#cozymystery – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder at the Wedding by Christine Knapp

MURDER AT THE WEDDING

by Christine Knapp

September 8 – October 3, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER AT THE WEDDING (Modern Midwife Mysteries Book #1) by Christine Knapp on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Promoamp giveaway. Enjoy!

***

Book Description

Birth, death, mayhem, and murder…..

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington loves her job as a nurse-midwife at Creighton Memorial Hospital in the quintessential New England seaside town of Langford. Nothing could bring her more pleasure than helping women usher new life into the world… except possibly having a child of her own with her husband, Will. In the meantime, she’s happy to celebrate the families of those she treats, and content to support her husband in his newly formed catering business.

However when Creighton Memorial’s Chief Obstetrician suddenly drops dead at his daughter’s extravagant wedding reception, catered by Will, Maeve’s two worlds collide in the worst possible way. Suddenly murder is on the menu, and Maeve is desperate to help her husband and find out who killed the doctor.

With the help of her wealthy, acerbic sister Meg and quick-witted Boston Irish mother, Maeve sets out to solve a murder and clear her husband’s name. Can she stay one step ahead of the killer? Or will they strike again… this time closer to home?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61719247-murder-at-the-wedding?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2S2asuC83i&rank=2

Murder at the Wedding

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication Date: June 10, 2022
Number of Pages: 249
ISBN: 9798835432134 (pbk)
Series: Modern Midwife Mystery Series, Book 1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER AT THE WEDDING (Modern Midwife Mysteries Book #1) by Christine Knapp is an exciting and intricately plotted start to a new cozy mystery series featuring a nurse-midwife who becomes involved in a murder investigation with her family and friends. This new to me author pulled me into the story, and I was so involved with the clues, crimes, and the entire cast of characters that I read this book completely in one sitting.

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is a midwife at a New England hospital. She loves her work, her husband, and her family. The head of her OB department’s daughter is getting married, and her husband’s new catering company is handling the reception. Suddenly, the father of the bride collapses and dies after giving his toast to the newlyweds. It was not natural causes.

Maeve is determined to help her husband prove his company or employees were not responsible, and she also wants to find out who killed the doctor. Her police detective brother tells her to stay out of the investigation, but Maeve and her sister Meg are determined to get to the truth. Can she discover the killer before the killer decides she knows too much?

This is a wonderful read with fully developed characters and a perfectly paced cozy mystery plot. Maeve and her family are realistically written with the foibles of any large loving family. Maeve’s family is contrasted well by her rich and snobby in-laws and their family who wish Will would enter the family investment company rather than be a caterer. Maeve’s profession as a midwife is intertwined throughout the story with many different situations she encounters, both emotionally difficult and easy, and all are described with medical details. This is just one of those stories you begin to read, and you become immediately immersed in the characters and plot. I love it when that happens.

I highly recommend this new cozy mystery and cannot wait for the next in the Modern Midwife Mysteries series!

***

Excerpt

The parking lot at St. Andrew’s Episcopal was filled almost to capacity. Despite a recent visit to the car wash, my Jeep looked out of place next to all the Mercedes, BMWs, Range Rovers, Jaguars, and Porsches.

I took out and quickly scanned the engraved linen cream invitation. It read:

Matrimonial Ceremony of

Charlotte Alexis Whitaker

and

Brooks James Hawthorne IV

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Langford, Massachusetts

Saturday, the eighth of June, at two o’clock in the afternoon

As I approached the massive church, I saw all the pink plantings and railings wrapped in white tulle with pink peonies at precise intervals. It was a floral tour de force that must have taken an army of gardeners and florists a few days to accomplish. Inside there were pink roses, peonies, and hydrangeas everywhere. The scene was right out of InStyle Magazine. I wondered, were there any pink flowers left on the East Coast? On the West Coast?

As I squeezed into the last row, a large choir serenaded the full house in the loft above the congregation.

The choir began to sing “My Spirit Sang All Day” as Mrs. Whitaker, resplendent in a strapless, rose silk Carolina Herrera with a vibrant pink cabbage rose behind one ear and a necklace of marble-sized, green South Sea pearls, was ushered to the left front pew. Really? Strapless for the mother of the bride? Well, she does look amazing.

