The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Jacqueline Frost: The Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series

November 20, 2019

Twelve Slays of Christmas: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery It’s the time of the year to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. Living in San Antonio where snow is only a distant memory, I find it hard sometimes to get in the mood without a proper boost from a Christmas Cozy. So, this month I read the first in a very new series by Jacqueline Frost, The Twelve Slays of Christmas, part of her new Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. This post is part of my series where I am writing about the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series.

The Twelve Slays of Christmas has just about the coziest setting possible — a family-owned Christmas tree farm that is part of a historic small town, Mistletoe, Maine. On the farm, which also has a cafe, “The Hearth” and other shops open during the holiday season, games are played for the twelve days of Christmas — the “Reindeer Games”. Each day a different holiday-related game is played. Tourists flock by the busload to the town to play these games and to bask in the holiday atmosphere that this quaint farm and historic town provide.

The story begins with Holly White, the 24-year-old daughter of the owners of the farm just having returned from Portland Maine. She had just been jilted by her fiance just days before her scheduled wedding. So, she returns home with her cat, “Cindy Lou Who”, and falls back into her old routine of helping with the games and the farm. Of course, a murder occurs which causes all who work at the farm to fall under suspicion. And, the farm has to be closed which places Holly’s parents’ livelihood in jeopardy since over half of their income is associated with the holiday season.

Holly begins her investigation in parallel with the new sheriff in town, Sheriff Evan Gray.  Sheriff Gray just happens to be young, single and very good looking. Holly also soon meets a local newspaper reporter who also is young, good looking and available. Readers of modern Cozies will probably see where this is going pretty early in the book.

If the elements of The Twelve Slays of Christmas seem pretty familiar to seasoned Cozy readers, the way the book is put together with such lively charm and with so many holiday-related elements, made this book pretty irresistible to me, especially since I was looking for a way to help me get into the holiday mood. And, Holly is such an attractive heroine — her plucky character somehow reminds me of (an older) Nancy Drew. The way she picks herself up from personal adversity and gets back into the routine at her parents’ farm while simultaneously investigating the murder that threatens to ruin her parents’ farm’s income and reputation, is portrayed in such a lively way that I just kept turning the pages. What higher praise can I give a book!

If you want to read some of the other entries about highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page.

P.S. By the way, this Christmas Cozy got me in such a winter-ized mood that I had my two tech-guys (my husband and son) bring in the Christmas bins from our garage over the weekend. I know it’s a little early for decorating – with Thanksgiving still down the calendar road, but I needed this winter Cozy! I walked Cocoa (our three year-old Yorkie “puppy”) two hours before writing this entry in 73* weather!

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New Releases – November 18 to November 24, 2019

November 18, 2019

Here is the list of new releases for November 18 to November 24! Short list this time, really just the one book… not really a Cozy either…

David Baldacci: A Minute to Midnight (This will be the 2nd in the Atlee Pine Thriller Mystery Series.)

 

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One New Cozy Mystery Series and One Holiday-Themed Cozies Coming December 2019

November 15, 2019

December will be a decent month for Cozy Mystery releases, with one new Cozy Mystery series by an established site author and one new Holiday-Themed Cozy Mystery.

First up, Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan) will be putting out the first in her new Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series, titled Matchmaking Can Be Murder. Millie Fisher is returning to her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, after the death of her husband, and has decided to branch out from her normal trade, quiltmaking, and begin matchmaking, with her niece being her first target. Unfortunately, her niece is already betrothed to a thoroughly unsuitable candidate, but Millie manages to convince her to break it off. But when the jilted lover turns up dead, Millie’s niece quickly becomes a prime suspect, and Millie will need to work hard to keep her out of jail! Amanda Flower also writes (among others) the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, the Magical Bookshop Mystery Series, and the Magical Garden Mystery Series.

Also, Cynthia Baxter will be releasing Last Licks, the third in her Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery Series. Kate McKay, owner of Lickety Splits is preparing for Halloween, but she’s derailed somewhat by the offer of an offer by a Hollywood movie crew to use her shop as part of the production. Unfortunately, someone else seems to have more sinister motives than making a movie, and one of the actresses ends up dead by poison – poison apparently delivered by ice cream. Cynthia Baxter is also the author of the Reigning Cats & Dogs Mystery Series and the Murder Packs a Suitcase Mystery Series.

For more Halloween Cozy Mysteries, check out the Halloween Mystery Book Series page on the site.

For more new Cozy Mystery Series, check out the New Cozy Mystery Book Series page on the site.

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Cozy Mystery News – November 2019

November 13, 2019

We’ve got a fair amount of good Cozy Mystery news to catch up on!

First, Laurie Cass (aka Laura Alden) will be releasing two new books in her Bookmobile Cozy Cat Mystery Series, taking the series to a total of at least nine entries starring sleuth Minnie Hamilton, bookmobile librarian in Michigan. Laura Cass also writes the PTA Mystery Series under the name Laura Alden.

Next up, Debra H. Goldstein will be putting out two more books in the Sarah Blair Mystery Series, starring a law firm receptionist, bringing the series to four entries. The fourth entry will be called Four Cuts Too Many. Goldstein also writes the Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery Series and the Denney Silber Mystery Series.

Finally, Marcia Talley will be putting out another entry in the Hannah Ives Mystery Series, taking the series to a total of eighteen entries – quite a long-running series now! The new entry starring Hannah Ives will be title Done Gone.

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