Residents of Rudolph keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round—but their joy is threatened when a group of grinches visits the town, in the charming fourth installment of the Year-Round Christmas series.It’s the week before Thanksgiving, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, is preparing for a weekend reunion of her mother’s college friends. But when the group of women comes … group of women comes into Merry’s shop, Merry is met with frosty attitudes and cold hearts.
The women argue amongst themselves constantly, and the bickering only intensifies after one of the friends is poisoned. With her father’s role as Santa in danger due to his proximity to the crime, Merry will need to use all of her investigative gifts to wrap this mystery up and save Santa and her favorite holiday.
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Even though it’s a few months early, I obtained a copy of Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicky Delany, published this month, and had to devour it already. This is 1 of 2 series by the author that I read, and I like to stay as current as possible. The books are easy-to-read, full of wonderful characters, and provide lots of entertainment.
This is the 4th book in the author’s ‘A Year-Round Christmas Mysteries’ series, and the books take place in Rudolph, New York (upstate), a village that celebrates Christmas all year round. Merry is the protagonist, and her father was once the mayor, now the town Santa Claus. Her mother was an opera singer, and in this book, she invites 5 college friends to visit shortly before Thanksgiving. The only issue… they really haven’t gotten together in over 35 years, and once they do, the bickering starts all over again. This time, it ends in murder… and due to circumstances, it’s 100% clear that 1 of the 5 killed the other. Is Merry’s mom guilty? Meanwhile, a new family moves to town and tries to take over the role of Santa Claus from Noel. Will he let it happen to embrace full retirement?
Delany creates vibrant characters and multi-layered plots. I enjoyed the mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas in this book. The subplots are fun. Jackie (Merry’s shop worker) is just full of sass and vinegar, her best friend Vicky is a kind and helpful, her boyfriend Allan is a good guy, and the detective is friendly but direct. I wish we could spend more time in various shops and places around the town, but the settings are always immersive and appealing.
The mystery in this one was good, a little light for me. It had several layers, but with so many characters, each one had minimal time. I felt like we hadn’t scratched the surface on the lives of each woman in the last 35 years, so I struggled to decide who would be the killer. The last 25% moves quickly, and that’s when it gets really strong. We start peeling the onion to the point we can easily sniff out the bad apple. How’s that for a mixed metaphor!?!?!
I’d recommend the series, but I’d tell you to hold off until December when it’s Christmastime. You’ll get a wonderful holiday spirit from these stories, and use it wisely… between Thanksgiving and Christmas will make this pop even more. Great job, Ms. Delany; another success!
Merry Wilkinson is looking forward to Thanksgiving, but her mother, Aline, is looking forward to the weekend before. Aline has invited her college friends to come to Rudolph, New York, for a reunion. However, when the women arrive, they quickly devolve into bickering and sniping. Desperate to find a way to keep the peace, Aline invites Merry to several of their events. At one of them, one of the women die under suspicious circumstances. Merry can’t help but begin to gather information, but when a newcomer tries to use the crime to get Merry’s father removed as the official town Santa, she steps up her game. Can she figure out what happened before the women leave town?
As a lover of all things Christmas, I was thrilled to be able to visit Merry and the town of Rudolph again. While set at Thanksgiving, the book perfectly captures that late fall feel and the Thanksgiving spirit while also working in Christmas. We get to know the suspects and the victim a bit before she dies. While the victim and murder method might not be too surprising, there are some secrets and twists buried in the book that kept me reading, and the sub-plot involving Merry’s dad also drew me in. I was a bit worried when we met all the suspects at once, but we get enough context early on to keep them straight until they develop as more characters. It was great to see the series regulars again as well. Whether you read this book now or save it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’re sure to enjoy it.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We’re back in Rudolph, New York just before Thanksgiving and just in time for Aline’s college friends arrive for a little college reunion. When the group arrives at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures Merry is struck by how different her mother’s friends are. They all attended a performance college but is clear their lives have gone in different directions. They really don’t act like friends either as they throw barbs at each other left and right. Merry is happy her father is out of town because the house is going to be full of stress and bickering.
During a group dinner which included Merry one of the alumni dies from a cause to be determined, but Merry is pretty sure she knows what happened. She is just unclear of which college chum did the deed. And with the murder happening at the home of the town’s resident Santa, a Rudolph newcomer sets himself up to take over the job. Merry is not about to let that happen. She is going to check her suspect list twice and but the naughty murderer in their place.
