Candy Cane Murder | List Price: $6.99
Discount Price: $2.15
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Binding: Paperback
A Tasty Holiday Treat! [Posted on 2008-09-15]
This would be a great book for a Christmas present for those who love cozy mysteries. It's a collection of three short novellas by three well-known cozy writers and the stories are all about Christmas. I read this mostly because I absolutely love Joanne Fluke and her Hannah Swenson mysteries, and this story called Candy Cane Murder is a good one. We have all our favourites here - Hannah and her sisters, Norman and Mike and of course, Hannah's mother. Like all her stories this one is a page-turner. The story is all about when a local guy dressed as Santa is found dead outside the inn with candy canes everywhere. Of course, Hannah needs to find the killer. The second story is called The Dangers of Candy Canes and is written by Laura Levine. I have not read Laura Levine before, and I don't think I'll make the attempt after reading this book. I found it silly and Jaine Austin (her heroine) is too ditzy for my liking. I did enjoy Ms. Leslie Meier's Candy Canes of Christmas Past though, and I think I will read more about her heroine Lucy Stone. In this book, set at Christmas in 1983, Lucy is trying to solve a decades old murder for a friend of hers in her new home of Tinker's Cove, Maine. I really liked this, and I will definitely add Ms. Meier's name to my to-be read-list.
What Can More Perfect - Three of My Favorites Under One Cover [Posted on 2008-10-08]
Three of my most favorite authors under one jacket, what more can one ask for? Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier not only wrote some fun mysteries for our enjoyment this holiday season but included yummy recipes as well.
Candy Cane Murder (Hannah Swenson) - Joanne Fluke: The town's wealthiest, but stingiest, man playing Santa is found by Hannah and her sisters bludgeoned to death after his appearance at Lake Eden Inn's annual Christmas party. Although Mike Kingston, a detective and one of Hannah's boyfriends, urges her strongly not to get involved, Hannah is determined to track down the murderer. Hannah finds herself with an endless list of suspects and getting to close for comfort. With the assistance of her sisters and Norman, saved by only her wit and quick thinking, Hannah manages to find the murderer and enjoy Christmas with her family and friends.
The Danger of Candy Canes (Jane Austin)- Laura Levine: With all the excitement that Christmas brings, even adults become children decorating with all the holiday glitz and glitter. It's a glorious time except on Hysteria Lane where decorating is a serious business. When one of its wealthy residences falls off the roof while decorating, a roofing contractor finds himself in a lawsuit for negligence. Positive of his work, he contacts Jane Austin for her investigative experience. What she finds is a neighborhood full of devious people with dirty secrets including one that nearly cost her life.
Candy Canes of Christmas Past (Lucy Stone) - Leslie Meier: First year in Tinker Cove found pregnant Lucy Stone tending to an energetic toddler and living in a home that could have easily been put on a condemned list. Needing a diversion, while her husband was happily making all the repairs, it didn't take long before Lucy found herself thrown into a 50 year old possible murder investigation for Miss Tilly, the town's librarian. When her mother met with a fatal accident, Miss Tilly feared her father's possible involvement. So with a list of suspects (many of them long gone) and only a broken glass candy cane as a clue, Lucy set out to find the truth, giving some kind of resolvement for her new found friend.
If you love cozies, especially holiday ones, you will truly enjoy this book and if you love the authors as much as I do, I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this Christmas anthology. Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Lucy Stone brought nothing less than what we have come to expect from them in addition gifting us with 15 new recipes.
A Bonus [Posted on 2008-12-06]
I didn't realize that this was three fun short novels for the price of one. What a bonus! I've been meaning to try a JoAnne Fluke mystery and I loved it, plus I loved the Laura Levine and Leslie Meier stories. This was a great way to intoduce me to three authors whose books I'll be buying. I have a collection of Christmas stories I like to dig out and read this time of year, and this will definately be a future favorite.
Candy Canes and Crime... [Posted on 2008-12-12]
This is a collection of three short stories from some of today's most popular "cozy" mystery writers. Headlining "Candy Cane Murder" is Joanne Fluke, known for her Hannah Swenson murder mystery series. Hannah is the owner of a bakery called "The Cookie Jar" and here in the story "Candy Cane Murder" Hannah finds yet another dead body...this time he is a local businessman who is dressed up in a Santa costume. The trail of candy canes leads Hannah to his body. Hannah's story is exactly what Fluke fans should expect by now. Hannah and her friends and neighbors are fun to visit with again, but the murders are too easily resolved to be more than passing entertainment. Honestly, I am starting to get a little annoyed with the Hannah novels. The mysteries aren't very imaginitve anymore and I'm tired of the back and forth between whether Hannah is interested in stable Norman or super hunk Mike. Her sleuthing methods are beyond unbelievable and I'm quite good at suspending disbelief. People just spill their guts out to Hannah, and this just doesn't seem realistic. Not to mention doctors, lawyers, mortician's, etc apparently have never heard of privacy acts...I'd give "Candy Cane Murder" a 2 star review.
I was delightfully suprised by Laura Levine's short story "The Danger of Candy Canes". I have never read this author before and I found her heroine Jaine Austin refreshingly spunky, snarky, and sarcastic. She was a hoot. I enjoyed her 'conversations' with her cat, and her diet that was anything but. This is certainly the most 'fleshed' out mystery of the bunch and had the best resolution of the three. Jaine seems to live on the same planet with Hannah in the fact that people just seem to welcome Jaine into their homes and then spill out their guts to her. However this character and the comical situations Jaine finds herself in are original and witty and I can't wait to read more by her. In fact, I've added her first Jaine Austin mystery to my wish list already. This was a strong 4 star story. Yeah!
I was looking forward to reading Leslie Meier's entry "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" the most because I haven't read anything she has written previously, but I see her mysteries everywhere. I have been intrigued, but never bought one. This story is a prequel to the "Lucy Stone" mysteries. It takes place in 1983 as their very young family is just starting out in Tinker's Cove, Maine. This is the most heartwarming tale of the three and I feel that the characterizations in this story are its strongest asset. The story is mostly about the young family's house being a disaster, and they are down to their last few dollars in a new town. They have just started meeting people and feel a little out of place. Both Lucy and her husband are just overwhelmed by the new situations they have found themselves in. This story best represents what Christmas is all about as the new neighbors rally together to try to brighten the Stone's holiday. The mysery is almost an afterthought and it truly doesn't ring relevant. Its a fifty year old 'maybe' murder and the way the killer is revealed is super flimsy. Their is no reveal or big peak to the story arc. If all her "Lucy Stone" mysteries are like this, I don't think they will hold much appeal for me. However, I do like the characters and they are certainly not one dimensional as Hannah Swenson and crew have turned out to be. Maybe I need to pick up one or two of them and take a chance. I'd give this 3 stars, it would have been at least 4, if not for the horribly mystery reveal.
Very Enjoyable Reading [Posted on 2008-12-20]
The book contains three short novels by three different authors. I loved each novel because a)each one centers around Christmas, b)is a mystery, and c)is light-hearted. Each novel is easy to read, but not too simple that is does not hold one's interest.
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