Good morning everyone :)
While fall is my favorite season, it feels in some ways that we've skipped right over it this year as we're already experiencing snow and freezing temperatures.
I'm missing my beloved fall temperatures, but I have to say that the snow has put me in the mood to read cozy mysteries, especially Christmas themed ones. I recently finished one from NetGalley that's coming out next month, and today I'd like to share with all of you what I thought about it.
In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon:
Source: Publisher (Crooked Lane Books) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: November 13th, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Book Tea Shop Mystery
Synopsis:
Joy Avon’s festive series debut featuring a book-themed tea party organizer will be tons of fun this Christmas for Lorna Barrett and Jenn McKinlay fans.
In the run-up to Christmas Eve, organizer of book-themed tea parties Callie Aspen and her lovable Boston terrier will have to conquer threefold trouble—a mysterious will, a missing heirloom and a dead body—to restore the festive spirit to their small town.
This Christmas, Callie Aspen returns to her childhood hideout Heart's Harbor, Maine where her great aunt runs Book Tea, a vintage tearoom where every sweet treat contains a bookish clue. Upon arrival in the fairy-tale snowy town, Callie is drawn into the preparations for a special tea party at Haywood Hall, the rambling house of Heart's Harbor's oldest resident, rich but lonely widow Dorothea Finster, who invited her estranged relatives, old friends and the elite of the town to make a mysterious announcement about her will.
Believing they can touch a part of her fortune, everybody is determined to come, despite not liking each other or even their hostess. And Callie's old friend Sheila complicates things by using the tea party to announce her daughter's engagement, even though her daughter isn't sure she's in love with the young lawyer her mother thinks so perfect for her.
Catering to people who each have their own agenda isn't easy for the Book Tea crew, especially once the valuable engagement ring goes missing and a dead body turns up in the conservatory. Can Callie and her great aunt use their love of clues to dig into the crimes and show their unhappy hostess and squabbling guests the true Christmas spirit?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
In the first installment of Joy Avon's Book Tea Shop Mystery series, Callie Aspen has returned to her hometown of Heart's Harbor, Maine. She's taking a break from her job as a European historical tour guide, and plans to spend some time helping her aunt Iphy run her book tea shop. One of their first assignments is to cater a small luncheon that's taking place at Haywood Hall, the town's beloved mansion that Callie spent lots of time at as a child when she was friends with the mansion's owner's nephew. The event is meant to be simple-a gathering of friends, family and community members to hear Haywood Hall's owner, Dorothea Finster make an announcement of her new will. However, things turn in unexpected ways when Dorothea's niece-in-law turns the whole event into an opportunity for a man to propose to her daughter-who she has no interest in marrying in the first place. First, the ring, a beloved family heirloom goes missing, and in the chaos of trying to figure out where it went, the estate's groundskeeper is found murdered in the conservatory.
This horrendous crime hits close to home for Callie, as not only was she well acquainted with the victim, but the people suspected of his murder are among those she used to consider her dearest friends. She'll stop at nothing to figure out who committed this terrible tragedy right before the holidays, even it means sticking her nose where it's not wanted, getting threatened herself to leave everything alone, and getting the local deputy's nose bent out of shape for overstepping onto his territory. In Peppermint Peril is a quirky, charming holiday tale that focuses around a murder that will keep you glued to the pages, but is also filled with a lovely setting of a local historical mansion, the beautiful book tea shop, and many holiday tidbits thrown in for good measure.
I enjoyed Callie as a character, and the way she's determined to help her friend's figure out who's behind everything that's going on, but I also enjoyed reading about how she's struggling to figure out what she wants out of life, and where she truly belongs. The supporting cast of characters were all lively, full of small town quirks, and really well developed. It was also a little different to read a cozy mystery where a romance doesn't truly play a part, and I actually enjoyed this as it was different from most of the others I've read. I will say for sure though that my favorite part of this one is the way that Joy Avon literally keeps you guessing right until the end as to who's truly behind everything. Almost every single character is a suspect at some point or the other, and I appreciate that she didn't make the person who done it blatantly obvious, and I was still quite surprised at the end.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one, and I look forward to reading more titles in this series in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
While fall is my favorite season, it feels in some ways that we've skipped right over it this year as we're already experiencing snow and freezing temperatures.
