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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Set at Christmas with the Charles Dickens story “A Christmas Carol” as part of story as they are preparing the show with the amateur theatre.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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Despite the fact that this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. Apparently, the series ended, but due to popular support, a new novel was written, and what a charming book it is.
Merry lives in the town of Rudolph, New York, the Christmas capital of the area. The people in the village take pride in all things Christmas. This year they are putting on the musical version of A Christmas Carol. Merry’s mom, a former opera singer on the big stage, is involved in the play, as is Merry’s employee, Jessica. Without getting into too many details, there is much drama surrounding this year’s play as a new producer is involved, and many of the longtime actors are not happy with the decisions made.
I will say there is a large cast of characters in this book, so many at the beginning that I was afraid I couldn’t keep them all straight! However, as the book progressed, the personalities got fleshed out and I was able to discern who was who and what their connection to Merry was. With such a large cast, it makes it harder to figure out who is good and who is bad, which becomes all the more important when a member of the acting troupe is found dead in Merry’s store.
The mystery was deftly handled, and I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I may have to go back and read some of Merry’s other adventures!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Despite the fact that this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. Apparently, the series ended, but due to popular support, a new novel was written, and what a charming book it is.
Merry lives in the town of Rudolph, New York, the Christmas capital of the area. The people in the village take pride in all things Christmas. This year they are putting on the musical version of A Christmas Carol. Merry’s mom, a former opera singer on the big stage, is involved in the play, as is Merry’s employee, Jessica. Without getting into too many details, there is much drama surrounding this year’s play as a new producer is involved, and many of the longtime actors are not happy with the decisions made.
I will say there is a large cast of characters in this book, so many at the beginning that I was afraid I couldn’t keep them all straight! However, as the book progressed, the personalities got fleshed out and I was able to discern who was who and what their connection to Merry was. With such a large cast, it makes it harder to figure out who is good and who is bad, which becomes all the more important when a member of the acting troupe is found dead in Merry’s store.
The mystery was deftly handled, and I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I may have to go back and read some of Merry’s other adventures!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My traditional train ride festive read as I spend the weekend with my best friend and do christmassy stuffs. The weekend visits stopped during the pandemic, and I think the last trip might have been the last book in this series. So it all worked out perfectly in timing this year!
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
It’s the beginning of December in Rudolph, New York and business is brisk at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift shop owned by Merry Wilkinson. The local amateur dramatic society is preparing a special musical production of A Christmas Carol. But it’s not a happy set, as rivalries between cast and crew threaten the production. Tensions come to a head when a member of the group is found dead after shopping at Mrs. Claus's Treasures. Everyone in the cast and crew is a suspect, including Aline, Merry’s mother, and Merry's shop assistant Jackie O'Reilly. Can Merry find the culprit before Christmas?
This was a great cozy mystery that put me in the Christmas spirit. Merry is a great amateur sleuth who has to find whodunit while dealing with kooky characters, and drama queens. The plot was very confounding, and I was surprised when the culprit was revealed in the end. The author is a great writer, I could feel the snowstorm jumping off the page, and I shivered a little while reading. The only problem I had with this story was I felt the pace was a little off. I thought it would've been a faster read. This review is my unbiased opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this advanced reader's copy.
This was a great cozy mystery that put me in the Christmas spirit. Merry is a great amateur sleuth who has to find whodunit while dealing with kooky characters, and drama queens. The plot was very confounding, and I was surprised when the culprit was revealed in the end. The author is a great writer, I could feel the snowstorm jumping off the page, and I shivered a little while reading. The only problem I had with this story was I felt the pace was a little off. I thought it would've been a faster read. This review is my unbiased opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this advanced reader's copy.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Cute little cozy Christmas mystery. I realized this was the 6th book in a series after I started reading it but honestly didn’t make a difference not reading the first 5. It can easily be read as a stand alone book. It’s a fast paced murder mystery in a little Christmas town and exactly what you would expect from a book like this. Quick and easy read to get into the holiday spirit while still on my mystery kick. I’d read others from this series for sure.