Slashing Through the Snow

This is the 3rd in the Christmas Tree Farm series and Holly has a reviewer staying at the inn, but she's not very nice. She is very entitled and is making lots of demands. When Cookie finds out she makes a joke about hitting her with some “Christmas spirit” while she is waving around a giant nutcracker. When the person is found dead and Cookie's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon she finds herself in a world of trouble.

The characters in this series feel like friends now and I found myself as invested in solving the murder as Holly. As usual though she is asking lots of questions and stirring up trouble for herself as well as her friends. Her boyfriend Evan isn't happy about what she's doing and she isn't happy that Cookie has been accused, so there is lots of drama and Christmas craziness.

I saw that ending coming in the first ten pages, but I can't understand the relationship dynamic at all. I knew I was right but it seemed so weird given how the main character was waiting for the bf to invite her to an event... Anyway, this mystery was good! Probably my favorite. The relationship is gettting slightly annoying and distracting, but overall it's a good Christmas time. None of the Christmas stuff feels repetitive either, which is awesome.

The number one thing I love about this series is how festive the books are. Nothing annoys me more than a cozy advertising itself as having a holiday theme, and then the holiday is barely mentioned. So not the case here. These books are festive on steroids. However, I think they would be even better with some recipes included. There are so many foods and drinks mentioned, It seems like a lost opportunity not to include any. 

This was another solid book for this series. The setting is wonderful. It has an extensive cast of interesting characters. The mystery kept me guessing. The key problem I had was Holly. She just wasn't likable in this book. She constantly acted like Evan was an idiot. She got angry when people expressed concern for her welfare. She expected Evan to give her every detail of an ongoing investigation and cop an attitude because he didn't (someone explain to me what he sees in her??!!). Lastly, she is an awful inn owner. No wonder all her guests checked out. She basically screwed off to stick her nose in the investigation instead of actually doing her JOB! 

I am still a fan of this series overall, and hope that in the next book Holly goes back to being the likable character she was in the previous two!

ARC Via NetGalley

After listening to the first two books in this series, (both with great narration) which were included with audible, and really digging just how much Christmas was included in this ‘mystery’ and having a few other reads that didn’t click for me, yes I went ahead and purchased the third book. It was part of audible’s end of year sale though!

Book three sees Holly White happily dating the Bostonian sheriff. Her family’s inn has officially opened, and she is working her hardest to balance her jewelry business as well as managing the site. Things in her life are going exceptionally well. Unfortunately, right around Christmas yet again, there’s another murder. And this time, it happened right outside where she works, with a nutcracker that was just gifted to her, and is covered in her best friend Cookie’s fingerprints.

The novel gives Holly, and the reader, an unbelievable amount of reminders that investigating is NOT her job, but is her boyfriend’s. And how if she would just let him do is job, he wouldn’t have to worry about her not being safe. While again mentioning ‘amateur sleuth’ this is really just a combination of Holly’s incredible nosiness and her desire to prove her friend’s innocence and save her family’s brand new inn. And while she is nosy, it’s worth mentioning that it’s not done in a way that the trait is annoying or negative really.

This mystery was another intriguing one. The author has offered up even more than she did in the previous book, where each gets a little bit more darkness with its violence. It makes for enjoyable reads as the majority of what’s within is sugary and sweet, and then bam, there’s a fully fledged crime here. And speaking of sugary…once again, I must applaud these people, as there is absolutely no real food in their diets. It’s all mentions of pancakes and muffins, cookies and pies, gumdrops and fudge, hot chocolate and whipped cream. Mistletoe, Maine must be the leading insulin using town in all of fictional America.

Can’t wait for book four next holiday season.