Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas
Book Summary
Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas by Nancy Coco has Allie McMurphy staying in Frances’ old apartment
while the renovations are being finished on the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge
Shop. She is using the tiny kitchen to
prepare the fudge orders that are coming in online. One morning there is a knock at the door and
Allie finds a note taped to it. Someone
wishes to meet her at the ticket booth at Fort Mackinac for the light show at
noon. Allie is a few minutes late for the
rendezvous. Mal, Allie’s Bichenpoo,
leads her around the ticket booth where they find a woman facedown in the snow. She is identified as Kayla Cramdon a recent
transplant to the island. Kayla later
dies at the hospital after uttering Frances Devaney’s name. Rex Manning, of course, has Frances at the
top of his suspect list when it is learned that foul play was involved. Allie knows that Frances would not harm a
soul and intends to prove it. When a
second person close to Frances dies from the same method, Allie knows she needs
to work quickly, or her friend will be spending the holidays in the clink.
My Thoughts
Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas by Nancy Coco is the 8th A Candy-Coated Mystery. I have read and enjoyed each book in this charming series. It has been a pleasure getting to know Mackinac Island as well as Allie McMurphy and her friends. This book can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series since the author does provide the needed background information. I thought Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas was well-written with steady pacing and developed characters. I love the descriptions of Mackinac Island during the holidays as well as the festivities. It sounds like a cold yet magical place. Allie is a strong, independent woman who is a whiz at creating fudge and loves her fur babies. The mystery has Allie and her dog, Mal once again finding a victim. I figured out the who right away, but the why was a bit of a conundrum. The reason for the murder is slowly revealed over the course of the story. I like that we get to learn more about Frances and her past. I enjoyed following the investigation to the conclusion. At the end of one riveting scene, I found myself laughing out loud. There was action and suspense which had the story moving along at a quick pace and kept me engaged. I liked that there was a complete wrap up. Allie cannot wait for the renovations to be completed on the hotel so she can move back in and go back to making fudge in the shop. She is also dealing with the return of Rex Manning’s ex-wife, Melonie. Just when we thought Rex and Allie’s romance was moving forward, Rex gets an unexpected visitor. Allie keeps bumping into a new man in town and there are sparks between them. I like the idea of a new love interest for Allie. Trent and Rex are not right for Allie (in my humble opinion). In Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas, there are snowstorms, power outages, Christmas tree lighting, decorating contest, fudge making, and friendly neighbors. I was happy to see an old friend return to Mackinac Island for the holidays. There is a recipe for a sweet treat (fudge, cookies) after each chapter. I enjoyed this stimulating story. Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas is a sweet cozy mystery with a precious pup, gregarious gossip, ex-wife woes, fabulous fudge, a familiar friend, DNA dilemma, and merry mayhem on Mackinac Island.
Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas is available from Amazon*. You can find the other novels in A Candy-Coated Mystery series here. The pictures I used today are from the Mackinac Island Tree Lighting Ceremony and an overview of shops in the downtown area of Mackinac Island. Thank you for visiting and reading my review. On deck for tomorrow is The Noel Letters by Richard Paul Evans. It is the 4th book in The Noel Collection. I hope that you have a cheerful day. Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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