The Fight Before Christmas

The Fight Before Christmas: A Cozy Canine Whodunit Short Read

Sharon Michaels

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The Fight Before Christmas is a cozy novella that features Holly Winters, a bakery owner and amateur sleuth. She becomes entangled in a mystery when a murder occurs during Willow Grove’s holiday festivities. Along with her trusty pets, Holly vows to find the culprit and bring them to justice. I listened to the audiobook and it went by very quickly. It was an easy to follow plot with some twists and turns to keep the reader/listener involved. There is a bit of quirkiness in the storyline as Holly is able to hear her pets talk to her. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. My only critique is that the conclusion to the mystery seemed a bit abrupt. However, this was a minor detail and overall, I think it was a good Christmas read.

Murder at the Maplewood Frosty Festival

Murder at the Maplewood Frosty Festival: An Ivy Sinclair Cozy Mystery Series

Erin Macy

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When Ivy Sinclair is assigned to report on the Frosty Festival, she’s expecting to write an easy article with food reviews and descriptions of events at the celebration. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery when one of the food vendors is murdered. With help from her friend Alice, Ivy uncovers secrets from the festival’s past that tie into the recent crime. Will Ivy be able to find the killer before they strike again?

This book is a small town winter cozy mystery that has some twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. It was a fast read with a relatively easy plot to follow. I had a minor issue with the ending, it seemed abrupt to me. But overall, I enjoyed the book and think other cozy mystery readers would like it.

*I was gifted this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

50 States of Murder

50 States of Murder: An Atlas of American Crime

Harold Schechter

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This book contains bite-sized recaps of murders occurring across the United States. The author chose to focus on the more obscure crimes in each state. Many of the blurbs covered crimes in the 1800’s. As a true crime reader, I found this book interesting because I had not heard of most of the cases Schechter wrote about. His coverage is pretty succinct and if you are looking for detailed coverage, then this book is not for you. However, if you are interested in reading about lesser-known crimes from each state, you may enjoy this book. I was gifted a copy of this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Patchwork, Paws & Puzzles

Patchwork, Paws and Puzzles: A Paw-liday Craft Caper Book

Kathryn Mykel 

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This is an entertaining mystery about a group of family and friends gathering to celebrate Christmas. Their get together is interrupted by several mishaps that threaten to ruin their evening. But in the end, they are happy to be celebrating the holidays together. I enjoyed this story, but at times, I felt like I was missing some background information that would have pulled the story together. These character are from Mykel’s  Quilting Cozy Mysteries series, so I think if I had read those first, I might have a better understanding of the characters. Overall, this is a nice holiday read that cozy mystery readers will enjoy. 

*I was gifted this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Haunting of Whaley House

Haunting of Whaley House: GKP Most Haunted Places, Series 1, Book 11

Grant Kelly

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The Whaley House is located in San Diego, California. Built on a former gallows site, many people believe that the house is haunted. Legend has it that the paranormal activity in the house is related to a curse put on the land by Yankee Jim before his hanging. He declared that tragedy would always be associated with this plot of land. After the Whaley House was built, the family faced the death of 2 of their  children while living there. The house later became a museum, but there have been several reports of  whispers and apparitions, leading people to believe that there is spiritual activity occurring there. I thought this audiobook was quite interesting. I had never heard of the Whaley House and thought the author did a good job of weaving a story that was intriguing.

Mystery of the Paris Catacombs

Mystery of the Paris Catacombs: A GKP Most Haunted Places, Series 1, Book 12

Grant Kelly

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Most people have probably heard about the catacombs that exist under the city of Paris, but this audiobook digs a little deep into the mystery of these tunnels. Kelly discusses the possible paranormal aspects of the catacombs. There have been reports of people hearing voices and the feeling of being watched while underground. Some people have disappeared, never to be found. There have been chambers found that contain mystic symbols and alters, suggesting that these hidden rooms have been possibly used for mystic gathering. This was a very interesting book to listen to and it was only about 25 minutes long, making it a good listen for people who may not have the time to read/listen to a full-length book.

*I was gifted this audiobook book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live

MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live: The Graphic Stories

MrBallen, Robert Venditti (Contributor), Andrea Mutti (Illustrator)

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This graphic novel is based on the stories told on MrBallen’s YouTube channel. As a fan of his, I was excited to read this book. I was given an early release copy from NetGalley, not realizing it was a graphic novel. The stories I read were ones I had already heard on his channel. Honestly, I like the videos better than the graphic novel. The narration in the videos brings these stories alive. I thought the illustrations were good, just not my style. If you are into graphic novels, this may be for you.