Book Review: The 31st Trick-or-Treater by Ben Farthing
The 31st Trick-or-Treater
Author: Ben Farthing
Published: September 24, 2025
Paperback: 324 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: October 1-31, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
Thirty-one nights. Thirty-one chapters. One final nightmare.
Last Halloween, thirty trick-or-treaters vanished into the night.
This October, they’re coming back—one by one, each day of the month. But every child carries the same chilling warning: something is returning on the 31st.
Bob has never stopped searching for his daughter. Now, as the shadows of Halloween grow longer, he must face the darkness that stole her—before it takes everything again.
The 31st Trick-or-Treater is a Halloween advent novel: thirty-one nights, thirty-one chapters, and one final nightmare waiting on Halloween.
Jessica’s Review:
Ben Farthing got the inspiration for The 31st Trick-or-Treater from Per Jacobsen’s 25 Days which I read last Christmas. He even spoke to Jacobsen. Finding out about this connection and the advent style which I enjoyed with 25 Days, I decided to read this one from Farthing. And the premise was intriguing: Last Halloween 30 trick-or-treaters disappeared and now this year one is coming back every night in October. What will happen on October 31st this year!?!?!
And I enjoyed it. This year October was a super busy month with me working on average 10 hours a day 5 days a week. Needless to say, I did fall behind, but was able to get caught up. After working those long hours, I would get home, have a quick bite to eat, shower and maybe just a little free time before bed, which was mentally and physically exhausting.
Some of the chapters were longer and some were shorter. When a chapter was shorter it was hard to not read further. The book seemed to have been written and put together very quickly so it is far from perfect. Earlier print versions (such as mine) have errors that were caught after the fact, which were corrected for the kindle versions and later print versions. With some more work and planning it could be a really good novel!
I love the concept of kids going missing for one year and then returning the next year one night at a time. And just what is going to happen on the 31st. The reader goes on the journey with Bob to find out what will happen.
There are unanswered questions left at the end and I would love to see a sequel to find out what might happen next! I do plan to read it again next Halloween, just not advent style.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
My October 2025 Reads
It’s already November?!?! At times this year has gone by so quickly and at times it has taken forever! Before we get too far into November, I am going to share the books I read in October!
I read five books. Four of the books were audio and one was a paperback Halloween Advent book: A chapter a day leading up to the conclusion on Halloween!
Here are the books I completed in October. They are listed in the order that I finished them:
The Long Walk by Stephen King as Richard Bachman- 5 stars
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt- 5 stars
The Intruder by Freida McFadden-3 stars
Sonora by Jenni L Walsh- 5 stars
The 31st Trick-or-Treater by Ben Farthing- 3.5 stars
My ‘top rated read’ was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This was a book club read and had been on my TBR for a while! I went between the audiobook and a paperback copy. I adored this book and recommend it on audio! I am excited for the Netflix film that should be coming out next year.
My lowest rated read was The Intruder by Freida McFadden. I won’t say much more than what my review will say, which will post on November 13th. But Freida, it’s really time to take a break from writing for a while.
What did YOU read in October? Let’s bring on reading in November: One book I am reading on kindles is yet another horror advent style book, a chapter a day until Thanksgiving: I Bought a Haunted Thanksgiving Table by Sam Whittaker. Let’s see how this one goes!
Blog Tour: An Extract from Contagion Of Lies by K.J. McGillick
Today I am helping to end the blog tour for Contagion Of Lies by K.J. McGillick. It’s a legal thriller that you can read now!
Book Description:
Former prosecutor Jordan Monroe thought estate law was safe. Then her mentor dies, leaving her to defend Dr. Mallory James in a double-murder case that could resurrect her career—or destroy what’s left of it.
Dr. Ian Stratton, a respected Harbor Point surgeon, and his pharmaceutical-rep mistress are dead from lethal injections. The evidence points straight to Mallory: a volatile affair, public threats, and a mountain of motive. But as Jordan builds her defense, she uncovers something bigger—a hospital drowning in secrets, cover-ups, and dangerous enemies.
Inside Harbor Medical, three shadowy suspects emerge:
- Dr. Blake Rowe — Stratton’s betrayed best friend with deadly drug knowledge
- Evelyn Grant — a disgraced tech stalking Jordan’s niece
- Sarah Rowe — Blake’s wife, lying about her access to the victim
When Grant’s obsession turns violent and surveillance evidence leaks, Jordan must protect her family while fighting manipulated witnesses, missing evidence, and a system built to bury the truth. The deeper she digs, the more she questions Mallory’s innocence—and her own role in defending her.
In a world where everyone lies, Jordan must decide how far she’ll go to win. Because the most dangerous predator… is the one you never see coming.
Perfect for fans of John Grisham, Lisa Gardner, and Melinda Leigh, Contagion of Lies delivers a relentless legal thriller where courtroom drama collides with psychological suspense—and every decision carries a cost.
