Cozy Christmas CrimesA Cozy Christmas Box SetShort Stories By:Jenna St. JamesMona MarpleTonya KappesBonus Book by Summer PrescottChristmas Parties are Murder By Jenna St. JamesTemp worker Amanda Adkins had no idea when she offered to bake her boss a diet cake for the office Christmas party, that someone would use her generosity to commit cold-blooded murder. But that’s exactly what happened. When … generosity to commit cold-blooded murder. But that’s exactly what happened.
When the detective in charge looks to pin the murder on Amanda, she has no choice but to enlist the help of her 75-year-old grandmother—an Army Veteran Nurse and “hidden-weapons” specialist.
Together the two ladies set out to prove Amanda’s innocence. When handsome IT expert Blake Wellington offers his help, Amanda is instantly cautious…especially when some of the clues point to Blake being the killer.
Can Amanda and her grandmother track down the killer before Detective Carlson makes good on his promise to arrest Amanda?
Or worse, instead of Christmas being the most wonderful time of the year for Amanda, will it end up being the most deadliest time of the year?
Who knew office Christmas parties could be so dangerous?
THE CANDY CANE KILLER
by Mona Marple
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
A generic, commercial Christmas that not everyone is happy about. Town mayor Sharon Major is pushing ahead with plans to modernize the town, and stripping it of its character in the process.
Teenagers Sandy and Coral are finally allowed to attend the Christmas Lights Switch On without their father accompanying them. Their excitement about this independence soon changes, when the stage curtains open and reveal the mayor’s dead body.
With no police on the scene, the crowd of people are all held in the shopping centre. With the killer amongst them, Sandy and Coral decide to investigate.
After all, who would suspect two teenage girls of being able to solve a murder case?
A Charming Blend
By Tonya Kappes
When Roxy Bloom and Patrick Cane got a gift card at the Full Moon Treesort in Whispering Falls, Kentucky, they figured it’d be a fantastic honeymoon.
When June Heal heard from the Whispering Falls Newspaper report from editor Faith Mortimer that there was a nosy coffee barista coming to town and she needed an eye kept on her, June was quick to put Mr. Prince Charming on the tourist, Roxanne Bloom.
When a dead body is discovered during the annual Whispering Fall tree lightening, Roxy Bloom just can’t seem to keep her nose out of it, even though she feels like something strange is going on in the cozy town.
June Heal is using powers, she never thought she’d use, to keep tourist Roxy Bloom away from the crime scene.
Will the two feisty sleuths come together to solve this murder before Roxy’s honeymoon is over or before June Heal uses all of her powers to keep Roxy away from their secrets of Whispering Falls?
You won’t want to miss this crossover tale of two of your favorite cozy mystery sleuths, June Heal from the Magical Cures Mystery Series and Roxanne Bloom from the Killer Coffee Series.
A Lime To Kill
By Summer Prescott
A single mom.
A misplaced millennial.
The best pies and baked goods in the Keys.
Life is good for SubLime Sweets owner, Marilyn Hayes. That is, until murder shows up on her doorstep. Marilyn’s world is rocked, as she discovers that, things are not always as they seem, she didn’t know her daughter as well as she thought she did, and some old wounds never quite heal.
Will the hunky Detective Cortland save the day? Or will Miss Marilyn be the next victim?
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Four Authors provide four different Christmas Cozies! Several new authors to me. Two authors provide traditional cozy Christmas stories, one writes about magic and witches and the last about teenage crime investigators. In other words, a little something for everyone! For fans of Tonya Kappes, you will discover she offers a crossover of characters from Killer Coffee Series with Magical Cures Series. Enjoy them all! I was provided an ARC Alf this book by the Author. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.
My review is based on the following 3 novellas:
Christmas Parties are Murder by Jenna St. James
I loved Amanda’s weapon-wielding granny! Nan was an interesting and amusing character. I would love to read a series featuring these two.
A Charming Blend by Tonya Kappes
I loved June & Roxy together. They are hilarious! The new Siri – Ha Ha! I really hope Roxy visits Whispering Falls again soon!
A Lime to Kill by Summer Prescott
I enjoyed this cozy mystery with a hint of romance. Summer Prescott is a new-to-me author, and I really liked her writing style.
This is a fun set of cozy mysteries. I discovered two new-to-me authors, Jenna St. James and Summer Prescott, that I will definitely read more of along with two of my favorite authors, Tanya Kappes and Mona Marple, all in this set. Every one of these stories are good with great characters and well written plots. I’m glad I got to read them all. I’m in cozy heaven!
Cozy Christmas Crimes is a cute boxed set of Christmas themed novellas by four well known cozy authors. Each one was a delight to read.
Ms. St James introduces Amanda Adkins, a temp employee, and Millie, her grandmother as they attend a Christmas party at Amanda’s temporary employment. I liked Amanda and Millie and I could easily see this novella being the basis for a new cozy series. The party turns deadly and Amanda and Millie with a little help from a hunky IT guy are on the case.
