First of all, Jacqueline Frost is such an awesome name for someone who wrote a Christmas-themed cozy mystery that I had to look her up to see if that was actually her name. Best I can tell, it is, and Twelve Slays of Christmas is her first book.

And man, was it fun.

First of all, I want to live in Mistletoe. It sounds absolutely glorious, with all the Christmas spirit. The town really gets into the festivities, with all sorts of "12 Days of Christmas" activities. Holly's family Christmas tree farm, Reindeer Games, sounds like a merry little utopia, complete with a gingerbread house restaurant and a trio of real live reindeer. Well, a utopia that happened to witness a murder. Regardless.

The characters are a ton of fun, and easy to imagine; Holly's dad was 100% John Goodman. I liked the mystery, and it's definitely a cozy - easy to predict (if you read a lot of them), but fun enough that you don't care. I thought Frost did a great job with Holly; she's a little naive, but not helpless, and throughout the story you can tell she's starting to get her feet under her. I'm excited to see what she does in the next book; I have my suspicions!

Lighthearted and full of Christmas spirit - just what I wanted.

Place:  Mistletoe, Maine

People:  Holly White and her parents, owners of Reindeer Games Tree Farm. Sheriff Evan Grey, a new recruit to Mistletoe, formerly a detective in Boston. Margaret Fenwick, head of the Mistletoe Historical Society and a thorn in the side of many town business owners. Delores "Cookie" Cutter, a longtime friend of the White family and the operator of the gift shop at the Tree Farm.

Plot:  Heartbreak right before her Christmas Eve wedding drove Holly and her rescue cat, Cindy Lou Who, home to the small historic town of Mistletoe, Maine. Thankfully, the hustle and bustle of the annual Reindeer Games at the family's Christmas tree farm promise to keep Holly busy enough so she won't wallow in mystery for the holiday. But when Holly finds the body of the local Grinch - Margaret Fenwick - in one of the farm's sleighs, her wishes for a happy holiday are threatened - as is the viability of her family's business, which depends on the success of sales in the days before Christmas. Despite warnings and wishes from Sheriff Grey, Holly can't leave the investigation alone. The murder took place on her family's farm and she can't believe someone in their small town would be capable of killing. But solving the mystery might be the least of Holly's worries when the killer seems to turn his aim to her. 

Pacing:  Swift

Predictability:  Low

Perspective: In a word, this book is delightful. We readers must be on the nice list in order to have been gifted with such a present! Jacqueline Frost displays an impressive holiday spirit filled with bright and imaginative descriptions of activities at the fictional Reindeer games Tree Farm that will send Christmas lovers searching for some way to celebrate like the White family. The story is a joy to read and a challenging puzzle to solve all wrapped up for the holiday season.

If you are looking for a cute cozy to get you in the Christmas mood, look no further because "The Twelve Slays of Christmas" does just that. Holly has just returned home to Mistletoe, Maine for the holidays after her fiance called off their wedding. In order to get over the loss, she immerses herself in work on her parents Christmas tree farm and it's there that the reader becomes introduced to the entire zany cast of characters. Soon after the book begins, a townswoman named Margaret is found dead on the property after making numerous people upset. The tree farm is now abuzz with investigations from the new detective in town and it is ruining the annual Reindeer Games.

This book is just so much fun. I'm not even a huge reader of Christmas-themed tales but I devoured it in a few days. The tree farm is so quaint and the activities associated with Reindeer Games sound like so much fun even a Scrooge would enjoy them. I really enjoyed meeting all the residents of Mistletoe, Maine and of course the mystery kept me on my toes as well. This book is Christmas through-and-through and I am wondering what the author has planned for the next installment because I can't imagine anything other than Christmas tales in this setting. I mean, even Holly's cat (where's the dog love cozy writers???) is named Cindy Lou. I will warn you there that there is tons of talk about food in the book though - from pies and cookies to cocoa and cupcakes. I was seriously hungry through half of it.

"Twelve Slays of Christmas" earns 5/5 because the mystery kept me on my toes, the characters were a blast and the setting definitely put me in the Christmas mood. If any of that interests you, then I suggest you start this series as well!

