Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection by Mary Alford

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection Reviews

• 
  Susan Snodgrass

  3.5 stars.
  
  If you enjoy inspirational suspense, here's your chance to read a bunch of novellas with those those ingredients. Chock full of suspense, with a dose of faith thrown in, they are a quick read on the go or a vacation read. All good. Recommended.
  
• 
  Gretchen Garrison

  My rating might be revised once I have read the whole book.
  Note: I had the opportunity to read Adam Blumer's title "Death the Halls" before it was released. I was provided with an advanced copy, but I wanted to review it. All opinions are my own. At some point, this will become a part of the whole review as I did pre-order the book. Since there are ten novellas included, I may not get to finish it right away.
  
  "Death the Halls" is a stand-alone Christmas novella. Writing a holiday story can be challenging because they can quickly become cheesy. Since this is a suspense novella, that was not the case. Here are some reflections on this book.
  
  First, while there were definitely some chilling moments, the "violent" parts were not overly descriptive. Yet the tragedy was presented in such a way that the reader will feel sadness at the outcome.
  
  Second, the storyline was plausible. The motivation for the wrong doing was clear cut. And there were definitely some surprises at the end.
  
  Third, the message still proclaimed eternal hope and being able to move past a devastating situation. Spiritual elements were a part of the storyline as well as the importance of family and making things right. There was a romantic interest as a part of the book, but I would not call this a romance at all.
  I do think that "Death the Halls" is well-written. I am looking forward to read the rest of the book and will revise this review once that is complete.
• 
  Virginia Winfield

  I enjoyed each of the 10 different stories that were in this book. Each story was by a different Christian fiction author and all were fantastic. I had read books by five of the authors before. I hope to read more books by all of these authors. I loved the suspense in each story and the characters and that they were all based around Christmas. I did not want to put the book down. I received a copy of this book from one of the authors for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
• 
  Hunter Q Lee

  I could not stop reading.
  
  Each of the ten authors in this set are first class. If you are looking some good reading this is it.
• 
  Ashley

  3.5 Stars
  Mistletoe and Murder was a nice collection of suspense and mystery novellas that's perfect for the Christmas season. Like with most box sets, this was a mixed bag of stories that I enjoyed to varying degrees. There were stories I loved, stories that were okay, and some that just weren't my cup of tea. There were authors I was familiar with and others that were new to me, several that I'm eager to check out more stuff from. If you're a fan of suspense, give this collection a try.
• 
  Melissa Henderson

  Hang on to your seats. Each story is filled with suspense, danger, intrigue and heart pounding mystery. The authors have unique stories and every one is interesting. I enjoyed reading this book.
• 
  Peni

  Please see individual stories for review.
• 
  Agnieszka

  #1:
  Dead of Winter by
  Mary Alford ?* ?/?/? Bitter Creek #2
  Bitter Creek, Wyoming; Ava Harper, Baker Westover; Sheriff’s Deputy & FBI Agent
  
  #2:
  Death the Halls by
  Adam Blumer ?* ?/?/? Stand alone?
  Henry Haven, Michigan; Lauren Henry, James ?
  
  #3:
  Revenge Ignited by
  Liz Bradford ?* 12/?/22 Knoxville FBI #0.5
  Knoxville, North Carolina?; Aliza Blake, Gabe Jacobs; ? & Police Officer
  
  #4:
  The Marked Witness by
  Vicki Hinze ?* ?/?/? Shadow Watchers #3 (Spin-off series of Crossroads Crisis Center series)
  ?; Sam ? and Jaycee ?; ?
  
  #5: Ghost of Christmas Past by
  Shaen Layle ?* ?/?/?
  
  #6: The Confession of John Doe by
  Loree Lough ?* ?/?/?
  
  #7: Killing Christmas by
  Nancy Mehl ?* ?/?/? Pastor Pembroke Mystery #?
  
  #8:
  Deadly Drive by
  Cara C. Putman ?* ?/?/? Stand alone?
  Washington, D.C.; Joci Littleton
  
  #9:
  Dangerous Christmas by
  Lynn Shannon ?* ?/?/? Hazardous Holiday #1
  ?: Holly Miller, Aiden James; social worker & police chief
  
  #10:
  Yuletide Protector by
  Virginia Vaughan ?* ?/?/? Stand alone?
  ?; Glen Bishop, Jenna Sloan; detective & lawyer
  *
• 
  Sharon

  Dead of Winter by Mary Alford *** I Liked It
  This is Book 1 of the Bitter Creek Series. The bulk of the main plot wraps up by the end of the book but there are unanswered questions because an underlying storyline is left to be continued in the rest of the series. I am a bit disappointed about that.
  
