My Review
Merry Wilkinson owns a gift shop in the Christmas theme town of Rudolph, New York. A couple of weeks from Christmas, she is having a normal day in the shop, chatting with friends and family about the upcoming small theater musical version of A Christmas Carol. She leaves the shop for just a few minutes to check on her Saint Bernard dog, who is resting in her office. When she returns, she finds that a contentious woman from the show's cast is dead in her shop! Merry works to solve the mystery.
I wanted to read Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas because I have enjoyed previous books in the series.
This was a very enjoyable read. I have not read the entire series, but was able to jump in and enjoy this mystery, so I think it would also work as a standalone.
I absolutely love the small town setting of Rudolph. The town's Christmas theme is a fun bonus! I love the descriptions of the town, the little shops, restaurants, etc.
Merry is a good amateur detective. She had some strong suspects, and I enjoyed watching her detecting process.
Mattie (a/k/a Matterhorn), her Saint Bernard is a nice addition to the book! I love cozy mysteries that feature dogs or cats.
I recommend this book (and series!) for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially anyone who enjoys a small town or holiday setting.
Book Synopsis
It’s the beginning of December in Rudolph, New York, America’s Christmas Town, and business is brisk at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift and décor shop owned by Merry Wilkinson. The local amateur dramatic society is intensely preparing a special musical production of A Christmas Carol. But it’s not a happy set, as rivalries between cast and crew threaten the production.
Tensions come to a head when a member of the group is found dead shortly after a shopping excursion to Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. Was someone looking to cut out the competition? Everyone in the cast and crew is a potential suspect, including Aline, Merry’s mother, and Merry’s shop assistant Jackie O’Reilly, who was desperate for a starring role.
It could be curtains for Christmas—and for Merry—unless the killer can be ferreted out of the wings.
Author BioVicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. Author of more than fifty books, she is currently writing the Tea by the Sea mysteries, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year-Round Christmas mysteries, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates). Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Author Links
Website – www.vickidelany.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor;
Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor
Instagram: vickidelany
Bookbub: Vicki Delany Books – BookBub
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse
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