I wasn’t sure how to rate this since the characters and town were terrifically drawn with depth and relationships, humor and caring but the plot was boring. I didn’t care about the crime nor who did it

Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost is the first book in A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Holly White has returned home to Mistletoe, Maine and her parents Reindeer Games Tree Farm. Her fiancé, Ben called off their wedding. Margaret Fenwick, head of the Mistletoe Historical Society, has been causing havoc around town with her tickets and demands. Margaret’s reign of terror comes to end when she is found dead in the snow. Sheriff Evan Gray arrives and closes the tree farm. Margaret was killed with one of the tree farm’s wooden candy cane tree markers for the trees which were last seen in Bud White’s (Holly’s father) possession. Holly’s family relies on the income from these weeks prior to Christmas to live on the rest of the year. Holly sets out to find Margaret’s killer and get Reindeer Games Tree Farm reopened (prove her father’s innocence). The killer, though, is unhappy with Holly’s investigation and sets out to dissuade her. Can Holly prove her father’s innocence and get the tree farm reopened? Or will Holly become the killer’s next victim?

Twelve Slays of Christmas is a cute story. I found it easy to read with a nice writing style and good pace. I liked the characters but they were not fully fleshed out. The author left out details such as people first or last names (we may be given one but not the other). Twelve Slays of Christmas is more cozy than mystery. I liked the descriptions of the tree farm, café, craft store and the reindeer games. Christmas is a wonderful over-the-top event in this town. I am still not sure who owns the craft store (the person who runs it or is it part of the tree farm). My rating for Twelve Slays of Christmas is 3 out of 5 stars. I wish the mystery had been more dynamic. I found it simple with a limited suspect list. I enjoyed the descriptions of Holly’s jewelry designs and how she created them. I was surprised with the romantic element in the story considering that Holly was going to be married in two weeks. I did, though, like her love interest—Sheriff Evan Gray. Twelve Slays of Christmas will put you in the mood for Christmas.

Ha, ha, ha ... or should that be Ho, ho, ho? This book really is one which will warm the cockles and fill you full of festive good cheer. not too much mind ... It is a murder mystery too. 

Think of every wonderful Christmas market you have ever been to or every festive Christmas shop you have crossed the threshold of, throw in the old reindeer, beautiful cooking and a delightfully cheerful and positive family and you have the makings of the Christmas Tree Farm in Mistletoe, Maine, where our protagonist, Holly White, grew up. She thought she had left for good but upon returning home following a split from her cheating fiance, Holly begins to realise that there really is no place like home. the familiarity, the warmth, in spite of the snow, and the generosity of her family and friends, is beyond compare. Nothing, not even the looming date of her cancelled wedding, can spoil her happiness at being home. Until, that is, local Historical Society matriarch Margaret Fenwick is murdered on their property, putting their who Christmas season at risk. Holly is determined to prove her family were not involved, but with someone seemingly determined to stop her, will her amateur investigations cost her her own life?

Part cosy crime caper, part festive frolics and part chick-lit come rom-com classic, this book really does have a little bit of something for everyone. Now I really and truly am not much of a one for Christmas festivities. I am the most bah-humbugian person about the actual day of anyone I know. More Satan than Santa. But I'm as likely to go an ooh-and ahh over a Christmas shop as the next Santa fanatic, if only because you cannot deny the appeal and the wonder of a beautifully designed festive display. And, I'll admit, I like to go and find the noisiest and most annoying decorations to give to my young once nieces and nephews and now great nieces to annoy the heck out of their parents. A Great-Aunt has to have some fun at Christmas. So the very festive setting of Mistletoe, Maine and the Christmas Tree Farm with the Reindeer Games really did appeal to the slightly sadistic side of me. Sad but true. Who wouldn't want to be able to ride in a sleigh with behind reindeer, relish in the snowy climate and drink hot chocolate while munching on a delectable cookie?

Throw in a good old fashioned, light hearted (well as much as these things can be) murder mystery, kind of Murder She Wrote-esque in its investigation, and a cast of characters who you cannot help but fall in love with and the scene is set for one heck of a wonderful festive read. I have to admit, I immediately took to Holly White. She is the kind fo character you want to lead you through a novel. Very warm and completely devoted to her family, she is also kind of stubborn and determined, unwilling to give in and stop investigating, despite someone threatening her life and the safety of the farm. She's the kind of person you could easily see yourself warming to, forming an instant friendship, in spite of yourself. 

And then we have Sheriff Evan Grey. The love interest. Or is he? For the most part it is all business between the pair, but there is no denying the chemistry which you can feel building in each chapter. He is sensible and cautious where Holly is more impetuous, but he is very kind and also very concerned for her welfare, much more so than his role as Sheriff would normally dictate. There are several chucklesome moments between the pair as well as some to make even the most cynical (i.e. me) go awww. You want them to get together, you can't help yourself, but you want Holly to find her culprit first.