I was thrilled to see this series return, it has been one of my favorites. Rudolph is full of Christmas spirit year-round and I have loved each visit.
Merry Wilkerson owns Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, her mother Aline is a retired opera diva and her Father Noel is the former mayor and performs all Santa Claus duties needed all year long. Jackie works for Merry, her best friend Vicki helps out when she can and also makes a great Watson to Merry’s Sherlock when there is murder afoot. Merry also has wonderful St, Bernard named Mattie. I love the way the Wilkerson family sticks together and sticks up for each other.
This time Ms. Daleny introduces not only Aline’s friends, Constance, Genevieve, Barbara, Karla, and Ruth, but a new couple in town Wayne and Norma Fitzroy who want to get very active around town.
Ms. Delany excels at character development. These characters are rich, those we love, those who rub the wrong way, and even those we come to absolutely hate by the end of the story.
She wraps those characters in a great mystery plot with fun subplot offshoots that keep a reader engaged until the final page. While the manner of death is evident immediately it is not easy to pin the crime on any suspect. Aline’s guests wear out their welcome quickly and to save her mother’s sanity Merry knows she needs to help solve the case as soon as possible. Clues are dropped liberally. I love Ruth, one of the “suspects” is an avid mystery reader and wanted to solve the case herself, just like me trying to beat the big reveal in the cozies I read.
Fun and Entertaining! This is a great addition to this series. You truly can’t go wrong with any title by Vicki Delany. This book stands well on its own but the entire series is fabulous. Treat yourself to the whole bunch!
One sign of a GREAT series is that no matter how long it has been since you read a previous book in that series, once you begin the latest book you feel like you have come home. You feel surrounded by friends. That is how I felt picking up the latest in Vicki Delany’s Year Round Christmas mystery series. I very much enjoyed being back in Rudolph.
Friendship was supposed to be on the menu when Merry Wilkinson’s mother, Aline, invited college friends for a weekend of reminiscing and relaxation. Although from extremely varied backgrounds and experiences, Aline’s memories were very different from what this weekend revealed.
Full of subplots and tangled emotions, dark secrets and buried motives make this an interesting read.
It has elements of a closed house party mystery, with all the suspects under one roof, and a deductive reasoning and elimination puzzle, like a game of clue, it is not as simple as that could imply but oh so enjoyable!
It is the characters and their interactions that make this such a wonderful series.
Who doesn’t love a series that celebrates Christmas all year long? Merry and the gang are back in another charming installment of this entertaining series. The plot drew me in and I was unable to guess who the killer was. This book is a Christmas gift to each reader who is fortunate enough to pick up a copy.
Complete review and giveaway: https://cozyexperience.com/silent-night-deadly-night-review-giveaway/
Reunions aren’t all they are cracked up to be. Sometimes the past is best left in the past.
Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delancy is marvelously written story with compelling characters, a stunning setting and a perfectly plotted mystery. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
Merry
Merry Wilkinson is our sleuth and main character. She has a gift shop in Rudolph, New York where they celebrate Christmas all year. Since it is the weekend before Thanksgiving, lots of things are happening in preparation for the Christmas season, and Merry is extremely busy.
Things I like about Merry
• Matterhorn aka Mattie her St Bernard and the walks they take together.
• The way that she loves her town and wants to protect it from bad things.
• Merry’s love of her family is sweet.
• The way she sales locally made items in her shop, along with some other lovely things from the city.
• Merry’s ability to see the puzzle pieces and mentally put them together is outstanding.
• The fact that she doesn’t cook much and yet she doesn’t complain about it.
Mystery & Story
A few things are going on in this installment.
First, Aline (Merry’s mom) is having a college reunion with the five ladies that she met and roomed with in college. These ladies don’t get along, and they are all in different social classes. They bickered way too much.
Then Karla dies, and it is clear that it is one of the other ladies killed her. But who and why? Can a secret from 40 years ago possibly be the reason for murder?
There is also a coo to out Merry’s dad as the town Santa Claus. And Thanksgiving is this week, so Merry’s shop is preparing for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Someone is shoplifting in the town’s shops. Oh, and the interim mayor may or may not be compromised by a blackmailer.
So, lots of things to keep the story moving right along.
