Christmas, cookies and a corpse: Tish Tarragon is drawn into a deadly puzzle when a young actress is murdered at the Hobson Glen Holiday Fair.Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon has pulled out all the stops for her booth at the Hobson Glen Holiday Fair, theming her appetising offerings around the festive performances by the Williamsburg Theatre Group. But when Tish meets the cast, she is … But when Tish meets the cast, she is surprised by the hostility between members of the allegedly close-knit troupe, centred around their star actress, the beautiful, talented yet mysterious ing�nue, Jenny Inkpen.
Determined to spread some Christmas cheer, Tish volunteers to deliver breakfast to the eight actors, but is horrified to discover Jenny dead in her trailer the next morning. As Tish attempts to find out more about the group’s leading lady, she soon uncovers lies, jealousy and a series of shocking secrets. Can Tish expose a cold-blooded killer before the fair is over?
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The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade is the third book in the Tish Tarragon Mystery series, and instead of taking place in and around Tish’s cafe and catering company, Cookin’ the Books, most of this one takes place at a winter festival and it focuses on the Williamsburg Theatre Group. I love when cozies branch out from their usual location since it’s always interesting to read about new places within the cozy’s community.
The Christmas atmosphere adds a wonderful layer to the story between Jules and his recently adopted Bichon Frise wearing matching clothes, to the descriptions of the literary named dishes, and even the weather conditions, where Jules, the local weatherman, swears the festival will not have any snow. Meade also does a wonderful job with making the theater costumes and sets come to life and having the reader feel as if they are actually at the festival.
And Meade shines when it comes to the characters. Tish, Mary Jo, and Jules really do feel like best friends. Their banter and how they support each other is perfect. And for being introduced in The Christmas Fair Killer, the theater troupe characters are really well developed. This sense of community makes a reader want to come back to read more books in the series to find out what is happening in the character’s lives.
As for the mystery it was a bit darker than other cozies I’ve read, but I think the subject matter was handled very well, and sexual assault of children by relatives is something that needs to be discussed and not hidden. I was surprised by the killer and I really loved how Meade used all the duplicity with the plot and characters.
I highly recommend The Christmas Fair Killer, as well as the other books in the Tish Tarragon Mystery series, and I’m looking forward to coming back for future books to see how Tish’s love life with Attorney Schuyler and Sheriff Reade ends up, as well as to enjoy the friendship between Tish and the gang.
The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade is the 3rd A Tish Tarragon Mystery. It can be read on its own if you have not read Cookin’ the Book or The Garden Club Murder. Tish Tarragon owns Cookin’ the Books Café and Catering where she serves up culinary themed food. I had to laugh at the creative names for her dishes. It is time for the Hobson Glen Holiday Fair with food vendors, craftspeople, and entertainers. A Christmas Carol and Twelfth Night are being performed each day by the Williamsburg Theater Group. Tish has agreed to deliver breakfast to theirs trailers each day of the fair. The first day begins with a bang when Tish finds Jenny Inkpen dead in her trailer. Tish helps Sheriff Clemson Reade by asking questions. People have a way of sharing information with Tish which provides Sheriff Reade with helpful intel. The mystery had multiple suspects in the death of the ingenue. There are red herrings and good clues. I am amazed at the secrets that come to light. I thought the murder weapon was unique as well as a couple other aspects of the crime. I found Identifying the killer, though, to be a snap while others have found it challenging. I believe it depends on the number of mysteries you have read. The whodunit does involve a sensitive subject that is normally not broached in cozy mysteries. Each food dish is described in detail along with the outfits people wore. I did feel it was a little too much detail especially in the first chapter (where each dish Tish created for the Christmas Fair was described) which slowed down the beginning of the story. I was surprised and disappointed by what happened at the end. I hope this development is not permanent. The author captured the Christmas feeling with the cold weather, the fair, decorations, and the food. Christmas Fair Killer has developed characters who are good friends and have become a family. I like that they support each other and are there in times of need. The Christmas Fair Killer is an entertaining cozy mystery with fair fun, anxious actors, earsplitting explosives, captivating cuisine, cozy cocoa, and Christmas cheer.
I am really pulling for Tish and Clemson to get together!
The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade is full of Christmas cheer, being at a fair, and of course, a bit of a mystery.
Can Tish find out what happened to Jenny Inkgrave before the fair is gone?
Tish Tarragon
Tish Tarragon is our sleuth and the character that we kind of followed throughout the book. She is a delightful sleuth. I love her approach to get Sheriff Clemson Reade to let her help in the investigation. Granted, that wasn’t hard since she did help solve the other two murder cases. Tish is a smart woman and knows that some people will talk to her more freely than they would with him around. What I like about Tish is that she loves her job and has finally started something that she has always wanted to do. Along with doing that job with people that she loves being around.
Schuyler Thompson
Schuyler is Tish’s landlord for both her little apartment above her restaurant/catering business. He also just happens to be her recent boyfriend, and just so happens to be a lawyer. Schuyler isn’t really in the book that much, and he just didn’t sit well with me. I liked the little romantic bits, but they just never really had the spark. What I like about him is that he seems to care for Tish. The one thing that I don’t like about him is that he might be just using her to boost himself up in some world.
Clemson Reade
Clemson Reade is our local sheriff and an all-around good guy. He seems to be all about his job of protecting the people. And especially by giving his deputies the night off during the Christmas holiday. Clemson is a better guy in my mind than Schuyler is, and I hope that this isn’t the last we will see of him either. What I like about him is that he seems to be dedicated to his job but is making sure the wellbeing of his friends is good as well. I also like how he harbors a crush on Tish, and Tish doesn’t realize it, but I think that she does as well.
The Mystery
The mystery is an actress being shot dead in her trailer on the fairgrounds. Jenny Inkpen didn’t have a great time making friends within the group of performers she was with, and that led to unraveling a lot about her past. Well, once they could figure out her identity. It was an exceptional case and mystery as I never figured out who could have done it. Well, that is until they were wrapping it up with the reveal, of course.
Five Stars
The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade is a great one to put anyone in the mood for the holidays even while solving a mystery. I am in love with the way that Ms. Meade wrote this book. I am still shocked by who did it, and I am giving this book five stars while recommending it to anyone that wants to read it now for Christmas in July or just to get away from the heat where you live.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
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Outstanding, delightful entertainment, complex mystery! That is what a cozy mystery should be.
I am pretty new to the Tish Tarragon mystery series but I fell in love with it immediately. The books in the series are the epitome of cozy mysteries, but Amy Patricia Meade always addresses serious issues as she entertains us with an outstanding mystery with some great twists. The Christmas Fair Killer continues the calm-in-disaster feel of the earlier books but that feeling that things are under control adds rather than detracts from the drama as events unfold. Tish sends out a vibe that draws people to talk to her which makes her the perfect support for Sheriff Reade. I have known people like that so it isn’t hard for me to accept that people reveal secrets to her that they might not reveal to anyone else. I am fascinated by the interaction among Tish’s friends. That is one of the elements that hooked me; characters have to be the central factor in any book for me to love it as I do the books in this series. The only negative is that I might gain weight just drooling over the food served throughout the stories. I guess we all have to live a little dangerously.
I requested and was thrilled to receive and ARC via NetGalley and offer my appreciation to them and to Servern House Publishing for allowing me to read and share my delight in The Christmas Fair Killer.