Colette London's Dead and Ganache is the fourth book in the Chocolate Whisperer Mystery series. I have read the previous books in this series, but it is not necessary. Hayden Mundy Moore is a chocolate whisperer. She heads to her mentor's hometown to celebrate his retirement. The party is cut very short when he is murdered. I enjoy the chocolate theme of this series, but I have a hard time liking Hayden. I keep expecting her to grow and mature, but I was disappointed yet again. She is haughty and a bit ditzy. This is a personal annoyance though, and you might find Hayden to be the perfect cozy heroine.
Holiday Murder by Leslie Meier is part of the Lucy Stone Mysteries series. This is a collection of two holiday themed mysteries: Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder. The holiday theme is not very strong and is more of a minor backdrop. These are definitely light reads and not too serious. I enjoyed both of them, but I did not love them. My problem with Mistletoe Murder is the animal violence. It added nothing to the story and was quite unnecessary. I enjoyed Christmas Cookie Murder much more. This story had more excitement and mystery compared to Mistletoe Murder.
Liz Mugavero's Purring Around the Christmas Tree is the sixth book in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery series. Stan (Kristan) is preparing for the grand opening of her pet bakery which coincides with the town's Christmas tree lighting. The festivities take a somber turn when Santa is dead in the sleigh. The mystery become complicated when the man in the Santa suit is not who everyone expects. The setting and characters in this series are outstanding, and this book did not disappoint me. I enjoyed both the mystery and the holiday theme. My only critique is that Stan spends precious little time actually running her bakery. I suppose that is solved by her wonderful employee, but I hope some adjustments are made for future books. That aside Purring Around the Christmas Tree is a solid addition to the series.
disclosure: I received these e-books from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews. All opinions are my own!
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