A hush fell over the crowd. The stained-glass doors closed, and the groom and his men filed to the altar.

Did one have to be six feet two, gorgeous, and ripped to be in this wedding party?

As the first strands of Wagner filled the air, the doors opened, and down the aisle came Anastasia Bleeker. She was one of the bride’s four-year-old charges at Miss Bloomfield’s School, where wealthy, pregnant women enrolled their offspring-to-be to claim a coveted spot. Anastasia was wearing a white tulle fairy-tale gown with a dark rose-colored sash. A circle of petite, light pink roses and baby’s breath crowned her chin length, straight, white-blonde hair. She carried a small, white wicker basket in one hand, and with the other, she started to drop pale pink rose petals down the long aisle.

Channeling Lady Di, I thought.

Next came the ring bearer, Barrington Cabot. He was another nursery school trust-fund-baby-in-the-making in white linen shorts and jacket and a head of black, curly hair. Then six breathtaking models, or rather bridesmaids, dressed in rose-colored tulle skirts and pale pink lace wrap blouses, floated down the aisle carrying white and pink hydrangeas wrapped in rose-colored ribbons. They looked like an upscale version of an ad for the United Colors of Benetton.

After a slight pause, the stained-glass doors parted again, and Dr. Whitaker appeared in his morning suit, standing at Charlotte’s right side. She was breathtaking in a Vera Wang white silk ball gown glittering with thousands of tiny seed pearls. A deep rose satin ribbon wrapped around her bouquet of white peonies. Her Belgian lace veil trailed behind her down the aisle.

The ceremony went on amid candlelight, roses, and organ music. It was like being in a dream, albeit a very, very expensive dream.

Finally, vows were exchanged, there were no objections, and Charlotte and Brooks were off to the photo-taking session in a vintage, white Bentley. As they left, the guests milled about outside the church for a bit and then headed to the reception.

Evelyn Greyson, the sixtyish director of Obstetric Nursing, stood at the top of the church stairs as I exited. She was dressed in a powder blue suit with a short jacket with peplum and knee-length, fitted skirt. A pearl necklace, her ever-present pearl brooch, and small pearl stud earrings completed the look. Her graying hair was, as usual, in her trademark chignon.

“Beautiful wedding,” I said.

“Magnificent,” Evelyn replied. “Dr. Whitaker wouldn’t have it any other way. See you at the reception, dear.” And then she strode off to her car.

Evelyn always agreed with everything Dr. Whitaker said and did. She worshipped him. Did she also have an unrequited crush on him?

I quickly greeted a few colleagues but didn’t linger because I wanted to see how Will was doing.

The Country Club was buzzing with activity when I drove through the porte cochère, pulled up to the main entrance, and handed my keys to a valet. The grand foyer was glittering with hundreds of candles and still more massive floral arrangements in blush pink. A string quartet played Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” beside the grand staircase.

Out on the veranda, the wedding party was taking pictures before an expanse of green lawn and brilliant blue sky and sea. It would be a wedding album worthy of its own issue of Town & Country.

Large silver serving trays were circulated among the guests, offering tiny crab cakes topped with dill aioli, mini beef Wellingtons, smoked salmon pinwheels, and tomato and goat cheese on toast points. There were massive silver bowls of fresh shrimp on ice on round marble tables.

“Maeve! Maeve! Over here!” one of the midwives called. Looking around the ballroom, which held table settings for six hundred guests, I saw that the Creighton Memorial staff was on the right side of the room while family and friends were on the left. I waved to the midwives but walked over to the table where Grand, Will’s grandmother, was sitting with Will’s parents, Will’s sister, Eloise, her husband, Taylor, and Will’s younger brother, Teddy.

“Hello, Maeve.” William stood and extended his hand. Never a hug, never a kiss on the cheek, just a handshake.

“Hello, so nice to see you all,” I replied, shaking his hand as I nodded to the table. I saw that Lydia, my mother-in-law, was outfitted in a mint green silk cocktail dress with a large diamond necklace and matching drop earrings. She tilted her head toward me and smiled but said nothing.

“The Country Club is such a perfect wedding venue,” I offered.

“Quite lovely,” she replied.

“You look beautiful, Maeve,” Grand said.

“Thanks, Grand.”

“Sweet dress,” Lydia said.

