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A review by kayshiddenshelf
Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman: A Sam Shovel Mystery by Patricia Meredith
4.0
4/5 Stars
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Charming, mysterious, and full of wonder. Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman captures the Christmas spirit with a dash of murder.
Throughout the story we follow Sam Shovel, a snowman living in the North Pole. Coming to life for twelve days every year at Christmastime, Sam’s memory can be a little slushy on his previous lives. This year however, he’s been tasked with solving the murder of O. Tannenbaum, the world’s largest Christmas tree supplier.
Following Sam on his investigative efforts was an absolute delight. I found his character to be endearing, and even though he only has twelve days to solve the case he’s given satisfying developments. The side cast was also diverse and added great intrigue to the mystery. Even the interactions between characters throughout were thoughtfully done, creating slice of life moments and suspense.
From the moment Sam comes to life, we’re met with a plethora of Christmas references, histories, traditions, and foods. Some familiar and others new, this helped me get in the Christmas mood and often made me nostalgic. There were even some Christmas recipes from the book included at the end for holiday baking.
Now, something that surprised me was the balance of magical wonder and suspicion. Having never read a cozy murder mystery before, I wasn’t sure how well the two would mix for me. Especially with a Christmas theme, often related to a joyous time of year. However, I’m pleased to say Patricia Meredith balanced it well and didn’t skimp on a compelling mystery for the sake of a cozy read.
This is filled with sugar plum fairies, cookies, snowy forests, candy canes, and a variety of Santa’s from various traditions around the world.
If you’re looking for a cozy read with fun characters and a murder to solve for the holiday season, this is definitely one out.
Merged review:
4/5 Stars
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Charming, mysterious, and full of wonder. Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman captures the Christmas spirit with a dash of murder.
Throughout the story we follow Sam Shovel, a snowman living in the North Pole. Coming to life for twelve days every year at Christmastime, Sam’s memory can be a little slushy on his previous lives. This year however, he’s been tasked with solving the murder of O. Tannenbaum, the world’s largest Christmas tree supplier.
Following Sam on his investigative efforts was an absolute delight. I found his character to be endearing, and even though he only has twelve days to solve the case he’s given satisfying developments. The side cast was also diverse and added great intrigue to the mystery. Even the interactions between characters throughout were thoughtfully done, creating slice of life moments and suspense.
From the moment Sam comes to life, we’re met with a plethora of Christmas references, histories, traditions, and foods. Some familiar and others new, this helped me get in the Christmas mood and often made me nostalgic. There were even some Christmas recipes from the book included at the end for holiday baking.
Now, something that surprised me was the balance of magical wonder and suspicion. Having never read a cozy murder mystery before, I wasn’t sure how well the two would mix for me. Especially with a Christmas theme, often related to a joyous time of year. However, I’m pleased to say Patricia Meredith balanced it well and didn’t skimp on a compelling mystery for the sake of a cozy read.
This is filled with sugar plum fairies, cookies, snowy forests, candy canes, and a variety of Santa’s from various traditions around the world.
If you’re looking for a cozy read with fun characters and a murder to solve for the holiday season, this is definitely one out.
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Charming, mysterious, and full of wonder. Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman captures the Christmas spirit with a dash of murder.
Throughout the story we follow Sam Shovel, a snowman living in the North Pole. Coming to life for twelve days every year at Christmastime, Sam’s memory can be a little slushy on his previous lives. This year however, he’s been tasked with solving the murder of O. Tannenbaum, the world’s largest Christmas tree supplier.
Following Sam on his investigative efforts was an absolute delight. I found his character to be endearing, and even though he only has twelve days to solve the case he’s given satisfying developments. The side cast was also diverse and added great intrigue to the mystery. Even the interactions between characters throughout were thoughtfully done, creating slice of life moments and suspense.
From the moment Sam comes to life, we’re met with a plethora of Christmas references, histories, traditions, and foods. Some familiar and others new, this helped me get in the Christmas mood and often made me nostalgic. There were even some Christmas recipes from the book included at the end for holiday baking.
Now, something that surprised me was the balance of magical wonder and suspicion. Having never read a cozy murder mystery before, I wasn’t sure how well the two would mix for me. Especially with a Christmas theme, often related to a joyous time of year. However, I’m pleased to say Patricia Meredith balanced it well and didn’t skimp on a compelling mystery for the sake of a cozy read.
This is filled with sugar plum fairies, cookies, snowy forests, candy canes, and a variety of Santa’s from various traditions around the world.
If you’re looking for a cozy read with fun characters and a murder to solve for the holiday season, this is definitely one out.
Merged review:
4/5 Stars
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Charming, mysterious, and full of wonder. Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman captures the Christmas spirit with a dash of murder.
Throughout the story we follow Sam Shovel, a snowman living in the North Pole. Coming to life for twelve days every year at Christmastime, Sam’s memory can be a little slushy on his previous lives. This year however, he’s been tasked with solving the murder of O. Tannenbaum, the world’s largest Christmas tree supplier.
Following Sam on his investigative efforts was an absolute delight. I found his character to be endearing, and even though he only has twelve days to solve the case he’s given satisfying developments. The side cast was also diverse and added great intrigue to the mystery. Even the interactions between characters throughout were thoughtfully done, creating slice of life moments and suspense.
From the moment Sam comes to life, we’re met with a plethora of Christmas references, histories, traditions, and foods. Some familiar and others new, this helped me get in the Christmas mood and often made me nostalgic. There were even some Christmas recipes from the book included at the end for holiday baking.
Now, something that surprised me was the balance of magical wonder and suspicion. Having never read a cozy murder mystery before, I wasn’t sure how well the two would mix for me. Especially with a Christmas theme, often related to a joyous time of year. However, I’m pleased to say Patricia Meredith balanced it well and didn’t skimp on a compelling mystery for the sake of a cozy read.
This is filled with sugar plum fairies, cookies, snowy forests, candy canes, and a variety of Santa’s from various traditions around the world.
If you’re looking for a cozy read with fun characters and a murder to solve for the holiday season, this is definitely one out.