I'm a big fan of holiday mysteries, and when the whole series is about Christmas, even more to rave about. In Vicki Delany's Year-Round Christmas Mysteries, a small town in upstate New York offers all the jolly characters, warm sentiments, and memorable moments... then you have the dastardly murderers who want to get rid of someone who's in their way. In this latest installment, a Christmas play causes the cast to fight for expanded roles, find a way to reclaim their fame, and settle old grudges. But Merry must stay close to protect her opera-singer mother who finally agrees to participate this year, only to be accused of killing someone. Loved the holiday spirit. So many hilarious moments. And I like a retelling of the Scrooge stories we've all come to love. Sad that I've finished my last holiday Christmas book, but maybe I'll find a few more before the holiday hits. Great way to escape the daily routine and live a bit of fantasy in a fun Christmas village.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
I really enjoyed this book a lot! It is absolutely perfect for this time of the year (Christmas 🎄) chalked full of everything Christmas with a little cozy mystery to solve. The characters are all likeable and I didn't know this was part of a series. So I am now reading it from the beginning. Highly recommend!

I love this Christmas cozy mystery series. I mean what's not to love about a year round Christmas town. Merry is one of my favorite cozy mystery sleuth's. And I love Mattie the St. Bernard her dog. I think this one was my favorite of the series so far.

Book Review: Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany

Rating: 3.5 stars

First off, let's talk about the cover of this book. It's absolutely adorable and captures the festive spirit perfectly, which is a crucial aspect for a holiday cozy mystery like this one. Now, onto my review.

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is the sixth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set in Rudolph, New York, America's Christmas Town. The story revolves around Merry Wilkinson, the owner of Mrs. Claus's Treasures, a gift and décor shop in town. As the local amateur dramatic society prepares for a special production of A Christmas Carol, tensions rise among the cast and crew, threatening the show.

The plot takes an exciting turn when a member of the group is found dead shortly after visiting Merry's shop. This incident raises suspicions of cutthroat competition within the society. With everyone involved in the production becoming potential suspects, including Merry's mother Aline and her shop assistant Jackie O'Reilly, who was desperate for a starring role, the fate of Christmas and Merry herself hang in the balance.

Delany skillfully crafts a well-written and paced mystery that can easily be enjoyed as a standalone novel. The festive atmosphere is beautifully captured, making it an ideal read for the holiday season. The plot is engaging and keeps readers guessing until the very end.

However, one aspect of the book that didn't resonate with me was the characterization. While the story itself was enjoyable, I found some of the characters to be less likable. Both Jackie and Merry came across as rude and harsh, which made it difficult to fully connect with them. Nevertheless, not every character can be loved by every reader, and this didn't detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany is a well-crafted and suitably festive cozy mystery. It successfully stands on its own within the series and offers an engaging plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. If you're looking for a holiday-themed mystery that will get you into the Christmas spirit, this book is worth picking up.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I'm so happy to read a new instalment in this series and it was up to my expectation: festive, entertaining and well plotted.
I was glad to catch up with the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy of Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany in exchange for an honest review. It published September 19, 2023.
This was another great book by Vicki Delany! I totally enjoyed this one from start to finish, I especially loved the fact that it revolved around a production of A Christmas Carol, my favorite book!

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is the 6th book in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series and only the 2nd one I have read. I had no problem with the story and had fun with it, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more, if I had read all the previous books. This story has the town of Rudolph New York in the midst of their Christmas celebrations. The next big event is the performances of The Christmas Carol, the Musical. Wow, so much turmoil. As everyone argues about who should play what parts, who will sing what songs and what costumes need to be changed, it is worrisome that the show might not go on. When one of the characters ends up dead in Merry's shop, Mrs. Claus' Treasures, she feels that she needs to help with the investigation, after all, she died in her store. With a few suspects, several red herrings and even more issues with the play, will this crime be solved before someone else ends up dead, or the play is a flop?