Sweet dress? What, am I five years old? Lydia was a master of the backhanded compliment, and she was not my biggest fan. Keep it together, Maeve.

Eloise was in a sleeveless, pale green and cream striped dress with an emerald and diamond pendant and earrings. Like mother, like daughter.

“Well,” I said, “enjoy the meal. Will has been creating a masterpiece.” I saw William’s and Lydia’s smiles tighten. They did not respond. They were not pleased with Will’s chosen profession.

“I can’t wait,” Grand said.

I gave a little wave and headed over to find my table.

Scanning the room, I saw my sister, Meg, cross her eyes and raise her wine glass in a mock salute. Meg was the Langford real estate agent of choice for the wealthy and had been invited along with other top business leaders of the town. She knew I had just navigated a minefield with my emotionally distant in-laws. As soon as I reached my table, I quickly sat down and took a long drink of chardonnay.

Herend Chinese Bouquet china in pink, Gorham Newport Scroll sterling, and Baccarat crystal decorated each setting.

My gosh, they’ll have to pat everyone down before they leave.

Murray Alfond, the famed orchestra leader, turned on his mic and said, “Please be seated while the bridal party arrives.”

There was sustained applause as Charlotte and Brooks triumphantly paraded into the ballroom. “The bride and groom will dance to a classic personally chosen by Brooks,” Alfond announced.

“The Very Thought of You” wafted through the room as Charlotte and Brooks took to the floor. They obviously had attended many ballroom dancing classes in preparation for this moment, and they danced impeccably.

Then the entire wedding party sashayed to “Fly Me to the Moon.” It was like watching La La Land. They were all perfectly coiffed, dressed, and ready for filming. Plus, they could dance.

When they were done and returned to their seats, Alfond intoned, “Please bow your heads while Reverend Lucas Mathers says grace.”

The Episcopal pastor of St. Andrew’s, Reverend Mathers, was slightly rotund with flushed pink cheeks. He ran his hand through receding black hair, obviously feeling the weight of this moment. Then he bowed his head.

“Dear Holy Father, thank you for this glorious day! What a wonderful celebration! We ask you to bless Charlotte and Brooks, as well as their families and friends, and we beseech you to grant this special couple a life together that is happy and blessed. We further ask you to bless this fabulous repast and grant your blessings on all present. Amen.”

Gee, that was short. He must be hungry.

A phalanx of waiters served the first course of spring green and white asparagus spears with shaved red onion. As we started in on the delicate vegetables, the best man, Ry Farmington, took the microphone and asked all to raise their glasses in a toast to the couple.

“Brooks has been like a brother to me since our first day at Hollis in Harvard Yard. We’ve seen many adventures together—none of which, out of respect for your patience and his reputation, I will go into here.”

He paused for applause and a few knowing hoots.

“In the words of the Bard,

No sooner met but they looked;

No sooner looked but they loved;

No sooner loved but they sighed;

No sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason;

No sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy;

And in these degrees have made a pair of stairs to marriage

Please rise and toast to their lives together.”

Six hundred guests rose and toasted the couple.

Then came truffle-scented tenderloin with dauphinoise potatoes and tender baby carrots. I snuck a look first at the Whitaker table and then at William and Lydia. They all seemed to be enjoying the meal, and I prayed that all the reviews would be excellent.

For dessert, a chocolate mousse with a crème brûlée center was placed at each setting. I knew the wedding cake would be cut and served later.

Just then, the wait staff re-entered the room. They set a Baccarat champagne flute filled with pink champagne at each place. A hush came over the ballroom. Dr. Whitaker was standing at the head table, staring the crowd into silence. Then he picked up his glass and smiled adoringly at Charlotte.

Everyone listened as he gave a long, loving toast to his daughter. Finally, he took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, “Charlotte, your mother and I found this magnificent champagne in France a few years ago and had it shipped in for your wedding.”

Mrs. Whitaker stared at Dr. Whitaker with a huge Miss America smile.

Dr. Whitaker continued, “Would everyone please rise and toast my lovely daughter Charlotte and her husband, Brooks.” He lifted his crystal flute to his lips and took a sip while beaming at Charlotte.

Immediately, his cheeks turned scarlet, and he started to wheeze. The crystal dropped from his hand and shattered on the ground. He clutched at his throat while making extensive gasping attempts to pull in a breath. Then he went limp and collapsed to the floor. The room erupted into pandemonium.

***

Author Bio

Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years. A writer of texts and journal articles, she is now thrilled to combine her love of midwifery and mysteries as the author of the Modern Midwife Mysteries. Christine currently narrates books for the visually and print impaired. A dog lover, she lives near Boston.

Catch Up With Christine Knapp

ThoughtfulMidwife.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @cwknapp4478
Instagram – @maevecw
Threads – @maevecw
Facebook – @Christine Whelan Knapp
TikTok – @maevecw

Purchase Links

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/kAq44F5h

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/1xVcWXw3

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/d3tCDWIa

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/QPqIkDpq

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/Byk1QG20

Gemma Halliday Publishing – https://pictbooks.tours/7kGtfwGx

Modern Midwife Mystery Series Links:

Amazon https://pictbooks.tours/xHgZdDiW

BN https://pictbooks.tours/U8csGI9d

Goodreads https://pictbooks.tours/wGp6eKcT

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/nKCYCziV

Gemma Halliday Publishing https://pictbooks.tours/7kGtfwGx

Murder on the Widow’s Walk Book 2

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/dIZ0E9PG

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/IFeGIW9f

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/S8K6aIJr

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/TeohujSc

Murder on the Books Book 3

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/VRXu6w81

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/Q8wmAERK

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/tLcnchQ9

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/8rojKUSe

Murder at First Light Book 4

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/EJ732ePd

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/gF2Rd7iG

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/vAvWbW6c

Murder on the Green Book 5

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/ldh7Wtpt

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/OvE39IE1

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/4rLSUPW

###

PROMOAMP GIVEAWAY

https://www.promoamp.com/c/murder-at-the-wedding-by-christine-knapp

Book Tour/Feature Post: The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post for THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY (The Secret Detective Agency Book #1) by Helena Dixon on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour bog post.

Below you will find a book description and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Description

Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!

London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur’s country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand.

In the sleepy Devon village, someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died?

No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…

But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222675067-the-secret-detective-agency?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8gOfL4Q901&rank=2

Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0DQLTGRGFsocia l

***

Author Bio

Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.nelldixon.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nelldixonauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenadixonuk

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-secret-detective-agency-a-totally-gripping-historical-english-cozy-murder-mystery-by-helena-dixon

###

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

SILENT AS THE GRAVE

Molly Murphy Mystery Book 21

Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

Minotaur Books

Book Description

With a newborn and two children, Molly Murphy Sullivan is tackling motherhood. Her husband, Daniel, is off to work in Washington as Easter break begins in New York. Her dear friend and writer, Ryan O’Hara, is shooting a movie, one of the first to involve a real plot and actors. He invites Molly and the children to visit the set and watch the excitement. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she’s a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her.

The movie industry is still experimenting with ways to get the best shot, like pretending to tie Bridie to real train tracks. But soon, their special effects start to malfunction. After a few mishaps where no one is hurt, the special effects turn deadly. With rumors of a feud between studios, Molly believes these malfunctions are sabotage. She is invited to go undercover on set to investigate the burgeoning film war. Once again, Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details and thrilling escapades featuring one of mystery’s most beloved sleuths.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles is a suspenseful historical novel. The book opens with a bang where the prologue immediately draws readers in.

Molly is contending with raising her young son, a 5-month-old infant, and her 14-year-old adopted daughter, Bridie. Her good friend Ryan O’Hara invites Molly and the children to watch the film he is making. After one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she’s a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her.

There are mishaps on the set, including a fire in the editing room and Bridie’s near escape with death while filming a difficult stunt. Molly believes that the mishaps are not just coincidences, but sabotage. She accepts the invitation to find out what happened, especially since Bridie almost died.

This is an engaging mystery with a bonus that readers learn more about the budding movie industry.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for Hollywood like filmmaking?

Rhys Bowen: This is a non-Hollywood movie because all the movies were made in New York in the beginning. The character Molly lives just off 6^th Avenue and Greenwich Avenue, close to the Biograph Studios.

Clare Broyles: I had read some articles that the actual father of film disappeared suspiciously when he got on a train and never got off. He had been in an argument with Edison before that happened. There was an interesting intersection between the family of the father of film and Edison that included lawsuits and studio ownership.

EC: Do you agree Edison was not the nicest of people?

RB: He was a bully who used thugs, blackmail, and intimidation against his rivals.

CB: He did steal inventions from other people. He was good in getting patents in his own name. There is proof that there was another movie, a film made of children, before Edison supposedly invented a movie camera. This makes more of the backdrop for an interesting mystery.

EC: Was the scene with the body on the train tracks real?

RB: Clare is the brilliant researcher. In the early movies there were no stunt doubles, and the actors took enormous risks to get the perfect shot. When the Keystone Cops went around the bend in the moving truck as it swings around the corner, it was real. The train operator was never told there was a body on the tracks. People really did die.

EC: Why did you have Mary Pickford and DW Griffith in the story?

CB: She started in vaudeville, which is how we would locate the time frame. We started in April 1909 when she came to Biograph Studios, because that is when she started out in pictures. It also fit because of the practicality picture. Molly was a sleuth with a baby, and we wanted the baby to be old enough to be left with a nanny, at 5 months of age.

EC: How would you describe the differences between the Biograph Studio owners, Arthur and Harry Martin?

CB: They are based on real brothers where one brother was the studio head and the other had a junior position. The character brothers were purely fictional, that they were twins, dressed alike, and looked alike. Arthur is more volatile while Harry is more of a ladies’ man and controls the power. There was a jostling of power.

RB: It came about because of something that happened in my youth. I was staying in this Italian hotel where the owners had a charming son. The next day he was incredibly rude. Turns out they were twins. We thought it would be fun to be put in the book.

EC: Can you speak of the character Alice Mann?

RB: She is based on a real person, a French woman, Alice Guy. She is listed as a secretary or assistant, but she is the one who came up with a lot of the innovations for cinematography. She invented the fade in/fade out by putting a cigar box over the lens of the camera and slowly opening it and closing it. Women did not get the accolades. Even today, how many female directors are there, not many? Look at the current Oscars regarding editing, directing, and producing it was all men.

EC: Did you intentionally want to make the mystery surrounding all the “accidents?”

CB: There was a lamp falling, a fire, and the train scene. We had to figure out a way to get Molly involved in the mystery when she has a five-month-old baby. The accidents are a way to get her fully invested because someone has threatened her adopted daughter, Bridie’s life. The accidents happened to pull Molly in to solve the murder mystery.

RB: We did the prologue intentionally to grab the readers. We needed to have a lot of set up before something dramatic. It is a signal that said danger is coming.

EC: Next book(s)?

CB: In the next Molly book, we are moving closer to her achieving her goal of opening her own detective agency. The arc of the series has gone from her having a detective agency not in her own name, pretending to be a man, to stepping out in her own right for a Molly Murphy Detective Agency.

RB: The next Molly book has a working title, Vanished in the Crowd, coming out this time next year. It will be about women suffrage and scientists. She will be hired to find a woman, a scientist, who has vanished and what happened to her. Daniel, her husband, is coming around to more and more appreciates her skills.

RB: My historical novel comes out in August, titled Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure. It is about a middle-aged woman in England, the perfect wife, until at the age of fifty, her husband decides to get a divorce. She steals his Bentley and with three other women drives to the South of France. They forge a new female bond. I will also talk about how WWII is coming to France. She becomes part of a group helping Jewish men escape.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Gingerbread Danger by Amanda Flower

Book Description

Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets, Bailey King has a lot to be excited about. She’s happily engaged to Aiden Brody, newly appointed county sheriff, and her candy factory is finally having its grand opening in Harvest, Ohio—just before Christmas! Bailey is ready to let the sweet celebrations
begin . . .

With the help of local community organizer Margot Rawlings, Harvest will have a Candy Land themed Christmas on the village square—featuring Bailey’s recently perfected recipe for gingerbread men. When the big day comes, everything is going well—until bitter news arrives. One of Bailey’s Amish friends has been killed in an apparent accident just outside the candy factory. Aiden is promptly on the case—with more than a little input from Bailey . . .

Together, they soon learn that the victim was working for some powerful men in the county, and in doing so was spying on his own Amish community. Still, Bailey is determined to find the perpetrator. If she can’t cut out the killer from the rest of the suspects, her gingerbread men won’t be the only ones in danger of disappearing . . .

