Reviews

Stalking Around The Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

3.0

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost has readers traveling to the charming town of Mistletoe, Maine. The story focuses on the characters, the town, and the character’s relationships. Holly White is getting ready for her wedding and Christmas while taking care of her inn and helping with the annual Reindeer Games. Her to-do list is quite lengthy. We get to hear about the items on Holly’s list often. There is no way that one woman could accomplish all the items on Holly's list unless they were the Flash. Cookie is a delightful character. I hope I am that lively when I am that age. Cookie shows that it is helpful to have friends in the right positions. There are two mysteries in Stalking Around the Christmas Tree. A ballerina who is playing Clara in The Nutcracker dies during the town’s Christmas parade and Libby, Holly’s friend and her fiancé’s sister, has a stalker. Holly, of course, cannot resist investigating the death of the ballerina. The details of the mystery are mixed in with everything else. There is so much going on (cards to be addressed and mailed out, a large stack of toys to be wrapped, Reindeer Games, wedding plans, and so much more) that the story is stressful (it gave me a migraine). The death of the ballerina was expected since the ballet and the ballerinas were mentioned often. There really was no reason for Holly to be investigating the murder except for the fact that the victim was staying at her inn. There are a limited number of suspects and we do not get to learn much about them. The whodunit can be solved long before the reveal (which was inane). The identity of the Bunheads blogger can be untangled with little effort. I wish the mystery had some unexpected twists and less banality. The way they caught Libby’s stalker had me rolling my eyes (it was unrealistic). I had trouble getting through Stalking Around the Christmas Tree. The lengthy, detailed descriptions had me skimming. I wish the pace had been peppier (instead of dashing through the snow, I was slogging my way up a mountain). Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is the fourth A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but it will take you a little time to understand the connection between the characters. Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is a character centric cozy with a lengthy to-do list, imminent nuptials, a slain ballerina, an impending snowstorm, a bunhead blogger, sheriff’s sister stalker, and a cheerful Christmas.

thebookishnarwhal's review

I love stories where someone has to save Christmas, and this cozy mystery delivers! Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost is the fourth book in the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series. An entertaining read until the final page, this is certainly a book to add to your Christmas reading list.

Meet Holly. She lives in Mistletoe, Maine and runs the local inn. Her family owns Reindeer Games Tree Farm, Hearth Cage, and the Inn she runs. The inn is booked for the holiday, and her Christmas Eve wedding to the local sheriff is approaching. The state’s ballet company is staying at the inn in Mistletoe for several performances of The Nutcracker. During the parade, the lead ballerina with hidden secrets winds up dead on a float with the Rat King’s mask nearby. Will Holly be able to spruce up her sleuthing skills and catch the killer before Christmas and her wedding day?

Frost brings readers in with a winter setting, a clever plot, and beguiling characters. I was intrigued by the character development throughout the novel and cannot wait to see what Holly experiences in the rest of the series. I highly recommend it to readers who love a cozy mystery, especially a Christmas one. I cannot wait to get my hands on the series, especially book four, and pull a reread to get me in the holiday spirit.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

lebron_librarian's review against another edition

lighthearted 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

3.5

melmo2610's review

5.0

I really enjoyed this mystery. This series is one of my must reads and the latest adventure with Holly and the crew had me guessing throughout the story. I loved the side story of Holly’s wedding and the secondary mystery surrounding Libby. This was unputdownable!

scoot16's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

kristirose's review

mysterious slow-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

3.0

I absolutely loved the other books in this series, but I found this one a bit disappointing.  The solution was extremely obvious to me, and I figured it out early.

aade6705's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious

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

4.0

jnhamm's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.5

darkfantasyreviews's review

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing skills of the author are flawless and the storytelling was great. There were no unnecessary drama and the plot twists were interesting.

The cover photo of the book is also very attractive and the title is also gripping. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone.

#StalkingAroundtheChristmasTree #NetGalley

abunchie's review

medium-paced

3.0