Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed I'll be Home for Mischief (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery) on + 704 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
This year the holidays are extra special in Mistletoe, Maine as the town celebrates its 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family are returning for the celebration and will be staying at the Reindeer Games Inn. Holly is going all out to welcome the Snows.
There is another big event happening on the farm. Holly's mother has set her sights on breaking a Guinness world record for the largest gingerbread man. Holly and Evan's 1st wedding anniversary is right around the corner too.
Everything goes awry when a dead body is found in the gingerbread batter. The man is identified as one of Holly's special guests. Positive an old family feud is the motive for the murder, local mistletoe farmer, Mr. Moore is the prime suspect. Holly is positive the man she has known all her life is not a murderer. So, like the previous four Christmases Holly is again out to prove someone's innocence even though Evan asks her to leave the case to him.
With running the inn, Reindeer Games to host, and trying to find the perfect anniversary gift for Evan, Holly is also donning her sleuthing cap to frost the real killer.
I was delighted to return to the Reindeer Games Farm and Inn where the White family welcomes everyone with open arms. It is really like catching up with old friends and there is always something fun happening. I enjoyed the lengths Holly's mother went to in her attempt to break a world record. Holly's dad and the farm crew were so creative making things in giant size to her specifications. My heart broke when she couldn't complete the event. The duo represented Guinness were so nice and stayed in town after the incident enjoying themselves through the holidays. They also came up with a fabulous idea. Holly and Evan had some things to work out in this story but their love was never in question. The core characters Ms. Frost has created for this series are so genuine. They have continued to grow and I become more invested in their lives with each story. The new characters are so good too.
In addition to the Snows, there are other special visitors to Mistletoe that add to the fun, there may have been a little mischief involved. No Spoiler!
I always have a good time trying to solve the mystery before the protagonist but I couldn't do it this time. The mystery was very well plotted with plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns. The killer did warn Holly to back off but she pressed on and got herself into some precarious situations that could have ended badly. They led up to a surprising reveal and a chilly rescue. Ms. Frost's descriptions and attention to detail took me right into every scene, the merry ones and the scary ones. I appreciated every one.
I'll Be Home for Mischief is a marvelous addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series and a fabulous read to kick off the holiday season. Engaging characters, an intriguing mystery or two, set in a wonderful winter wonderland kept me entertained from beginning to end. The charming ending has me wishing for another visit to Mistletoe soon, but I know I must wait until next Christmas.
This year the holidays are extra special in Mistletoe, Maine as the town celebrates its 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family are returning for the celebration and will be staying at the Reindeer Games Inn. Holly is going all out to welcome the Snows.
There is another big event happening on the farm. Holly's mother has set her sights on breaking a Guinness world record for the largest gingerbread man. Holly and Evan's 1st wedding anniversary is right around the corner too.
Everything goes awry when a dead body is found in the gingerbread batter. The man is identified as one of Holly's special guests. Positive an old family feud is the motive for the murder, local mistletoe farmer, Mr. Moore is the prime suspect. Holly is positive the man she has known all her life is not a murderer. So, like the previous four Christmases Holly is again out to prove someone's innocence even though Evan asks her to leave the case to him.
With running the inn, Reindeer Games to host, and trying to find the perfect anniversary gift for Evan, Holly is also donning her sleuthing cap to frost the real killer.
I was delighted to return to the Reindeer Games Farm and Inn where the White family welcomes everyone with open arms. It is really like catching up with old friends and there is always something fun happening. I enjoyed the lengths Holly's mother went to in her attempt to break a world record. Holly's dad and the farm crew were so creative making things in giant size to her specifications. My heart broke when she couldn't complete the event. The duo represented Guinness were so nice and stayed in town after the incident enjoying themselves through the holidays. They also came up with a fabulous idea. Holly and Evan had some things to work out in this story but their love was never in question. The core characters Ms. Frost has created for this series are so genuine. They have continued to grow and I become more invested in their lives with each story. The new characters are so good too.
In addition to the Snows, there are other special visitors to Mistletoe that add to the fun, there may have been a little mischief involved. No Spoiler!
I always have a good time trying to solve the mystery before the protagonist but I couldn't do it this time. The mystery was very well plotted with plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns. The killer did warn Holly to back off but she pressed on and got herself into some precarious situations that could have ended badly. They led up to a surprising reveal and a chilly rescue. Ms. Frost's descriptions and attention to detail took me right into every scene, the merry ones and the scary ones. I appreciated every one.
I'll Be Home for Mischief is a marvelous addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series and a fabulous read to kick off the holiday season. Engaging characters, an intriguing mystery or two, set in a wonderful winter wonderland kept me entertained from beginning to end. The charming ending has me wishing for another visit to Mistletoe soon, but I know I must wait until next Christmas.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
I'll Be Home for Mischief is the fifth installment in the A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series set in Mistletoe, Maine and featuring Holly White. Mistletoe has chosen a Victorian Village theme for the town's 150th anniversary, Holly's mother is attempting to set the world record for the largest gingerbread man and Holly and husband Sheriff Evan Gray are celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary.
Everyone is in the holiday spirit, two members of the town's founding family - the Snows are visiting and the mysterious Christopher's (readers of previous books in the series might suspect he's Santa) wife and friend have arrived by sleigh from up North. Representatives from Guinness and two obnoxious podcasters are also among the visitors to Reindeer Games. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong when Elijah Snow ends up buried in the gingerbread batter.
Despite the pleas from her husband and parents to stay out of the investigation, Holly finds herself trying to clear the name of a close neighbor who she believes is being wrongly accused of murder. A delightful addition to the series, even in the height of summer. A wonderful cast of returning characters and a setting that sounds like so much fun you'll want to move to Mistletoe.
Everyone is in the holiday spirit, two members of the town's founding family - the Snows are visiting and the mysterious Christopher's (readers of previous books in the series might suspect he's Santa) wife and friend have arrived by sleigh from up North. Representatives from Guinness and two obnoxious podcasters are also among the visitors to Reindeer Games. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong when Elijah Snow ends up buried in the gingerbread batter.
Despite the pleas from her husband and parents to stay out of the investigation, Holly finds herself trying to clear the name of a close neighbor who she believes is being wrongly accused of murder. A delightful addition to the series, even in the height of summer. A wonderful cast of returning characters and a setting that sounds like so much fun you'll want to move to Mistletoe.
