Description:
Maine innkeeper Holly White returns to sleuth another seasonal slaying in the third Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is going into the B&B business, and Holly White is looking forward to her new role as innkeeper. Even better, Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, Evan Gray, has deputized his little sister Libby to help Holly wrap presents for Mistletoe’s toy drive. But a cold wind ruffles the cheery holiday decorations when a new guest checks in: Karen, a vicious B&B critic, who could make or break the new inn. And the short December days turn even darker when Evan and Libby find Karen’s dead body in the gift-wrapped toy donation box.
The suspect list is longer than Santa’s naughty list, and local resident Cookie is on it, since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a metal nutcracker that she gave to Holly. So is Libby, who recently moved to town from Boston in less-than-savory circumstances. But cranky Karen was an oh-holy-nightmare to lots of the townsfolk, such as Evan’s reporter friend Ray; Christopher, the inn’s former contractor; and confectioner Bonnie, whose Gum Drop Shop was a direct target of Karen’s scathing prose.
To figure out the killer’s identity and clear Cookie’s name, Holly and her friends brainstorm at The Hearth, the farm’s café, while her mother keeps them fueled with Christmas goodies fresh from the oven. But if they can’t put the culprit on ice, Holly may never see another Christmas.
-sourced from Goodreads
Review:
This book was an arc received via NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I listened to this in the audio version narrated by Allyson Ryan. I don’t think I could have listened to this at regular speed with this narrator. I did enjoy her at x2 speed though.
This is book three of the Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries. All of these are Christmas centered! If your like me that will make you want to pick up all of them in the series to read over the Christmas season. However, if you can only pick up one of these books, like I did, you shouldn’t have a problem following along with the story. I read this one as a stand alone and didn’t have any issues. Although, if I have time this season I am going to read them all.
I did enjoy this book. I love books set in cozy little towns that all work together to help one another out. The Christmas season is really felt in this one. You have everyone pitching in to help gather gifts for those in need. The bags that they use are large red Santa bags. Once the bag is full they call to have the gifts inside picked up. Nothing like I’ve every seen in stores. I think I would much prefer the lovely Santa bag than those big brown box I usually see around this time of year. Sometimes, I might even see one with gift wrap around it, usually poorly done.
This little slice of heaven has one problem… someone ends up dead and the prime suspect is someone Holly knows and loves. How can this be happening again and why does it always seem to happen that someone she knows and cares for is the prime suspect. Holly sets out, against her boyfriends advice, to find out who murdered the dead woman before her beloved friend finds herself in jail for Christmas.
On top of everything, the murder happened at Holly’s B&B and with that, she is not experiencing everyone leave and cancelations. Will this murder put her out of business?
This is such a cute story that I absolutely loved. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy Christmas mystery this season. Holly is a bit on the annoying side at times but she means well.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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