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A review by teatimewtrisha
Christmas Sweets by Laura Levine, Leslie Meier, Joanne Fluke
. Her cozy mysteries are the ultimate in cozy. Her protagonist, Hannah, owns a bakery in a small town in Minnesota. After each chapter or two, Fluke inserts a recipe that corresponds with the book’s story. What I love about the recipes is that they’re so homey and easy to follow. The ingredients are always found at any grocery store or already in your pantry, and the steps are no-frills. No fancy, obscure foods or a need to buy a spiralizer. I’ve never tried a recipe because I hate baking, but if I did, I’m 99% percent sure the cookie, cake, or other baked good would be delicious.
Fluke tends to coincide her stories with the seasons or holidays. She has a few Christmas themed stories and books, and I’ve read a Valentine’s Day and summer themed mystery as well. (Actually, I’ve read them all. I can’t get enough.) They’re the perfect “palette cleanser” book, great after a book with heavier, more serious themes. This Christmas story, The Twelve Desserts of Christmas, didn’t disappoint. It was cute, heart-warming, and exactly what I expect from a Fluke work.
Levine and Meier are new writers to me, and although the stories were great, they didn’t bring the mild starry-eyed worshipping feelings I have for Fluke.
Levine’s Nightmare on Elf Street has her protagonist, Jaine Austen- how cute- doing one of the worst (or best for some) seasonal job ever – a mall Santa Claus’ elf. The experience seems like something straight out of the movie Bad Santa and is pretty hilarious. And in following typical cozy mystery fashion, Jaine has a kitty cat pal.
Meier’s The Christmas Thief was good, but not my favorite. A hotel concierge gets caught up in a jewelry theft mystery and must find the real culprit before she loses her job. There was a romantic element that was a little predictable, and the cast of characters didn’t exactly thrill.
It was a breath of fresh air to read something so fun and lighthearted between the horror and thriller novels that I wanted to read for October.
Fluke tends to coincide her stories with the seasons or holidays. She has a few Christmas themed stories and books, and I’ve read a Valentine’s Day and summer themed mystery as well. (Actually, I’ve read them all. I can’t get enough.) They’re the perfect “palette cleanser” book, great after a book with heavier, more serious themes. This Christmas story, The Twelve Desserts of Christmas, didn’t disappoint. It was cute, heart-warming, and exactly what I expect from a Fluke work.
Levine and Meier are new writers to me, and although the stories were great, they didn’t bring the mild starry-eyed worshipping feelings I have for Fluke.
Levine’s Nightmare on Elf Street has her protagonist, Jaine Austen- how cute- doing one of the worst (or best for some) seasonal job ever – a mall Santa Claus’ elf. The experience seems like something straight out of the movie Bad Santa and is pretty hilarious. And in following typical cozy mystery fashion, Jaine has a kitty cat pal.
Meier’s The Christmas Thief was good, but not my favorite. A hotel concierge gets caught up in a jewelry theft mystery and must find the real culprit before she loses her job. There was a romantic element that was a little predictable, and the cast of characters didn’t exactly thrill.
It was a breath of fresh air to read something so fun and lighthearted between the horror and thriller novels that I wanted to read for October.