Slashing Through The Snow by Jacqueline Frost
Slashing Through The Snow, A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery is a great way to kick off your holiday cozy reading because it has “everything” you want in a holiday mystery. The intricately woven plot takes place in the quaint town of Mistletoe, Maine.
It’s eleven days before Christmas and Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is booming. Visitors are flowing in from everywhere to enjoy an old-fashioned sleigh ride, holiday themed events and games.
Recently an inn was added to Reindeer Games. With so many out of town guests visiting the farm, it was a smart business move – the inn is booked solid. Twenty-eight-year-old Holly White is the new innkeeper for her family’s tree farm. Her mom is the cook, chef and baker – all things kitchen. Her dad makes sure the road and walkways are kept clear.
And while Holly thinks everything is going along “peachy keen,” little does she know that Karen Moody, a travel journalist and hospitality critic staying at the inn, isn’t here to enjoy the holidays – she’s here to destroy them!
The characters in this cozy are sure to please the pickiest reader. Karen Moody is a completely loathsome character – she doesn’t play “nice” or “fair.” In contrast there’s Cookie Cutter, the spry and feisty senior who has more energy than folks half her age. While most people have cats or dogs for pets, Cookie has a pygmy goat, Theodore (named after her late husband). She’s well-loved in town – always willing to spend time volunteering and helping out others.
And more and more cozy characters come into play as the story unfolds. Meg Mason is also a guest at the inn – she’s extremely nosy, downright rude and hostile. Ray is an all-around good guy working for the local newspaper and his mom is getting married two days before Christmas at the inn. The mystery is plush with local shopkeepers and inn guests. So when a body turns up stone cold dead on the inn’s porch, there’s no shortage of suspects.
But when word get out about the murder, guests at the inn are canceling faster than William Shatner launching into space! Suddenly the most “wonderful” time of the year becomes the most “unnerving” time of the year – and on multiple levels. Not only is the murder putting a damper on the whole town, but the inn is losing bookings all the way through the new year – and dear, sweet Cookie Cutter is the prime suspect!
Even Holly’s boyfriend, Sheriff Evan Gray, doesn’t believe Cookie could have done it – but then again, when Cookie’s fingerprints are found all over the murder weapon, that’s something you just can’t sweep under the Christmas tree! Holly is bound and determined not to see Cookie stuck in the slammer over the holidays (or ever) – and she’s sticking out her own neck to flush out a cunning killer.
Slashing Through The Snow has an exceptionally wonderful hometown Christmas atmosphere. It’s filled with holiday happenings, festive foods and even a winter wonderland wedding. I’m longing for some of the creative candy at the Gumdrop Shop. I want to savor the holiday coffee at Busy Bean. I want to go to Mr. McDoogle’s house (because he has the best holiday lights in town). I want to take home a large sinfully sweet box from Oh! Fudge. In short, I’m asking Santa to come pick me up and take me to Mistletoe – and you’ll want to ride along, too!
Jacqueline Frost gives us a challenging whodunit saturated with plenty of old-time Christmas flair – and a heartwarming happy ending!
Slashing Through The Snow is published by Crooked Lane Publishing. A copy of this book/photo was provided by the publisher.