Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Published: October 12, 2021

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Available Formats: Digital, Audio, and Hardcover

My Review: We all have our favorite Christmas cozies and this series is mine. It gets me in the spirit every time. Hmm…murder at Christmas gets me in the spirit? Wonder if my hubby should be worried?

Frost did an excellent job in providing plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. I had no clue and was flabbergasted at the big reveal. My one complaint was all the hoopla with Meg and I did not feel much closure with her character. Maybe I missed it being so flabbergasted.

The ending was beautiful. That is all I will say about that as my lips are sealed tighter than gorilla glue.

This is a series you can pick up at any book and you will ok. I suggest some peppermint cocoa while reading next to the Christmas tree. Snow optional.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

From NetGalley: Maine innkeeper Holly White returns to sleuth another seasonal slaying in the third Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is going into the B&B business, and Holly White is looking forward to her new role as innkeeper. Even better, Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, Evan Gray, has deputized his little sister Libby to help Holly wrap presents for Mistletoe’s toy drive. But a cold wind ruffles the cheery holiday decorations when a new guest checks in: Cleo, a vicious B&B critic, who could make or break the new inn. And the short December days turn even darker when Evan and Libby find Cleo’s dead body in the gift-wrapped toy donation box.

The suspect list is longer than Santa’s naughty list, and local resident Cookie is on it, since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a metal nutcracker that she gave to Holly. So is Libby, who recently moved to town from Boston in less-than-savory circumstances. But cranky Cleo was an oh-holy-nightmare to lots of the townsfolk, such as Evan’s reporter friend Ray; Christopher, the inn’s former contractor; and confectioner Bonnie, whose Gum Drop Shop was a direct target of Cleo’s scathing prose.

To figure out the killer’s identity and clear Cookie’s name, Holly and her friends brainstorm at The Hearth, the farm’s café, while her mother keeps them fueled with Christmas goodies fresh from the oven. But if they can’t put the culprit on ice, Holly may never see another Christmas.