Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Silent Night, Deadly Night (Year-Round Christmas, Bk 4) on + 644 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
We're back in Rudolph, New York just before Thanksgiving and just in time for Aline's college friends arrive for a little college reunion. When the group arrives at Mrs. Claus's Treasures Merry is struck by how different her mother's friends are. They all attended a performance college but is clear their lives have gone in different directions. They really don't act like friends either as they throw barbs at each other left and right. Merry is happy her father is out of town because the house is going to be full of stress and bickering.
During a group dinner which included Merry one of the alumni dies from a cause to be determined, but Merry is pretty sure she knows what happened. She is just unclear of which college chum did the deed. And with the murder happening at the home of the town's resident Santa, a Rudolph newcomer sets himself up to take over the job. Merry is not about to let that happen. She is going to check her suspect list twice and but the naughty murderer in their place.
I was thrilled to see this series return, it has been one of my favorites. Rudolph is full of Christmas spirit year-round and I have loved each visit.
Merry Wilkerson owns Mrs. Claus's Treasures, her mother Aline is a retired opera diva and her Father Noel is the former mayor and performs all Santa Claus duties needed all year long. Jackie works for Merry, her best friend Vicki helps out when she can and also makes a great Watson to Merry's Sherlock when there is murder afoot. Merry also has wonderful St, Bernard named Mattie. I love the way the Wilkerson family sticks together and sticks up for each other.
This time Ms. Daleny introduces not only Aline's friends, Constance, Genevieve, Barbara, Karla, and Ruth, but a new couple in town Wayne and Norma Fitzroy who want to get very active around town.
Ms. Delany excels at character development. These characters are rich, those we love, those who rub the wrong way, and even those we come to absolutely hate by the end of the story.
She wraps those characters in a great mystery plot with fun subplot offshoots that keep a reader engaged until the final page. While the manner of death is evident immediately it is not easy to pin the crime on any suspect. Aline's guests wear out their welcome quickly and to save her mother's sanity Merry knows she needs to help solve the case as soon as possible. Clues are dropped liberally. I love Ruth, one of the âsuspectsâ is an avid mystery reader and wanted to solve the case herself, just like me trying to beat the big reveal in the cozies I read.
Fun and Entertaining! This is a great addition to this series. You truly can't go wrong with any title by Vicki Delany. This book stands well on its own but the entire series is fabulous. Treat yourself to the whole bunch!
We're back in Rudolph, New York just before Thanksgiving and just in time for Aline's college friends arrive for a little college reunion. When the group arrives at Mrs. Claus's Treasures Merry is struck by how different her mother's friends are. They all attended a performance college but is clear their lives have gone in different directions. They really don't act like friends either as they throw barbs at each other left and right. Merry is happy her father is out of town because the house is going to be full of stress and bickering.
During a group dinner which included Merry one of the alumni dies from a cause to be determined, but Merry is pretty sure she knows what happened. She is just unclear of which college chum did the deed. And with the murder happening at the home of the town's resident Santa, a Rudolph newcomer sets himself up to take over the job. Merry is not about to let that happen. She is going to check her suspect list twice and but the naughty murderer in their place.
I was thrilled to see this series return, it has been one of my favorites. Rudolph is full of Christmas spirit year-round and I have loved each visit.
Merry Wilkerson owns Mrs. Claus's Treasures, her mother Aline is a retired opera diva and her Father Noel is the former mayor and performs all Santa Claus duties needed all year long. Jackie works for Merry, her best friend Vicki helps out when she can and also makes a great Watson to Merry's Sherlock when there is murder afoot. Merry also has wonderful St, Bernard named Mattie. I love the way the Wilkerson family sticks together and sticks up for each other.
This time Ms. Daleny introduces not only Aline's friends, Constance, Genevieve, Barbara, Karla, and Ruth, but a new couple in town Wayne and Norma Fitzroy who want to get very active around town.
Ms. Delany excels at character development. These characters are rich, those we love, those who rub the wrong way, and even those we come to absolutely hate by the end of the story.
She wraps those characters in a great mystery plot with fun subplot offshoots that keep a reader engaged until the final page. While the manner of death is evident immediately it is not easy to pin the crime on any suspect. Aline's guests wear out their welcome quickly and to save her mother's sanity Merry knows she needs to help solve the case as soon as possible. Clues are dropped liberally. I love Ruth, one of the âsuspectsâ is an avid mystery reader and wanted to solve the case herself, just like me trying to beat the big reveal in the cozies I read.
Fun and Entertaining! This is a great addition to this series. You truly can't go wrong with any title by Vicki Delany. This book stands well on its own but the entire series is fabulous. Treat yourself to the whole bunch!
Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed Silent Night, Deadly Night (Year-Round Christmas, Bk 4) on + 862 more book reviews
3.5 stars. Merry's mother invites her college roommates for a "girls weekend" before Thanksgiving in the Christmas town of Rudolph, NY. 40 years later - they discover they really don't have much in common anymore (and did they ever?). Snipping and arguing mar the weekend. But will long buried secrets lead to murder?
Kristina A. reviewed Silent Night, Deadly Night (Year-Round Christmas, Bk 4) on + 1528 more book reviews
Silent Night, Deadly Night is the fourth A Year-Round Christmas Mystery. Merry Wilkinson has her hands full when one of her mother's old college friends dies while in town for a reunion and a newcomer to town is determined to take the Santa Clause position away from her father, Noel. It is a week before Thanksgiving, which is Merry's favorite holiday, and the shop is hopping with customers. It is always a delight to visit the charming Christmas town of Rudolph, New York. While Silent Night, Deadly Night is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I thought the book was well-written with good pacing. The book is fraught with tension from the minute Aline's college friends walk into Mrs. Claus's Treasures. The five women are constantly sniping at each other and getting in little digs. It is only the first day of their visit and Aline, Merry's mother, regrets organizing the gathering. When one of the women dies, the remaining ladies are suspects and are not allowed to leave town (there goes Thanksgiving). Merry wants to figure out which woman committed the crime so they can all leave town (they are staying at the Wilkinson home). There are clues sprinkled throughout the book to help readers solve the case before the satisfying reveal. I found Ruth to be an interesting character with her love of mystery novels and her fascination with the case (all mystery lovers can relate). There is a subplot with a newcomer to town trying to take the Santa Claus position away from Merry's father, Noel. I like how Noel handled himself and how the situation was resolved. I enjoyed learning more about the Wilkinson family and the romance factor was light (thank you). I thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of Rudolph and Mrs. Claus's Treasures. Silent Night, Deadly Night was a satisfying cozy mystery and I look forward to reading the next A Year-Round Christmas Mystery. Silent Night, Deadly Night has catty college chums, deadly delicacies, a sly Santa stealer, dangerous secrets, old-fashioned ornaments and one elf investigator.
