Murder Checks Out (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #8), by Victoria Gilbert

 Publication Nov. 14, 2023

While a murder certainly takes center stage, this one was character driven. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on Amy and Richard's family and friends, not to mention their energetic twins, Nicky and Ella. Although I spent some time trying to sort out how I'd somehow missed that they not only had twins but five-year old twins, I finally zeroed in on Amy's thoughts of having to resume her sleuthing to mean she'd have five lovely, crime free years and the author had simply fast-forwarded to the current situation. 

It's a busy one. Richard, a dancer/choreographer to be simplistic, is directing a modern version of The Nutcracker, one that includes his twins' stage debut. His difficult mother has also announced a visit, one that includes staying with Amy and Richard. Amy still has her job at the library, a job that fortunately means she has enviable research skills. To complicate things, environmental protesters have hit the streets to protest a proposed commercial development by a shady company. Than, so much for Christmas cheer, the head of that company is found murdered. Even worse, Amy's brother-in-law, Ethan seems to be the top suspect. Then, just to complicated things, Ethan goes missing. And that is just the beginning.

This was an intriguing, quick read. I liked the diverse characters who seemed to have full lives but came together during a crisis. Amy's usual circle of family and friends, including the mysterious Kurt, had her back, enabling her to stay on an even keel and focus on her own family. Let's face it, twins would keep most of us hopping and Nick and Ella seem to have also inherited their father's gene for being on stage. This opens all sorts of fun things for the future, I'd guess. Amy also finds support in an unexpected place when....oh, no. Nope. Not telling, enough teasers. Let's just add that there are several suspects and the killer's disturbed personality gave me chills. While you know it's inevitable in a cozy mystery that the main character find themself in danger, I'll give props to Amy. She isn't TSTL (too stupid to live) and doesn't seem to rush headlong into danger, not to mention she keeps Brad, her local law connection, in the loop...mostly. 

Bottom line, this one should be an enjoyable read for cozy mystery fans. A smart sleuth in a character driven story that's also full of fun holiday activities such as the prep for The Nutcracker as well as finding and decorating the perfect tree and wrapping presents. Somehow Amy doesn't seem to miss a second of it despite the life-or-death distractions. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for giving me this dose of early Christmas cheer. The ending was perfect.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, #4), by Jacqueline Frost

 Publication Oct. 17, 2023

Oh, rats! Holly has her work cut out for her this time. With her wedding fast approaching, as is a major winter storm, she's also dealing with an inn full-up with a ballet company, holiday games to play and officiate, and the troubling behavior of soon-to-be-husband Evan's sister, Libby. Then Tiffany, the lead ballerina for the town's presentation of The Nutcracker, is killed. Who did it? One of the other ballerinas, or maybe the company's ballet master, George? Tiffany's online fan, or, wait, was she even the intended victim? Holly doesn't have time to think, to be honest, but she still can't help getting involved in the case, even after receiving threats.

Overall, I found it a fun read but wasn't quite as taken with it as I'd expected to be. Seemed to get bogged down with excessive descriptions of, say, clothing or hair styles, at times. Now, true, I loved every tiny detail at the end but, well, took me awhile to get to that point. Holly is likable although, quite frankly, I question, one, her common sense of darting out alone to confront a potential murderer, and, two, that she blew off parts of her mother's big moment being filmed to chase after said suspect. That left me annoyed at her for quite awhile. She also seemed to continually be distracted by thoughts of the murder. Never mind she'd barely spoken to the victim. She was fully invested in investigating. Investigating against Evan's attempts to detour her, btw.

The secondary plot involving Evan's sister was interesting. It did showcase Libby's ultimate maturity, however, and the bond between Evan and her. As for the involvement of Holly in that situation, she seemed largely sidelined and a bit overly dramatic as she thought about the case although, in her favor, her pestering Libby may have ultimately been the key to guiding Libby to share the situation with the already worried Evan. Mind you, all this is going on for Holly at the same time as the holiday festivities, wedding planning, addressing and signing cards, officiating at a snowman hat throwing contest, and watching the advance of the impending winter storm as her wedding day approached. Then there's the quirky friend who becomes an ordained minister to perform, no lie, a wedding for her pet goat. And, oh, the repeated comments about the toy drive coordinator looking like Santa and being able to seemingly make things happen. That said, the final scene is wonderfully described and reminds us all of the magic of people coming together to make the impossible happen.

Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the dose of Christmas. It was a fun story and I loved how it incorporated The Nutcracker into the plot.

Fireside Reading of The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Narrated by Gildart Jackson

 

AUDIO 3h, 13m

As a narrator, Gildart Jackson is top-notch. I particularly enjoyed his rendition of the first battle. You could envision the noise, confusion, and chaos about them as the magical battle raged. Of course, given Jackson's background, which includes everything from soap operas to the Headmaster in the TV series "Charmed", not to mention Shakespeare, that is to be expected. It's a treat for all of us that he does these classical readings.

Much to my surprise, I wasn't as taken with the original, written version as I'd expected to be, however. That's probably more on my familiarity with the ballet (I found myself trying to match scenes from the story to the ballet) than the story itself. That said, despite the magical, fantastic aspects of the story, even given Jackson's skill, the story just seemed to lag in spots. As a result, although I'd give Gildart Jackson 5+ as narrator, I had to rate this a bit lower, a 4 star. Others may find it more instantly delightful, however, so don't let my somewhat disappointment scare you away. It's worth a listen just to hear Gildart Jackson's narration. 

Thanks #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for allowing me to visit the timeless tale of the Nutcracker. Although it took me awhile to adjust to the rhythm, I did enjoy  hearing the full story as originally told.