Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier

Welcome!  I am featuring Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier today.  Joanne Fluke writes A Hannah Swensen Mystery series which has Coconut Layer Cake Murder coming out on February 25, 2020.  Leslie Meier writes A Lucy Stone Mystery series.  The first book in the series is Mistletoe Murder and is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.  The latest novel in this series is Invitation Only Murder.  British Murder will be released on February 25, 2020 and it contains two previously published A Lucy Stone Mysteries.  They are English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder.  Laura Levine writes A Jaine Austen Mystery series which began with This Pen for Hire.  The seventeenth A Jaine Austen Mystery is Death of a Gigolo.  

Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke,Laura Levine and Leslie Meier contains three previously published short stories.  The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke has Hannah Swensen helping her sister’s friend, Julie Jansen.  Julie and fellow teacher, Matt Sherwood are stuck at Laker Academy over the holidays watching six students.  The chef left them meals but was unable to provide desserts or cookies.  They appeal to Hannah for help.  Hannah is happy to provide the desserts requested.  Soon, though, she finds herself involved in a curious mystery. 

 

Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine has Jaine Austen being blackmailed into playing elf at Conspicuous Consumption mall.  Jaine came in for an interview as a copywriter with Molly Grover in Human Resources who just lost an elf. Jain happens to be the right size and in need of a job.  Unfortunately, Scotty Santa is not holly jolly unless flirting with a child’s pretty and wealthy mother.  He also has a penchant tequila and taking cat naps in Santa’s workshop.  One day Jaine brings her cat, Prozac into the mall for the cat whisperer photographer to capture his picture with reindeer antlers on his head for her Christmas card.  Prozac spots a corn dog, takes off and wreaks havoc in Santa Land which gives a killer the perfect opportunity to do in Scotty Santa with a sharp ornament.  When Jaine finds herself on the detective’s naughty list, she gets to work asking questions.  Jaine wants to wrap up this case before Christmas.

 

The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier has Elizabeth Stone stuck in Florida at the Cavendish Hotel working as the assistant concierge.  Jonah Gruber is providing a Christmas spectacular for 600 of his closest friends.  The four day event will end with the Blingle Bells Ball where Jonah’s wife, Noelle will wear his recent gem acquisition that he purchased for the low price of $47 million dollars.  The night of the ball, the gems are discovered missing and Elizabeth is the number one suspect.  Not knowing what to do, Elizabeth calls her mother, Lucy.  The next day, Lucy Stone arrives in town along with Miss Tilley.  ‘Tis the season for investigating and Miss Tilley has a clever idea.

 

Christmas Sweets has three entertaining cozy mysteries.  You will find yourself laughing frequently while reading them.  While these stories had been published previously, I have not read them.  I have read A Hannah Swensen Mystery series as well as A Lucy Stone Mystery series.  This was my first A Jaine Austen Mystery, but I had no problem reading Nightmare on Elf Street.  I was amazed at the trouble Jaine and her cat, Prozac could cause.  Each story is well-written and easy to read.  They are novella length so each story can be finished in one sitting.  I enjoyed spending time with Elizabeth Stone in The Christmas Thief, and I like that Lucy brought along Miss Tilley to help.  I appreciated the note from Leslie Meier at the end of the novella.  The Twelve Desserts of Christmas contains recipes for each item that Hannah created.  The mysteries are not complicated but I did not mind.  They were fun mysteries that suited each story.  I found each short story to be delightful, and I look forward to reading more books by these authors.  Christmas Sweets contains three humorous cozy mysteries with a shameful Santa, a frustrating feline, spectacular sweets, a blingy ball, starry eyed schoolteachers, and an unwise wager. 

Christmas Sweets is available here* (Amazon UK).  Christmas Sweets was just the book I needed.  My oldest dog, Wolfie just passed away and she is missed.  Wolfie was a Siberian Husky who was sixteen years old.  She was the sweetest girl.  So Christmas Sweets provided a little levity in my life.  Thank you for visiting me today.  I am reviewing Thin Ice by Paige Shelton tomorrow.  I hope that you have joyful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!  

Kris

The Avid Reader

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