Wow, there were so many characters that I disliked and that got on my nerves in this one. Thank heavens for Merry, her dad and the sheriff for being the great, likable characters in this one, as well as Mattie (Matterhorn), Merry's dog. Merry is a great character. She gets people to talk to her, she is friendly, wonderful to her family and is smart and intuitive. I like the way she puzzles things out. She even held her cool when confronted by nasty old Margie, the store owner who is a thorn in her side. The mystery was well-plotted with enough suspects to keep me guessing. The final showdown was a wild one and I was happy to see the culprit arrested. Finding the killer and the motivation for it, was a great story and I do recommend it. I definitely plan to go back and read the books I missed in this series.

The town of Rudolph may be known as a year-round Christmas town, but the feelings of love at Christmas seem to be missing this year! As the community theater group prepares for a rendition of "A Christmas Carol," tensions run high and rivalries arise as the actors try to outdo each other and vie for roles in the play. When one of the actors is found dead in Merry's gift shop, she becomes embroiled in the rivalries and in the investigation into the mysterious death.

Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries set at the holidays will find this latest addition to the Christmas mystery genre to their liking. This is a cozy mystery without strong language, intimacy, or graphic violence.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The characters are well-developed and likable.
The plot is suspenseful and keeps you guessing.
The setting is charming and festive.
The book is well-written and easy to read.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, then I highly recommend Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas. It is a fun and entertaining read that will get you into the holiday spirit.

The Year-Round-Christmas series has been one of my favourite cozy series for years! I was extremely disappointed when I heard that it had come to an end, so you can only imagine my delight when I heard the publisher had a change of heart and gave the go ahead for another installment! It was the perfect kick-off to my holiday reading season.

I was so happy to be back in Rudolph, New York in Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas, especially since this one takes place at Christmas time. Merry's mom, Aline, has agreed to star in the local community production of A Christmas Carol which of course, does not seem to be going very smoothly even before a murder takes place. I loved reading about the small-town drama that comes with events like this. Everyone takes these things so seriously and of course, in this case, leads to some funny shenanigans. And as always, Vicky Delany crafted a great mystery that had you side eyeing everyone.

As I said, I was so happy to be back in Rudolph and I hope there will be more trips to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy this series and love visiting the Christmas town any time of the year. I like the characters and the mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love theater and cozy mysteries- this book is a cute Holiday read! Following the town of Rudolf through this series has been fun.

It’s December in Rudolph, NY, where it’s Christmas all year. This December the local theater group is putting on the annual Christmas Carol. Merry’s mom, an esteemed opera singer, is the lead in this play. She’s also giving a lot of private lessons to improve the cast. When one of the cast members is found dead in Merry’s store, there’s loads of suspects and a variety of motives.

This is an enjoyable Christmas book. Great to buy now and read to prepare for the season.

Vicki Delany’s Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas offers a welcome return to the charmingly festive yet murder-stricken town of Rudolph, New York, where Christmas spirit runs high and malice simmers beneath the surface. The sixth instalment in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series, it’s a seasonal whodunit with all the trimmings, including a perplexing murder, perilous relationships, and plenty of small-town intrigue.

In the deceptively quaint community of Rudolph—famous as America’s Christmas Town—the holiday season is in full swing and the Rudolph Community Theater Players are feverishly preparing for their annual Christmas extravaganza: a musical rendition of A Christmas Carol. However, the little theatre group is unusually full of big egos, and the previously joyous atmosphere of rehearsals is quickly soured by tensions among the cast and crew.

Despite being fonder of true crime than musical theatre, Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs Claus’s Treasures and accomplished amateur sleuth, reluctantly finds herself pulled into the drama due to her mother, retired opera diva Aline Steiner, taking part in this year’s production. What’s more, when a particularly unpopular member of the cast is found dead, Merry becomes entangled in a puzzling murder mystery that threatens to put a dampener on the town’s holiday cheer.

Vicki Delany has a keen eye for the complex relationships and rivalries that underpin small-town life—particularly in the kind of small town that serves as the setting for a cosy murder mystery—deftly capturing the drama and dysfunctional dynamics inherent in the world of community theatre this time round. As Merry is forced to navigate an intricate web of conflicts and motivations among the theatre group, Delany is able to gently skewer many related stereotypes, including the frustrated actor, megalomaniacal backer, and stage mother.

