Review: A Christmas Letter by Kathi Daley

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
Kathi Daley Books

Release Date:
December 1, 2017





Synopsis from Goodreads:

A cozy mystery series featuring family who are friends and friends who are family. Set in the small town of White Eagle Montana, the series features Tess and her dog Tilly, who spend their days delivering the latest gossip along with the daily mail. When a close friend is murdered they join forces with the new Veterinarian in town to sleuth out the truth behind the shocking murder that is rocking the community as it prepares for the annual Christmas Festival.

My Review

It’s Christmas time in the small town of White Eagle, Montana where everyone knows each other. Tess Thomas it the local postal carrier and makes her rounds everyday with her trusty sidekick, Tilly. Tilly is her beloved dog and always by her side.

During one of her deliveries, Tess and Tilly stumble upon the murdered body of one of the local older townspeople. There’s also a tiny kitten tangled up in a fishing line. Tess quickly calls her brother, who happens to be the local cop. Once she’s finished answering questions, she gets the kitten to the vet. She’s surprised to find a new vet has taken over the practice. A very handsome new vet.

Tess and Tilly keep the new kitten, now named Tang, and find themselves in the middle of the murder investigation. Actually, Tess had no plans to get involved but her best friend Bree’s boyfriend, Donny, has been arrested for the murder and pleads with Tess to help solve the crime. She’s sure Donny is innocent. Tess isn’t so sure since Donny used to be her boyfriend, too, but she agrees to help.

Along with her longtime genius friend Tony, Tess starts asking questions around town. She stumbles upon many deep, dark secrets hidden in White Eagle for decades. She knows she’s getting close to a killer when she begins to receive threats. Tess has no intentions of backing off until this mystery is solved.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, “A Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery” series. What a delight! So much fun with a cast of incredibly likable characters. Tess is both strong and adorable at the same time. As an animal lover, I was touched at how quickly she accepted Tang into her family. Plus, she helps out with animal adoptions.  How nice is that?

There are two romance possibilities for Tess, but mainly this is a mystery. The main focus is on “whodunnit”, not Tess’ love life. Although, there’s a little bit of romance mixed in. It adds a nice touch to the story.  I always love my cozy mysteries to be heavy on the mystery with just a small about of romance.  This one is the perfect mix.

This was a quick read for me. It just took a couple of hours and was a total joy to read. A wonderful start to a new series.

Kathi Daley has been on my list to read for a long time. Not only am I looking forward to another adventure with Tess and Tilly, but I’m going to check out her other series as well.

Fast-paced mystery with a touch of romance…perfect for a couple of hours of relaxation.





For reading challenges:
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2017

Disclosure: I borrowed this one through Kindle Unlimited. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.