The perfect Scottish Christmas…if it wasn’t for the body.It’s Jessica Greer’s first Christmas in Dalkinchie and she is determined that everyone should have the celebration that they deserve, down to the last detail. When the Yuletide festivities end in a mysterious death, and it’s looking like DI Gordon’s Christmas will be more red tape than gift wrap – can Jessica solve the case in time to get … solve the case in time to get everyone back home for their turkey dinner?
If you like twinkly lights, mince pies and murder, you’ll love the latest installment of the Dalkinchie Mysteries.
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Another great story in the series. I had no clue who the murderer was and it was so much fun going through the clues with Jessica. Surprise endings are the best!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Santa is murdered in a small Scottish town. Nosy American reporter Jessica is involved. Twists, turns and red herrings before the culprit is revealed
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author writes in her version of a Scottish accent which I found it very distracting. As that destroyed the flow of the book, it was hard to enjoy or finish. It also didn’t help that the plot was extremely similar to a book I recently read. I finally slogged through it, but I didn’t enjoy it. I do think that it was me and not the book. I received this ARC book for free from Booksprouts and this is my honest review.
Murder and Christmas in Small-Town Scotland
I have read every book in this series, including the prequel. The series, where a young American woman goes to a small town in Scotland to stay with her aunt, immediately charmed me. Each book has felt infused with such a Scottish flavor and quirky characters like we love in any cozy mystery. This book, in particular, felt steeped in Scottish tradition—it is Christmas, after all—what fun! Who murdered Santa Claus after a big Yule festival? Dalkinchie, despite its small size, always seems to have an adequate pool of suspects! I feel like each of these books is getting better and better, though I did enjoy the first one. The author has a way of building a community of fascinating characters, throwing in blind turns and red herrings, and still making it all seem realistic. My hats off to the author, and I sincerely look forward to the next book of the series.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Mince Pies and Murder captivated me and transported me to Scotland. It does not get better than that – especially since I did not guess the murderer! I enjoyed the interesting characters in this well written cozy mystery. It is well worth your time!
This is a wonderful cozy mystery with a great story. There are quite a few twists that kept me guessing. The characters are interesting and realistic with Jessica as the main character. I am hoping for the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love this series. I learn so much about life in a small Scottish village while trying to figure out the culprit before Jessica or DI Gordon. The story is interesting and twisty and well written. It can stand alone if you haven’t read the first book or the prequel. I very much look forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving my honest review.
Jessica’s first Christmas in Dalkinchie is interrupted by the death of a surly Santa. Her curiosity helps her sift through puzzling clues and eliminate friends who are suspects to get her to the truth. Carly Reid paints a wonderful picture of the holidays in Dalkinchie.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Who’d want to be Santa under these circumstances?!
4-4.5 stars
I really got into this holiday murder mystery with so many and yet so few suspects. With intrepid part-time reporter Jessica on the prowl for information the guilty better beware! It’s actually quite comical the way the local detective inspector relegates the key investigation to an amateur sleuth while he worries about the case upsetting his Christmas! Lots of secondary characters with opinions and personality, red herrings and small-town holiday festivities. I really had no clue until the end whodunit though I did have an inkling of the motive.
It’s a good, compact length for a cozy mystery and well-written. Although I did read the preceding book in the Dalkinchie series, this is a good standalone story as author Carly Reid includes just enough background to clue the reader in. I enjoyed it and, thank goodness DI Gordon got his family Christmas with no murder investigation still hanging over his head. Just mistletoe hanging here when the happy conclusion crops up.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
The perfect setting for a Christmas story is a small village in Scotland. I loved all the traditional Christmas events and loved the food references in the book. It was so cozy, festive and delicious! However, someone kills Santa Claus in a busy pub after his appearance at the annual Yule Night Festival. I mean, who would kill Santa? The story is full of colorful and sometimes quirky Scottish characters and small town charm. Jessica is an American staying with her Scottish Aunt Reenie and working part-time as a junior reporter for the newspaper. Good thing she is a reporter because she cannot keep her nose out of the news and can’t help but get involved in the murder investigation, despite her aunt’s worries. Jessica uses her keen perception and nosiness to ferret out several suspects who all could have done it. But things are not always as they appear and you will love the twists and turns as the holiday approaches. I loved it! I received an early copy to read and review and cannot wait for the next murder.
This was a very well done holiday cozy mystery. The author expertly used misdirection to keep the bad guys identities under wraps until the very end of the book. Loved the quirky characters and the setting. Look forward to reading more mysteries by the author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.