Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Strong characters and relationships; engaging mystery
Cons: Ending is rushed
The Bottom Line:
Christmas mystery
Unfolds with cozy feeling
Great this time of year
Santa Won’t be Purring This Year
Yes, I’ve been reading Christmas cozies for a few months
now, but I set aside a few to read during December. The first of those is Purring Around the Christmas Tree, which takes us back to Frog’s
Ledge, Connecticut, for a deadly Christmas.
The book opens on the evening of the big Christmas tree
lighting. The entire town turns out to
watch Santa ride into town on a sleigh and light the big tree in town before they
stroll around the shops in downtown. The
event is extra special for Stan Connor this year since it is the soft opening
of her pet patisserie, which is officially having its grand opening the next
day.
However, when the sleigh arrives in town, something is
clearly wrong as the mayor lights the tree without much fanfare. Stan quickly learns that Santa is dead. Compounding the mystery, two men from town
are missing, Jake’s Uncle Seamus and Stan’s neighbor Ray. Are these events related? What is going on?
The book wastes no time jumping into the story, and I was
quite intrigued. I did figure one thread
out early, but I was still left puzzling over how it was related and what
exactly was going on. I did feel that
the climax was a bit rushed, although all the questions were answers.
This is now the sixth book in the series, and over those
books we’ve gotten to know quite a few residents in town as well as members of
Stan’s family. I’m happy to say they are
all present and accounted for here, and we get to know them better. I just love these characters, so I was
looking forward to spending the holiday with them, and I wasn’t
disappointed. The cast of new characters
is a little limited, but we get to know them pretty well, too.
Despite all the intrigue and mayhem, this book still captures
that Christmas feeling for me. Of
course, the strong relationships between the characters certainly helps with
that. This is a perfect book to read
during December.
There are recipes in the back of the book – recipes for
treats for your cats or dogs. There are
five of them, including a fish food treat, a chicken ginger biscuit, and a
simple doggie for-yo.
If you are looking for a Christmas cozy to put you in the
holiday spirit, Purring Around the Christmas Tree will do just that.
Pick it up today and enjoy.
Enjoy more visits to Frog’s Ledge with the rest of the
Pawsitively Organic Mysteries.
I've had several cozies where the end feels a bit rushed. While it isn't my favorite it doesn't ruin a book for me. This sounds so fun! I've gotten some Christmas reading in but not nearly enough!
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