Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas

by Vicki Delany

I am disappointed when I read an apparently Christmas themed book that has little to do with Christmas. Sometimes the only Christmasy aspect is a beautiful cover. Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is NOT in that category! From start to finish the book depends on a Christmas theme because its setting is Rudolph, New York, a town that aspires to be known as “America’s Christmas Town.” In a show of unity, the business owners specialize in shops with cute names and sponsor town-wide Christmas events.

The protagonist, Merry, owns Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, located on Jingle Bell Lane. The community theater group decides to produce a musical version of A Christmas Carol. It is an amateur  group with the exception of Merry’s mother, a retired opera singer. There are a number of ego-driven conflicts among the performers, but Merry, not a part of the cast, is drawn into the undercurrents of discord when a cast member is killed in her shop. Is the death somehow related to the play? Merry just can’t let it go!

Merry’s mother is a diva, but Merry is down-to-earth. Her kind father plays Santa Claus at various events and looks the part. Her boyfriend Alan is a talented woodworker creating furniture and children’s toys. He also is “Santa’s head toymaker at public events.” Merry has a lumbering Saint Bernard, and Alan has a Jack Russell; both dogs have important roles in this cozy mystery.

It’s probably hard to write a mystery with strong Christmas vibes, but Vicki Delany is very successful in doing just that. With good characters, a mystery that offers a true puzzle and numerous motivations, and a little danger thrown in, this cozy had me turning pages and ended for me with a gentle “aww!” reaction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: General Fiction, Mystery

Notes: #6 in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery Series, but could definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. I had not read any others in the series, but now I would like to.

Publication:  September 19, 2023—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

“A Christmas Carol, however,is not to be trifled with. It, more than most works, is firmly locked in time and place. That is what people expect. That is its appeal. The tradition of the Christmas season and the emotions it arouses.”

“Jackie O’Reilly, of all people, has asked to stay for a private lesson once the chorus practice has finished. Making silk purses out of sows’ ears comes to mind.”

Ranger leapt up and down, yipping in an excess of excitement. He’s a Jack Russell and excess excitement is his entire nature. He sniffed my boots, ran in circles around my legs, and then headed toward Mattie for more greetings. Mattie woofed in warning; Ranger decided discretion was the better part of valor and he hurried to sniff at the wheels of my car.