I'm missing my beloved fall temperatures, but I have to say that the snow has put me in the mood to read cozy mysteries, especially Christmas themed ones. I recently finished one from NetGalley that's coming out next month, and today I'd like to share with all of you what I thought about it.
In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon:
Source: Publisher (Crooked Lane Books) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: November 13th, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Book Tea Shop Mystery
Synopsis:
Joy Avon’s festive series debut featuring a book-themed tea party organizer will be tons of fun this Christmas for Lorna Barrett and Jenn McKinlay fans.
In the run-up to Christmas Eve, organizer of book-themed tea parties Callie Aspen and her lovable Boston terrier will have to conquer threefold trouble—a mysterious will, a missing heirloom and a dead body—to restore the festive spirit to their small town.
This Christmas, Callie Aspen returns to her childhood hideout Heart's Harbor, Maine where her great aunt runs Book Tea, a vintage tearoom where every sweet treat contains a bookish clue. Upon arrival in the fairy-tale snowy town, Callie is drawn into the preparations for a special tea party at Haywood Hall, the rambling house of Heart's Harbor's oldest resident, rich but lonely widow Dorothea Finster, who invited her estranged relatives, old friends and the elite of the town to make a mysterious announcement about her will.
Believing they can touch a part of her fortune, everybody is determined to come, despite not liking each other or even their hostess. And Callie's old friend Sheila complicates things by using the tea party to announce her daughter's engagement, even though her daughter isn't sure she's in love with the young lawyer her mother thinks so perfect for her.
Catering to people who each have their own agenda isn't easy for the Book Tea crew, especially once the valuable engagement ring goes missing and a dead body turns up in the conservatory. Can Callie and her great aunt use their love of clues to dig into the crimes and show their unhappy hostess and squabbling guests the true Christmas spirit?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
In the first installment of Joy Avon's Book Tea Shop Mystery series, Callie Aspen has returned to her hometown of Heart's Harbor, Maine. She's taking a break from her job as a European historical tour guide, and plans to spend some time helping her aunt Iphy run her book tea shop. One of their first assignments is to cater a small luncheon that's taking place at Haywood Hall, the town's beloved mansion that Callie spent lots of time at as a child when she was friends with the mansion's owner's nephew. The event is meant to be simple-a gathering of friends, family and community members to hear Haywood Hall's owner, Dorothea Finster make an announcement of her new will. However, things turn in unexpected ways when Dorothea's niece-in-law turns the whole event into an opportunity for a man to propose to her daughter-who she has no interest in marrying in the first place. First, the ring, a beloved family heirloom goes missing, and in the chaos of trying to figure out where it went, the estate's groundskeeper is found murdered in the conservatory.
This horrendous crime hits close to home for Callie, as not only was she well acquainted with the victim, but the people suspected of his murder are among those she used to consider her dearest friends. She'll stop at nothing to figure out who committed this terrible tragedy right before the holidays, even it means sticking her nose where it's not wanted, getting threatened herself to leave everything alone, and getting the local deputy's nose bent out of shape for overstepping onto his territory. In Peppermint Peril is a quirky, charming holiday tale that focuses around a murder that will keep you glued to the pages, but is also filled with a lovely setting of a local historical mansion, the beautiful book tea shop, and many holiday tidbits thrown in for good measure.
I enjoyed Callie as a character, and the way she's determined to help her friend's figure out who's behind everything that's going on, but I also enjoyed reading about how she's struggling to figure out what she wants out of life, and where she truly belongs. The supporting cast of characters were all lively, full of small town quirks, and really well developed. It was also a little different to read a cozy mystery where a romance doesn't truly play a part, and I actually enjoyed this as it was different from most of the others I've read. I will say for sure though that my favorite part of this one is the way that Joy Avon literally keeps you guessing right until the end as to who's truly behind everything. Almost every single character is a suspect at some point or the other, and I appreciate that she didn't make the person who done it blatantly obvious, and I was still quite surprised at the end.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one, and I look forward to reading more titles in this series in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
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