The latest Christmas Tree Farm mystery finds Holly about to get married. However, before she can do that, a ballerina ends up murdered and her future sister-in-law reveals she is being stalked. Holly must solve these two mysteries so that her wedding will be perfect.

Another good entry in this series! I would recommend reading the others before this one otherwise you won’t get some of the character points referenced here. I am curious to see where Holly’s mysteries go from here/if they continue. We’ve seen her return home, recover from heartbreak, and now marry the man of her dreams. I wouldn’t be surprised if Frost leaves it here. However, I hope there are more because I’ve enjoyed this series from the start!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Winter always puts me in the mood for cozy mysteries (even more so than the rest of the year). Jacqueline Frost’s Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series are consistently my top ‘winter themed’ cozies, absolutely perfect for the time of year.
Holly and the whole town of Mistletoe are back for two big events – a performance of The Nutcracker by a high profile, ballet troupe, and Holly’s wedding to sheriff Evan. Of course, there’s a body to throw a spanner in the works, one of the ballerina’s, which isn’t the sort of publicity Mistletoe is looking for. I do love when long-running cozy series acknowledge the unlikelihood of their murder town, and STALKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE does that, giving Holly the motivation to meddle in a mystery that’s not as close to home as previous instalments have been. There’s also a secondary plotline, that’s been working through the last couple of books, of Evan’s sister Libby, and a criminal threat that’s now followed her from Boston to Mistletoe.
This fourth instalment wasn’t quite as quick to grab me as the earlier books – possibility because we didn’t get to really know much about the victim the way I’d have liked – but the characters all remain a joy to spend time with and Mistletoe is, as always, the sort of holiday ideal I’d love to visit.
An enjoyable read, and still one of the best cozy series around. Long may these books be on my holiday reading!

I always look forward to new titles in Jacqueline Frost's Christmas Tree Mystery Series, and this one especially had me looking forward to it as I loved that the plot was going to revolve around a traveling Nutcracker Ballet company coming to stay at Holly's family's inn. As someone who adores this series, cozy mysteries, and the Nutcracker, I couldn't wait to dive right in.

I will say that I don't personally recommend reading this title without having first read the previous three, as you'll be spoiled for a lot of the plot otherwise. Stalking Around the Christmas Tree takes readers back to the beloved Reindeer Games Christmas tree farm, where we are once again catching back up with Holly and her wonderful parents. Holly's been a busy bee planning her Christmas Eve wedding to the local town sheriff, Evan Gray, while still trying to handle everything else already on her plate. Already feeling overwhelmed, she can't believe when another murder happens during the holiday season in her beloved hometown, and together with her friends, she'll stop at nothing to see the truth be brought to light.

With delightful romance and suspense elements, characters that have come to feel like old friends, and a mystery that will keep you guessing right through until the end, the fourth installment in this fan favorite cozy mystery series is another winner in my eyes, and I had a hard time wanting to put it down.

Aside from the well developed mystery, and the swoon worthy romantic bits between Holly and Evan, I also loved how readers were treated to more of Libby and Caroline's stories, and how the Nutcracker tidbits added another interesting layer to an already complex plot.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this one, and while I wouldn't say I loved it quite as much as the first three, it was still a wonderful cozy mystery, and one that I'd definitely find myself recommending to anyone who is a fan of this genre.

I hope the author has more titles to come in this favorite series of mine.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Step into the world of Mistletoe, where the setting is beautiful and murder just so happens to occur around Christmas-time each year.

As Holly prepares for her wedding day, she finds herself entangled in the murder of ballerina visiting for a production of The Nutcracker.

The mystery had me guessing until the end; well written and with a delightful cast of characters.

The setting makes me want to cozy up with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate beside a Christmas tree, even in August.

Any cozy mystery fan will be delighted by this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this one! A true cosy Christmas mystery. Slightly predictable in parts but it was everything you would want from a festive, cosy quick read. I haven’t read any other books in this series but didn’t feel I was missing anything. I also now want to visit Mistletoe!!

Holly is really busy. She's working on the Reindeer Games for her family's Christmas Tree Farm's annual promotion. She has a bunch of ballerinas staying at her inn. And she's planning her wedding to the sheriff at Christmastime. Additionally, her good friend is acting strangely. When she couldn't get any busier, the starring ballerina dies during the Christmas parade.

This is a fun cozy mystery. It's part of a series of murder mysteries that take place at Christmastime in a small town. And Holly is in the middle of the action. Very clean story so everyone can read and enjoy it. Even though it's part of a series, with recurring characters, the reader will have no problem getting into the story.

Fun read for Christmas.

