Christmas Scarf Murder - Book Review

Christmas Scarf Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day, & Peggy Ehrhart

Publication Date: 27th Sep 2022

Genre: Novelettes, Christmas Cozy Mystery

3 Stars 

One Liner: More Enjoyable for those who read the series 

The book is a collection of three cozy mystery novelettes by three authors. The stories have a common theme- 

• Christmas time 

• Scarf as a part of the crime 

• Small town setting 

• A recipe at the end of each one 

Christmas Scarf Murder by Carlene O'Connor

There has been a theft at the local nursing home. Siobhan O’Sullivan and Macdere, her husband, are called to handle the case. Before they can make much progress, one of the stolen items, a hideous long scarf, ends up as a possible murder weapon in the death of a young lad. Are the crimes connected? Who stole the items? Who killed the man? 

It’s rare for me to come across a slow-paced cozy. Fortunately, the story was interesting enough. Siobhan Sullivan is the leading lady of the Irish Village Mystery Series. It isn’t mandatory to read the series (for the case), but it would help keep track of the names and characters we encounter. 

The case, as such, requires multiple characters, and adding a whole bunch of family members to it made it a bit too confusing. I gave up trying to track them and went with the flow. Something tells me I’d have enjoyed this more if I read at least one book from the series.

This was an okay read – 3 stars. 

Scarfed Down by Maddie Day

Christmas has arrived in Pans ‘N Pancakes, a delightful county store (plus eatery) set in a fictional town. Things go awry when one of the clients dies at home under mysterious circumstances, and the reason has something to do with the green scarf she’s been knitting. Robbie Jordan is not new to solving cases and looks like she has to step up again. 

Like the previous novelette, this one also has characters and setting from an existing series, Country Store Mystery. Fortunately, it was a little easier to follow the relationships and stuff. The first-person narration comes in short chapters and keeps the pace steady. 

The case is rather a little too easy. I know cozy mysteries are light stuff, but this is too light for my taste. The talk of baking and the quirky grammar kept me interested. Also, the scarf isn’t the central point in this one, and there was an inconsistency (or so it seemed). The author’s note explains why, though I’d have liked the scarf to have a bigger role. 

Another okay read – 3 stars. 

Death by Christmas Scarf by Peggy Ehrhart

Carys Walnutt has been strangled by her Christmas scarf. The handmade scarf was an auction at Arborville’s tree-lighting ceremony. It seems like a straightforward case, and soon an arrest is made. But is the case really solved? It’s up to Pamela Paterson to dig deeper and find the truth. 

Right! So this story also has characters and setting from an established series. A Knit & Nibble Mystery has Pamela Paterson solving crimes and knitting with her club members. The novelette starts with a bang as the crime has already been committed. 

The case is interesting, and so are the delicious cakes and cookies mentioned. There were too many characters to track, which reduced my enjoyment levels. However, the end was quite satisfactory. The author provided detailed instructions to knit a teddy bear along with a recipe. 

One more okay read – 3 stars 

To Summarize, Christmas Scarf Murder is a quick read if you want three different types of mysteries in the same book. No doubt, it will be much more enjoyable if you are familiar with the characters. 

I'm tempted enough by the settings to check out the series soon. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Kensington Cozies, for the eARC.  

#ChristmasScarfMurder #NetGalley

*****

P.S: Don’t you love the cover?