Christmas – Carol's Notebook

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany

August 9, 2023August 10, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is a fun cozy mystery set in the quirky town of Rudolph, New York, where it’s Christmas all year round. Merry Wilkinson owns the local gift shop and knows just about the whole town. Everyone is looking forward to the local theater group's production of A Christmas Carol, including Merry's mom, Aline, a retired opera singer who is the music director. The cast, however, is arguing about everything from costumes to parts. Then the actress playing Mrs. Crachit is found dead, murdered in Merry's shop. Everyone involved in the musical is under suspicion, including Merry's mom and her shop assistant, Jackie, which gives Merry plenty of reason to start snooping around. I've read a couple in this series before. I like Merry, her family and friends, and of course her dog, Matterhorn. The mystery itself was put together well. There were several suspects and clues and it's fun to hang out with Merry and...

The Case of the Disappearing Beaune by J. Lawrence Matthews

December 2, 2022December 1, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

How could I pass by Sherlock at Christmas? The Case of the Disappearing Beaune opens with Watson stopping by Sherlock's rooms to invite him to Christmas dinner. Sherlock, of course, refuses, but as he gives Watson his Christmas gift, a bottle of beaune, the pair realizes the wine has been replaced with sand. And Sherlock knows where that sand is from. Sherlock is sure it signifies a threat to the king, so off the two go, on a race through London to solve the case. For a short story, there were several twists and it showed off Holmes' detecting style well. We also encounter several old friends along the way. It's a sweet, light Christmas story with a rather surprising ending. It makes a perfect holiday story, but perhaps a slightly disappointing mystery....

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 by Carol4 Comments

I am a sucker for a country house Christmas murder mystery. Lily and her cousins have come to Endhouse for the annual Christmas game, but this time the grand prize is Endhouse itself. But Lily is there to find out the truth about what happened to her mom years ago. The Christmas Murder is a fun book. The riddles are given in the form of sonnets and they are rather clever. Of course, the group is snowed in and when the first person is killed, they can't reach the police by phone (the lines are down), by care (there is a tree down across the driveway), or by cellphone (they were confiscated at the beginning of the game so no one could cheat). It's a claustrophobic atmosphere where you can't trust anyone. Yes, the premise is a bit unrealistic and the killer obvious, but it kept me entertained throughout. It would make a good seasonal read....

The Impossible Quest of Hailing a Taxi on Christmas Eve by George Saoulidis

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 by CarolNo Comments

"The Impossible Quest of Hailing a Taxi on Christmas Eve" is a fun re-telling of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge tries to order a cab on Christmas Eve from an app. The problem is that the cabdriver who shows up won't take him. He's an undesirable customer. While he was busy denigrating the cab drivers in his reviews, the cab drivers were also reviewing him. Eventually Scrooge agrees to a "test" to determine whether he will accepted into a cab again. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future are all cab drivers. It had all the pieces of the standard story, but with just enough of a twist to make it feel fresh....

Last Two Books of the Year

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

I finished my last two books of the year earlier today. I decided to make just a couple short comments about them both and that let's me start 2020 with a fresh slate. I enjoyed this Christmassy cozy mystery. First, it's set in Pittsburgh and I know the places, which makes it fun. Second, Fiona is a good amateur sleuth. This time around, her mom's her sidekick and instigates some of the more dangerous plans. Fiona's boyfriend is a police detective, but he doesn't put her down or overly discourage her. The mystery was good with just enough clues. I love how Georgie is up for pretty much anything in order to not have to stay with her brother and his wife. Now, she is staying with the Dowager Duchness of Eynsford and of course there's a murder. Georgie is delightful and I liked how she actually took the time to get to know the children of the house, not just the...

The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

December 30, 2019December 30, 2019 by Carol2 Comments

The Twelve Clues of Christmas was such a fun mystery! I don't know why I have never read any of this series before, but this not only worked as a stand-alone, it was good enough that I've already picked up the next. Lady Georgiana Rannoch escapes her brother's bleak castle in Scotland by accepting a job as hostess at a house party held by Lady Hawse-Gorzley in the village of Tiddleton-under-Lovey. The house party is made up of mosty paying guests there to celebrate a traditional English Christmas, complete with caroling, parlor games, and some of the villages more peculiar customs. The problem is that people are dying, one a day, seemingly from accidents, but really how many accidents can occur in one small village? Of course they're murders. Although all the dead are villagers, Georgie feels she must do what she can to help stop the killings. Georgie is smart and independent, and flat broke. She's entertaining and just delightful....