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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook performed by Carol Higgins Clark
From the book jacket: Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. This time the case involves an eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don’t have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.
My Reactions
There’s not much holiday spirit in this slim volume; it is more a fun and entertaining comic crime caper than a mystery. The coincidences required for the plot to work stretch credulity a bit, but they do add to the suspense and enjoyment. I like this cast of characters: Alvirah and her husband, Willy; Regan and her fiancé, Jack, as well as her parents, Luke and Nora; and Alivirah’s friend Opal, a fellow lottery winner, who lost her money to Packy’s scam. And then there’s Packy and his band of incompetents: Jo-Jo, Benny and Milo.
Carol Higgins Clark narrates the audio version. Her pacing is good, but the voices she used for the various characters just irritated me.
From the book jacket: Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. This time the case involves an eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don’t have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.
My Reactions
There’s not much holiday spirit in this slim volume; it is more a fun and entertaining comic crime caper than a mystery. The coincidences required for the plot to work stretch credulity a bit, but they do add to the suspense and enjoyment. I like this cast of characters: Alvirah and her husband, Willy; Regan and her fiancé, Jack, as well as her parents, Luke and Nora; and Alivirah’s friend Opal, a fellow lottery winner, who lost her money to Packy’s scam. And then there’s Packy and his band of incompetents: Jo-Jo, Benny and Milo.
Carol Higgins Clark narrates the audio version. Her pacing is good, but the voices she used for the various characters just irritated me.
alidottie's review against another edition
3.0
The last of my Christmas books. I actually enjoyed this little book more than I expected. It is super simple, not really a mystery, but a quick, reading that satisfied me on a lazy Sunday morning.
erincataldi's review against another edition
1.0
This story reads like a Nancy Drew novel; everyone is two dimensional, there is no real mystery, and you don't particularly care for any of the characters. Also there was an unnecessary amount of characters in this short story, honestly most of them contributed nothing to the plot other than tripping me up on who was who. It's a brainless little mystery, set in November so it's not even all that holiday related. There is a Christmas tree but that's about it. I like the occasional brainless holiday or mystery novel but this satisfied neither of those requirements. I'd never read Mary Higgins Clark before and if this is representative of her other mysteries then I certainly have no desire to try out any others. Ugh.
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
2.0
My goodness, Mary. So contrived with so many unnecessary "coincidences." And so many characters who didn't aid in plot development at all.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
This was really disappointing Christmas mystery short stories. None of the story was enjoyable or entertaining. Was hoping for a cozy light non dramatic mysteries in a Christmas setting and this collection just missed the mark, didn't get my in holiday mood at all
garnetofeden's review against another edition
2.0
I liked "Deck the Halls" quite a bit because the characters had to use their wits and be subtle. I thought it was interesting that it was in a collaboration volume that Carol's main character Regan meets her future spouse. "The Christmas Thief" was interesting, but not as witty as "Deck the Halls". Things just kind of train wreck worked out.
Rating reviewed 12/26/2022.
Rating reviewed 12/26/2022.