There is never a dull moment in this mystery novel about an inn that specializes in Christmas games and activities for guests. It would be fun to visit such a place! The mystery involves around an upcoming performance in town of the Nutcracker and the cast are guests at the inn. Holly, the main character, is also planning her wedding at the end of the end of the month. I really enjoyed this book.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost is the 4th book in the Christmas Tree Farm cozy mystery series. I have read and enjoyed the previous three installments in this series and felt that this one was a wonderful addition. While it is not necessary to have read the previous three books to understand the main mystery featured in this one, I feel that having background knowledge on the characters and their backstories is beneficial in understanding a lot of the overarching stories and relationships (such as Libby’s storyline).
The main mystery revolves around the ballet coming into town, and while I was able to figure out some of the twists early on, the overall story and catching up with Holly and her Mistletoe community was so much fun. I don’t want to post any spoilers, but the ending was absolutely magical, and I cannot wait to return again in the next installment. 4.75 / 5.00 stars!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost. My comments are an independent, honest review.

4.5 stars for this wonderful Christmas cozy! I adore this series and was very excited to get to the sweet end of this one, I won’t spoil it! Frost, aka Julie Anne Lindsey, sure knows how to write suspense and romance—those were my favorite elements of this particular book. I was a bit bothered by the main character being worried that a single slice of pie would make her need bigger clothes, I’d rather read body and food positivity. Besides that, this installment was everything you could want from a Christmas cozy, this series could be turned into holiday Hallmark movies that I would watch over and over! More Tree Farm Mysteries, please!

This is probably my favourite book yet in this series. Happy endings all around! The mysteries were both great and kept me in suspense the whole time.

I love the town of Mistletoe Maine, and was so excited when I heard we were getting another glimpse into the town. I wish I could take a trip there, but for reading about it is as close as I’ll get.

Jacqueline Frost tells the coziest stories, and I love Holly and Evan. I would love if she took us back to their story next Christmas 🎄

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is a delightful, Christmas-themed cozy that is the fourth installment in the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series. Holly is not only busy preparing the Reindeer Games Inn for the holiday season but also busy putting finishing touches on her wedding plans - a wedding to take place on Christmas Eve. While Holly has a way too long to-do list, the rest of the town is preparing for the state's ballet company to arrive to perform The Nutcracker. Oh, and where are the ballerinas and their master staying!? Of course, the Reindeer Games Inn. Holly has it all under control until one of the ballerinas is discovered murdered during the town's holiday parade. Holly and her family and friends are determined to solve this mystery before Christmas and Holly's big day.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is an absolute perfect Christmas/holiday cozy. The mystery is intriguing with lots of believable suspects. The regular characters continue to be their quirky, charming selves. I absolutely love Cookie and her goat. I laughed out loud several times. The entire vibe of the farm, the cafe, and the shops within the town is perfect. I feel like I'm in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie when reading this series. An absolute must for anyone who loves a good holiday-themed cozy!

I was so happy to get an advanced publication of this book from Netgalley , and this is my honest review of the book. I have been waiting for this books release for a while — as I have read the previous 3 books in the series . I love this series of cozy mysteries and the characters . The characters are strongly built - Holly White the main character is a strong , independent, no nonsense woman — I like the friendship / romance between police chief Evan and Holly — the romance is my style as it doesn’t take the main stage in the book and not too much focus on lovey doves mushy stuff -very G rated book for the romance — Evan and Holly work together like great partners in love and on murder cases . I like how the murder stays mostly at the main focus in addition to the threaded storyline from the pervious books of Evans sister Libby —because of this thread it would be good to read the other books before hand grasp the background here. I love that the title is a pun off a Christmas song— and that interaction between the characters seems so realistic — This book really focuses on the feeling of friendship and community — Lovely book ! Highly recommend this cozy mystery series.

If you need some Christmas pick me up. This is your series. It is Christmas all wrapped in mystery and sugar. Such a good story. A dead ballerina. And needing to solve it before the wedding! Oh my. Of course Holly can’t help but get in the middle. But by now everyone is used to her snooping. Except for maybe the killer! If you like cozy mysteries and Christmas this is a winner.

This is the 4 book. Although it could technically be read as a stand-alone I wouldn’t. I would start from the beginning. You get to know the characters so much better that way. There is so much love in the air but it is kept clean.

Christmas in Mistletoe, Maine, is always special; this year is no exception. With an upcoming wedding to plan, charities to donate to, and a booming business to run, Holly doesn’t have a minute to breathe. Things get even more hectic when the prima ballerina, Tiffany, collapses during the town’s annual Christmas parade and is later pronounced dead from arsenic poisoning. Holly immediately starts investigating and finds several clues pointing to a superfan, the choreographer, the Rat King, and the understudy. Will Holly uncover who killed Tiffany?

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is the 4th book in the Christmas Tree Farm series. You can read this as a standalone book. But, and I always say this, I do recommend reading books 1-3 first. That way, you better understand the characters and their backstories.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree was a fun read for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be, if I am going to be honest. I am not a fan of picking up books mid-series. In my experience, I usually end up missing something when I do that. But this is a rare case of that not happening. The plot was fast-paced, the characters were well-fleshed out, and the mystery was twisty.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree’s main storyline centers around Holly and her investigation into Tiffany’s death. The author didn’t veer from this storyline too much and kept it focused on its objective: To find Tiffany’s killer and the motive. The storyline was well-written, and it kept me glued to the book.

