Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder by Jacqueline Frost Book Review

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder by Jacqueline Frost

Mistletoe and murder go hand in hand in the seventh installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

New parents Holly White and Sheriff Evan Gray are sleep deprived but incandescently happy to be celebrating their baby’s first Christmas. Their family, friends, and neighbors are spoiling the newest addition. Adding to the perfect holiday season is the recent completion of their newly built home. All that’s left to do is move in and send off those change-of-address cards. But their cup full of cheer turns sour when Holly discovers a dead body.

It all started with a sweet trip down memory lane—Candy Cane Lane and Toyland were two of Holly’s favorites as a child, and she had been looking forward to sharing them with her baby. Then she stumbled upon the body of Greysen, the animal keeper, left among the reindeer at the petting zoo.

Earlier in the day, Holly witnessed a fight between Greysen and a stranger. Stranger still, the reindeer petting zoo had originally been empty that day—no reindeer in sight until they reappeared along with a corpse.

As Holly fights to keep the Christmas spirit alive, she is Greysen’s only chance at justice—and her baby’s only chance at a happy first Christmas.

My Review of Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder

It’s the Christmas season once again in Mistletoe, Maine, and Holly White-Gray, in spite of really not trying to, has stumbled upon a body. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder is the seventh book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series from Jacqueline Frost.

Holly truly does try to stay out of this investigation because she’s got a baby now! She gets involved when she and Libby, her sister-in-law, head to Toyland’s parking lot after discovering that the baby’s mittens are missing and must have fallen out when they were getting in the car earlier that day. They do indeed find the mittens, but they also hear a huge racket and drive over to see what’s going on. Then, they find the body. Holly still doesn’t want to be involved, but Holly being Holly has to ask a few questions around town. You know how those small towns are. If you’re overheard by one person, the whole town knows what you said by that night!

The charm in this installment is in the family-centric atmosphere. I think (don’t quote me on this!) that this may be the final book, so a lot of the focus is on the characters’ happily-ever-afters. Whose? Well, you’re going to have to read it to find out! Though there isn’t as much focus on the 12 Days of Reindeer Games that happen on the farm every year, we do get Cookie’s British accent while she leads one of the games. There’s the annual calendar, but this year there’s a completely delightful twist!

This one definitely had a different feel to it than the others, but I really loved it. Yes, there’s a mystery to be solved with plenty of red herrings, but like I said, the majority of the book focuses on the characters and what the future may hold for them. I highly recommend Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder for fans of the series. (I’m not sure new readers will enjoy it as much as those of us who have read prior books, but it can be read as a standalone.) It has a charming setting and characters I’ve grown to love, and you’ll be craving cupcakes by the time you’re finished! It’s the perfect cozy read for the Christmas season!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

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