[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Christmas has come to Jewel Bay, Montana. Erin is working on making sure her family business, Murphy’s Mercantile, has a profitable holiday season. She’s also awaiting the arrival of a new niece or nephew and finalizing plans for her Christmas Eve wedding.
When Merrily Thornton returns to Jewel Bay looking for a second chance with her family, Erin sees a woman only a few years older than she is who needs a good friend. As a teen, Merrily went to prison for embezzling money from a local business. Merrily’s parents were so mortified by her behavior, they disowned her. Almost 20 years later, Merrily hoped they might find it in their hearts to forgive her and get to know the college-aged granddaughter they had never met. But Walt and Taya Thornton want nothing to do with Merrily or her family.
Erin invites Merrily to a holiday cookie exchange, but Merrily never arrives. She’s later found dead. It looks like Merrily started up her money tricks again when her employer discovers money missing from the business. But Erin doesn’t believe Merrily would do that. She’s not even sure Merrily did it the first time. Erin will have to pull out her Spreadsheet of Suspicion once again to track down the killer and the truth.
Review
This was terrific! I read book one when it first came out, but I haven’t been able to keep up with the rest of the series. Now I have to go back and get caught up because this was so fun! I had no trouble following the story without having read the previous books, although several references to earlier events did make me want to catch up soon.
The characters are great – and there are LOTS of them. Like any good cozy, you want the reader to care about the whole community. The author does a great job of creating a full, rich cast and setting while keep the focus on the mystery. I loved Erin and her family and friends. They are people I would hang out with, and Jewel Bay is a place I would love to visit.
The mystery was great. I was able to puzzle out the killer, but not until Erin was putting the last few pieces together. The pacing of the mystery was excellent. Things moved at a comfortable rate and there were no lagging spots that made it hard for me to pick the book back up when I had to set it aside. I was always eager to get back to everything – the characters, Jewel Bay, the wedding plans, and the mystery.
This is book 5 in the series. It’s a little earlier in the year than I usually dive into a Christmas book, but it such a fun story, I found it refreshing. I can’t wait to catch up on all of Erin’s adventures that I have missed.