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Average rating4
Christmas in Tranquility, New Jersey, means togetherness for the Italian-American Ferrara family—and an unexpected reunion for Alberta Scaglione. But someone has murder on their holiday wish list... Alberta is delighted that her estranged daughter has arrived in Tranquility, even if Lisa Marie has an ulterior motive. Her son, Alberta’s twenty-one-year-old grandson, Sergio, hasn’t been heard from in six months, shortly after taking up with a woman named Natalie. Maybe Alberta and her crime-reporting partner-in-sleuthing granddaughter, Jinx, can track him down before Christmas? After some fruitless searching, the Ferraras take a break to attend the Mistletoe Ball, a fundraiser for the local hospital. But the night takes a chilling turn when a snowman decoration splits open, revealing a body. Lisa Marie screams that it’s Natalie—and screams again when she sees a man emerge from behind some Christmas trees. The good news is they’ve found Sergio. The bad news: he’s a prime suspect for murder. It seems Sergio’s former squeeze had some shady secrets. And with more than one family member’s future at stake, Alberta and Lisa Marie will have to put their past behind them and work together, or it’ll be a blue, blue Christmas...
Featured Series
6 primary booksFerrara Family Mystery is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by J.D. Griffo.
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This was my second Italian family themed cozy in a row, and I ain't complaining! This was an interesting cozy for me to read. First, the murder didn't actually take place until halfway through the book. Which isn't the usual MO for these genera of books. Second, I found this overall to be a darker, heavier, I dunno...more serious in subject matter (?) than (again) what I am used to. Neither of which I found to be negative, just noticeable differences.
Murder at the Mistletoe Ball was my first taste of this series, and I can say it held up well as a standalone. It was well written. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing. It was suitably festive. The characters were likable and plentiful. And to top it off, we get a few yummy sounding recipes to try out. What more can a reader ask for?