I'll Be Home for Mischief is the 5th book in The Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries. Each book can be read as a standalone, but you would miss some character development and personal story arcs. It’s Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, and also the town's 150th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned for the first time in years. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map, Holly’s mother, and local baker, attempts to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man. The morning of the unveiling doesn't start well when Mr. Snow’s body ends up in the batter. When Mr. Moore, the local mistletoe farmer, is accused of the crime, Holly is determined to protect the sweet older man and begins her own investigation. Between hosting the inconsolable Mrs. Snow and other guests at the inn, receiving threatening messages telling her to stop her investigation, and preparing for her first wedding anniversary with Sheriff Evan Gray, she is one busy lady. Will she figure out who the killer is before she ends up in batter of her own?

I enjoy being back in Mistletoe and seeing all the characters that I have gotten to know over the last four books. Holly puts herself right in the middle of this one, even though both her parents and her husband, Sheriff Evan Gray, beg her to leave it alone. There aren't a lot of suspects, but I was sure I had it figured out, but as usual, I was wrong. This story had Holly in the most danger I have seen her in before. This is a suspenseful story with some twists, lots of danger, festive fun with games at the tree farm, a little romance, Christmas magic and a great mystery. Another great addition to this series.

I will never look at a gingerbread cookie the same way again! This fifth installment in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series was an absolute delight, mixing festive charm with a cleverly plotted murder mystery.

Where did that ending come from? I did not see it coming! With so much happening and a long list of suspects, the twists kept me on my toes right until the final reveal. This book reminded me exactly why I adore cozy mysteries—add Christmas into the mix, and it’s a definite win.

While I hadn’t read the first few books in the series, this didn’t hinder my enjoyment. That said, I’m now on the hunt to get my hands on the earlier installments! Jacqueline Frost’s easy, engaging writing style made for a relaxing and enjoyable read.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with a festive flair, I highly recommend I'll Be Home for Mischief. It’s a perfect holiday escape that will leave you craving both cookies and more of Holly White’s sleuthing adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Jacqueline Frost, and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for providing an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. #IllBeHomeforMischief #NetGalley

Part of series.
Love the whole Christmas theme stories.
Great characters with humor, mystery, suspense ,fun ,romance.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I loved book 4 in the series, but this book felt a bit like Holly’s character arc went backwards. I’m sure she has some PTSD from her nosy ass always getting in trouble. But she seemed oblivious about basic things during this book and it drove me insane.

I did enjoy the ending and Christmas surprises. And I love love the farm and reindeer games and all the little nods to Christmas magic hidden in plain sight. So I will continue to read these every Christmas season. But hopefully the next book doesn’t seem so meh.

This was by far my favorite book in this series! While you do not need to read the first four books, there are so many little inside jokes that are so much better if you do! Such a fun mystery read just in time for Christmas!

I love this series! After reading the first one, I've eagerly awaited the next installment in the series. Holly is looking forward to the Christmas season at Reindeer Games and celebrating her 1st anniversary with Evan. The town is hosting a Victorian Christmas, and her mother is trying to set a World Record for the largest gingerbread cookie when a body turns up in the batter. Holly, of course, can resist sticking her nose into the investigation.

It has all the Christmas feels. I love that they had two characters that may or may not be Mrs. Santa and Jack Frost. Always a solid mystery and wished the town actually existed. It would be a fun place to visit.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief

by Jacqueline Frost

The weather outside may be “frightful,” but an afternoon spent in Mistletoe, Maine, will be quite delightful for the readers of Jacqueline Frost’s I’ll Be Home for Mischief. With the whole tourist town celebrating its 150th Anniversary with full Victorian decor, the reader is immersed in all things Christmas. In fact, that is the town’s goal for visitors year round.

The main character, Holly, is the innkeeper for Reindeer Games Inn located on her parents’ Reindeer Games Tree Farm. As with most things in Mistletoe, citizens jump in to help each other when needed. Everything in Mistletoe has a Christmas theme and is intended to generate excitement and sales throughout the year.

Holly’s mom is determined to keep Mistletoe on everyone’s radar as she attempts to win the Guinness Book of World Records by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man. Everything has been carefully thought through and prepared, but when the dump truck disguised as a huge sleigh receives the tray with cookie dough on it via a crane, the unveiling for the audience produces an unwelcome surprise. Holly’s husband Evan is the local sheriff and he is immediately called to the scene.

The rest of I’ll Be Home for Mischief follows the usual next steps for a cozy mystery. Holly, who has a reputation for amateur investigating, just can’t resist despite her husband’s concern and warnings. There are lots of suspects and some danger lurking in the shadows. A little romance and some positive surprises are thrown into the mix.

Warning: these people bake and eat high carb treats like there is no tomorrow. They also caffeinate regularly. I think that must be how people survive the cold and snow of Maine. So, have some snacks and hot chocolate available for yourself while reading. After all, ambiance is critical when reading Christmas books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery, Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Notes: #5 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series. Thanks to the author’s skillful writing, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Publication: November 12, 2024—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

My maternal grandmother had infuriatingly tight lips. She never repeated anything that might be construed as gossip. Her advice, on the other hand, rarely stopped flowing. Especially when no one asked.

No amount of caffeine would ever get me moving like a ten-degree morning.

The lesson I hated most was that people sometimes did things in the space of a few minutes that they’d regret for the rest of their lives.

This is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Farm series and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I don't think it's my favorite in the series but overall I have loved these characters and the mysteries surrounding this Christmas town. I hope there will be more in the series yet to come. I enjoyed the sweet romance and the mystery, and I have loved that these are clean and honestly not much romance either so if you are not a huge romance lover you may enjoy these as well. I think this book probably had the most romance in it so far in the series.

