This Christmas Cozy is a Treat
It’s October, which means we are in the heart of this year’s Christmas cozy releases. Yes, I hear the argument that it is too early, but people do need time to get to the books to read in December. And, for those of us who love Christmas, it’s always fun to slip into that time of the year. So, I had no qualms about picking up #TreatYourself to Murder, the fifth Trending Topic Mystery from Sarah E. Burr, and settling in for some good old fashioned Christmas mayhem.
If you haven’t started the series yet, it features Coco Cline, influencer and social media maven. She’s recently rebranded and is now using her platform to highlight unsolved mysteries, both old and new, in hopes of bringing attention to these cases. But she’s going to jump in when crime hits close to her home in Central Shores, Delaware, which is what is happening this Christmas.
There has been a string of fires that started around Halloween, and the investigation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. But things take a tragic turn in early December when a body is found in the latest fire. The victim is a young woman who had been living in her car, but had recently gone missing. Coco was already trying to help find the victim, but when she is asked to help figure out what happened, she doesn’t hesitate. With the help of her friends and fiancĂ©, she finds that sleuthing and Christmas shopping make a good pairing. But can she find another killer?
It’s no surprise to me that I enjoyed this book. Sarah E. Burr has become a favorite author over the past few years. Her books are cozy and fun while not forgetting they are mysteries, and this is another perfect example.
The plot jumps right in, and it isn’t long before we’ve found the body. I had no idea where the story was going until we got to the ending, but it all made perfect sense when we did. I was proud of myself for solving things at the same time Coco did. The climax was suspenseful and logical.
The cozy comes from the characters. Coco has some loyal friends, and I love getting to spend time with the entire gang. Yes, the circle is ever growing, and that may mean it is hard for everyone to get the page time I would like, but I don’t mind too much. I think, given the Christmas setting, I was a bit surprised to find that Coco’s family took a back seat in this book. But, if they had a bigger presence, they would have just slowed down the story. The suspects don’t get a ton of page time, but it works in this case, and I didn’t really think about it until just now.
And the Christmas touches are fun. I’m not quite ready to start decorating yet (although I do decorate early), but this book made me want to do that. And maybe listen to a Christmas carol or two.
Fans of the series are in for a Christmas treat. If you are a cozy mystery fan who hasn’t found Sarah E. Burr yet, you really need to fix that. Now that I’ve finished #TreatYourself to Murder, I’ll be waiting for Coco’s next adventure.
Enjoy the rest of the Treating Topic Mysteries.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Love, love, love that you enjoyed your trip to Central Shores, Mark! Thanks so much for the support - I appreciate you!
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