This was another fun cozy mystery from Darci Hannah, who is quickly becoming a favorite cozy mystery author of mine.

You can read the books in this series out of order; however, I don’t know if I would recommend it now, having done it myself. I read book four first (which I loved and gave five stars), then I read this second book. I could feel a difference between the books, not in the writing, but within the story – the town, the community, and the characters. Compared to the fourth book, the characters didn’t feel as established, and certain things hadn’t happened yet, which I knew from reading the later books. So while I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t quite on the same level as book four for me; therefore, I had to give it a lower rating. It didn’t quite have the same charm, close-knit community feeling, and coziness as the later book.

However, I still loved being back in this small Midwestern town solving a murder mystery case during the Christmas season. I loved all the festivities going on, along with all the holiday decorating and seasonal food being prepared. My favorite parts will always be the food descriptions, and this book did not disappoint. The food sounded delicious and made my mouth water.

I loved being back with the same characters and meeting new ones. Of course, I always love reading parts with Welly, her dog, in them. And the murder mystery parts were fun to explore, trying to figure out the mystery along with the characters. However, in this case, I had guessed who it was before they figured it out, whereas in the other book, I had no clue until the person was revealed. So it was a bit predictable, but still a fun, entertaining read with a bit of humor, love, and quirkiness. I still had a really good time, and am excited to read the other books in this series and her newest book, coming out this year (2024).

It’s an easy, light-hearted murder mystery that’s perfect to read during the holidays to get you into the Christmas spirit. Absolutely recommend!