MISTLETOE, MUTTS, AND MURDER by S.A. Kazlo
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Holiday
4****
Blurb: Christmas is coming and children’s book author, Samantha Davies, and her lovable dachshund, Porkchop, are caught up in the holiday festivities in beautiful upstate New York. Sam’s parents, Chuck and Barbara, who have been enjoying their retired life in sunny Florida, have flown into Wings Falls to spend the holidays with Sam and meet her new boyfriend, Detective Hank Johnson. Sam is also busy hosting this year’s Christmas party for the Loopy Ladies, Sam’s rug hooking group. The Loopy Ladies know how to party and are enjoying an evening eating, drinking, and making merry… until Santa crashes the party. Unfortunately, this Santa is Sam’s next-door neighbor who her parents have had a long-running feud with. When not playing the local mall’s not-so-jolly old St. Nick, Leo Sayers is a newspaper reporter, and he announces to the group that he’s written a damning article accusing Sam’s dad and his close friend, Herb Feinstein, of some very shady dealings in their past. To preserve peace on earth—and among the Loopy Ladies—Chuck and Herb escort Leo from the party. Only, not long after being sent on his way, Santa is found dead—lying in the snow, run over by a plastic reindeer, with a string of Christmas lights around his neck! Are Sam’s father and Herb now on the naughty list? If Sam can’t prove them innocent of murdering Santa, she’s afraid their stockings will contain handcuffs and a one-way ticket to prison this year!
Thoughts: I love the “Loopy Ladies” – especially when they refer to themselves as “Hookers”!! Oh, come on. They do rug hooking. But they’re a group of friends who are getting together for their annual holiday party at Sam’s home. And Sam’s parents are up from Florida to join in the festivities. Everything is jolly until their nasty neighbor shows up drunk and accuses Sam’s father and his best friend of corruption in the past. They “escort” him out of the house, but unfortunately a few hours later, he’s found dead in his front yard and Sam’s dad is the main suspect.
I loved the characters and that Sam is no spring chicken (she’s over 50). And has a slightly younger boyfriend. The descriptions of her parents are a hoot. In fact, description and imagery are really strong so you definitely get a sense of place and time. Actually, that was just a tiny bit of an issue for me as some of the descriptions in the beginning were a little slow moving. And the dogs are a cute addition. I will say this, though… I read a lot of these stories and knew who the body was going to be, but not the perp or the reason until the end, so nicely done there!
Recommended.
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