[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
After three consecutive Christmases with a murder, the town of Mistletoe is afraid their history will impact holiday tourism. So the mayor convinces the town and business owners to tighten their belts a little so they can invite a pricey ballet troupe to town to perform The Nutcracker.
But when the star dancer is found dead on a float during the town’s holiday parade, it seems Mistletoe’s efforts to distance themselves from their deadly past were in vain.
Review
This was a fun holiday adventure, and I think series fans – and newcomers – can enjoy it.
For the first half to two-thirds, I felt like the quaint town and holiday activities were seriously overshadowing the mystery. And I actually liked it – Mistletoe is so fun! And Holly’s family and friends are fantastic. But when I noticed the mystery bits felt like an intrusion on the holiday story, I realized things were a bit out of balance.
All of the fun holiday details will amuse readers as long as they aren’t too attached to digging into a mystery. I don’t feel like the primary case gives readers enough details to care about the victim or about finding a solution. The secondary mystery was a little more satisfying. I figured out a good portion of the things on my own, which always feels satisfying.
Series fans will want to see Evan and Holly move toward their wedding. And I don’t think this is too insider-y to keep newcomers from starting here. This will definitely put readers in a Christmas mood.
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good +
Santa Bruce – This is the only Christmas book I have read for kids so far. It was adorable! I love the Bruce books! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 
Catching Christmas – A first year law associate and a cab driver connect over a wheelchair-bound old lady who is on the hunt for a date for her granddaughter. Overall this was cute, but I didn’t click with the characters. Other readers, especially fans of the author’s other work, might enjoy this one more than I did. Rating: ♥♥♥½
The Christmas Remedy – A young Amish woman runs into issues when she tries to help her community recognize how important it is to value their health and wellness, and the pharmacy that serves the community comes under fire. You can read a full summary and review 
The Christmas Star – A girl in foster care plays matchmaker for an after-school program volunteer. This is a sweet Christmas story with lots of heart. There’s not a lot of conflict or suspense in this one – just a touching Christmas tale. I read one of the other books in this series a couple years ago and loved it. Now I make a habit of looking for a new Christmas book from this author. You can read my review of the other book 
Dear Santa – You’ve Got Mail with a Christmas twist. A woman running her family’s Christmas shop writes to Santa through an app about the national chain that has come to town, not knowing that the guy from the chain is the one answering the Dear Santa letters. This is another story without a ton of conflict or tension – just a nice holiday story to help you enjoy the season! Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Deck the Hounds – The first Andy Carpenter book I ever read was a Christmas one – The Twelve Dogs of Christmas – and it launched me into a frantic quest to read every book in the series. The second Christmas tale in the series is just as enjoyable. Everything I love about the series as a whole. In this book, Andy and his wife get more than they bargained for when they reach out at the holidays to help a homeless man and his dog. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
In Peppermint Peril – A woman home for the holidays finds murder at a stately manor where she played as a child. This is the first in a new mystery series. You can read a full summary and review here next Wednesday. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Lark! The Herald Angels Sing – Meg’s brother, Rob, is named as the father of an unknown baby left in the manger at their church’s live Nativity. For me, this was the quintessential Meg Langslow mystery – it has all the family and town antics that I love as well as a first rate mystery. (This time the mystery focuses less on a murder, which happens off the page, and more on the fall out from it. It’s a fascinating story!) Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 
Murder in Her Stocking – First in the new Granny Reid Mystery series, a spin off of G. A. McKevett’s Savannah Reid/Moonlight Magnolia series. This one goes back to when Savannah was a kid and Granny looked into a murder at Christmas time. I loved seeing Savannah as a 12 year old and see how the personalities of her siblings were already on display at a young age. I think readers will enjoy this more if they are already familiar with the characters from the original series. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
The Peppermint Mocha Murder – A chocolatier/”chocolate whisperer” heads out on vacation for the holidays and finds murder at a holiday musical production. I’ve only read the first book in this series, and then this one, so the relationships aren’t quite solid in my head for this series, yet, but the mystery was good. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Premeditated Peppermint – Another chocolatier finds herself investigating a murder when her ex comes to town to do a show on her family candy shop and his producer winds up dead. I enjoyed the mystery in this one, and the characters are always a treat for me in this series. I’ll be writing up a more detailed review of this in December. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Six Cats a Slayin’ – Someone leaves a set of kittens on Charlie’s door and a murderer hits the neighborhood as well. You can read a full summary and review 
How the Finch Stole Christmas – The Christmas production of A Christmas Carol is headed off the rails thanks to a diva-level actor with a drinking problem. A dead body is not exactly what Meg and friends need on top of the production stress! This is book 22 in the Meg Langslow series, one of my favorite cozy series. I love that no matter how many books there are in the series, the stories and the characters stay strong and enjoyable. The mystery in this one was great. And Meg is one of my favorite protagonists of all time. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Merry and Bright – The latest from Debbie Macomber focuses on a young woman whose family sets her up for an online dating service. Her best match turns out to the be last person she wanted it to be. I really enjoyed this one! The plot is pretty simple and You’ve Got Mail-esque, but the characters are fantastic and really made this a fun holiday read. This would make a darling Hallmark Christmas movie. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Holly and Ivy – A lonely widow meets a young girl with a great gift in this holiday story. For me, this story suffered from an unsympathetic character right from the beginning. I almost gave up on finishing this one. I pressed through the unpleasant character and things finally started to turn around about half-way through. The ending was great and made me glad I kept with it. Rating: ♥♥♥
Twelve Slays of Christmas – The first book in a Christmas Tree farm mystery series. A young woman heads home to Mistletoe, Maine after her Christmas Eve wedding is cancelled. Maybe some time at home, celebrating the holiday with family on the farm will be just what she needs. She certainly does NOT need a dead body or for her family and friends to be suspected murderers. This was a delight from start to finish! The setting was perfect – I loved the holiday activities the family does around the farm for Christmas. The characters were a lot of fun – the “voice” was great and there was humor and romance as well as a solid mystery. This is a series I will be following faithfully! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Sugar Pine Trail – A librarian finds herself taking care of two young boys at Christmas time. And her handsome neighbor pitches in. This is the 7th book in the Haven Point series, but I’m not sure the books are necessarily interconnected, except for the setting. This was so fantastic, though, I have added the rest of the series to my library wish list so I can check out all the rest of the books. The characters in this were spectacular. I loved the foster care angle, and the author did a great job of portraying that pretty realistically. The love story was terrific. Great romance to put you in the holiday spirit. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