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Vega turned as the door opened. “That’ll be the ME.”
Paxton stepped aside as Dr. Elizabeth Brown crossed the threshold, her equipment case swinging lightly from one hand, her camera bag slung over her shoulder. She moved like always—economical, steady, professional. Twenty years of dealing with the dead had given her that deliberate stillness.
“Morning, Nick.” Her gaze swept the entryway, then the vaulted ceiling above. “Nice place.”
“Too nice,” Vega said quietly. The words came out rougher than he’d intended. “Upstairs.”
Brown nodded once, more business than conversation. “Let’s see him.”
She followed Vega up the stairs, Paxton trailing behind them. Their footsteps felt louder in the clean silence, too sharp against the manufactured perfection.
As they reached the hall, Vega spoke without looking back. “Forty-seven-year-old surgeon. Housekeeper found him this morning. No signs of forced entry. Rigor’s well-established—six to eight hours, per the paramedics.”
“Body position?”
“You’ll see.”
Brown didn’t ask more. At the bedroom door, she paused briefly, reading the space like Vega had earlier. Her stillness was different from his restlessness—professional calm instead of barely contained energy.
“Pristine,” she muttered, more to herself.
Vega gestured inside. “Position looks peaceful. But the scene feels… wrong. Too controlled.”
“Controlled how?”
“Not staged exactly. Just… stripped down.” He couldn’t explain the wrongness that had been eating at him since he’d walked through the front door. “Like someone sanitized it.”
Brown set down her equipment beside the door, pulling on gloves with smooth, automatic precision. “That’s surgeons for you.”
Vega said nothing, but his jaw tightened. This felt different.
She stepped forward and began her work, professional and detached. But Vega watched her carefully, knowing that even Brown sometimes flinched when the dead told a story she didn’t expect.
“Preliminary assessment suggests natural causes,” Brown said, adjusting her position to examine Stratton’s torso. “I’ll transport for full autopsy, but—”
She stopped mid-sentence.
“What?”
Brown leaned closer, frowning. She reached for her magnifying glass, focused on Stratton’s left upper arm, then touched her glasses—a nervous habit Vega recognized from harder cases.
The air in the room seemed to thicken. Vega’s pulse kicked up a notch.
“Nick…”
Something in her tone made him step closer. The wrongness in his gut crystallized into cold certainty.
Brown’s voice stayed measured at first. “Could be a skin blemish. Or an old mark.”
She adjusted the magnifier. Paused. Her silence stretched longer than usual, and Vega found himself holding his breath again.
“Except it’s too clean. No scabbing. Edges are fresh.” A hesitation. “Missed it on initial pass. Positioning hid it.”
She straightened slightly, her voice shifting now—more certain, but uneasy. “It’s an injection site. Someone else did this.”
The confidence was back, but not the detachment. Twenty years of death scenes, and she still got rattled when they shifted from natural to unnatural.
The bedroom changed around them, walls seeming to close in. Not a place where someone had died peacefully, but where death had been delivered with surgical precision.
“Self-administered?”
“Wrong angle. Wrong location.” Brown indicated with her pen, not touching. “Someone else did this. See the bruising pattern? Either the victim was resisting, or the person wasn’t experienced with injections.”
The air felt electric now, charged with the energy of a case that had just turned deadly serious. Vega’s restlessness crystallized into focus.
Vega’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed level. He stared at the mark for a moment longer. That close, the killer hadn’t needed force—just trust. Or enough skill to bypass it. Someone Stratton knew, or someone good enough to seem invisible.
About the Author:
From the bustling courtrooms of Atlanta to the vibrant tapestry of 16th-century England, Kathleen McGillick’s life and career have been a captivating blend of legal expertise, artistic passion, and a thirst for adventure.
Fueled by an undergraduate and graduate degree in nursing, Kathleen built a foundation of compassion and care. This dedication to service later led her to pursue a Juris Doctorate, allowing her to navigate the intricacies of the legal system for nearly three decades. Her courtroom experience now breathes life into the intricate details of her legal thrillers, ensuring every courtroom scene crackles with authenticity.
But Kathleen’s story does not end there. A deep fascination with art history led her to delve into the world of renowned artists and captivating eras. Her particular passion for 16th-century British history allows her to transport readers to richly detailed historical settings, immersing them in the culture, politics, and societal nuances of the time.
Driven by an unwavering dedication to her craft, Kathleen has independently published twelve thrillers since 2018. Her commitment extends beyond solo creation, as she actively engages with the writing community, honing her skills through workshops and courses led by renowned authors.
And when she’s not crafting captivating narratives, Kathleen embarks on international journeys, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences that further enrich her writing. This global perspective adds another layer of depth and realism to her stories, allowing readers to connect with characters and settings that transcend geographical boundaries.
Contact Kathleen:
Website
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