Monday, October 13, 2025

O, Deadly Night - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  O, Deadly Night (A Year Round Christmas Mystery #8) by Vicki Delany

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  It’s Christmastime in Rudolph, New York, which means it’s time for the December Santa Claus parade. This year, shop owner Merry Wilkinson has decided to decorate her float as Santa’s elves' workshop and invites her landlady, Mabel D’Angelo, to help supervise the excited children playing the elves. But when Mrs. D’Angelo doesn’t show up, Merry begins to worry.

Worry quickly turns into frustration when Mrs. D’Angelo reveals she was delayed by new neighbors moving in. As the center for all things gossip, Mrs. D’Angelo is determined to introduce the new arrivals to the neighborhood. As the days pass, Mrs. D’Angelo notices strange things about the newcomers, but Merry, busier than an elf in Santa’s workshop, has little time for matters that really don’t concern her. But things turn from jolly to downright concerning when Mrs. D’Angelo disappears, and Merry is forced to admit that something might be terribly wrong.

With family and friends counting on her during this stressful holiday season, it is up to Merry to make sure this Christmas doesn’t end up wrapped in blood red.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been reading and enjoying this series since the beginning and I'm always a fan of a series that features a giant dog.

My Impression: I really liked the premise of this one.  Merry's landlady, Mabel D'Angelo, has been a somewhat annoying character throughout the entire series.  I was really glad to see her getting a bit more character development and her own story.  

The book starts out with Mrs. D'Angelo at her most annoying.  A new neighbor has moved in across the street and Mrs. D'Angelo has failed to find out anything about them or even meet them.  Merry is trying to avoid her until it becomes clear that Mrs. D'Angelo has gone missing.  Merry is too caught up in preparing for the holiday in America's Christmas town to try to get involved in the investigation but despite her best intentions she is pulled in.

I liked the story but it didn't feel like there was quite enough of it to merit the length of the book.  I'm a big fan of slice of life cozies but there were times it felt repetitive or a dragged a bit.  A number of details are repeated multiple times to multiple people and it feels like we spend a lot of time without making much progress or learning more information.  

I love the community of Rudloph and the cast of characters who are in Merry's life - with the exception of Jackie who as far as I can see has no redeemable features and is probably my least favorite side character.  The food mentions are enough to make me want to find the nearest bakery immediately and I can't help but get a bit of Christmas spirit every time I pick up a book in this series.  This was, overall, a fun read though not the fastest paced.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would!  I enjoy this author and this series so even though this wasn't my favorite I look forward to spending more time in Rudolph - or any world this author creates.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a cozy fan I would definitely recommend this series but I would start with an earlier book so you can get to know the characters.

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

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