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peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
This is a delightful anthology of Christmas cozy novellas from three authors with well-developed series. I am a huge fan of the Carlene O'Connor Irish Village Mystery series and loved this glimpse in Siobhan O'Sullivan and her siblings in this Christmas mystery. We get to see Siobhan in action before she is officially a guarda and solve a murder of Santa to save Christmas.
The second novella is from author Maddie Day and is part of her Country Store Mystery series. Once again, Robbie Jordan's store is at the center of a townsperson's death and she must work to solve the mystery before Christmas and clear her and her hot chocolate of any involvement. I love Robbie Jordan and the town of South Lick Indiana so it was a joy to return and read this book. Ms. Day never disappoints.
The last novella is by Alex Erickson, whose main characters owns a bookstore/cafe. I was not familiar with these characters, not having read any of the books in this series. However, the novella has a great premise of a Christmas themed escape room and was a unique story.
I loved that hot cocoa tied all of the novella's together even though they are separate, distinct series that have never crossed over. These were all fun reads.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
The second novella is from author Maddie Day and is part of her Country Store Mystery series. Once again, Robbie Jordan's store is at the center of a townsperson's death and she must work to solve the mystery before Christmas and clear her and her hot chocolate of any involvement. I love Robbie Jordan and the town of South Lick Indiana so it was a joy to return and read this book. Ms. Day never disappoints.
The last novella is by Alex Erickson, whose main characters owns a bookstore/cafe. I was not familiar with these characters, not having read any of the books in this series. However, the novella has a great premise of a Christmas themed escape room and was a unique story.
I loved that hot cocoa tied all of the novella's together even though they are separate, distinct series that have never crossed over. These were all fun reads.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
I have to admit that the biggest reason I requested this one was because there's a novella by Maddie Day in this book. I love her Country Store Mysteries series and I was excited to read her Christmas novella set in that series. I also like discovering new to me authors, so I figured this was a great opportunity to check out the other two stories as well which are by new to me authors.
Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O'Connor
This story is clearly part of an ongoing series, but even so it was quite easy to get a feel for the setting and the characters. There were a few moments that I did notice me being new to this series, like trouble remembering all the character's names as none of them were familiar it was a bit much to get introduced to so many new to me characters and there was this part where I hadn't realized some of Siobhán's siblings were quite a bit younger than her. It also was a bit difficult at first to get the feel for the setting and characters while also following the start of the mystery. But overall I think the author did a good job making this novella accessible for those who don't know the series.
The mystery got off to a quick start when the village Santa gets murdered. Siobhán doesn't start her job at the Garda yet till next year, but she gets involved anyway and can help solve the mystery. The mystery was quite a good one. There are some clues that are important and some things I knew were part of the answer, but it still takes a while for things to come together. I wrongly guessed who the murderer was and there was quite the nice twist when everything finally falls on it's place.
I think I have the first book in this series and definitely plan to go back and read that at some point. I think if you are already familiar with this series this novella will be even more fun. I had some trouble getting a feel for the characters as I didn't know them beforehand, but even so it was nice following them around as they solve this mystery.
Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse by Maddie Day
This was the story I was most excited about and it really was a great one. I love this series and I really enjoyed spending some time with Robbie and in her store this time set around Christmas. The Christmas theme was a fun addition and I always enjoy seeing the familiar characters.
The mystery wasn't as complicated as that in most books in this series. With only two main suspects it was relatively easy to solve it and after a certain clue I was sure I knew who the murder was. Even the motive was clear already. I liked how Robbie again took the effort to be careful and not go alone when talking to possible murder suspect.
All in all this was a great short read set in this series. I enjoyed spending time with the characters and have an entertaining read set around Christmas. There also was a cute puppy and some cocoa as well.
Death by Hot Chocolate by Alex Erickson
This was a fun story. I liked the locked room type of mystery in this book. The main character and one of her friends join a escape room and during the escape room someone gets killed. Now they're stuck in the escape room and one of them is the killer. I thought this was a fun set-up for a mystery. It added some great suspense knowing one of them was the murderer.
I also liked how this set-up lend itself for a shorter read as they have to figure it out before they can escape from the room. Another bonus was that for those new to this series this short story was really easy to get into as it all takes place in the escape room there aren't many appearances of characters or mentions of things you don't know. And this story did make me curious about the rest of the series.
The mystery was a pretty good one. It was tricky to figure out who had done it, but before I had a solid guess the main character figured it out. It made sense and I liked how things fell on it's place. It also was interesting how the motive in this one was quite hard to figure out and even when the main character figured out the who she didn't know the why until the murderer told them.
To summarize
I really enjoyed this collection with three Christmas themed cozies. Only one of these was in a series I already knew and the other two authors were new to me. I enjoyed all three of the stories, although the one by Maddie Day was my favorite as I already knew that series. The other two have me curious to check out those series too. I also liked how each of the stories had a Christmas theme and hot cocoa played a role in the murder mystery. All in all I would definitely recommend this collection to cozy mystery fans.
I have to admit that the biggest reason I requested this one was because there's a novella by Maddie Day in this book. I love her Country Store Mysteries series and I was excited to read her Christmas novella set in that series. I also like discovering new to me authors, so I figured this was a great opportunity to check out the other two stories as well which are by new to me authors.
Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O'Connor
This story is clearly part of an ongoing series, but even so it was quite easy to get a feel for the setting and the characters. There were a few moments that I did notice me being new to this series, like trouble remembering all the character's names as none of them were familiar it was a bit much to get introduced to so many new to me characters and there was this part where I hadn't realized some of Siobhán's siblings were quite a bit younger than her. It also was a bit difficult at first to get the feel for the setting and characters while also following the start of the mystery. But overall I think the author did a good job making this novella accessible for those who don't know the series.
The mystery got off to a quick start when the village Santa gets murdered. Siobhán doesn't start her job at the Garda yet till next year, but she gets involved anyway and can help solve the mystery. The mystery was quite a good one. There are some clues that are important and some things I knew were part of the answer, but it still takes a while for things to come together. I wrongly guessed who the murderer was and there was quite the nice twist when everything finally falls on it's place.
I think I have the first book in this series and definitely plan to go back and read that at some point. I think if you are already familiar with this series this novella will be even more fun. I had some trouble getting a feel for the characters as I didn't know them beforehand, but even so it was nice following them around as they solve this mystery.
Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse by Maddie Day
This was the story I was most excited about and it really was a great one. I love this series and I really enjoyed spending some time with Robbie and in her store this time set around Christmas. The Christmas theme was a fun addition and I always enjoy seeing the familiar characters.
The mystery wasn't as complicated as that in most books in this series. With only two main suspects it was relatively easy to solve it and after a certain clue I was sure I knew who the murder was. Even the motive was clear already. I liked how Robbie again took the effort to be careful and not go alone when talking to possible murder suspect.
All in all this was a great short read set in this series. I enjoyed spending time with the characters and have an entertaining read set around Christmas. There also was a cute puppy and some cocoa as well.
Death by Hot Chocolate by Alex Erickson
This was a fun story. I liked the locked room type of mystery in this book. The main character and one of her friends join a escape room and during the escape room someone gets killed. Now they're stuck in the escape room and one of them is the killer. I thought this was a fun set-up for a mystery. It added some great suspense knowing one of them was the murderer.
I also liked how this set-up lend itself for a shorter read as they have to figure it out before they can escape from the room. Another bonus was that for those new to this series this short story was really easy to get into as it all takes place in the escape room there aren't many appearances of characters or mentions of things you don't know. And this story did make me curious about the rest of the series.
The mystery was a pretty good one. It was tricky to figure out who had done it, but before I had a solid guess the main character figured it out. It made sense and I liked how things fell on it's place. It also was interesting how the motive in this one was quite hard to figure out and even when the main character figured out the who she didn't know the why until the murderer told them.
To summarize
I really enjoyed this collection with three Christmas themed cozies. Only one of these was in a series I already knew and the other two authors were new to me. I enjoyed all three of the stories, although the one by Maddie Day was my favorite as I already knew that series. The other two have me curious to check out those series too. I also liked how each of the stories had a Christmas theme and hot cocoa played a role in the murder mystery. All in all I would definitely recommend this collection to cozy mystery fans.
abbybovenzii's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
3.0
Recommended by Haley. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Schristmas%20cocoa%20murder__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
sab_rose's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite story in this collection of short stories was the last one.
The first story was okay but if you didn't already know series' universe it was difficult keep everything straight.
All in all, not a bad read.
The first story was okay but if you didn't already know series' universe it was difficult keep everything straight.
All in all, not a bad read.
katkinney's review against another edition
4.0
In this collection of three cozy mystery novellas, hot chocolate takes center stage! In the first novella, missing dogs, quaint Irish villages, and handcrafted nutcrackers all play a role. When a police officer in training discovers the town dogs are going missing… and then discovers Santa dead in a carnival dunk tank, she decides to investigate. I really enjoyed the unusual small-town Irish village setting, the sleuthing, and figuring out the mystery.
The last of the three tales was another unusual setting for a Christmas novella-set in an escape room party! An enjoyable collection of tales.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
The last of the three tales was another unusual setting for a Christmas novella-set in an escape room party!