5 Stars for Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delancy
My rating for Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delancy is five stars. I love this story so much that I couldn’t put it down and read into the wee hours of the morning. Then when I woke up, it was the first thing on my mind, and I told my mom the whole story over breakfast. So, this is a fabulous story, and I recommend it to all of you cozy fans out there.
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 Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delancy.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Silent Night, Deadly Night is the fourth A Year-Round Christmas Mystery. Merry Wilkinson has her hands full when one of her mother’s old college friends dies while in town for a reunion and a newcomer to town is determined to take the Santa Clause position away from her father, Noel. It is a week before Thanksgiving, which is Merry’s favorite holiday, and the shop is hopping with customers. It is always a delight to visit the charming Christmas town of Rudolph, New York. While Silent Night, Deadly Night is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I thought the book was well-written with good pacing. The book is fraught with tension from the minute Aline’s college friends walk into Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. The five women are constantly sniping at each other and getting in little digs. It is only the first day of their visit and Aline, Merry’s mother, regrets organizing the gathering. When one of the women dies, the remaining ladies are suspects and are not allowed to leave town (there goes Thanksgiving). Merry wants to figure out which woman committed the crime so they can all leave town (they are staying at the Wilkinson home). There are clues sprinkled throughout the book to help readers solve the case before the satisfying reveal. I found Ruth to be an interesting character with her love of mystery novels and her fascination with the case (all mystery lovers can relate). There is a subplot with a newcomer to town trying to take the Santa Claus position away from Merry’s father, Noel. I like how Noel handled himself and how the situation was resolved. I enjoyed learning more about the Wilkinson family and the romance factor was light (thank you). I thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of Rudolph and Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. Silent Night, Deadly Night was a satisfying cozy mystery and I look forward to reading the next A Year-Round Christmas Mystery. Silent Night, Deadly Night has catty college chums, deadly delicacies, a sly Santa stealer, dangerous secrets, old-fashioned ornaments and one elf investigator.
Series: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery – Book 4
Author: Vicki Delany
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Business/Holiday
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count:304
Publishing Date: August 27, 2019
The latest in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery cozy series from Vicki Delany “Silent Night, Deadly Night” will keep you riveted to the very end and put a smile on your face. Published by Berkley, this new addition to the Year-Round Christmas holiday book will delight readers and give them the urge to appalled.
Merry is a great character with tons of personality. She loves Christmas and holidays in general, and she will go to just about any length to make sure everyone enjoys the festivities and are happy. But when her mother’s college friends show up just before Thanksgiving and start making everyone miserable, especially her mother, Merry jumps in to help. The regular characters are present in this cozy book, including Merry’s family, Alan, and other friends. Each character adds a dynamic to the plot that moves the story forward and expands the reader’s enjoyment.
The town of Rudolph would be a beautiful place to live. Having the feel of constant goodwill, happiness, and people who are giving and compassionate that we associate with holidays would make life an enjoyable adventure year-round. The town is quaint with holiday decorations in every store window, and for sale 24/7. It would be a fantastic place to work and visit!
The victim and suspects in “Silent Night, Deadly Night” come from a varied background, with multiple issues stemming from their early years in college and how life has treated them since. This cozy lets readers feel what it would be like to get together with school friends that they haven’t seen since graduation and realize that perhaps they were never friends. And the amount of anger and resentment that comes with knowing people are never who we think they are when we are younger.
This is a cozy book worth reading, twice! It is a gripping page-turner. As always, Ms. Delany weaves a story with believable suspects, subtle red herrings, and a thought-provoking reveal that will leave readers astounded. The story is well written, with smooth transitions and a spellbinding plot. I am thrilled to recommend this cozy to readers.
Merry’s mom is having a reunion with her college friends the weekend before Thanksgiving. Her friends aren’t anything like she remembers though. The unrevealing was very interesting and well thought out. Even though it’s set at Thanksgiving time, it still very much has a Christmas feel which I loved.
When one of her mother’s college friends is poisoned, Merry Wilkinson investigates.
The main characters in this captivating story are well developed. The plot pulled me in and held me riveted from beginning to end. Overall, this was a fun read.
Recommended for those seeking a wholesome holiday read.
