Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Fun, festive short story
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
Christmas mystery
Festive elements, short plot
Make for great quick read
Christmas Trees and Mystery
As a special treat this Christmas, author Shari Randall has
written a Christmas short story for us to enjoy. It features Allie Larkin, her aunt Gully, and
her best friend Verity Brooks, the stars of her Lobster Shack Mysteries. “The Queen of Christmas” is a festive fun
time.
Dagmar Smith is known for her Christmas tree displays. She has multiple themed trees each year, and
she always hosts a fundraiser to unveil her latest theme. This year, she’s asked Allie, a dancer, to
help with the unveiling of the tree since the theme is The Nutcracker. Allie, Gully, and Verity are on hand to help,
but when something goes wrong, they find themselves with a mystery on their
hands. Can Allie figure out what
happened?
Yes, I am being extremely vague with my plot teaser
there. That’s because part of the joy of
the story is discovering things as Allie does, so I will leave it for you to
read and discover the rest.
This is a short story.
It took me about 45 minutes to read it, so keep that in mind when you
pick it up. But the size was perfect for
the story. I found it completely
satisfying with a good twist to things before everything is set right
again. I enjoyed how Christmas came into
play in the solution of the story as well.
The only characters returning from the series are the three
I’ve already mentioned. If you aren’t
familiar with the series, this is a good place to jump in since everything you
need to know is included. Honestly, this
could serve as a stand-alone. There
isn’t enough page time to fully develop the new characters, but they serve
their purpose in the story and are entertaining.
I’ve already hinted that we get some great Christmas
spirit. With that many Christmas trees
and a Christmas party as the backdrop for the mystery, how could we not?
So take a few minutes and pick up “The Queen of Christmas.” You’ll find it a perfect
read for a few quiet minutes this month.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this story.
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