  Death the Halls by Adam Blumer ** It Was Okay
  This Thriller did not thrill me because it seemed to me that all of the characters were flat-lining emotionally.
  
  Revenge Ignited by Liz Bradford *** I Liked It
  Sweet suspense. Fairly predictable.
  
  The Marked Witness by Vicki Hinze **** I Really Liked It
  I thoroughly enjoyed another Shadow Watchers Story, especially because of the references to beloved characters from previous Shadow Watchers stories.
  
  Ghost of Christmas Past by Shaen Layle ** It Was Okay
  This little Thriller disturbed me because of its theme of ex-spousal abuse. So, although the story ended well, I did not find it to be entertaining.
  
  The Confession of John Doe by Loree Lough *** I Liked It
  It reads like a fairytale.
  
  Killing Christmas by Nancy Mehl **** I Really Liked It
  This author writes Crime Drama very well.
  
  Deadly Drive by Cara Putman *** I Liked It
  This is a good little murder mystery.
  
  Dangerous Christmas by Lynn Shannon *** I Liked It
  This is an entertaining mystery filled with plenty of twists and turns.
  
  Yuletide Protector by Virginia Vaughan ** It Was Okay
  I liked the storyline for the most part. The lead male character was interesting but the lead female character just did not resonate with me. My issue with that character lessened my enjoyment of this book.
• 
  Holly

  Thought it would be good to share my thoughts of each novella in this group of stories.
  
  1. Dead of Winter - Really REALLY good. Makes me want to read more.
  2. Death the Halls - Didn't enjoy this one as much. The premise was just a little to off.
  3. Revenge Ignited - VERY good. Strong characters and story line. I want to read more by Liz Bradford.
  4. The Marked Witness - This one was pretty good. I really liked Sam and Lizzie. Story was pretty good.
  5. Ghost of Christmas Past - Not my favorite story. More the type of story the writing was fine and it ended well, but just not my favorite.
  6. The Confession of Joe Doe - not as much of a mystery but so far the sweetest story of God's grace and forgiveness. This one made me tear up.
  7. Killing Christmas - WOW Nancy Mehl did not disappoint. I hope we see more of Luke and Dub
  8. Deadly Drive - This was really pretty good. I wish it could have ended differently, but it was a good story.
  9. Dangerous Christmas - Another really good story. The author did a good job "hiding" the real antagonist.
  10. Yuletide Protector - Sweet way to end the collection. A good story with strong characters though I had the desire to smack Jenna around a few times, but all in all a very good story.
  
  I enjoy these sets. It's a great way to meet new authors. Just bummed that Goodreads only counts this as 1 book instead of 10! LOL
• 
  Heather

  Some good stories
  
  Okay, so I couldn't wait for this series to come out. I was excited to read new authors and intriguing stories. I only give it 3 stars though. The authors that are well known have great stories. The unknown authors.....oh goodness.... it was painful.
  
  The stories are for people who are strictly looking for mystery. Not a mystery, Christmas romance. The stories are good but also depressing as characters typically die in them at Christmas.
  
  So 3 stars. Loved Nancy Mehl's story even if I had to sleep with the lights on. 😂
• 
  Erin Laramore

  This was a fun collection of romantic suspense novellas that take place at Christmas. Some were better than others, but all in all a good collection of stories. I would recommend to fans of clean and inspirational romantic suspense!
• 
  Deena

  I enjoyed most of the stories. A few were 'meh', and three were outstanding.
• 
  Mary Alford

  Silent Night, Deadly Night. Welcome to a Killer Christmas!
  
  Danger and suspense await you this Christmas season in Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection featuring 10 individual novellas of suspense from some of today’s most talented Christian Suspense authors.
  