Chick Lit Holiday Mystery
I have read a fair amount of cozy mysteries, and this one struck me as different right from the start. Honestly, at the beginning, it feels more like chick lit gone awry—which I loved, by the way! In fact, “chick lit” is much of the vibe of the entire story. Despite the title of the novel, this is more centered around Thanksgiving than Christmas. It just happens to take place in a town named Rudolph, where it’s Christmas all year ‘round (but they do give a nod to the other holidays). The setup of the story is that the heroine’s mother is hosting her college friends’ 40th reunion. Though they were friends back in the day and have kept in contact, they have not met in person since that time. I thought the author did a fantastic job showing how different each of these ladies was. Many writers tend to write an “old lady” stereotype or two (grumpy granny or “cuppa tea” granny), but each of these women is very different. The initial part of the story has much to do with their sniping and disagreements, which the author writes with a deft hand. The dialogue actually helps the story keep moving. The protagonist and her mother have to act as peacemakers, not quite what Mom imagined when she put together the weekend. While this book is part of a series, I had no problem understanding it even though this is the first book I have read of it. The author developed the mystery well, with lots of balls to juggle. I so enjoyed the town and the characters that I didn’t really try to figure it out as I read and instead just went along for the ride. And what a delightful ride it was! The author also threw in some good twists, as I like to see in a mystery, and the end held more surprises than I imagined. A wonderful read by a new author to me, one whom I will look forward to reading again in the future. If you like the idea of chick-lit holiday mystery gone wrong, you will most likely enjoy this book as much as I did.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This series is set in a charming village with darling shops. I love Christmas so was happy to find a mystery series with the holiday as the story’s background. The characters are believable, and the story’s plot keeps you reading. I recommend this book and look forward to those that will follow.
Fun book! It’s Thanksgiving time in Rudolph and Merry’s mother has invited a group of old college friends for a visit. From the moment the friends arrive, there is constant bickering among them and no one seems to get along very well. Merry’s mother hosts a potluck for her friends and invites Merry and her friend, Vicky. When Karla, one of the friends, dies after eating something that had peanuts in it (she was deathly allergic), Merry is convinced that it wasn’t an accident and someone murdered Karla. Merry investigates to try to find the killer. Also, a new man in town seems to be determined to get Merry’s dad fired from being Santa and wants to take over the mayor’s job. Very intriguing story with all the friends having secrets. Hope to see more of this fun series with year-round Christmas fun!!
From setting to characters and storyline, Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany is a cozy mystery lover’s delight. As #4 in the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries series, it easily stands alone, but I recommend reading these stories in order for the utmost enjoyment.
As the series title indicates, Silent Night, Deadly Night is set in a year-round Christmas village named Rudolph, located in Upstate New York. The author vividly captures the sights, sounds and delicious aromas of Rudolph, making it a place readers would want to visit. Although Christmas is the main emphasis, stores still feature seasonal holiday displays – Thanksgiving in this story.
Merry Wilkinson is an appealing lead character who owns Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a shop that specializes in locally made crafts and home decorations. And, of course, it’s located on Jingle Bell Lane, the main shopping area of this quaint village. Many cozy mysteries involve an animal of some type, but Merry’s beloved pet is an adorable Saint Bernard named Matterhorn (Mattie for short), who is perfect for a Christmas village.
The action – and tension – begins when Merry’s mother, Alison, hosts a 40th-anniversary retreat the weekend before Thanksgiving for five college friends who have maintained contact over the years, but never gotten together collectively before. Constance, Barbara, Karla, Ruth, and Genevieve are an eclectic group of ladies from varied walks of life and financial status. And just maybe their friendship hadn’t been as real as Alison remembered. A lot of characters are introduced at once, but the author does a great job in crafting these ladies so they immediately stand out and are identifiable. I found them intriguing and not so likeable, but was very interested in their backgrounds and history.
The bickering and pointed jabs among these ladies steadily propels the story along, with Merry and her Mom forced to act as peacemakers. For instance, Constance pretends to be generous, but uses her money as a way to put other people in their place. Ruth, who doesn’t have much money to spend, resents Constance’s offers to buy things for her. Karla, co-owner of a family business, resents the attitudes of Barbara, an environmental lawyer. And that barely cracks the surface with these ladies!
The murder mystery plot is well crafted with surprising twists and nothing is quite as it seems. Rather than trying to identify the murderer, I just enjoyed going along for the ride. The story is beautifully clean and has a little romance. I loved Silent Night, Deadly Night and will be reading more of Vicki Delany’s writing.
Highly recommended to cozy mystery fans everywhere.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Another great book in The Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. It was easy to remember the characters in this book ( from the previous ones) . Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop!