Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Series: A Culinary Mystery #13
Age: Adult
Genres: Mystery, Contemporary
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Source: ARC
Purchase: Paperback | Kindle | Audible
Synopsis:
This Christmas, Sadie Hoffmiller Cunningham is making a list and checking it twice. For the first time since she and Pete married five years ago, their combined families are gathering for the holidays in Fort Collins, Colorado, for a party that would make Santa and Mrs. Claus proud.
She just has to bake the famous Cunningham Candy Cane Cake, make sure the looming snowstorm doesn't derail everyone's travel plans, and oh, yes, solve one teensy-tiny mystery before the big day.
At ninety-four and nearly blind, Mary, Sadie's friend and neighbor, knows this will be her last Christmas. When Sadie learns that someone has stolen antique Christmas ornaments from Mary's tree, she vows to find the thief, no matter what. The ornaments had been appraised at more than $40,000, but they were worth even more to Mary, who had intended to bequeath them to her great-granddaughter, Joy, as a final gift.
With Pete in Arizona wrapping up a case of his own, it's up to Sadie to question the residents of Nicholas House, where Mary lives, and deduce who had the means and the motive to steal heirloom ornaments during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
When stories of other thefts surface, Sadie feels like she's creating a "naughty" list that could rival Santa's. Identifying the thief, recovering the ornaments, and restoring them to Mary's tree in time will take a Christmas miracle—and maybe a few extra-special cookies.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
This was an interesting read. I don't usually care to read mystery novels as they are not my cup of tea. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this novel. I will say this was a solid 3 star rating for me, however, those recipes sold me! I plan to make some of those myself.
I loved the cozy, Christmas feel that came with reading this story. I always found myself curling up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee as I read this. This story is a 13th in a series, but I didn't find it complicated to follow having never read the other books before.
The story follows Sadie who is a former private investigator. She prepares to have a beautiful time with her family, but in the mix someone steals expensive ornaments from her friend and she's set on finding out where they are, who took them and why.
The characters were well-written and interesting enough to keep me reading. Would I recommend this? Yes, but it's personally not my cup of tea.
Those delicious recipes and notes were what gave this story an extra star.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Press for an ARC!