One of the strengths of the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series is Delany’s evocative portrayal of the idyllic but enigmatic town of Rudolph, and in Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas, the town again serves as both a setting and a major character. Through vivid descriptions of people and place, as well as an occasionally tongue-in-cheek approach to the festive aspects, she brings the town to life, providing a picturesque backdrop that perfectly balances the yuletide ambiance with the sense of menace that is never too far away in a place with such a high murder rate.

Indeed, from the snow-laden sidewalks to the cheery shops and eateries, Rudolph exudes a palpable sense of warmth and familiarity perfectly reflective of the feelings that typically characterise the Christmas season, but it does not do so unequivocally. For all the community barbeques, theatre fundraisers, and Christmas-loving locals, there is plenty of malevolence and intrigue bubbling away beneath Rudolph’s jolly façade, which ensures there are plenty of suspicious shenanigans and red herrings for Merry to investigate.

Another strength of the series lies in the well-crafted and endearing characters that populate Rudolph. Merry Wilkinson, with her unyielding determination and quick wit, is an engaging and relatable protagonist—if only she’d dedicate more time to sleuthing and less to romance—who cleverly navigates the intricacies of the murder investigation. Her father, the affable former mayor of Rudolph, who happens to bear a striking resemblance to Santa Claus, adds a touch of whimsy to the story, while her mother, as a former opera star, adds a dynamic and vibrant energy that is both entertaining and mindboggling.

Alongside the series’ regular cast, Delany introduces a host of new suspects and motives in Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas, meaning that there is much for Merry to understand and overcome as she attempts to track down the killer. As the majority of these newcomers are members of a theatre group in which as much drama happens off stage as on stage, their personalities and behaviours are sometimes a tad over the top, but such diversions from the real world never seem too strange in America’s Christmas Town.

Still, despite the many larger than life characters, Delany tempers the story’s overall sense of holiday magic with her portrayal of the darker undercurrents of human behaviour, showcasing how even those with seemingly picture-perfect lives can fall foul of ambition, jealously, and deceit. She skilfully balances the cosy and rather heartwarming elements of the story against the darker themes of Merry’s murder investigation, ensuring that the crime is never overshadowed by the froth.

Moreover, Delany’s adept use of misdirection ensures that the mystery remains gripping throughout, while Merry’s interactions with her peculiar and sometimes stupefying fellow Rudolph residents—particularly her frustratingly oblivious employee Jackie O’Reilly—add plenty of humour and the occasional moment of exasperation to the story. The wide pool of suspects and the continual danger that Merry finds herself facing also lend the story an air of suspense that lasts until the satisfying dénouement.

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is an appealing and surprisingly complex cosy mystery that seamlessly blends festive charm with brutal murder. Delany’s engaging storytelling, richly developed characters, and evocative worldbuilding make it the perfect Christmas addition to any cosy mystery enthusiast’s reading list.

I have always loved this series and am so happy that it is back . In book 6 , Merry Wilkinson owner of Mrs. Claus’ Treasures in Rudolph New York . In the latest novel Merry has to solve the case of who killed the cast member of the musical production A Christmas Carol .
This is a quick , easy and fun read . I absolutely love this series and look forward to the next installment.

I just reviewed Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany. #HaveYourselfaDeadlyLittleChristmas #NetGalley

Christmas is descending on America's Christmas town and someone wants to make sure that Jacob Marley's ghost in the local theater production isn't the only ghost lurking about! Merry and crew are once again thrust in the midst of a holiday murder and it's looking like it maybe someone close to home that is the culprit or even the next victim! This cozy mystery series is always a delight to read and this book is no exception! Great plot with lots of layers as well as twists and turns will keep you turning pages furiously in order to uncover the villain behind the murders! The characters are so very well written that they feel like real people that you are coming back to visit rather than just reading about characters on a page. Once again this author delivers an outstanding performance! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Rudolph, the town that celebrates Christmas all year long, is preparing for the actual event. One of the highlights of the lead up is the community players Christmas play. This year they are doing a musical version of A Christmas Carol, which means Merry’s mother, the famous former diva, will be taking part both on and off the stage. There is nothing amateur about the tensions running rife through the cast and crew, mainly led by the new Artistic Director whose money is financing some great things but who is causing all kinds of rifts.