Despite what should be a dark subject - a woman's murder - there are some really light moments in this book. Holly's family and friends are a hoot. Take Cookie for example (and I'm not talking biscuits). She's absolutely incorrigible. You'll love her. I did. Even the most suspect of townsfolk have a certain appeal, but you will have to play armchair detective along with Holly if you want to unmask a killer, as with so many people, including Holly's father, having motive to dislike the woman, which one of them hated her enough to commit murder?

The pace of this book is spot on for this kind of caper. You get the slower paced elements when Holly is with her family and the hold the breath moments when she is with Sheriff Grey facing the will-they-won't-they scenarios. Then there are moments of great tension, particularly when it appears Holly is being watched and certainly when the killer is unmasked and makes a direct attempt on her life. Whether they manage to silence Holly for good ... well you'll have to read for yourself won't you.

If you fancy read that is equal parts aww and argh then give this one a whirl. Not my typical read but I couldn't get enough. Loved Holly, Loved Sheriff Grey, loved the book.

This book was an amazing first installment in the Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries. I can't wait for book two!

Holly is back home in Mistletoe after her fiance dumps her a few days before their wedding. Back with her family in her childhood home, she is determined to make the best of her situation. When her father gets into an argument with Mrs. Fenwick from the historical society and then Holly stumbles over her body, chaos ensues. It doesn't help that the hunky new sheriff keeps telling her to back off, but when the killer starts threatening Holly, sparks fly between her and Sheriff Gray, and Holly is more determined than ever to find out who is targeting her.

This was my preferred book of the two cosy Christmassy mysteries I read - possibly in part because it was the first in the series. I enjoyed the writing style (I hardly even noticed the first person narrator, which I tend to not be a fan of) and really felt quite swept up into the story and Mistletoe’s Christmassy charm. If you’re after a festive mystery, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

Twelve Slays of Christmas

by Jacqueline Frost

If you are someone with magical memories of Christmas, you will enjoy being immersed in the first Christmas Tree Farm Mystery. We are taken to a Christmas wonderland where the Whites try to keep the family business, Christmas Tree Farm, open in spite of dwindling tree sales by offering a twelve day tourist Christmas extravaganza in the little town of Mistletoe.

Holly returns home after nine years in the big city when her fiancé dumps her a week before the wedding. Murder threatens what should be a happy season for the tourists and locals. Both Holly and the tree farm are in danger. Sheriff Evan Gray makes a believable love interest as they get acquainted quickly through her investigations of several crises. The plot is interesting, the main characters are likable, and the setting is as Christmasy as you can get in a murder mystery.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #1 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series

Publication: October 10, 2017—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

“I have two cups of Santa’s cinnamon tea, one spicy apple cider, and a peppermint twist hot cocoa,” I said, setting the mugs on the table surrounded by rosy-cheeked women wearing matching holiday sweaters. They leaned forward at the sight of my mother’s specialty drinks. I slipped cinnamon sticks into the tea and cider, then popped a candy cane into the cocoa.

“Everyone’s capable of something they never thought they could be.”

“You have to make things happen, not wait around hoping something might happen to you.”

Twelve Slays of Christmas was a whimsical, fun-filled cozy mystery that even this Scrooge enjoyed the Christmas filled pages!

This is the first in a new series and I for one can't wait until I can get my hands on another one! Holly has had her heart crushed as she was suppose to be getting ready for her wedding during the countdown to Christmas but instead the wedding is off and she is helping out her parents. 

Holly doesn't mind helping her family and coming home to Mistletoe has really helped her out a lot. It's nice being around family and Reindeer Games her parents tree farm that has a cafe and a host of fun games to countdown to Christmas. It's a big attraction so when someone is murdered on their property it almost ruins their livelihood because these twelve days is what really helps them make money to last most of the year.

Since it happened on their property Sheriff Evan Gray has to shut them down till he can sweep the property and is learning that Reindeer Games is a big part of the town. Holly is not happy with the new sheriff and decides to take matters into her own hand and find him a suspect beyond her family and those who work there. She starts asking a few questions in town and next thing you know she is being targeted by the killer. The sheriff has his hands full with Holly because even though she is scared she can't help but be a bit curious about things.

