A Wonderful Christmas Crime

by Jacqueline Frost

Lots of tourists go to Mistletoe, Maine, for the very Christmasy atmosphere. Holly is the protagonist of this cozy mystery, and her family owns the extensive Christmas tree farm which has a small inn and invites visitors to enjoy delicious foods and drinks and play lots of indoor and outdoor games. Everything is related to Christmas with year round decorations.

Holly is married to Evan, Mistletoe’s sheriff, and his sister Libby is a private investigator. Those relationships tend to put Holly in the middle of investigations. An Antiques Roadshow comes to Mistletoe right before Christmas drawing in even more tourists than usual along with a murderer. Holly is torn between staying out of an investigation and diving in to help. In this book she has special reasons to avoid snooping, but it would be a spoiler to disclose what they are. Fortunately, the stage is set early in the book so the reader will find out right away. 

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

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #6 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. The author does relate background information on the characters, but there are a lot to keep track of. 

Publication: October 21, 2025—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

Money bought more than things. It bought safety, security, and options. A lot of people didn’t have those, and everyone needed them. Those who had them often wanted more.

“I’m learning to appreciate the present,” she said. “It goes against every fiber of my plan-ahead personality, but I am trying.”

I waited for Libby to log in. I’d forgotten my password. Not a shocker. Generally speaking, passwords made me want to chuck my phone into traffic. If she remembered hers, hallelujah.