Happy Monday Friends :)
I come to you today with an exciting book review, and also an exciting announcement.
I've decided that I'm going to do a Christmas in July series on my blog, and I'm pretty excited about it. For the next ten days I will be sharing daily reviews of some amazing Christmas reads, including a couple of new releases for this year, and I can't wait to tell you all about them.
I had so much doing a week of daily blogging last month that I decided to go ahead and do it again this month, and it seemed only fitting to theme it around Christmas in July. Also, why not take an extra step this month and do it for ten days instead of just seven!
I hope you'll all stick around for the next ten days, and I'm going to kick things off with an upcoming cozy mystery release that I adored and I'm sure you all will too.
If you'd like to check out my reviews of the previous books in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series, simply click on the links below:
Twas the Knife Before Christmas
Slashing Through the Snow by Jacqueline Frost:
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 12th, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Christmas Tree Farm Mystery
Synopsis:
Maine innkeeper Holly White returns to sleuth another seasonal slaying in the third Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is going into the B&B business, and Holly White is looking forward to her new role as innkeeper. Even better, Mistletoe, Maine's sheriff, Evan Gray, has deputized his little sister Libby to help Holly wrap presents for Mistletoe's toy drive. But a cold wind ruffles the cheery holiday decorations when a new guest checks in: Cleo, a vicious B&B critic, who could make or break the new inn. And the short December days turn even darker when Evan and Libby find Cleo's dead body in the gift-wrapped toy donation box.
The suspect list is longer than Santa's naughty list, and local resident Cookie is on it, since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a metal nutcracker that she gave to Holly. So is Libby, who recently moved to town from Boston in less-than-savory circumstances. But cranky Cleo was an oh-holy-nightmare to lots of the townsfolk, such as Evan's reporter friend Ray; Christopher, the inn's former contractor; and confectioner Bonnie, whose Gum Drop Shop was a direct target of Cleo's scathing prose.
To figure out the killer's identity and clear Cookie's name, Holly and her friends brainstorm at The Hearth, the farm's café, while her mother keeps them fueled with Christmas goodies fresh from the oven. But if they can't put the culprit on ice, Holly may never see another Christmas.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
The first two books in Jacqueline Frost's Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series have become some of my all time favorite cozy mysteries, so I was ecstatic when I found out she was writing a third. This lovely holiday tale was everything I was hoping for and more, and exactly what I've come to expect from reading any of the fabulous mysteries this talented lady writes under her real name or her various pen names.
I adore Mistletoe and Reindeer Games as the setting for these stories, and I love how the setting almost becomes a character in its own right. It was lovely getting to catch back up with old friends, and I loved how Holly and her close knit circle of family and friends will stop at nothing to see their beloved Cookie Cutter not have to take the fall for an evil mastermind who seems to be trying to frame her.
I've read quite a few cozy mysteries over the years, and Slashing Through the Snow is definitely another new favorite. The mystery is well plotted and perfectly paced, there's plenty of hijinks and hilarity, there's popups from many of the beloved characters from the previous books, and there's a perfect emphasis on Holly's blossoming relationship with local sheriff Evan Gray.
If you love Christmas stories and cozy mysteries, this is definitely a book you're going to want to go ahead and pick up.
I'm crossing my fingers we will get more books in this series, as I definitely want more from these favorite characters, and their heartwarming small town.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to advance read and review this!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks so much to tuning in to my first Christmas in July book review post! I have another fun review to share with you all tomorrow, and I hope you'll all stop by.
Until then friends, Have a great rest of your day and God Bless!
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