Happy Tuesday Sweet Friends :)
I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess for another book review.
I'm Kirby, and I'm always happy to get to welcome you to my little bookish corner of the internet.
There's been a lot going on in my life lately, some of it amazing and a lot of it not so amazing, so it was the perfect treat to get to take a few moments to sit back and read an upcoming release from one of my favorite cozy mystery series.
If you'd like to check out my reviews of the other titles in the series, you can do so using the links below:
'Twas the Knife Before Christmas
Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
Otherwise, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and join me down below for today's full review.
A Wonderful Christmas Crime by Jacqueline Frost:
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Christmas Read
Series: Christmas Tree Farm Mystery
Synopsis:
Innkeeper Holly White has a lot to be joyful about this season, until an attempted robbery throws the town into suspicion in the sixth installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
As Christmas descends on Mistletoe, Maine, Holly White has an extra gift for the a new baby on the way. Her husband, Sheriff Evan Gray, has been worried about her elevated blood pressure and Holly has agreed to take this year easy. Being idle has never been one of Holly’s gifts, so when Evan surprises her with tickets to the town-wide dinner, she and her many cravings thank him. But when a thief tries and fails to steal an antique ornament from the dinner’s holiday display, it’s clear that someone is on the naughty list.
The thief manages to escape, but after dinner, Holly spots their lifeless body. It’s clear that someone in town was keen to kill them. Evan is less than jolly to find his wife at the scene of yet another holiday homicide and asks her to promise that she’ll leave the investigating to the police. But Holly has never been one to turn down a challenge and has to get creative with the help of a few of her friends in order to find this killer.
Will she and her friends be able to stop the killer, and uncover the motive behind the attempted robbery, or will the killer strike again and paint the town a bloody red?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I'm not sure it would feel like Christmas without a yearly visit to Mistletoe, Maine, and I've come to look forward to the new installments in this series each holiday season.
A Wonderful Christmas Crime was pretty much everything I could have wanted in a Christmas cozy mystery, and I've come to truly adore these characters over the years. The mysteries are always well done by Jacqueline Frost, but there's also always just enough of a touch of romance and familial gatherings for the story to always feel well rounded and never boring.
This particular title was a tad different than any of the previous titles as due to certain circumstances, Holly ends up not being able to do as much of the investigating this season as she normally does. That being said, of course she's still finding herself somewhat in the midst, but it was refreshing to see her having to learn to rely on her friends and family to help her much more than in any of the previous titles.
As well as Holly and Evan, it was lovely getting to check back in with Cookie, Libby, Ray, Carolyn and Zane, and there was also the introduction of a couple of new characters whom I hope will appear in titles to come. The Christmas tree farm as always was the perfect setting, and I love how much this farm has come to mean to Holly over the years.
While I won't spoil anything for anyone, I thought the mystery was well put together and kept me guessing, I loved the side story happening between Holly and Evan, and the secondary included mystery that brought tears to my eyes with its resolution.
Overall, this is definitely another winner in my eyes, and not only would I recommend this title personally, but I'd honestly recommend the whole series. They are some of the best cozy mysteries on the market, and ones you definitely don't want to miss out on.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read and review this title!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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