Not a Creature Was Stirring
(Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)
by Christina Freeburn
About the Book
Not a Creature Was Stirring (Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Henery Press (January 22, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1635114373
ISBN-13: 978-1635114379
Digital ASIN: B07K1MFQ7T
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Henery Press (January 22, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1635114373
ISBN-13: 978-1635114379
Digital ASIN: B07K1MFQ7T
Empty nester Merry Winters loves three things: Christmas, crafting and her family. To regain purpose and joy, Merry hits the road to a Christmas vendor event with her furry sidekick Ebenezer in her new mobile crafting sleigh, aka an RV.
But it soon turns into the nightmare before Christmas when Merry unwraps her Scrooge of an ex-husband’s body in one of the RV’s compartments. Add to that his missing winning lottery ticket believed to be stashed somewhere in the RV, leading the homicide detective and Merry’s stepdaughter to believe Merry is the one whodunit.
With visions of prison dancing in her head, will Merry be able to solve this Christmas calamity before she’s locked away?
My Review
Christmas is the best time of year for Merry Winters. She loves everything about it. Along with her best friend, they start a Christmas crafting business. She’s quite excited to attend a Christmas vendor event and even buys an RV to transport her crafting materials. Things are looking good for Merry.
Then, it takes a horrible turn when she discovers her ex-husband’s dead body hidden in the RV. The prime suspect is Merry herself. Even her stepdaughter believes she killed her father. Then, to complicate matters even more, it is believed a winning lottery ticket was hidden somewhere in the RV as well. Merry knows nothing about any of these things. She just wants to be in the Christmas atmosphere, but instead she might find herself spending the holidays in jail.
This is the first in a fun new series. Merry Winters is a wonderful, strong character with a deep love for her family and, of course, Christmas. She has two adult children and is very close to them and their father. She even adopts a pet guinea pig she names Ebenezer.
Not A Creature Was Stirring is fast-paced, funny, and filled with a quirky cast of characters. I devoured this book in a couple of days. It’s wonderfully written and I found myself engrossed until the last page. The author did a great job of transporting me to West Virginia. There were so many different possibilities of whodunit. I love a mystery that keeps the reader on their toes. Just when you think the case is solved, it’s not.
I never read anything by this author before, but I'll definitely be looking for more of her work. She has another cozy mystery series that I intend to add to my TBR. I always enjoy “discovering” new-to-me authors. This was definitely a hit for me. Although the release date is January, it’s never too late for a Christmas mystery.
For reading challenges:
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2019
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2019 (West Virginia)
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2019
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Christina Freeburn has always loved books. There was nothing better than picking up a story and being transported to another place. The love of reading evolved into the love of writing and she's been writing since her teenage years. Her first novel was a 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee. Her mysteries series, Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery and Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mysteries, are a mix of crafty and crime and feature heroines whose crafting time is interrupted by crime solving.
Christina served in the US Army and has also worked as a paralegal, librarian, church secretary, and golf shop pro. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid and allergic to felines.
Author Links
Webpage: www.christinafreeburn.com
Blog: www.theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaFreeburnCraftyandCrimeAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChristinaFreeburn
Purchase Links
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Yvonne, this sounds like a fun cozy! I will add a link to this giveaway to my blog's sidebar. Thank you for hosting this. :)
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds fun! I love a Christmasy cozy so I'm adding this series to my list.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was Oh No, not Christmas again already! It looks like a fun story though and, considering I'm in one right now, the RV setting appeals to me :-)
ReplyDelete