Christmas – Page 5 – Carol's Notebook

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost

July 17, 2023July 17, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

It's Christmas in Mistletoe, Maine, and for the fourth year in a row, someone is murdered. This time around, the dead woman is the lead ballerina in the visiting production of The Nutcracker. And of course, several members of the ballet and the choreography master are staying at Holly's inn at her parents' tree farm. I love a good holiday mystery and Stalking Around the Christmas Tree was fun. It's filled with all things Christmassy - The Nutcracker Ballet, presents for charity, delicious goodies, and plenty of snow. There's enough romance to make me smile, but not so much that it takes over the story. And there's a murder. I enjoy the characters in this series. Holly is surrounded by a supportive, loving, quirky bunch of family and friends. And yes, her boyfriend Evan is the town sheriff, which seems a bit of a cheat, but I actually like him and he treats Holly as if she's capable and intelligent....

The Christmas Caper by Gigi Pandian

January 4, 2023January 4, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Edinburgh at Christmas sounds wonderful. In this short story, Tempest is asked by her grandmother's friend to figure out how a painting was stolen from a museum, a seemingly impossible crime. The plot is pretty straightforward, but I loved the setting. The author does a fabulous job at bringing Edinburgh and its Christmas market to life. I would really love to visit sometime. One of my favorite fictional bookstores even gets a mention. Tempest is her usual clever self and her grandparents are a joy. We don't get to know the new characters well, but they worked fine for the story. There are also a couple of recipes in the back that sound delicious. I haven't tried the yet though....

Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Thefts of Christmas by Tim Major

December 31, 2022December 30, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

Morose and uninspired as Christmas approaches, Holmes receives an unexpected invitation to a theatrical performance, thus beginning a challenge set by Irene Adler involving a series of "thefts." The idea of Holmes and Adler contriving puzzles and challenges for each other is fun. Meanwhile, a new client, an explorer, requests Holmes investigate a series of "gifts" left at his door, gifts of raw meat and animal carcasses. The mystery was well done, with a hint of the paranormal, which of course Holmes disproves. I listened to the audio which was maybe a bad choice. Holmes always sounded angry rather than slightly disdainful, mean rather than aloof. I did enjoy seeing Mrs. Hudson, even if she wasn't her usual self this holiday season....

Sherlock Holmes & the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove

December 22, 2022December 22, 2022 by Carol2 Comments

I've enjoyed a lot of "new" Holmes stories, and I don't need Holmes to necessarily be Doyle's Holmes, but Lovegrove's does come pretty doggone close. Eve Allerthorpe, daughter of a wealthy Yorkshire family, enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson because she believes her family home is being haunted by the Black Thurrick, a kind of anti-Father Christmas. She has found bundles of birch twigs at the castle and seen the Black Thurrick walking across the frozen lake at night. Also, one of the wings of the castle is supposedly haunted. Holmes, of course, is skeptical, but he does suspect that something criminal is afoot. And his suspicion is justified when, soon after he and Watson arrive at Felscar Keep, a member of staff is found dead, pushed from an upper window. The setting is perfect, a secluded Gothic castle surrounded by frozen water and a snowy forest, a place where you could believe in ghosts and demons. The...

When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan

December 21, 2022December 21, 2022 by Carol2 Comments

I was looking for a Christmas mystery, and I failed to do my research. This is not a warm and fuzzy Christmas story - which is fine, I do read mostly murder mysteries after all. It takes place around Christmas time, but our detective, English professor maybe ex-spy Cameron Winter, is not the type to enjoy the holiday. It's not that he's a Scrooge, he's just moody and longs for the Christmasses of his childhood at his nanny's house and the girl he had a crush on twenty years ago. He dwells on things a lot, which always annoys me and slows down the plot. He's also smart and handsome and almost every woman is attracted to him, including his therapist. Oh, and the woman who is asking for his help with this case is apparently someone he had an affair with when she was a student. The plot itself is good. A former military man is accused of and has...

Murder at the Mill by M.B. Shaw

December 20, 2022December 20, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

You have to feel bad for Iris. Her marriage is falling apart so she's rented Mill Cottage to escape to. Just as she's settling in and getting to know the neighboring Wetherby family, Dom Wetherby ends up dead, murdered. She's drawn into the case almost as a distraction from what's going on in her own life. The Wetherbys are far from the perfect family they present to the world. There are secrets and jealousies and entanglements. The characters are well drawn, each with strengths and weaknesses. There are several people with motives to kill Dom and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. The book was maybe a little long and Shaw really loves similes, but it kept my attention throughout. Iris is intelligent and observant but I do wish she had better taste in men. I also appreciated the Christmassy touches....