Holly Homicide (Book 11 in Holiday Cozy Mystery series) by Tonya Kappes, eBook, 176 pages
Synopsis from GoodReads: Welcome to Holiday Junction—where cocoa flows, tinsel twinkles, and murder lurks just beneath the snow. Local journalist and amateur sleuth Violet Rhinehammer planned to cover the town's cozy festivities at the lodge, not investigate a chilling crime. But when a renowned artist is found dead, the Merry Maker’s magic is overshadowed by secrets, lies, and a stolen ornament design that could hold the key to a killer’s identity. As the suspect list grows—complete with bitter rivals, suspicious relatives, and gossipy Southern Charm reporters—Violet finds herself drawn into the heart of the mystery. With charming lawyer Darren Strickland offering both help and holiday distractions, Violet uncovers long-buried secrets hidden in the lodge’s tunnels. But with the killer still at large, the snow-covered streets of Holiday Junction may not be so merry after all. Can Violet untangle the twisted motives and solve the case before the tree lighting ceremony—or will this Christmas end with a deadly surprise?
Holly Homicide is a festive cozy mystery packed with holiday charm, small-town intrigue, and a dash of romance that will leave readers warm and sleuthing well into the night.
BOOK REVIEW: This is my second books that I've read by Tonya Kappes and I loved it! Seriously! Now here's the thing. I was a little skeptical about reading this. I didn't know originally that this was part of a series. I didn't look it up because that's not how I roll. It went against every fiber of my being to read this without having read the first 10 books in the series. The series has been added to the ever grown TBR. This didn't make me feel like I had missed out on anything by not having read the others prior to which I enjoyed very much.
The way the author is able to capture the small coastal town vibes is wonderfully. The characters are exactly what you would think of in a small southern town. I think my favorite character might be Violet's momma! My favorite quote from the whole book is one that I was able to smell immediately upon reading it. "Warmth wrapped around me like a comforting blanket as the rich, heady scent of freshly ground coffee beans filled my senses." You know I love my coffee and this just made me feel warm and fuzzy after. I did not like that Violet ordered a peppermint mocha latte because that's two different drinks people! You can have a mocha or a latte but not a mocha latte...unless that's a Southern thing like calling every soda a Coke and then you specify the flavor by saying Pepsi. It was fleeting in annoyance but that's just on me.
This was a 5 star read for me (shocker right). It was a quick and easy read. I knocked it out in a couple of days. It took longer than I wanted because I've been sick and my kid has been super needy at bed time recently otherwise I probably could have finished it in 2-3 nights instead of a week. If you haven't read any books by this author, I highly recommend that you do because they have been such fun so far!
5/5 Stars
2024 Reading Challenge: 52/50 complete
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