A mystery = I am interested
A murder mystery = I am invested
A murder mystery with clues = I am itching to play the sleuth
A murder mystery with clues and a revealing “this is what that happened” = now you are talking my language.
And T. C. Wescott did indeed speak my language.
This was my first book by this author, and it gave an aura of a cute old time mystery. If you have read books for as long as I have, you will enjoy this book and appreciate those snippets of timelessness in this book.
A cute cozy village with different eccentric people, a bumbling sheriff, his reasonably sane deputy, a cackling effervescent mayor, a sweet, charming inn owner Rose, and the delightful intelligent omniscient MRS. MIRABEL CLAUS whose brain was a sponge which absorbed and stored all the clues and analyzed it later like a jigsaw puzzle.
Amidst this entered an entertainer group for the village festival before Christmas with various talents like the man on stilts, a strong man, a magician, an acrobat, and a psychic. And 2 of them got themselves murdered in mysterious circumstances by a disappearing ghoul. The mystery started, time to wear my detective cap!!
The book progressed slowly and some parts dragged for me, the rest showed me the lives of various people with their relationships, clues were scattered all around, tarts and puddings seemed scrumptious (I had a few chocolate chip cookies while reading the book, and I don’t even like them, so I blame the author for this craving). The writing had an golden era charm to it, I could identify it with the books read in the decades past.
The story allowed me to play the supersleuth, I did guess how one of the murders occurred but the other eluded me. One out of two, was still a good score. I think author T. C. Wescott should deputize me, give me a sheriff’s badge for the next book!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!!
All my reviews can be found here
Nestled betwixt an opulent garden with meandering footpaths and an ancient grove of plum trees, Plum Cottage Inn is plum-full with lodgers in for the Christmas Festival. There are no vacancies…until one by one the lodgers start dying in inexplicable ways.
Short as a stump, round as a wheel, sweet as a candy cane, and a sharp as a whip, Maribel Claus loves a good puzzle. Can Mrs. Claus solve the mystery and save Christmas?
Publication Date: 23rd November 2018
Publisher: Better Mousetrap Books
62 Responses
Still in Christmas mood sheriff Shalini? 🕵️😄
Hehehe I read it on post Christmas hehehe… No idea how it got scheduled today😂
😄
Think there is a troll inside your system, Shalini! 🙂
But this one meets my mood today. Old fashioned mystery is great. Thank you and the troll. 🙂 Michael
How in the world do you read this many books a month? Share your secrets… ☺
Well…. No idea… Maybe I am not working… Sighhh… Some problems in that area…
Hence I am only reading 😂
Wish I could do that too… Would be heaven. If only this paid as well….
Ah! Such beautiful review, I’m itching to read already.
Thank you so much 😍😍❤️❤️
Lovely review!
This was a fun book.. The only good one by this author for me
This is really singing to my cozy mystery loving heart!!! Great review, Shalini!!!
Thanks I did solve one mystery in it 🤣🤣
Has my comment on your post gone into spam?
Wah// What a lovely review
Awww…. Thank you so much Priyasha… 😍
Are my comments on your post in spsm?
I think this one so cute!!! great review!
It was really cute… The murders were quite ingenious
Wonderful review, Shalini! This sounds like such an engaging and fun cozy! ♥️
Cute cozy… 😍
This sounds quirky and fun – love your reviews!
I loved yours… I want that book😍
Wonderful review! I love that word bumbling I need to use that more!
I use it very frequently, most times for myself 🤣🤣😂😂
😂😂😂
I read this one myself and thought the author was VERY creative with the murders!!!!
I agree… Quite ingenious… I will read his books only for that 😍
Good review as always Shalini. I have been hearing good things about this book. I have it on my Amazon cozy mysteries list, but I have not added it to Goodreads yet. I hope you have a wonderful bookish week Shalini 😉
Jody, I was just about to sleep… I hope I get to read some good books… Too many in my TBR… No idea how to choose my next read.. 😍
How are you? How is life in your new place? Are you liking it
I am doing good honey, thank you for asking. I am in the same boat with my TBR list. I keep getting books from NetGalley when I should be working on my list. But I have been trying to bring up my ratio over there. I hope you sleep good honey, night night, sleep tight 😴😉
Lovely review 😊
Thank you Jo ❤️
Ooh this sounds good!
And it was better than his other books
i will have to check it out
Oooooohhhh. My TBR is growing! <3
This is a cute book.. 😍
I like books and so will be looking forward to your reviews! Followed. 😀
Thank you so much
You said all the things I’d have liked to say too. Lol. Loved this review. Couldn’t agree more. Really liked your summaries of the characters too. 😉
Sometimes I shock myself when I read my reviews… 😂 😂
After my review for his other books I don’t think I will get the sheriff’s batch… 😂 😂
🙈 Lol
Beautiful review anyways 😊😊
😂😂
It seems a little cutesy for my tastes. Glad you enjoyed it though
Hahaha it was a cozy mystery written by a male author so it was nice… The other 2 books weren’t to my liking, but the methods of murder are ingenious
Deputy Sheriff Shalini! This sounds like such an interesting read. I love the setting and the sound of the mystery with the circus vibe. I enjoyed reading your review.
Awww… Thank you so much ❤️
Great Cover. Nice Review, Deputy
Thank you… The author didn’t deputize me, would you?
Myriam did. She needs help.
Yayyy….. Go deputy me!!!!!
I love a good murder mystery! Thank you for this review!
It was a fun cozy read. Hope you get to read it
I always enjoy reading your reviews. And this one was fun too. Good job!
Thank you Dominique 💕❤️
Great review Shalini. I had read other reviews of this one, but had no room in my schedule.A cozy is good any time of the year and come to think of it, so is Christmas. Love this post.
Thank you Carla ❤️ a Christmas book can be read forever all seasons, it is the best
As part of my determination to not start new series right now, I did not request this one. Do you know how many mysteries there are with the title “Slay Bells”???? Fortunately titles don’t have to be unique. There is one serious issue we need to address: chocolate chip cookies and the phrase “I don’t even like them” in the same sentence. If these are store bought cookies, that is understandable and you are forgiven. If they are homemade, then you have a serious problem and should consider therapy.😜🙃😆
Hahaha I seriously don’t like chocolate, or cookies, or cakes or ice cream… I crave them once or twice a year… I don’t think my house even has any or all of these.. 😂 😂
Oh my! I was a chocolate addict for many years until it betrayed me when I was having GI issues. After about 15 years of not even a lick of chocolate, I am happy to be able to eat it again in small quantities. Thus my inability to conceive of a world in which chocolate is not revered. I hope you have some other secret passion, besides reading of course. Everyone should have one! 😉
Oh… I am not very sure I have one anymore… The problems in my life in the past few years kinda zapped me… I am rediscovering myself…
I truly wish you well on your journey.💜
😍❤️😘