About the Book
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Noelle Brightwood's beloved café, The Hearth & Hearth, is the cozy heart of Peppermint Hollow, Vermont—especially during the holidays. This December, she's created her most magical event the Advent Cocoa Countdown, where customers open numbered envelopes each day to discover specialty hot cocoa recipes, festive treats, and delightful surprises. But when local real estate developer Warren Frost collapses after eating a candy cane from Day Ten's envelope, Noelle's Christmas dream becomes a nightmare. The police discover the candy cane was laced with poison, and five more poisoned treats are hidden throughout the remaining calendar days—each one pointing to someone who had reason to want Warren dead.
With her café sealed as a crime scene and her reputation on the line, Noelle teams up with her quick-witted best friend Ivy to uncover the truth. Every suspect seems to have the perfect Warren's bitter ex-wife who lost everything in their divorce, the quiet carpenter whose family land was stolen through legal trickery, the struggling café owner facing ruin, and even the town's perky activities coordinator hiding a desperate secret. As threatening messages arrive and danger escalates, Noelle must use her gift for reading people—honed through years as a children's librarian—to figure out who turned her Advent calendar into a deadly game. With her faithful Corgi-Pom mix Nutmeg by her side and the whole town watching, she'll need to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again.
My Review
Noelle Brightwood is the owner of a cozy cafe called The Hearth & Hearth. It’s located in the small town of Peppermint Hollow, Vermont. It will soon be Christmas and Noelle has created a beautiful holiday event, the Advent Cocoa Countdown. The town is thrilled to be participating in this event, until Warren Frost arrives. He’s the local real estate developer who has destroyed many of the town’s citizens. He's the last person any of them wanted to see at this celebration.
As Warren eats a candy cane at the cafe, he suddenly falls to the ground and is immediately pronounced dead. When poison is found in the candy cane, the cafe is closed, and a murder investigation is under way. Noelle fears her cozy little cafe will be closed forever unless the killer is found. Along with Noelle’s Corgi-Pom Nutmeg and her best friend Ivy, they go in search for the real culprit. They are surprised that there are so many possibilities.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be my last. It’s a fast-paced cozy mystery led by a strong protagonist and an interesting plot. I was immediately drawn into this book from the start. It’s well written and has a wonderful cast of characters.
For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2025
This one is from my own e-book collection. All opinions expressed are my own.
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