Spoiler
Eight participants have to figure out how to get out of the escape room building when the host suddenly drops dead. Just like before, cocoa is involved.Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
smorrison4's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Another fun cozy mystery collection including my favorite characters from Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village Mystery series. I love the O'Sullivan clan and I love reading these short mysteries. The short stories written by Alex Erickson (Death by Hot Cocoa) and Maddie Day (Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse) were short and fun, cozy mysteries as well. I loved the idea of a Christmas themed escape room (Death by Hot Cocoa) and that they had to solve the real mystery before they could escape, that was cool.
bookwoman37's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall I enjoyed these stories. The first one by Carlene O'Connor takes place in Ireland and involves dueling Santas. I had not read this author before but now I shall be going back to read her series. I loved the characters and the mystery was good. The second one by Maddie Day is a series I am very familiar with. I always enjoy a visit to South Lick, Indiana. The characters and the restaurant are always fun but the mystery could have been stronger. Since it was a short story I wish more time was spent on the mystery than descriptions of clothing. The third story was a locked room mystery and the weakest of the three. Unlike some other Holiday collections I have read I was pleased that all three were mysteries. Enjoy these Christmas Cozies
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
5.0
This book actually contains three Christmas mysteries. The authors pull off the difficult task of writing murder mysteries that still end on a hopeful note, suitable for a holiday collection. I had read books by only one of the authors who contributed to this book, but I really enjoyed all three stories. All three stories feature hot cocoa in some aspect in keeping with the Christmas cocoa theme.
The first story is the titular "Christmas Cocoa Murder" by Carlene O'Connor. I have read some of the full length Irish Village novels featuring Siobhan O'Sullivan and enjoyed this story which goes back to when she is first graduating from the Garda College. Siobhan is as impulsive, smart, and loving as ever. As the rest of the town are enjoying Christmas preparations, Siobhan is called into service to solve a murder. I liked seeing her solve a case even before she is officially on the job. Those who haven't read any of the books in the series will like getting to know Siobhan. Even though a murder did occur, the story has a sweet ending which gives a hint about Siobhan's life in the near future.
The second story is "Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse" by Maddie Day. Robbie Jordan and her assistant Danna Beedle are busy keeping the customers Robbie's country store and restaurant fed and happy in the days leading up to Christmas. However, Robbie finds herself putting all that on the "back burner" to catch a killer when her boyfriend's father is accused of murdering a former business associate. I've heard of this series but hadn't had a chance to read anything by this author before this story. I really liked the characters and the setting and am interested in reading full length books featuring Robbie and her friends. There were plenty of suspects for Robbie to investigate and everything was wrapped up in end.
The third story in the collection is Alex Erickson's "Death by Hot Cocoa." Krissy Hancock takes the day off from running her bookstore cafe to participate in a Christmas-themed escape room with her friend Rita. Lewis Coates doesn't seem like a people person but has done a great job organizing the even in which the participants find their way out of small, individual rooms into a large room from which the whole group must "escape." All but one of the participants are shocked when they find their way into the large room and find Lewis's dead body! I enjoyed seeing Krissy logically solve the escape room clues as well as the real clues to determine the identity of the murderer in this locked room mystery. I like Krissy and Rita and although I've not read any of their full-length adventures, I would like to read other books by this author.
Overall, this is a highly entertaining collection of three Christmas mysteries with a variety of settings and plots that will appeal to a wide range of cozy mystery lovers.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
The first story is the titular "Christmas Cocoa Murder" by Carlene O'Connor. I have read some of the full length Irish Village novels featuring Siobhan O'Sullivan and enjoyed this story which goes back to when she is first graduating from the Garda College. Siobhan is as impulsive, smart, and loving as ever. As the rest of the town are enjoying Christmas preparations, Siobhan is called into service to solve a murder. I liked seeing her solve a case even before she is officially on the job. Those who haven't read any of the books in the series will like getting to know Siobhan. Even though a murder did occur, the story has a sweet ending which gives a hint about Siobhan's life in the near future.
The second story is "Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse" by Maddie Day. Robbie Jordan and her assistant Danna Beedle are busy keeping the customers Robbie's country store and restaurant fed and happy in the days leading up to Christmas. However, Robbie finds herself putting all that on the "back burner" to catch a killer when her boyfriend's father is accused of murdering a former business associate. I've heard of this series but hadn't had a chance to read anything by this author before this story. I really liked the characters and the setting and am interested in reading full length books featuring Robbie and her friends. There were plenty of suspects for Robbie to investigate and everything was wrapped up in end.
The third story in the collection is Alex Erickson's "Death by Hot Cocoa." Krissy Hancock takes the day off from running her bookstore cafe to participate in a Christmas-themed escape room with her friend Rita. Lewis Coates doesn't seem like a people person but has done a great job organizing the even in which the participants find their way out of small, individual rooms into a large room from which the whole group must "escape." All but one of the participants are shocked when they find their way into the large room and find Lewis's dead body! I enjoyed seeing Krissy logically solve the escape room clues as well as the real clues to determine the identity of the murderer in this locked room mystery. I like Krissy and Rita and although I've not read any of their full-length adventures, I would like to read other books by this author.
Overall, this is a highly entertaining collection of three Christmas mysteries with a variety of settings and plots that will appeal to a wide range of cozy mystery lovers.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
tien's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75