at Mae’s place. Stop over and check it out.
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I’m honored to be your first review!
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Might be my last one, too. You never know.
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No way!!
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It is worth five spooky bats. And five mangled vampire fangs, too. (Shout-out to Kevin.) I need to get my review up. Great review of a great story. Heading to Teri’s soon; got a late start today. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got there.
Kudos to Craig!
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Thank you Staci. Looking forward to your thoughts.
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All good ones.
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I love the mangled vampire fangs, Staci.
Kevin has become one of my favorite characters and I hope he pops up again in the series.
And thanks for visiting me at Teri’s place, too. LOVED your comment over there ❤
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Just telling it like it is.
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He might. As this series extends there will be a need for some recurring characters.
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Excellent review, Mae. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for visiting, John.
Craig has a winner with Mrs. Molony!
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Most of his are winners.
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I’ll bet this one gets a high spooky bat rating from me, also. Great review, Mae!
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Fingers crossed.
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LOL! I would predict it does, Teri 🙂
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This series sounds like a lot of fun and perfect for my TBR. I really appreciate that each novel can be read as a stand alone and that they are novellas ❤️
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I wanted to have something for that market. Comedy has to be done with care, too. Leave them wanting more as opposed to making folks tired of it.
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So glad to hear it’s going on your TBR, Tessa. The hat is such a unique character. I love how snarky he is. And the fact these are novellas and can be read as stand-alones make them a great fit in the reading queue.
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What a great spooky bat review!! 😀 Congratulations, Craig!
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Thanks, Gwen.
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LOL! Glad you enjoyed it, Gwen!
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Great review, Mae! I have this one lined up on my Kindle, and after reading the first two in the series, I already know I’m going to enjoy it! After reading your comments above, I’m even more antsy to get to it! Congratulations, Craig. Looks like you have another winner, here! 🙂 Sharing! 🙂
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So glad it appeals to you, and thanks for sharing.
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Given you’ve already “met” and enjoy the hat, I know you’re going to like this one, Marcia. Lots of new inventive stuff from Craig and the rodeo circuit made for a fun visit. Happy reading!
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I adore that hat! His snark had me crying with laughter. Can’t wait to dig into this one!
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That makes my day, thank you.
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I’m all about that snark, Sue.
Wait until you see what the Hat and Lizzie get up to in this one 🙂
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I’ve really enjoyed these characters, and now Craig has a new book out! He’s a writing machine!! He writes them faster than I can read them! Great review and another book added to my list. 🙂
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I have a hunch things might slow down next year. I only have two goals, but one is a subsequent Hat story.
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You’re adding to my reading backlog. Lol
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Only read the ones you’re interested in. I want you to have fun.
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The Lanternfish books are next. But I enjoyed The Hat books too. And I wouldn’t mind a little more Jason Fogg. 😀
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Interesting. Jason is a fun character who shows up from time to time. He was handy for the anthology. He got a decent role in Viral Blues. Hope Lanternfish is something you enjoy.
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Oh yeah. I knew I remembered his from somewhere – it was Viral Blues. He needs his own book. 🙂
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I know. He had a banner year with all his releases!
His latest is really fun, Diana. I know you’ll enjoy it!
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Love the 5 spooky bats:) I’m reading The Lab now, then hope to get to Mrs. Molony soon. It sounds perfect for Halloween. ….You threw the book in the trash? I’ve gotta go check that out!
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You’re ahead of me on Astral Conspiracy. I’ll get there eventually. I love my five spooky bats.
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😀
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Heehee. Yeah there are certain things that creep me out and the book I mention on Teri’s blog scared the daylights out of me.
The Ballad of Mrs. Molony is perfect reading for October. I know you’ll enjoy it, Judi. And I can’t say enough about The Lab. Happy reading!
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What a great review, Mae! Yep! “Mrs. Molony” is on my list for the Halloween season as is “Murder They Wrote!” Thanks for hosting today!
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I’m thrilled with my spooky bats. Hope you enjoy both books when you get to them.
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Great to hear, Jan! I hope you enjoy the anthology, and I’m certain Craig’s latest Hat adventure will keep you spellbound. Thanks for visiting!
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Nice review and those five bats add more charm to it. Thanks for sharing Mae.
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I was thrilled to find this today. Thanks for checking it out.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the review, Balroop. I couldn’t resist the bats given how perfect Craig’s story is for Halloween reading!
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A fabulous review, Mae. I enjoyed the first book in this series and must read the second one.
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Thanks, Robbie. Hope you enjoy whichever one you wind up with.
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I’m sure you’ll enjoy all of them Robbie. Each one is creative and entertaining. Happy reading!
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Target practicing ghouls in a cemetery? You’ve won me over 🙂
Congrats to Craig on a wonderful review!
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That is becoming a regular event for Lizzie and the hat. They’re like practice monsters.
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Haha! That was one of favorite scenes in the book, Jacquie. It’s all so good 🙂
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5 Spooky Bats, and a character named Lizzie the Bat? How could I possibly resist that?😁
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I had fun with the 5 spooky bats, Kim. Seemed perfect for this time of year, LOL
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Oops. Lizzie the Hat!🤦🏻♀️
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LOL! Well, almost. It’s Lizzie and the hat. They’re two separate characters, but they have a symbiotic relationship, so I guess they could be Lizzie the hat 😀
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Irresistible! Thanks for the spotlight.
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Glad you enjoyed it, Flossie
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Love the concept. A cool girl and supernatural hat. I mean, how creative is this author? Also appreciate how the books are stand-alone. Less confusing, more entertainment. Thank you for your recommendation.
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Hello, and welcome! I’m glad you dropped by to check out the post and are intrigued by the book. As a long-time fan of this author, I can tell you his creativity is off the charts—vivid, unique, and entertaining. This book, the others in the series, and all his work is a lot of fun!
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I love the five spooky bats, Mae. Your great review tells all the action, entertainment, and spooks of Craig’s book. Thank you for sharing!
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I had fun with the five spooky bats 🙂
Glad you liked the review, Miriam!
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Ha, it made me smile, Mae!🦇
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