*thank you to #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book to read. All thoughts are my own.

I love the cozy murder mysteries, especially the ones by Jacqueline Frost. I love how all the characters fit together and care about each other. I gave it three stars because although I enjoyed it, I just feel like after 5 books it is getting a little redundant. If there is another one I hope it is a little different then what has been happening in all the others. That being said, I know I can always get that cozy, christmasy feeling from this series.

Oh Dang, Jacquline Frost has done it again! Another 5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Admittedly, the first three fourths of this book was a little more mellow than past books, BUT that’s because you’re on a stress filled roller coaster at the end 😅 IYKYK… It’s the perfect Holiday Cozy Mystery and everyone should pick up this series!

I loved seeing all the side characters and hope they’re featured more in the next book! All I really know is that I’ll never be a good Sleuth🕵🏻‍♀️ picked the wrong killer AGAIN 🤦🏻‍♀️

For a full review of my thoughts, watch Who Picked This Book? Club’s discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/live/nvvAWfgv9N8?si=X64yuHxPuHDdikas

The fifth installment in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series brings us back to snowy Mistletoe, Maine in the snowy Christmas season.
Innkeeper Holly White is hoping for a murder free and peaceful holiday season so she'd be able to enjoy Christmas and her first wedding anniversary with sheriff Evan Gray. Of course, things don't go her way... Her mother is trying to get the town in the Guinness Book Of World Records by baking the world's biggest gingerbread man when a dead man turns up in her dough on Holly's parents' Christmas tree farm right in the middle of this year"s reindeer games. Since her Sheriff husband is on the case and her inn hosts the victim's mother Holly can't stay away from the case.
Could an old family feud be at the bottom of everything's going on or are current shady business dealings more likely to have stirred up trouble ?
I love this seasonal mystery series that author Julie Anne (Lindsey) Hatcher writes under the pen name Jacqueline Frost, the beautiful town of Mistletoe and the descriptions of the festive village, inn decorations and Christmas tree farm get me in a cheery mood.

Mistletoe, Maine is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the town's founding family, the Snow's. Holly White, Innkeeper at the family owned Christmas Tree Farm (entertainment farm) with all things to celebrate the holiday season, finds herself helping her mother with baking the world's largest gingerbread man, preparing for the Snow's stay at the Inn and shopping for gifts. Never did she expect to be solving a murder of the man who died in her mother's gingerbread batter!

Holly is a wonderful cozy mystery character. Just the setting alone a year-round town that is all about Christmas is cozy! The challenges she faces with being a newlywed, an amateur sleuth ( trying not to get hurt, much to the desire of her sheriff husband ) blend well together. I loved the ending with..nope I can't tell but I think you'll love it too! I enjoyed the Guiness Book folks who came to certify the gingerbread man and the annoying but helpful murder podcasters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Every Christmas I read the new book in this series and this one did not disappoint. Mistletoe is celebrating Christmas in Victorian style and hoping there will be no more bodies. But that is not to be. a body is found in the gingerbread batter and Holly and her Sheriff husband set out to solve the crime. I enjoyed the addition of the podcasters who enjoy following Holly around as she investigates. The book is over the top Christmas with lots of cookies and hot chocolate and makes a perfect seasonal read. The mystery was OK but I was able to figure it out. I enjoy this series for Holidays.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost is an intriguing & heartwarming holiday themed cozy mystery with its usual dash of romance.

This is book #5 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, which could be read as a standalone. But if you are looking for holiday cozy mysteries, this is the perfect series to start!

I’ll Be Home for Mischief is great for those looking to read…
🎄Cozy Mystery
🎄Amateur Sleuth
🎄Small Town Romance
🎄Christmas Tree Farm Setting

I adore this all town & all their holiday festivities. I love the townsfolk, their community, their humor & their antics. I’m always fascinated by the mysteries & I hope this series continues!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Happy holidays meets merry murder. Festive sleuthing and celebrating the holidays again on the Christmas tree farm. Always a fun time visiting with this cast of characters.

I adore holiday books and I saved them all this season to shortly before Christmas. Love that this series takes place in Maine. A rivalry not unlike Romeo and Juliet, but from ~50 years ago. give or take a decade. I enjoy lots of series by this author (under other pen names). Recommended for a Sunday afternoon around Christmas.

It’s Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine, and descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned for a visit, and Innkeeper Holly White is determined to make the family’s visit magical. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map, Holly’s mother attempts to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans are whisked away when a body is found in the batter. It's another Christmas and another murder for Holly White. Can she figure out who the murderer is before Christmas?
I really loved this story. If I could I would give it 10 stars. All the characters were fun to read about, the plot was diabolically crafted to keep me guessing and I was highly surprised by the big reveal at the end. The setting and the ambience made me want to visit a town like this, and go to the hearth, and participate in some reindeer games. This is the best Christmas mystery of the season, in my opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I always love a cozy mystery, and this Christmas coziness was perfect! While it is part of a series, you can read it as a stand alone with no problem (I have only read one other in the series). This is a great choice for a holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a feee copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun return to Misteltoe, Maine with Holly and her friends and yet another Christmastime murder in their midst. I enjoyed the story overall and the mystery was good and kept me guessing. I’m definitely a fan of this series!

4.25⭐
Christmas at Reindeer Games is always festive and familial unfortunately paired with murder. This delightful cozy is a perfect way to satisfy your sleuthing prowess in the holiday season. Mystery is fair .and the characters are interesting.