Scan barcode
A review by cj_mo_2222
Christmas Scarf Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, Maddie Day
5.0
The book Christmas Scarf Murder includes three novellas by three different authors, Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day, and Peggy Ehrhart. Each story involves amateur sleuths solving a murder with a Christmas scarf as the murder weapon. The novellas feature main characters from each of the author's full-length novels. Anyone who already follows these series will enjoy catching up with favorite characters, but the stories are a great introduction for new readers. Looking at the collection as a whole, I would rate it 4.5 stars.
Carlene O'Connor's story, Christmas Scarf Murder, is the first in the book. It features Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan and her husband DS Macdora Flannery, investigating a series of thefts at an elder care home and then a murder. There are a lot of suspects and a fairly lengthy investigation, especially for a short story. The scenes at the care home were very enjoyable, and the story's sweet ending is perfect for a holiday story.
The second story, Scarfed Down by Maddie Day, has restaurant owner Robbie Jordan investigating the death of a knitter using yarn supplied by her aunt. The way the murder is commited is clever and sets up an intriguing mystery. I like Robbie and really enjoyed the great mother/son relationship she has with her stepson Sean. I didn't care for some of the side characters, and the way the accents of some of the characters were written was distracting. Overall, it is an entertaining story.
In my opinion, they saved the best for last. Peggy Ehrhart's story, Death by Christmas Scarf, is my favorite story of the three. Magazine editor Pamela Paterson and newspaper reporter Bettina Fraser team up to look into the death of a man strangled with a scarf made by a member of their knitting group. I love Pamela and Bettina's friendship and determination to solve the case. I also enjoyed all the vivid descriptions of the holiday celebrations, and I felt like I was right there in Bettina's home enjoying some holiday cheer.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Kensington Books at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Carlene O'Connor's story, Christmas Scarf Murder, is the first in the book. It features Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan and her husband DS Macdora Flannery, investigating a series of thefts at an elder care home and then a murder. There are a lot of suspects and a fairly lengthy investigation, especially for a short story. The scenes at the care home were very enjoyable, and the story's sweet ending is perfect for a holiday story.
The second story, Scarfed Down by Maddie Day, has restaurant owner Robbie Jordan investigating the death of a knitter using yarn supplied by her aunt. The way the murder is commited is clever and sets up an intriguing mystery. I like Robbie and really enjoyed the great mother/son relationship she has with her stepson Sean. I didn't care for some of the side characters, and the way the accents of some of the characters were written was distracting. Overall, it is an entertaining story.
In my opinion, they saved the best for last. Peggy Ehrhart's story, Death by Christmas Scarf, is my favorite story of the three. Magazine editor Pamela Paterson and newspaper reporter Bettina Fraser team up to look into the death of a man strangled with a scarf made by a member of their knitting group. I love Pamela and Bettina's friendship and determination to solve the case. I also enjoyed all the vivid descriptions of the holiday celebrations, and I felt like I was right there in Bettina's home enjoying some holiday cheer.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Kensington Books at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.