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Gingerbread Danger by Amanda Flower does not disappoint with the loveable and quirky characters that are colorful and fun to read.

Bailey King is on top of the world. She has recently opened Swissmen Candyworks Factory as a counterpart to Swissmen Sweets, the candy store she helps her Amish grandmother run. She’s happily engaged to county sheriff Aiden Brody. And she’s the go-to sitter for her future mother-in-law’s pet pig, Jethro.

This Christmas season, local community organizer Margot Rawlings has decided to construct a huge Candy Land game on the village square that includes Bailey’s recently perfected recipe for gingerbread men. She asks one of Bailey’s Amish workers to put up a Candy Land piece on the roof of the factory. Unfortunately, Zeph, falls off the roof and dies. Aiden is promptly on the case and realizes that Zeph’s death was no accident, but a murder. Together, he and Bailey soon learn that the victim was working for some powerful men in the county, and in doing so was spying on his own Amish community. They work together to identify the killer. They are also trying to figure out who is responsible for breaking into Amish businesses and whether it’s related to the killing. Lida, his sister, is heartbroken when her father refuses to let her continue working for Bailey, because she wants to help solve Zeph’s murder and the family wants nothing to do with him.

This is a great holiday read because it blends suspense with some Christmas cheer.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Amanda Flower: I knew the book would be set at Christmas time. One of the local libraries around here does a life-size Candyland game. Children loved to play it with their moms and dads. I made it for a whole village, while the real game is inside a building. I also want to put in gingerbread even though I do not like the taste, just the smell. Plus, I wanted to tie the plot to the new candy factory opening.

EC: How do you come up with the humor, like the opening of the book with Jethro the pig’s mischievous deeds?

AF: He is a rascal, especially in this book when he gets taffy all over him. Bailey has to pig-sit all the time. I also like to come up with sayings like ‘pigs in a blanket,’ after tucking him into Bailey’s parka. I tried to put in the humor to make the plot lighter and uplifting.

EC: Do you agree these plots are not just about murder?

AF: Yes. It is about these characters’ lives and how the community all supports each other. Even the grumpy character, Ruth Yoder.

EC: How would you describe Lida?

AF: Nervous, has anxiety, indecisive, sweet, caring, kind, and dedicated.

EC: In the story the Amish get robbed, can you explain?

AF: Amish are of the belief that they trust in G-d who will protect them and their businesses. Some Amish businesses do not have electricity so they could not have security cameras. Plus, since they do not have Internet, they could not look on their phones if there is trouble.

EC: How would you describe Zeph, the victim?

AF: A troublemaker, unreliable, easily distracted, and a free spirit. He was probably going to leave the Amish. He had one foot in the Amish and English worlds. This happens to Amish young people.

EC: What do you want to say about Bailey’s parents?

AF: They created stress for her. The dad was former Amish, and he felt uncomfortable because he was not a rule follower and never embraced his Amish roots. Now in coming back, he is reminded of all the reasons he wanted to leave. The mom was very opinionated and wants the wedding plans made already. Bailey and Aiden waited so long to get engaged. Now that they are engaged and everyone wants them to get married yesterday.

EC: Next books?

AF: Lida will appear in other books. There will be book 10 of the “Amish Candy Shop Mysteries series” but I am in negotiations to continue the series after that. Book 10 will be Aiden and Bailey’s wedding.

In February it is the third and final Emily Dickinson mystery. It is titled, I Died for Beauty. It will have the great freeze in New England in 1857. Emily and Willa, her maid, are solving a murder involving a house fire.

The second Katharine Wright mystery comes out in May. It is titled, Not They Who Soared. In 1904 Katharine went to the St. Louis World’s Fair and a murder was committed there.

The next Millie Matchmaker book is titled Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off. It is coming out in November next year. Millie and her friend Lois travel to Pinecraft Florida, going on a girl’s trip to the Amish community there. They find a dead body on the beach. Jethro is in this book.

THANK YOU!!

***

Feature Post and Book Review: ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

Book Description

When a body turns up in a larger-than-life candy bowl filled with peppermints on the town square, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect. Everyone in town, including Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of his death. Worse, a custom kitchen knife, engraved with Caroline’s initials was found with him.