I really liked Holly and thought she was a pretty realistic character, she was nosy and wanted to know why the older lady was so cranky, etc. When she is threatened she got scared, she didn't hide it she told the sheriff, and she still snooped even though she was scared because she was curious. She wanted to get the gloomy cloud off her parents tree farm and she wanted justice for the older lady. She got panic attacks from thinking someone was watching, etc. She didn't pretend to be real tough and hide a lot of things from the sheriff. I wouldn't mind that sheriff coming to my rescue either and I think he might be a nice way for her to forget all about her ex-fiance. :) It has a lot of great secondary characters from her parents to Cookie! I love Cookie she cracks me up. 

It has a pretty decent mystery and I had two main suspects and one didn't stand out as the real culprit till close to the end and I think I was figuring things out just a bit before the MC did. 

Overall, I really thought it was an enjoyable and fun Christmas cozy and you need to grab it up if you enjoy cozy mysteries!

This was a great debut, right from the author's cute pseudonym to all the details of the Christmas experience in Mistletoe, Maine. I really liked the setting on Holly White's family tree farm and the descriptions of the many things that make up their contribution to the season, the twelve days of Reindeer Games. For once, I didn't mind the usual trope of a jilted bride back home to lick her wounds. Holly fits right back into life in this small town very easily. The local sheriff, Evan Grey, is smart and good at his job. He doesn't really need Holly's help as she continues to coincidentally discover more about the death of local historical president Margaret Fenwick, but Holly is determined not to let her dad be the only one of the hook for her murder. There are a lot of characters and twist and turns in this story, but it was a delightful read all the way through. I hope this will become a yearly tradition from new author Frost.

Holly White returns home to Mistletoe, ME for Christmas after breaking up two weeks before her wedding. Once home, Holly falls head first into a murder mystery when a local towns woman is found dead on her family’s tree farm. Holly jumps right into the mystery to find out what really happened and who murdered this woman. One driving force is the fact that her father, who had argued with the dead woman shortly before her death, looks suspiciously like the guilty party. To complicate Holly’s life there is a friendly, available bachelor sheriff and a local reporter who come into her life. In addition. Holly must reconnect with her old friends and the towns folk in Mistletoe, where she grew up, but has not lived or stayed very long since she left for school. The book takes the reader through an interesting, fun filled journey, as Holly works from clue to clue to find the murderer, with twists and turns that make things interesting.

I enjoyed reading about this town and Holly’s life there as well as watching her ferret through events and clues to figure out exactly what happened. The addition of the sheriff and reporter to the story only made things more interesting. Holly is a young but enterprising, mature sleuth, ploughing through events and clues methodically to find the answers to her and everyone else’s questions about the death. The setting was definitely one that brought the joys and fun of this season right to heart. I almost wish I could join them at Reindeer Games, the tree farm, for some of the fun they described. This book will put any reader right into the season’s spirit as soon as he/she begins reading it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

A new holiday cozy ready to get you into the holiday sprit .
As soon as I read the description I knew it would be a good book.
Holly returns to her family and farm after her cancelled wedding .A brilliant book ,budding romance with a sheriff called Evan all the fun of the holiday games .Holly ,mum dad and friends bring the story to life and kept me guessing to who the murder might be.
A wonderful start to a new series looking forward to the next book . Many thanks for letting me review this book .

When Holly White returns home to her family's Christmas Tree Farm to mend her broken heart, she never dreamed that she'd be helping solve a murder just 12 days before Christmas. The excitement of the Reindeer Games has the towns people excited, except those that have had a run in with Margaret Fenwick. Holly never expected to find Margaret's dead body just outside of the farm with one of her father's tree stakes used as the murder weapon, now she finds herself a prime suspect in the crime along with her parents and farm employees. Holly is determined more than ever to take the suspicion off of her and those close to her by finding the identity of the real killer. The author brings the town of Mistletoe to life as we travel around from the cafe and around the farm. The characters are fantastic and make you feel like you are visiting with old friends.

A nice cozy-mystery with a full Christmas setting to get you in the mood for the Holidays.
It has a dose of humor, suspense and romance with a hard headed main character with s big heart and a bigger sense of curiosity.

