Publisher's Weekly Review
Three big-name cozy writers contribute candy cane-themed novellas to this entertaining yuletide anthology. Levine's series heroine Jaine Austen (Death by Pantyhose, etc.) spots a wealthy suburbanite's killer in the unfortunately skimpy "The Danger of Candy Canes," where the subplot about a troubled teen is more compelling than the actual mystery. Hannah Swensen (Key Lime Pie Murder, etc.) experiments with new Christmas cookies (recipes included, of course) and gets to the bottom of a Santa slaying in Fluke's complex "Candy Cane Murder," which includes several plausible suspects and a surprising twist-an impressive feat in just 150 pages. Meier's powerful "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" takes heroine Lucy Stone (Bake Sale Murder, etc.) back to December 1983, when, newly arrived in Tinker's Cove, Maine, she found herself investigating the circumstances of a decades-old local death and struggling with her own financial and domestic difficulties. Fluke and Meier ably make up for Levine's shortcomings to create a sweet holiday treat for mystery lovers. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Santa gets bludgeoned, neighbors knock neighbors off their light-festooned roofs and householders nearly blow themselves into next year cooking Yule dinner in this triple-decker helping of holiday cheer. Fluke gives her regular sleuth the starring role in the saga of Santa's sad demise. Hannah Swenson finds skinflint department-store magnate Wayne Bergstrom with his neck broken after playing St. Nick at the Lake Eden Inn's gala. Even her boyfriend, Detective Mike Kingston, knows Hannah's going to investigate, although he tells her for the record to leave it to the professionals. Levine's Jaine Austen, a freelance writer who can resist anything but temptation, is in a holiday tizzy trying to clear Seymour Fiedler, proud proprietor of "Fiedler on the Roof Roofers," of the charge that he doctored the roofing tiles that led to irascible Garth Janken's untimely demise. And Meier takes Lucy Stone back in time, as Christmas with her grandson Patrick reminds her of her first Christmas in Tinker's Cove. Their house on Red Top Road was a mess, she was pregnant with her second child and her husband Bill tried to fix the pilot light on their cantankerous stove, causing an explosion that burned his arms. When librarian Julia Tilley comes to her rescue, Lucy in return tackles the mysterious death of Miss Tilley's mother. Like a box of holiday chocolates, this recipe-studded assortment gives all readers a crack at their favorites. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Three popular mystery authors each present a charming Christmas novella in this holiday volume. In Fluke's "Candy Cane Murder," bakery owner Hannah Swenson stumbles across a dead Santa Claus. Several holiday recipes are included. In Laura Levine's "The Danger of Candy Canes," freelance writer Jaine Austen helps a business acquaintance beat a murder rap while finding four suspects along the way. And Leslie Meier's homemaker sleuth Lucy Stone makes an appearance in "Candy Canes of Christmas Past," finding herself tangled in family secrets after an innocent yard sale find leads to much more than she bargained for. Expect demand from fans of these light and cozy mystery series. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
