Twelve Slays of Christmas

The setting of a Christmas tree farm in Maine is just perfect for a Christmas book! The games and food and Christmas trees made for a great cozy Christmas mystery.
Holly, Sheriff Grey, her parents, the reporter, and her friends are great characters. They each have a clear place in the story and help to make Mistletoe, Maine a place I want to visit again.
Holly and Sheriff Grey have an interest in each other and that's about it for this book. It is a great start to a possible romance with them. I love a slow burn!
The idea of 12 days of games at the Christmas tree farm is such a fun event! It helps to introduce us to all kinds of things at the farm.
The mystery happens early and there are plenty of suspects. The reason for the murder is not clear at first, but even when I caught on to that I still didn't know who was the murderer.
Great start to this cozy series!

This was offered on Audible for free, so I gave it a shot looking for an in between spooky and Christmas seasons read.

This was surprisingly something I really needed. It’s refreshingly cozy, and although that’s not something I ever go for, it was kind of a compulsive read for me. I let myself get sucked in, and the journey was pretty enjoyable. Holly returns home to her family tree farm in historic Mistletoe, Maine. While going through a serious breakup, this turns out to be just the atmosphere she needs as Christmastime is nigh. From tree decorating and snowball competitions, to horse drawn sleigh rides, this town’s magic could make anyone forget the bad. However, there’s a bit of a mixup as Holly comes across a body one night. The death, terrible on its own, now threatens her family business, the safety of the town, and perhaps even Holly’s life.

Because this is supposed to be a kind of cozy and feel good read, it sort of just glosses over a lot of things. Holly was meant to get married this Christmas season, and although the breakup is the reason for her return home, there is next to zero grief in this novel. She’s much more interested in having fun, perhaps flirting with the new sheriff, and investigating the death on her own. There’s also multiple mentions of waking up and checking breath but zero mentions on showering? And the diabetic-inducing level diet these people have!

Still, if you let yourself just be in the moment with the story, it’s a fun read. Kind of Hallmark movie like, especially with the romantic side story that read as much more the point of the novel than the murder. A Christmas romance with a dash of murder, but the twist wasn’t bad. Sadly though, this was missing 11 deaths to live up to its title. For me, the hardest part to believe was the author trying to convince us that a man with a Boston accent was an attractive thing…

This cover is getting a much coveted 5 Star rating from yours truly. Why? Because it is is just SO damn fun and festive. Fabulous use of graphics. A great representation the story. Good composition and title work as well.

After her breakup, Holly is back home in Mistletoe, Maine and helping out on her families Christmas tree farm. The reindeer games are coming up, and the town is buzzing with excitement. When a member of the local historical society is murdered on the property, all eyes are on Holly and her family. Holly just can't believe anyone in this small town is a murderer and makes it her mission to find out who did it and get the family farm back in business.



I enjoyed this one a lot. It was suitably festive. Well written and paced. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing right up until the end. I loved the small town Christmasy feel. I loved the characters both secondary and main. They were quirky and delightful. There is a tiny smidge of romance in this one between Holly and the sheriff. I am not a huge fan of romance in my cozy mysteries because it often feels forced or underdeveloped. This one was neither, and it struck the perfect balance. The only thing I missed was a few recipes at the end. I think it would have been a nice touch to have a few of the drink and cookie recipes that were featured in the book included at the end. All in all, though this one gets two thumbs up from yours truly.

Holly is forced back to her home town when her fiancé cheats on her just before the wedding. Back in Mistletoe she helps out as her parents Christmas tree farm, one evening after an argument between her father and the cranky lady, Holly finds the lady dead…

All in all it was fine but doesn't really do that much for me. If there was as much time spent on the crime as it was on the Christmas fun it might have been better. Feels more like a romance that a mystery.

At one point Hollys mom says the cute sheriff doesn’t date. And Holly asks some more questions and mom continues, “Nope. Ask anyone. I think every single woman in town made a trip to his doorstep when he first moved here last summer. Some kept after him for months, but he wasn’t having any of it. Eventually they all gave up.”

I hate that sort of stuff, like the MC is so special (why?) he falls for her right away.

At one point the cute sheriff says, “Maybe we can work together.” Why? Why would he do that?

The whipped cream in a can… what the heck? Doesn’t anyone in the US actually whip cream? I always see those horrible cans in books and movies.