Great read.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
When you grow up in a place called Mistletoe and your family runs a Christmas Tree Farm, Christmas is a special time of year. It is doubly so when the family runs a traditional twelve day party leading up the big day. So when Holly’s fiancé turfs her days before the wedding, it is homeward bound she goes.
Amidst the celebrations, the head of the local Historical Society is found murdered on farm property by farm property. She is a rather unpleasant character so there is no shortage of suspects, but it is Holly and her family who get first scrutiny. To make matters worse, the farm is shut down just before the big events are scheduled to start. The upheaval is bad enough but it might mean financial ruin if they are unable to reopen quickly.
Holly feels obliged to investigate even when the top cop begs her to stay out of it. He has more than one reason to request. He is rather fond of her and she keeps getting death threats from the murderer. Holly is rather stubborn and even when most reasonable people might back down, she is the proverbial bull in the china shop as the threats escalate. I can forgive the fact that she does not back off because the mystery is so well put together with really likeable characters. I did figure it out only marginally before Holly and Evan, her police friend, twigged. It was a good strong climax with lots of suspense.
This is a great holiday book or anytime you want a quick and entertaining read.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The White Family owns and operated the Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm, “a holiday paradise” and hosts The Twelve Day of Reindeer Games drawing tourists from near and far. Holly White was supposed to be getting married on Christmas Eve but her fiancé called it off when he met another woman. So Holly is home in Mistletoe helping her family with the festivities. Games like the snowball roll and find the pickle, treats baked up fresh by her mom, and trees as far as the eye can see. Where better to spend the holidays than Mistletoe, Maine?

Then Margaret Fenwick’s dead body is found in one of the sleighs and the murder weapon is a wooden stake Holly’s dad made to mark the types of Christmas tree rows. That makes him a suspect, but Holly finds out there were several people not happy with the president of the Mistletoe Historical Society. With the farm closed for a police investigation her family isn’t making any money and the people in town for the games and their trees are not happy. Holly decides it is up to her to slay the killer or at least catch him so the games can begin.

I loved this story. What a wonderful debut for this series!

Ms. Frost’s descriptions brought Mistletoe and the Reindeer Games farm to life. As we traveled around, from the cafe to the guest house, from the forest of trees to the entrance gate, and even Holly’s parent’s house and the reindeer stable. Pictures formed immediately in my mind. I could almost smell the hot chocolate, the cookies and the pine trees. Her writing style makes it easy and fun to escape right into the story.

The author has also created some fantastic characters. Holly is a strong women growing through a huge change. Her life is not going how she planned and soon realizes she is happy the wedding was called off. Her parents are very supportive. I like that she thinks of her dad as her personal Paul Bunyan. Her mother can be found in the cafe kitchen baking up cookies and whoopie pies, always there to talk. Holly thinks she got her creative side from her mother. Delores Cutter, known to everyone as “Cookie” has quite a past but now she runs the Holiday Mouse Christmas Craft Shop on the farm and has a pet goat named Theodore, after her late husband. Be prepared to laugh, this lady is a hoot and a holler. We also meet Sheriff Evan Gray, a transplant from Boston. He came to town hoping for a slower life never expecting to have to deal with a murder in Mistletoe.

This mystery is very well written with a blizzard of twists, a couple were downright chilly. With Holly not being home for a long time and the sheriff new to the community everyone seemed to be a a suspect. Holly knew her parents had nothing to do with the murder but she knew it had to be someone who knew their way around the farm. I was right there along with Holly tried to solve whodunit.

This is a terrific holiday mystery. Fix yourself a cup of hot chocolate, grab some frosted sugar cookies, and curl up in your favorite cozy spot and enjoy! I sure did!

When Holly White calls off her wedding, she returns to her family’s tree farm in Maine just in time for the annual Reindeer Games, which take place in the twelve days leading up to Christmas. However, the night before the games are set to start, Margaret comes in causing problems in her quest to keep the town exactly historically accurate. When Holly finds Margaret dead among the trees a few hours later, the police start looking a little too close to home. Can Holly clear her family and friends before Christmas?

If you are looking for a Christmas cozy, this one is perfect. Each page oozes Christmas cheer, and the games sound like a ton of fun. I’d love to visit and play myself. Unfortunately, I did feel this got in the way of the mystery at times, and Holly spent quite a bit to time reacting to events rather than actually investigating at other points. Still, it held together well overall, and we got a great climax. The characters are already sharp, and their relationships help add to the Christmas cheer.

A very good Christmas themed mystery. Interesting story line, engaging characters, Beautiful setting.

This is a great book; this book is the first book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series written by Jacqueline Frost. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.