Rudy-Bob Hortmann has never quite gotten the hang of making friends. He doesn’t much like peopling, mostly preferring the company of his pot-bellied pig, Ethel Squeaks to humanoid types. But there’s one exception. Rudy-Bob loves kids. So for Christmas every year he gives himself a present. He plays Santa at the annual Deer Hollow Christmas party. Only this year, Rudy-Bob doesn’t make it out of … the Santa suit when the Pageant is done. Instead, Deputy Sheriff Arno Willager finds Rudy-Bob literally chillin’ in a snow bank, his bulbous nose flashing red through the snow.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m Joey Fulle and I’m pretty good at finding bodies around my place on the outskirts of Deer Hollow. I didn’t actually find this one, of course. But I’m fully invested in locating his killer. ‘Cause, with the help of my handsome PI boyfriend Hal, my sweet and goofy Pitbull Caphy, and my opinionated Siamese cat, LaLee, I’m also pretty good at finding killers. Sometimes, even before they find me…
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I totally loved this book. Now I’m eager to read more in this series.
For those who like books where animals are involved – this book is for you. It has a dog [a wonderful Christmas cooking eating pit bull] – a Siamese who likes to draw blood from her owner and friends; and an adorable pot-bellied pig.
Yes, it is a murder mystery – none of the animals are the victims. Oh! Did I say vitims [in the plural?]
I can honestly say I didn’t know who the murderer was until near the end of the book. There were the usual suspects but …………….. no I won’t even give ya’ll a hint. My lips are sealed.
Buy the book. Read it for yourself. Enjoy the story.
And Merry Christmas in July to all of you. 🙂
A good, clean romantic mystery.
I first read this story as a standalone book last November and reread as part of this collection today. I was able to read Country Cousin Mysteries Collections One a couple of weeks ago and it was a real treat to be able to read Country Cousin Mysteries Collections Two so soon after finishing collection one. Even though these are all stand-alone stories, I enjoyed reading them in chronological order with the Box Collections. It was like binge watching a favorite season of a favorite tv show. Previously, I read Book 5, then Book 6, then Book 4, then Collection One (Books 1&2) and now Collection Two (Books 3-5). They are such good reads that I enjoyed reading Books 4 & 5 again. I have added them to my 2022 To Be Read List because I really love this series. Some of the stunts that Joey’s animals pull have me laughing out loud while some of the storylines have me shedding a few tears as they pull at my heartstrings. It is rare for me to find such a well-written series that elicits so many emotions while reading.
I really enjoy a good, clean, well-told, romantic mystery. There are more than a few red herrings in each of these entertaining whodunits. And the red-herrings all seem to be likely of being the murderer, so I was stumped to name the murderer until the reveal at the end, with more than one of the stories, and that is always fun for me. The romance that is interlaced into the stories is a plus for sure. Hal and Joey are such a cute couple that have each other’s back. There are also other recurring characters in the story that I foresee as becoming romantic duos in the near future.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves to delve into a good murder mystery with a bit of romance woven into the story.
I received a free copy of this book inside a box collection from the author via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This gift did not affect my review of the book. This review is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Bumpkin by Sam Cheever is really interesting and has so many twists and turns to keep you guessing. I like the characters, especially the wonderful animals. This story is engaging and keep you interested. I really enjoyed this story.
Fun Christmas novella – sleuthing with Joey & Hal – the great power couple and a Happy Ending!
It’s Christmas time and someone killed Santa. Why and who would do this? Arno asked Joey and Hal for assistance in solving this murder. A lot of folks didn’t like him, but what was the motive? He lived alone with his pet pig Ethel Squeaks and now Ethel lost her “dad” and her home. Could this be related to a homicide that happened some time ago? Joey not only had Caphy and LaLee to tend to, but also she now has Ethel Squeaks and trying to make cookies as Christmas presents. There were a lot of twists and turns and trying to identify the murderer kept my interest throughout the book. The characters are normal people who just want to live in a quiet little town but get involved in helping to solve crimes. This book had a lot of turns and twists and the solving of the mystery at the end completely surprised me. I would recommend this book to any cozy mystery fan who likes good storytelling, a little romance and likable characters. Can’t wait for the next book!