Devi Nair
What starts as a holly-jolly mystery quickly unwarps into something more inventive. The concept of Santa being an inherited role passed down through mentorship, feels fresh and surprisingly heartfelt. It gives the story this myth-meets-cozy vibe, like someone mixed Hallmark with a dash of folklore and a sprinkle of "wait, there's an alligator in the wall?"
The humor sparks amid the sleuthing, and the Florida-based Christmas setting gives just the right dose of ironic warmth oa murder mystery drenched in snowflake spirit. Holloway leans into the absurd in all the right ways, like a sentient house, an invisible elf named Peppermint, and a gator named Tinsel somhow blend into a world that actually works. It's fun. It's fast. It's cheeky.
That said, the storytelling occasionally stumbles. The choice to summarize dialogue with lines like "then he explained about this" pulls the reader out of the moment. Instead of sitting in the room watching these oddballs banter, you suddenly feel like someone's recapping what you just missed. It's a small issue in an otherwise vivid narrative, but it does interrupt the flow in spots.
Still, the humor lands, the mystery keeps twisting, and that cliffhanger? Oh, it's a good one. It practically jingles with the promise of book two.
Would I recommend it? A quirky, funny, and heartwarming holiday whodunit that mixes murder and magic, just in time for adding some Christmas magic. Add this to your Holiday TBR RIGHT NOW!!!!
Holiday Murder, Florida Style! What would you do if Santa was real? Ever wondered what would happen if the local Santa is actually a real one in training? Share your real-life Christmas magic stories below. Let's share some Christmas spirit around.
š Edition
š Read as an ARC ebook by Net Galley š 240 pages ā± ~3 hours š·ļø Publisher: Keylight Books āØ Genre: Cozy Mystery
What starts as a holly-jolly mystery quickly unwarps into something more inventive. The concept of Santa being an inherited role passed down through mentorship, feels fresh and surprisingly heartfelt. It gives the story this myth-meets-cozy vibe, like someone mixed Hallmark with a dash of folklore and a sprinkle of "wait, there's an alligator in the wall?"
The humor sparks amid the sleuthing, and the Florida-based Christmas setting gives just the right dose of ironic warmth oa murder mystery drenched in snowflake spirit. Holloway leans into the absurd in all the right ways, like a sentient house, an invisible elf named Peppermint, and a gator named Tinsel somhow blend into a world that actually works. It's fun. It's fast. It's cheeky.
That said, the storytelling occasionally stumbles. The choice to summarize dialogue with lines like "then he explained about this" pulls the reader out of the moment. Instead of sitting in the room watching these oddballs banter, you suddenly feel like someone's recapping what you just missed. It's a small issue in an otherwise vivid narrative, but it does interrupt the flow in spots.
Still, the humor lands, the mystery keeps twisting, and that cliffhanger? Oh, it's a good one. It practically jingles with the promise of book two.
Would I recommend it? A quirky, funny, and heartwarming holiday whodunit that mixes murder and magic, just in time for adding some Christmas magic. Add this to your Holiday TBR RIGHT NOW!!!!
Holiday Murder, Florida Style! What would you do if Santa was real? Ever wondered what would happen if the local Santa is actually a real one in training? Share your real-life Christmas magic stories below. Let's share some Christmas spirit around.
š Edition
š Read as an ARC ebook by Net Galley š 240 pages ā± ~3 hours š·ļø Publisher: Keylight Books āØ Genre: Cozy Mystery