  Come with us on a heart-racing journey through the holidays as USA Today, Christian Booksellers Association, and ECPA Bestselling authors Mary Alford, Adam Blumer, Liz Bradford, Vicki Hinze, Shaen Layle, Loree Lough, Nancy Mehl, Cara Putman, Lynn Shannon, and Virginia Vaughan, weave tales of suspense that will have you flipping pages well into the new year.
• 
  Deb Brammer

  I'm adding to this review as I finish each one of the 10 novellas for my own reference.
  This is a nice collection of shorter reads that are a little softer than some suspense seems to be.
  1. Dead of Winter by Mary Alford
  I found this one a bit hard to believe. Not a writing style I personally prefer.
  2. Death the Halls by Adam Blumer
  The Christmas theme has made this novella softer than some of his suspense, which I like. A twist in the ending.
  3. Revenge Ignited by Liz Bradford
  Nice story about a single woman who inherits her sister's children, then has to fight to protect them and herself. Mistletoe is mentioned several times, which goes with the title of the collection.
  4. The Marked Witness by Vicky Hinze
  In the beginning of this I felt so much information was thrown at me, but it turned out to be a sweet story about a mom and daughter in the witness protection program and the man bent on solving their case and giving them a future.
  5. Ghost of Christmas Past by Shaen Layle
  Lily has an abusive past with her ex-husband who takes Jake, her special needs son, away from her in order to hurt her. She has to get to her son in time and try to get him to safety. Her ex uses manipulation and fear to control her. Well paced and well written with good suspense. It is lightly Christian. The characters go to church, pray, and the main character "has come to Jesus."
  6. The Confession of John Doe by Loree Lough
  The situation was interesting and it was a good read BUT the ending was unbelievable. An Amish woman is forced to care for a wounded criminal and learns to love him. To make yourself believe this book you need to believe Amish typically are open to relationships between their women and criminals who vaguely regret their crimes. This book is supposed to be Christian but gives you the idea Christians are simply well meaning people.
  7. Killing Christmas by Nancy Mehl
  Chapter 1 really turned me off. Trying to be humorous, the author has this single pastor accidentally look up the dress of his secretary. "Nothing I wanted to see - especially on an empty stomach." He describes her this way: "The only way to describe what happened behind Aggie was to try to envision two large, angry cats thrust into a burlap bag. The result wasn't pretty - and neither was Agatha Broadbottom." This pastor's thoughts about different people are so demeaning I had no sympathy for him. BUT after chapter 1 this changed. The pastor was compassionate and caring. The novella was well written, suspenseful, and surprising. Well worth reading on.
  8. Deadly Drive by Cara Putnam
  In this slightly Christian novella, the girl's twin brother is killed. She has to go to DC to identify the body and help police solve the mystery. This is a good, well written mystery.
  9. Dangerous Christmas by Lynn Shannon
  A nice story.
  10. Yuletide Protector by Virginia Vaughan
  A nice story. A bit hard to believe a woman with an abusive past would be this ready to trust another man.
  
• 
  Stacey Cochran

  I enjoyed this novella collection. Some of the stories were better than others, see below for reviews on each title.
  
  1. Dead of Winter *** I didn't realize that it was the beginning to a series and was a little disappointed that all of the loose ends were not tied. Characters had good chemistry, but I felt that the dialogue was a little stiff. But overall, it was a good, quick read.
  2. Death the Hall***I enjoyed the twist at the end. Good message of forgiveness. Overall, a good quick read.
  3. Revenge Ignited***The characters were so good in this one. I loved the children! The message about faith and trust was so well-done. Overall, very good read.
  4. The Marked Witness***I really enjoyed this story. It ended way too quickly for me, but I really enjoyed the characters and the setting (being from Alabama after all). Overall, very good read.
  5. Ghost of Christmas Past****This was such a good story! The details were so vivid--I felt like I was there with Lila. The writing was so good and the plot was very good. And the message was so good; I even got a little teary over Lila's epiphany. Overall, an excellent read.
  6. The Confessions of John Doe****Such a good story! I’m not a fan of Amish fiction, but I devoured this one. And a great message of forgiveness and love. Overall, an excellent read.
  7. Killing Christmas****This was so suspenseful and just a bit terrifying. So well-written, good characters, and message. Overall, an excellent read.
  8. Deadly Drive***I enjoyed this story. It was so sad, but hopeful at the end. The characters were good; I could read a series about Joci and Detective Bolden solving crimes. Two women/friends working together in DC to stop crime, yes please! Overall, a great read.
  9. Dangerous Christmas***This was a sweet story (except for the danger). The characters had good chemistry and the mystery actually had me guessing. Overall, a great read.
  10. Yuletide Protector***This story kept you on your toes! The characters had good chemistry and the writing was goo. Overall, a great read.
• 
  Barbara

  Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection contains ten novellas by different authors. Some are cozy mysteries: some are a bit darker. For some, Christmas just happens to be the time of year the story occurs and doesn’t really figure into the plot. Others depend on the Christmas setting more heavily. Most have Christian characters and undertones, some more than others.
  