Ms. Marple introduces two teen sisters who are going to “the big city” to shop on their own for the first time. It was enjoyable but sad as it highlights how shopping malls often squeeze out small businesses. The murder was well plotted.
Ms. Kappes combined two of her series together for one delectable murder mystery. Roxanne and Patrick decide to honeymoon in Whispering Falls, KY it’s a magical combination of magic, murder and mystery. Poor June Heal had to work her fingers to the bone to keep Roxy from discovering how truly magical Whispering Falls can be.
A Lime to Kill by Summer Prescott was both a murder mystery and a sweet look at mother-daughter relationships. The plot was quickly paced and I was totally surprised at the reveal. This is another one that I could easily see being the beginning of a new cozy series.
Four mysteries with some romance.
A Charming Blend By Tonya Kappes
A really good crossover featuring Roxy – Killer Coffee series & June – Magical Cures. They make a dynamic duo sleuthing team when a dead body is found. Magic is in the air but will it work on Roxy?
A Lime To Kill By Summer Prescott
Marilyn and her daughter make the best team running Sublime Sweets. A murder mystery with lots of suspects. Marilyn finds she doesn’t know her daughter as well as she thought. She also meets a the cute Detective Cortland. Can she figure out who done it and clear her daughter?
I enjoyed all four stories in this box set. I’m familiar with two of the authors and the other two were new to me. Four fun reads!
The first story: Christmas Parties are Murder by Jenna St. James is about how a temp worker, Amanda Adkins bakes a diet cake for her former employer, Margaret Eldemire. Amanda’s spunky 75 year-old grandmother, Melanie Adkins, tags along to the party. Margaret falls and ends up dead while eating her diet cake, and the police are suspicious of Amanda. Amanda and her grandmother have their own list of suspects, and they’ll need to hurry because the killers are close behind them.
Second story: The Candy Cane Killer by Mona Marple is about two teenage sisters, Coral and Sandy, allowed by their father for the first time without being accompanied by him. They end up in a shopping center where the mayor Sharon Major is about to give a speech. Sharon has big ideas about how to modernize the town. As the crowd awaits, and the curtain is pulled open, the mayor’s body is found. The girls find themselves stuck at the mall until the police arrive. The girls decide to go nose around, and find what to them is a clue that proves the killer may have been on the same bus that they rode. Coral sees herself as an aspiring journalist, and talks her sister into looking for clues to find who the killer is.
Third story: A Charming Blend by Tonya Kappes is a wonderful crossover between two different series of Tonya Kappes. The story opens with Roxy Bloom and Patrick Cane heading to Whispering Falls for their honeymoon. Whispering Falls is a magical town where spiritualists live and own their own shops. All seem to be aware of the visiting Roxy, and concern about Roxy nosing around their little town and discovering hidden secrets. When Roxy visits June Heal’s A Charming Cure store, June hopes to create a potion that will keep Roxy focused on her honeymoon. Roxy has noticed a few oddities, and is suspicious. When Roxy and Patrick attend the tree lighting ceremony, Roxy’s new friend she met at A Charming Cure, is frantically looking for her fiance. Roxy offers to help and gets a lot more than she bargained for.
The fourth book: A Lime To Kill by Summer Prescott is about Marilyn Arlington, owner of Sublime Sweets, and her daughter Tiara, a new college graduate staying with her mother. Tiara looks into her mother’s finances and decides her mother should hire her. Marilyn is very happy to hear the news, because Tiara is her only child and she’s not quite ready for an empty nest. When the ovens break down, Marilyn heads out to deliver pies, leaving her daughter and new hire in charge. Marilyn returns just in time to see a long time customer, Fergus, being put in an ambulance. When Marilyn learns some unpleasant hidden truths about her daughter, she decides to do a little sleuthing of her own.
I received an ARC of this box set in exchange for my honest opinion.
Christmas Parties are Murder by Jenna St. James
Nan is hilarious. Love how she has weapons hidden everywhere and is not afraid to use them. Great characters in Blake and Milt too. Amanda’s temp jobs leads to a murder with quite a few suspects.
A Charming Blend by Tonya Kappes
A quick magical mystery. A great blend of Magical Cures Mysteries and Killer Coffee Mysteries characters. I love that there were explanations so that if you hadn’t read either series, you weren’t lost about what was going on. Fun interactions between Roxy and June and love how Pepper took it all in stride. My favorite character was “Siri”. What a clever idea. A real nice quick read. Another great story from Tonya Kappes.
Mona Marple The Candy Cane Killer
A really nice prequel!
