Tag: Crooked Lane Books

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! 

I am happy to share my thoughts about I’ll Be Home for Mischief (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery) by Jacqueline Frost today!

I’ll Be Home for Mischief (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Maine
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (November 12, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639109064
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639109067
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CVKNNLT7
Audiobook ASIN B0DG3669ZK
Audio CD ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJCQ9MX9

Innkeeper Holly White is decking the halls this Christmas season, but someone is on the naughty list when a body is discovered in the fifth installment in the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

It’s Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine, and the Historical Society has launched a widespread campaign to celebrate the town’s 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned for the first time, and Holly is determined to make the family’s visit magical. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map, Holly’s mother, a respected local baker, attempts to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans are whisked away when Mr. Snow’s body ends up in the batter.

When Mr. Moore, the local mistletoe farmer, is accused of the crime, Holly reprises her role as amateur sleuth to protect the sweet older man. Between hosting the inconsolable Mrs. Snow and other guests at the inn, receiving threatening messages telling her to stop her investigation, and preparing for her first wedding anniversary with Sheriff Evan Gray, she might need a Christmas miracle to survive.

When someone breaks into Holly’s office and scratches a warning into her desk, she knows she has little time left. Can Holly uncover the killer before someone else gets burned, or is her involvement a recipe for trouble?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This year the holidays are extra special in Mistletoe, Maine as the town celebrates its 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family are returning for the celebration and will be staying at the Reindeer Games Inn. Holly is going all out to welcome the Snows.

There is another big event happening on the farm. Holly’s mother has set her sights on breaking a Guinness world record for the largest gingerbread man. Holly and Evan’s 1st wedding anniversary is right around the corner too.

Everything goes awry when a dead body is found in the gingerbread batter. The man is identified as one of Holly’s special guests. Positive an old family feud is the motive for the murder, local mistletoe farmer, Mr. Moore is the prime suspect. Holly is positive the man she has known all her life is not a murderer. So, like the previous four Christmases Holly is again out to prove someone’s innocence even though Evan asks her to leave the case to him.

With running the inn, Reindeer Games to host, and trying to find the perfect anniversary gift for Evan, Holly is also donning her sleuthing cap to frost the real killer.

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I was delighted to return to the Reindeer Games Farm and Inn where the White family welcomes everyone with open arms. It is really like catching up with old friends and there is always something fun happening. I enjoyed the lengths Holly’s mother went to in her attempt to break a world record. Holly’s dad and the farm crew were so creative making things in giant size to her specifications. My heart broke when she couldn’t complete the event. The duo represented Guinness were so nice and stayed in town after the incident enjoying themselves through the holidays. They also came up with a fabulous idea. Holly and Evan had some things to work out in this story but their love was never in question. The core characters Ms. Frost has created for this series are so genuine. They have continued to grow and I become more invested in their lives with each story. The new characters are so good too.

In addition to the Snows, there are other special visitors to Mistletoe that add to the fun, there may have been a little mischief involved. No Spoiler!

I always have a good time trying to solve the mystery before the protagonist but I couldn’t do it this time. The mystery was very well plotted with plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns. The killer did warn Holly to back off but she pressed on and got herself into some precarious situations that could have ended badly. They led up to a surprising reveal and a chilly rescue. Ms. Frost’s descriptions and attention to detail took me right into every scene, the merry ones and the scary ones. I appreciated every one.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief is a marvelous addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series and a fabulous read to kick off the holiday season. Engaging characters, an intriguing mystery or two, set in a wonderful winter wonderland kept me entertained from beginning to end. The charming ending has me wishing for another visit to Mistletoe soon, but I know I must wait until next Christmas.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

Jacqueline Frost / Julie Hatcher is an award-winning and bestselling author of mystery and romantic suspense. She’s published more than sixty novels since her debut in 2013 and currently writes series as herself, as well as under multiple pen names, for Lake Union Publishing, Harlequin, Kensington, Sourcebooks, and Crooked Lane Books. When Julie’s not creating new worlds or fostering the epic love of fictional characters, she can be found in Kent, Ohio, enjoying her blessed Midwestern life. And probably plotting murder with her shamelessly enabling friends. Today she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world. Check out the author’s website for more books by this wonderful author.

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