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Merry Christmas in July!
I am not a fan of heat and humidity, so Christmas in July is a form of escape for me. I love watching Christmas movies and reading Christmas books at the this time of year. I'm so excited to have received an ARC of the sixth book in Jacqueline Frost's Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series, A Wonderful Christmas Crime. This series has become a favorite of mine and it fit the theme perfectly this month. It has all the cozy Christmas feels I was hoping for.
Something significant is revealed at the beginning of this installment. I won't spoil it, but it plays a huge role in Holly's motivation not to get involved in crime-solving this Christmas. In an effort to relax and have some fun, Holly participates in a town-wide progressive dinner. After an attempted robbery at one of the stops, followed by the discovery of a dead body, Holly can't help thinking about why all of this happened and who is responsible for yet another Christmas crime in Mistletoe, Maine. Holly knows the person accused of the crime is not the responsible party and, with the help of her friends and family, she is determined to get to the bottom of it all.
This is a solid mystery. In fact, there are multiple mysteries going on simultaneously. I was especially thrilled to see one involving crossword puzzles. You will have to read it to find out if and how they are all connected. I was really shocked when the killer was revealed, but it came to a logical conclusion. There are several suspects to consider and twists and turns along the way, which made for a mind-boggling mystery.
The setting for this entire series is one of my favorites in any cozy mystery. It has all the festive and cozy Christmas feels, complete with hot chocolate and reindeer games. The imagery is vivid with lots of descriptions to awaken all five senses. This is one town where I would love to spend Christmas.
It was comforting to meet up again with the same main characters who have been present throughout the series. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and it feels like a true community. The progressive dinner is the perfect example of how they all come together.
Holly is one lucky lady to be surrounded by so much love. However, I did feel like her loved ones were very over-protective of her in this installment. Throughout the book, she is struggling to keep her blood pressure under control. I understand why her friends and family were concerned, but as much as they babysat her (this term was actually used in the book multiple times), that alone would be enough to raise her blood pressure. They needed to loosen the grip. She's a grown woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions. I also wasn't a fan of her acquired goofy nickname.
Overall, though, this is yet another strong installment in the beloved Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. If you've read all of the previous books in the series, this is definitely one you won't want to miss. It's light-hearted and fun, just like all of the previous books in the series. If you have not yet read any books in the series, I highly recommend starting with the first one, Twelve Slays of Christmas, and reading them in order. Each installment is a self-contained mystery, but it's a lot of fun to follow the growth of the characters with each consecutive book.
As I was reading this book, I thought it was going to be the final one in the series. However, I was delighted to learn that there will be another one released next year. I can't wait! I'm definitely going to read it!
A Wonderful Christmas Crime releases on October 21, 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I agree, trying too hard to keep someone else's blood pressure down usually backfires. It sounds like it didn't spoil the mystery at all, though.
ReplyDeleteExactly! :)
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