When an unpopular member of the cast is murdered in Merry’s shop, Merry gets drawn into the search for the killer. She wants to protect her mother and her shop assistant, who now assumes the role the deceased would have played and who has both means and motivation. As Merry learns more about the murder, she discovers that there are lots of secrets in her little town. Trying to sort through rumour and gossip, she begins to wonder if the murder was a case of mistaken identity.

When she finally does figure things out, she finds herself in grave danger but never fear. She is feisty and is not about to go quietly. And she has her wonderful dog, Matterhorn, to help her. Four purrs and two paws up.

I am so glad Rudolph, NY is back! Thank you #CrookedLane and #VickiDelany for bringing back this series! And thank you #NetGalley for the kindle ARC.

We are back in Rudolph, NY with Merry and her friends and family and....... another murder.

More Christmas themed fun is happening when the local community theater brings "A Christmas Carol" to the stage. It's all drama when a dead body turns up and the finger is pointed at the theater and the play. But exit stage right as Merry reluctantly pursues another murderer as this one is a bit personal with her mother involved with the production.

Another enjoyable read from Vicki Delany and a good addition to the series. I"m giving this a solid 3.5 stars. It has been 3 years since the last book and I did find Merry to be a bit more dry in this story. So I did take a bit off the rating for that. But it will not stop me from promoting this story and this series.

I think it could be read as a standalone. But I do recommend going back and reading from the start. Vicki Delany does a wonderful job of bringing the town to life. And killing a few people in the process. Well written and I highly recommend.

Another Year Round Christmas mystery Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas plunges an amateur Christmas production of A Christmas Carol into murder. The cast is at sixes and sevens and there are lots of suspects. The setting of the murder is our heroine's store, Mrs. Claus's Treasures. where Merry finds the victim. Merry starts trying to find the perpetrator and then her mother is frightened by an intruder in her home. Her mother is also a retired diva who is acting in Christmas Carol. Enjoy the mystery romp.

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany is a wonderfully written mystery that kept me guessing.

Will Merry figure out who killed Paula and why?

Merry Wilkinson
Our sleuth is Merry Wilkinson. She owns Mrs. Claus' Treasures in Rudolph, New York. This is Merry's busy time of year, with Christmas coming up fast. She is busy as can be at her shop, and one of her employees is in the local performance of A Christmas Carol, which means Merry is covering at the shop for her. This doesn't mean that Merry is all work; she is making time for her boyfriend, best friend, and family.

I like Merry. She tries to be honest with everyone. In this installment, she tries not to get involved in the murder investigation. However, she can't shut her mind off, which I can totally understand and find admirable. Matterhorn, her Saint Bernard, is also adorable, and the way that Merry takes care of him is lovely. Mattie steals the show every once in a while.

The Mystery
Rudolph's amateur theater group is putting on A Christmas Carol - the musical version. Merry's mother, the famous retired opera singer Aline Steiner, is part of this year's performance. Because of this, Merry is more involved than in previous years. Anyway, she gets acquainted with the cast and crew during rehearsals. One of the cast members is killed in Merry's shop while she is in the back room. But it has been busy, and there were many people around until there wasn't. Paula wasn't well-liked by many people. Okay, the only one who liked her was her son, not that she deserved to die.

I actually thought a different person, who was upsetting more people, would be the victim. And I completely fell for a red herring that the sleuth dismissed, but I was sure would pop back up. I didn't see the actual culprit in there at all. Well played, Ms. Delany.

Four Stars
My rating for Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany is four stars. I highly recommend this book and the series to all. It is a fantastic mystery set in the time before Christmas.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany.

Until the next time,
~Jen

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