Now, just ten days before Christmas, Holly’s up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family’s Christmas tree farm and making enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle―and now she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the sheriff, and a personal stalker dressed as Santa Claus, and Holly’s ready to fly south until springtime.

But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas…even after she gains the true killer’s attention?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37762870-twas-the-knife-before-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zJH9rWxKFn&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

‘TWAS THE KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book #2) by Jacqueline Frost is the second book in this entertaining and amusing amateur sleuth cozy holiday mystery series. They are set each Christmas season in small-town Mistletoe, Maine featuring Holly White and her family and friends. This can easily be read as a standalone holiday mystery case to be solved, but Holly’s personal relationships continue to grow and evolve in each book, so I have enjoyed reading them in order.

Holly and her best friend Caroline have arrived in the town square to participate in the evening’s festivities. When the cover is pulled off a giant bowl of peppermints, everyone is shocked to discover a dead body inside. It is Caroline’s date from the night before who got too handsy. Caroline yelled at and humiliated him on-line and now he is dead with one of Caroline’s monogrammed knives in the bowl with him. Sheriff Evan Grey has no choice but to follow the evidence and arrest Caroline.

Holly knows her friend is innocent and she is willing to do anything to prove it, even as the killer has left notes threatening her against interfering. Holly is once again on the hunt for a killer. With the help of her friends and a mysterious, magical contractor, can Holly stop a killer before he eliminates her?

I thoroughly enjoy all the characters in this series. They are so much fun, and their relationships are believable. Holly is a great main character with just the right amount of inquisitiveness mixed with pluck and determination. Her group of friends is growing, and I cannot wait to be reunited with them all in future books. The cozy mystery was well paced and plotted throughout with not only Caroline as a suspect, but several others. The twists and surprises kept me guessing to the end.

I highly recommend this festive holiday cozy mystery! Both books in this series are worth reading and I am so glad I stumbled upon this series.

***

About the Author

Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).

Purchase Links

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/twas-the-knife-before-christmas-by-jacqueline-frost

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twas-Knife-Before-Christmas-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B078LZ5T7X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LB4GWDW8DNQT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lw2Ale

Feature Post and Book Review: Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

Book Description

When Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime—exactly what the doctor ordered. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grinch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm.

When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly’s father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn’t help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father and is determined to exonerate him.

The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn’t watch out, she’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s jolly series debut.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34507286-twelve-slays-of-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=d49fVao2Gx&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

TWELVE SLAYS OF CHRISTMAS (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book #1) by Jacqueline Frost is the first book in a cozy small-town mystery series all set during the holiday season. They bring all the happy holiday feels along with a cozy murder mystery to solve in Mistletoe, Maine.

This first book introduces the reader to Holly White and her cat, Cindy Lou Who, on their return home to the family Christmas tree farm after a broken engagement. Home is just what she needed to help heal her broken heart and reunite her with family, friends, and the Reindeer Games holiday tradition on the farm. Everything is going well until Holly discovers Margaret Fenwick, the head of the local historical society bludgeoned to death with a Christmas tree stake and left dead in the sleigh display.

When Sheriff Evan Grey shuts down the farm and games, Holly is determined to find the killer, exonerate her father and farm staff, and get the games going again. There are plenty of people through the years who have had problems with Margaret, but with Holly asking questions about the murder, Holly is now the target of a killer who wants to remain hidden. Will Holly ask one too many questions of the wrong person, even as Sheriff Grey warns her to stop, and become the killer’s next victim?

This is a wonderful holiday cozy mystery that has everything to pull me into the story curled up on my couch on a cold winter night. The author’s writing is descriptive and engaging. I felt like I was in Mistletoe participating in all the games, and all the characters were my friends. Holly is a great protagonist who is both inquisitive and strong willed with a warm and loving heart. The mystery plot is well paced throughout the story with plenty of suspects, red herrings, and a few surprises. I am looking forward to reading more of the books in this series and following all the characters that now feel like family.

I highly recommend this cozy holiday small-town mystery and I am looking forward to reading more in this series!

***

About the Author

Purchase Links

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/twelve-slays-of-christmas-by-jacqueline-frost

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Slays-Christmas-Tree-Mystery-ebook/dp/B06XWDL7YW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QXHP2ZQEPZYY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y3Sp