Reviews

Christmas Cocoa Murder by Alex Erickson, Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day

oprah_wimpy's review against another edition

3.0

Fun little festive read. Finished in one sitting.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day, and Alex Erickson contains three cozy novellas that are a part of the following series: An Irish Village Mystery series, A Country Store Mystery series and A Bookstore Café Mystery series. I thought they were three entertaining Christmas cozies. They are all well-written and full of Christmas spirit. The three mysteries were interesting with various levels of complexity. The escape room mystery was my favorite, and I particularly enjoyed the description of the escape room puzzles. I have read books from all three series, so it was not a problem for me to read each story. I already knew the characters plus the settings. Maddie Day has my favorite writing style. It is like conversing with old friends. I like how hot cocoa played a part in each story with Christmas Cocoa Murder featuring it in a unique way (a dunk tank). We get to enjoy Christmas festivities in three different towns from two countries. I especially appreciated that all three stories featured intelligent female protagonists who are resourceful and do not break down at the sight of a dead body. I am glad that Kensington puts out these holiday novella collections and I hope that they continue to do so. It is a chance to catch up with our favorite series and solve a mystery (a definite bonus in my book). Christmas Cocoa Murder has three cocoa connected conundrums, a swarm of suspects, many missing mutts, sharp sleuths and copious Christmas cheer.

aliciagoeser's review against another edition

funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kimdavishb's review against another edition

4.0

CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER, a trilogy of novellas by three authors is a light, easy read to get you in the mood for the holiday season! Each of the novellas is a stand-alone story and can be read in one sitting. During the hectic craziness of Christmas, I enjoy this kind of read. It’s easy to pick up when I have a free moment and easy to put down when chores and responsibilities call. Of the three, the first by Carlene O’Connor was my favorite. Maybe it was because the author allows the reader to experience how an Irish village celebrates the holidays. She also wrote one of the most creative ways for the victim to die. It was clever and definitely fits the theme of the title. The remaining two novellas were entertaining and captures the spirit of the holiday season as well. While I’m familiar with the characters of author Carlene O’Connor and Maddie Day’s series, Alex Erikson is a new to me author. Still, it wasn’t difficult to feel like I knew who the characters were or keep track of what was happening. If you’re looking for a Christmas-themed cozy, pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa and curl up with this book.

I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

mirandaphodge's review

adventurous challenging funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

alexbooksandmore's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Fist of all, i would say that I had no idea that this was part of different murder series.. and i read it completely as a stand alone. 

Overall, the book have 3 murder stories that happen around Christmas time, and everyti.e cocoa is involved in a way or another. 
I found the stories grabbing and interesting.. but they were so fast to solve and there was always the girl who was not very good, or was a beginner or not even a cop thay solved eveything.( a bit boeing and cliché for me).
But it was fun 

taylorziegler's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition

4.0

Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . .

I loved each of these short stories who doesn’t love hot cocoa and murder!. I have read books by these authors before so I knew I was in for an enjoyable few hours. I recommend these stories to anyone looking for an enjoyable Christmas themed cozy! There great for reading on the bus or while waiting at appointments (if like me sometimes I wait an hour at doctors) I read each in just over an hour.

I have left out the description of each story as it is all there in the book description.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

alanathehangry's review against another edition

2.0

This felt very far from Carlene O'Connor's normal caliber. I love the rest of the series, but this was a bit of a let down.

Narrator was a poor fit, too, and struggled with the accents.

the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition

3.0

September seems to be Christmas month for publishers, so I have a bunch of holiday themed cozy mysteries to indulge in. First up is Christmas Cocoa Murder.