There were several secondary storylines in Stalking Around the Christmas Tree. The two main secondary storylines were Holly’s wedding and Libby’s stalker. The author kept both secondary storylines separate from the main storyline and the author did something that surprised me. She kept the storylines separate throughout the book. Did they crisscross? Absolutely but in no way did either storyline join the main one, and I loved it.

The storyline with Tiffany’s murder and Holly’s investigation was twisty. The author did a great job of keeping how the killer was under wraps until the end of the book. I was surprised at who it was and why that person did it. Oh, and how they did it too.

The storyline with Holly’s wedding was sweet. Since this has been a storyline that continued from the last book, I am sure that readers of the series were thrilled with how it ended. I know I was!!

The storyline with Libby and her stalker was sad. Again, this was a storyline the author carried over from the previous book (maybe books?). Once Holly confronted Libby with what was happening, I figured out who the stalker was. It did break my heart a little bit to read the ending scenes (where the stalker is caught) because of why this person did it.

The end of Stalking Around the Christmas Tree was terrific. I loved how the storylines ended. I hope there is another book in the series.

I recommend Stalking Around the Christmas Tree to anyone over 16. There is mild violence, mild language, and fade to black sexual situations.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Jacqueline Frost for allowing me to read and review Stalking Around the Christmas Tree. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
Book Four in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series
by Jacqueline Frost


Publisher’s Summary
Tis the season to solve a murder—and innkeeper Holly White knows she’ll have to make her list and check it twice if she wants to catch the killer in the 4th Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.

Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.

With an impending snowstorm and the ballet company on the way out of town, Holly must act quickly if she wants to find the person responsible for this terrible murder. Will she be able to save Christmas—or will her investigation turn cold like the weather?


My thoughts on Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
I’ll say it up front-this is one of my favorite series, even though the murders occur around Christmas. Reindeer Games is a Christmas tree farm Holly White’s family owns and they put their all into the business. There’s the café, Hearth, which Holly’s mom keeps stocked with all sorts of Christmas-y goodies. It’s a life-sized gingerbread house and popular with the locals and the visitors. The farm also has games-reindeer games-in the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Some are indoors, some are outdoors, but all are fun. There is also an inn on the property. Holly is the inn keeper and in this week before Christmas the inn is hosting a ballet troupe from Maine’s capitol. The ballet troupe going to perform The Nutcracker for several nights before returning to the capitol for a final performance on Christmas Eve. It’s all set for a perfect Christmas. But of course, this is Mistletoe and for the last three years a murder has occurred close to Christmas and this year is no exception.

What I like about Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
The setting. Mistletoe, Maine, and especially Reindeer Games Tree Farm, are places I’d want to visit. Frost does an excellent job immersing the reader into the fictional town and tree farm.
The characters. Over the series characters have broadened Holly’s circle of trusted friends. She has a solid relationship with her parents. She’s found a keeper in the sheriff. Her circle of friends includes old and new friends, and those friendships also cross generations.

The mystery in Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
There’s mystery upon mystery in this book. The super fan with the large online following and influence, that no one has ever seen. The dead ballerina-why would anyone kill her? The sheriff’s sister, Libby, has become withdrawn and no one knows why. All were well-written, with plenty of red herrings to throw a reader off. Solving one mystery doesn’t necessarily make solving the mystery of the killer’s identity or motive any easier.

Some of the tropes present in Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
Happily ever after
Enticing village
Close relationships.

My thoughts
Stalking Around the Christmas Tree is a tightly written cozy mystery that will keep
you guessing up until the reveal. Recommended.



Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for giving me a copy of #StalkingAroundTheChristmasTree in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery’s and I think my favorite book out of the series. We get so much more detail into the life of each character. And this story was so heartwarming.

This is a charming cozy mystery for the holiday season. It’s filled with murder and mistletoe w some romance and holiday cheer. The main character is fun and free spirited which make the story more interesting. This is a festive cozy story that will bring great joy to readers.

I’m so glad this series was able to continue, because I really like the characters and the setting. All the Christmasy things they do in each book make me want to do them in real life. One mystery I guessed the answer to long before Holly did. The other two mysteries I did not. The wedding was perfect and sounded lovely. I can’t wait to read what happens next in these characters’ lives.

This is one of my favorite series so I was very happy to get the chance to read this latest book in the series.

I love the characters and their world. I would love to live in a town like this!

The mystery was very good and actually there is two mysteries that Holly is trying to dolce all the while preparing for her upcoming wedding.

There is enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I sort of thought I knew but it was not clear to the end.

5 Stars and I hope the series continues!

Thank you NetGalley for opportunity to read this ARC.