The Knife Before Christmas - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Knife Before Christmas (A Fixer Upper Mystery #11) by Kate Carlisle

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Christmas has come to Lighthouse Cove, but business hasn’t slowed down for Shannon Hammer. She’s been contracted to renovate a local hotel owned by the Garrisons, a family that’s so devoted to the holidays they serve a seven-course dinner every night from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Last year’s festivities featured a train that transported guests around the breathtaking Cliffside property. This year, Shannon and her crew have been commissioned to build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and prizes galore.

Everyone in town loves the hotel’s spirit, except the Garrisons’ children and their spouses, who are hum-bugged by the money being wasted on holiday cheer while their inheritance goes up the chimney. Things turn nasty when a mischief-maker close to the family is found dead. It’s up to Shannon and Mac to catch a sinister Scrooge before all of Lighthouse Cove receives coal for Christmas.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This is a series I always enjoy so of course I had to pick up this newest one.

My Impression: I have really enjoyed this series from the beginning so of course I was thrilled to spend more time with Shannon, Mac, Chloe, and Eric.  I loved the Christmas-y feels and all the usual holiday busyness.  I was so glad that Shannon's nemesis, Whitney, didn't have a lot of page time and there was enough conflict with Randi and Arabella.  

The mystery is a good one.  Pretty much everyone wanted to kill the victim so it's really a matter of figuring out who had the biggest motive.  I did guess the who but I wasn't completely sure until the very end and I wasn't sure of the motive.  There's also a small subplot involving porch pirates which is an issue a lot of people have to deal with around the holidays.

I really enjoyed meeting the Garrisons and figuring out their complicated relationships.  I did miss the active work site aspect that normally features in this series.  I also had some issues with how the porch pirate subplot was resolved and the ending of the book in general.  It felt a bit rushed and like their were too many revelations at one time.  Despite these issues I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and look forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've read by this author.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you're a cozy mystery fan I think you would enjoy this series though I do recommend starting at the beginning.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *