#YuletideSpirit – Carol's Notebook

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

December 12, 2024December 12, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is as fun as the cover looks. Rom-com mysteries can be hit or miss, but this one was funny and cute and twisty without being annoying. Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are both bestselling authors, rivals who don't get along well. Now they have both been invited to spend Christmas with a mysterious "fan" in England, who turns out to be the queen of mystery writers, Eleanor Ashley. They are joined by Eleanor's various family members and other staff, but on the night after their arrival, Eleanor disappears from a locked room. They're snowed in and it seems that someone wants to commit murder. Maggie and Ethan have to put aside their differences to figure out what's going on. The mystery is put together surprisingly well. Just about everyone on the estate is a potential suspect - Eleanor was rich and most of them have something to gain from her death. Eleanor herself has...

The Twelve Saints of Christmas by Karen Baugh Menuhin

December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

Major Heathcliff Lennox was formerly an RAF pilot and hero. But, now WWI is over and Lennox is acting as an investigator along with his good friend Former Detective Jonathan Swift, for Scotland Yard on an as needed basis - usually when the upper classes are involved. This time, they've been been called to Temple House, where one of the saints has been murdered. The saints are a group of extremely wealthy, elderly, heir-less philanthropists living in retired semi seclusion. And yes, they are as eccentric as you might imagine. The mystery was put together well. We had several clues and suspects and I have to admit that I was fooled. Lennox and Swift's investigations can seem a little haphazard, since they each have their own approaches, but they get there in the end. This is definitely a Christmas mystery. We've got a decorated tree and some cute cats and a dog to play with the ornaments. We have some present...

The Knife Before Christmas by Kate Carlisle

December 10, 2024December 10, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

There are a lot of things I enjoyed about The Knife Before Christmas and a few things I didn't. Shannon and her crew are working on a Christmas carnival at the Cliffs Hotel that has a Victorian flair and a couple of surprises. It sounded fun, but it was hard to picture how it all fit together - the tent, Santa's stall, the carousel. We get introduce to the Garrisons, the family that owns and runs the hotel. There's a lot of family drama, with almost all of them working and living at the hotel, and it's not surprise when one of them ends up murdered. I won't say who because even though it's obvious, it takes the story a while to get there. The killer, once we get to the reveal, isn't much of a surprise either. We do get a lot of Christmas touched here, plenty of decorations and food and drinks. I like Shannon - she and Mac...

A Midwinter Murder by Verity Bright

December 5, 2024December 5, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

The Lady Eleanor Swift books always catch my eye, but this is the first I've actually picked up. It worked fine as a stand alone for me. All of the characters were introduced well and I had a good understanding of the relationships. The mystery itself was self-contained with no threads lingering from previous books. Lady Eleanor has to give up her plans for a holiday at home and has to attend the Duke of Auldwyke's shooting party instead. At least everyone is invited, including her fiancé/detective chief inspector, Hugh, and her staff has use of a cottage on the estate. Of course, a body is found not long after Lady Eleanor arrives - the duke's secretary, clearly murdered. A local policeman and Hugh end up investigating, but the duke, and the guests for that matter, are less than helpful. I do love a good Christmas manor house party murder. Here we've all the decorations and food and sledding I...

2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge

November 25, 2024December 12, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

The Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge starts today even if my own Christmas reading started a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Michelle at Yuletide Spirit and Seasons of Reading for hosting. Head to either place to join in and to check out the rules and prizes. The challenge will run from today through December 31. These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and a children’s Christmas books level! The hashtag is #YuletideSpirit. I’m aiming for the Christmas Tree level, which is 5 or 6 books. I may also watch a couple of Christmas movies, for the Fa La La La Films level. And I'll be filling out this year's bingo card. It’s also the start of the Yuletide Spirit Readathon. For the readathon, you do not have to read only Christmas books, but she asks that you try to read at least one. Books/ Novellas Finished: A Midwinter Murder by Verity Bright Hercule Poirot's Christmas by...

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....