Aunt Eater’s Mystery Halloween by Doug Cushman, 1998.

This is a cute Halloween book for kids.  There are actually four short mystery stories in the book as Aunt Eater, dressed as Sherlock Holmes, goes to a Halloween party and encounters various spooky happenings.

Aunt Eater Sees a Monster

While she’s on her way to the Halloween party, Wally stops Aunt Eater and says that there’s a monster in his kitchen and that it ate his father.  When Aunt Eater takes a look, she sees a scary shadow in the kitchen and hears a terrible groan.  Is it really a monster?

Aunt Eater Sees a Ghost

Aunt Eater continues walking to the party with Mr. Chumly, who is dressed as a turnip.  Mr. Chumly points out a hollow tree that they pass and tells her that it’s supposed to be haunted by a headless ghost.  Aunt Eater doesn’t believe in ghost, but then a scary jack o’lantern appears, moving by itself, and it’s followed by a ghost with no head!  Fortunately, there is a logical explanation.

Aunt Eater Hears Some Music

Aunt Eater is glad to see all of her friends at the party.  Miss Underbelly has brought her pet snake with her.  Later, the piano suddenly starts playing strange music without anyone sitting at it, and the snake has disappeared!  What do you suppose is happening?

Aunt Eater Dances a Jig

Mr. Fragg, a friend of Aunt Eater’s, is wearing a scarecrow costume, and he tells Aunt Eater that he’d like to dance with her later in the evening.  She does dance with a scarecrow, but then learns that it wasn’t Mr. Fragg because Mr. Fragg hurt his foot.  Who was that mysterious scarecrow?  Aunt Eater never figures it out, but readers do.

The book is currently available online through Internet Archive.