This prequel novelette takes place years before the series. Sandy and Coral are still teenagers. Their father is still alive. Throughout the series Sandy has gotten more and more confident. Here she is still doubting everything including herself. Sandy so serious, naïve, almost scared of the world, and Coral so carefree, much more worldly-wise, eager for adventures to write about. In this story Coral is very obviously the older sister. Later on in the series the dynamics between them are very different and I thought that was so well done! Because it would make sense that the age difference in their teenage years matters way more than later on in life, where that age difference falls away. A really nice story with a good mystery! Sandy is already showing a flair for solving murders!
This is the prequel, but I think it works best if you know the characters already. I think you’d best read a few of the books first, to get familiar with Sandy and Coral.
Book 1
Christmas Reunion by Summer Prescott
After a contentious divorce from her cheating husband Avery returns to her hometown to regroup and start over. After moving into her childhood bedroom Avery soon reconnects with friends from high school. Just as she finds herself feeling comfortable the unthinkable happens. One of her former classmates is murdered and Avery becomes the focus of the police investigation.
This book introduces us to new characters from Summer Prescott. Avery is a mystery writer from Champaign, Illinois (so is Summer Prescott). It’s nice to have an author write about a setting they are familiar with rather than make up a fictional town. The plot is very interesting and keeps you thinking as you read. There are red herrings scattered throughout. You find yourself hoping the perpetrator is not one of the characters you like. I was wrong through the entire story. I hope we see these characters again. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it.
Book 2
Carols and Killers by Patti Benning
Autumn Roth is a single woman trying to find direction in life. In one week her world is turned upside down. With the support of her beloved Uncle Albert, Aunt Lucy and best friend Alicia she moves forward in her career and relationships. While visiting her aunt and uncle the retirement home cook dies. What initially appears to be a horrible accident soon becomes a murder investigation.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. I would love to see them continue into a series. The story kept me engaged throughout the book.
Book 3
Spicy Christmas Murder by Carolyn Q. Hunter
Margo Hanratty is a business owner in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Christmas is only days away and Margo is preparing to host a company Christmas party. She also has plans to leave town that evening with her daughter to celebrate at their cabin. They will be joined by her future son-in-law. Unfortunately Margo’s day begins with her employee and friend not showing up to the store for her shift. Margo had planned on using her morning in the factory completing end of the year paperwork and setting up for the warehouse party. Thankfully her daughter is able to come in early and work until the store closes. She is greeted by more unsettling news when her accountant shares with her his suspicion that someone is stealing product. When Margo and her daughter finally arrive at the cabin that evening they are greeted by a horror they never imagined.
The setting will be familiar to readers of Carolyn Hunter’s Pies and Pages Mystery series, but the characters are all new. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that it will become a series.
Book 4
Death the Halls by Karoline Barrett
Twin sisters Grace and Kate own a lovely bookstore in Indiana. Black Cat Books also has a silent partner, an author from a nearby town. As Christmas approaches the sisters prepare for their annual Christmas Tea. Their partner Blake will be a surprise guest and play Santa Claus for the children. Tragedy strikes the evening before the tea and the sisters find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. Grace feels particularly targeted by her former fiance, the man she practically left at the altar, the lead detective on the case.
I loved this book. The characters are interesting and well developed. The story moves at just the right pace and keeps you wanting more. There were also a few red herrings sprinkled about which keeps you guessing whodunit. This is another book I’d love to see continue as a series. One, because I live in Indiana, and two, because I love mysteries that revolve around bookstore. Karoline in a wonderful writer and brings her stories to life for the reader.
Book 5
Colorado Christmas Killer
By Jenna St. James
Elementary school teachers, roommates and best friends Ophelia and Holly leave Kansas City for a Christmas trip to a Colorado ski resort. They are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the holiday events at the resort. After a ten-hour drive the ladies meet their roomates in the condo they are sharing for the week, two librarians from Colorado Springs and two self-absorbed women from Denver. While the librarians seem relatable, the other women may test everyone’s patience. Within days of their arrival the woman are witness to a horrific tragedy. What appears to be an accident is soon determined to be a murder, and the six women are suspects. Could one of these women be a murderess?
I enjoyed this book very much. The main characters were developed, and we had enough background information to consider most of them viable suspects. The setting was interesting and easy to envision. The action in the story moves right into the last chapter. I recommend reading this book. I love Jenna’s books and this is no exception.
Book 6
Windswept Shows
By Donna Walo-Clancy
Billionaire Robert Bellington and his family have made their life in Colorado. They left the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley for the quiet of the mountains. He and his wife Patricia have three children: Robert Jr., Vanessa, and Kimberly Ann. As Christmas approaches the family goes their separate ways to prepare for celebrating the holiday together. While Patricia and her children are in California celebrating with her mother, Robert is finishing work so he can take a few days off for the holidays. When trusted employee, Miss Lottie, finds a body behind the bar the lives of the Bellington family will be changes forever.
This story is filled with secrets and deception. The characters are well developed. The setting is interesting since the story almost entirely takes place within the house. I enjoyed this book, but I think Donna’s other book that I’ve read are much better.
I love this collection of mystery stories! The authors involved are some of the best in the genre.