'Twas the Knife Before Christmas (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery 2), by Jaqueline Frost

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It's been one year since we last spent time with Holly White and her friends and family in Mistletoe, Maine. It's ten days before Christmas and Holly is busy working overtime at her family's Christmas tree farm, while also fulfilling orders for her jewelry-making business. She is also working on her budding romantic relationship.

Unfortunately, life isn't so sweet when a dead body is found in a giant candy dish and all the evidence for this murder points to Holly's best friend, Caroline. Caroline is taken into custody and Holly embarks on a mission to find out who the real killer is.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Twelve Slays of Christmas, but this second installment is even better. It is again narrated by Allyson Ryan. Like the first one, it is filled with all the Christmas feels, but the mystery in 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas is stronger. There were a few suspects to consider, but not too many to overwhelm the reader. I thought I had it figured out, but I changed my mind, only to change it back again to the correct suspect just before the whodunit was revealed.

The author does a good job weaving in all of the Christmas feels with the mystery. There is some romance in this book, but it doesn't distract from the mystery. The story never lagged and I was invested the entire time. Despite the rising crime rate, I found myself wanting to be there in Mistletoe enjoying the atmosphere and festivities myself. 

All of the main characters in this series are a joy to spend time with. They each have their own quirks and personalities and I adore all of them. I also really enjoy the author's writing style. I can honestly say she has become a new favorite author to me. Her writing in this series thus far is clean and I feel like I can relax into it. I felt this way about her writing in Live and Let Chai as well. (In that Seaside Cafe series, she goes by the pen name of Bree Baker.) 

I listened to the audiobook for 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas and I enjoyed having the story read to me. I will definitely continue listening to the series and I will also check out some of this author's other cozy mystery series.

If you're looking for a clean cozy mystery series that has a vibe similar to Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series, but that has all the Christmas feels, I highly recommend The Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series, by Jaqueline Frost. Begin with book 1, Twelve Slays of Christmas, and continue from there. I have a feeling you'll never want to leave Mistletoe, Maine once you read or listen to these books.