Stalking Around the Christmas Tree

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery , Book 4) by Jacqueline Frost
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Things are looking up for Holly, her family and her friends. That is until, of course, someone dies. There is just days to the wedding, a snowstorm approaching and a murder to solve. No pressure, LOL.

There is 1 main and 2 subplots interwoven in this story set in Maine at Christmas time. This makes the fourth Christmas since Holly White has returned home to her parents’ farm. This year the holiday is made even more special by the upcoming wedding nuptials of Holly and Sheriff Evan Gray.

Add to the festive atmosphere a Nutcracker ballet troupe and a holiday parade.

Caroline is wedding planner extraordinaire which leaves Holly time to investigate. No bridezilla moments, thankfully, in the mix. At one point it seemed that the death had been overshadowed by wedding, perhaps on purpose? Not sure.

I was a little annoyed with Holly sneaking to speak with performers preparing to go on stage for a performance, but I guess there was no other time, especially for those not staying at the inn.

Glad that Cookie was around and safe. Her and her dance troupe provided cute moments. 

The evolving friendship between Samantha and Holly is fun to read. 

Ray, Caroline, and Libby have lots going on but still manage to help Holly when they can.

I felt disappointed in Holly for missing so many clues, but then I remembered she was getting married in a few days. It would make sense for the character to be a little off her game as she prepares to wed. To be fair, there is a lot of other stuff going on as well and she is barely keeping her head above water. It is not so much that it is hard from the reader to follow though.

Holly and Evans wedding was beautifully set and executed, even better than Ray’s parents wedding had been the prior Christmas (Slashing through the Snow, book 3). Maybe there is another one in the works, I wouldn’t object if there were (*hint*). 

Overall, a quick fun read and good addition to the series. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to #NetGalley  for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story. 

Happy Reading!

Plot Summary:

Tis the season to solve a murder—and innkeeper Holly White knows she’ll have to make her list and check it twice if she wants to catch the killer in the fourth Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.

Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.

With an impending snowstorm and the ballet company on the way out of town, Holly must act quickly if she wants to find the person responsible for this terrible murder. Will she be able to save Christmas—or will her investigation turn cold like the weather?