Source: Publisher
Description: Meg's sister-in-law, Delaney is pregnant. Since her due date is on or around Christmas Day, this is putting a bit of a damper on the usual holiday festivities. Meg and Michael are NOT hosting the usual house full of relatives and parties. Instead, Meg, along with her mother, her grandmother, her cousin Rose Noire, and her good friend Caroline, are militantly doing everything they can think of to keep Delaney quiet and healthy. All the relatives are farmed out to friends and neighbors; all the parties are being held somewhere else, and while Delaney is bored and mutinous, she's doing well, and they're managing to maintain a serene, peaceful environment for her . . . until a body is found in Meg and Michael's yard. Can Meg still keep Delaney calm in the middle of a murder investigation, all while trying to catch the killer?Full of her usual twists and turns, paired with relatable family holiday drama and Caerphilly’s traditional Christmas merriment, Donna Andrews brings readers another joyful classic.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I especially love the holiday reads.
My Impression: Christmas is supposed to be a bit calmer for Meg and Michael and the rest of the family. They're not hosting hoards of cousins, no blue jays are loose in the house divebombing unsuspecting visitors, and the focus is on keeping Delaney calm and relaxed. But this is Caerphilly and Meg's family so things can't be completely calm and Meg's grandmother Cordelia is hosting a true crime conference focusing on the wrongly convicted. I was thrilled to see Meg's cousin, Festus, get a little more page time as he's one of my favorite side characters. I also liked that Meg's boys get a bit more page time as well and we see a bit more of their personality.
The victim is one no one will miss but who would want to kill him? And how did he end up in Meg and Michael's yard in the in the middle of the night. As usual the investigation is a fun read with a lot of chaos and relatives and animal hijinks. The mystery was a good one and the read was thoroughly enjoyable.
This is such a fun series with lots of fun characters, animal hijinks, and good mysteries. Given the large cast it can be a bit confusing if you start mid-series, but each book gets better than the last. If you're a cozy mystery fan this is one to read!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading the previous books I've missed and will be on the lookout for future books.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you a cozy mystery reader and a fan of the series this is a must read. If you're new to the series it might be better to start with an earlier book but you won't regret giving this series a try.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? If you a cozy mystery reader and a fan of the series this is a must read. If you're new to the series it might be better to start with an earlier book but you won't regret giving this series a try.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I so love holiday cozy mysteries. Sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another good series. I was on Audible yesterday combing through their Audible Plus cozy mysteries and adding what I thought might be okay. Added quite a bit to my TBR. Must see if any from Donna Andrews.
ReplyDeleteGood to know it is better to read in order. I love that there are holiday mysteries!
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