  Most of these are stand-alone stories, but a few tie in to an author’s previous series. But enough was explained that I wasn’t left hanging.
  
  The stories were definitely suspenseful! I enjoyed some more than others. Since they were all set at Christmas, they all turned out well in the end.
  
  In some cases, a novella doesn’t really provide enough time for two people to fall in love, especially if they were strangers beforehand. So some of the romances seemed a little rushed.
  
  There was one spot where the theology was a little wonky, but most of the time the faith element was a clear and vital thread in the story.
  
  Christmastime seems to lend itself to anthologies. But I’ve never read a collection of Christmas novellas with as many as ten stories. That added up to 938 pages—a little long, in my opinion, for a book that’s primarily going to be read in one month. I would have enjoyed it more if it had broken broken up into two books read on subsequent Christmases.
  
  But I did enjoy it, for the most part. And I think anyone who likes mystery, suspense, crime drama, detective stories, and the like would love it.
• 
  Gretchen Garrison

  Note: Once I read the entire book, I will review the whole thing.
  
  I had the opportunity to read Adam Blumer's title "Death the Halls" before it was released. I was provided with an advanced copy, but I wanted to review it. All opinions are my own. At some point, this will become a part of the whole review as I did pre-order the book. Since there are ten novellas included, I may not get to finish it right away.
  
  "Death the Halls" is a stand-alone Christmas novella. Writing a holiday story can be challenging because they can quickly become cheesy. Since this is a suspense novella, that was not the case. Here are some reflections on this book.
  
  First, while there were definitely some chilling moments, the "violent" parts were not overly descriptive. Yet the tragedy was presented in such a way that the reader will feel sadness at the outcome.
  
  Second, the storyline was plausible. The motivation for the wrong doing was clear cut. And there were definitely some surprises at the end.
  
  Third, the message still proclaimed eternal hope and being able to move past a devastating situation. Spiritual elements were a part of the storyline as well as the importance of family and making things right. There was a romantic interest as a part of the book, but I would not call this a romance at all.
  I do think that "Death the Halls" is well-written. I am looking forward to read the rest of the book and will revise this review once that is complete.
• 
  Christie A

  This was a great collection of authors and books. I love finding collections with some authors I know and some new ones. I can honestly say I have found some new authors to follow. I can’t say that there was one story that I didn’t like in this collection which is rare. The first book Dead of Winter by Mary Alford had my jaw drop. Her book left we with a cliff hanger which I totally wasn’t expecting. I will have to wait until this summer to see how it all goes, but it totally worth the wait. I’d love to tell you about each book, but there are not enough hours in the day to do that. Just know if you buy Mistletoe and Murder you will not be disappointed in any way. Lots of great books and lots of great authors. Happy Reading.
• 
  Stella Potts

  I enjoyed all 10 of these novellas but as is the norm,I am quite sure, I liked some better then others. I especially enjoyed Mary Alford’s and Nancy Mehl’s contributions. I enjoyed getting acquainted with some authors I hadn’t read before i.e. Shaen Mehl and Vicki Hinze along with a few others that were new to me. Even thought these are short stories they are well worth your time to read them. They are all good books.
• 
  Janet Sketchley

  Like most collections, this one had some stories I liked a lot, some that were pretty good, and one or two that weren't to my taste. I did find myself pondering some logical or continuity issues after some of the stories, but that didn't affect my enjoyment at the time. Each story is a good length for a quick read. I'd like to give this a 3.5 stars since it doesn't feel quite like a 4 overall.
• 
  Jeannette Vreeland

  Suspense Personified
  
  Enjoyed this collection of suspense short stories. Easy to read and kept my interest to find out who done it. Thanks to all the different authors for this collection.