Reviews

Dying in a Winter Wonderland by Vicki Delany

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bethanyread's review

4.0

Good mystery - very interesting situation with a bride and groom. Love Merry and her family. Nice getting to know Chris a little. Luanne and the wedding was a fun mystery. Recommend

megs_s's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bwilhoite8's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I think this one is my favorite in the Year Round Christmas series. It felt like Merrys dad was more involved which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed having Merrys brother in this installment and the three of them working together. I'm so glad this wasn't the last in the series. Can't wait to dive into the new book.

peggyemi's review

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4.0

It is always a wonderful holiday treat to catch up with Merry Wilkinson, her family, and all the other residents of Rudolph New York. Dying in a Winter Wonderland is the 5th book in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery and once again we find Merry in the middle of a murder mystery. I love how Detective Simmonds put it to Merry, she may not be looking for trouble but it finds her. This time around, Merry jumps in to help clear her younger brother of suspicion of murder. There was a lot going on in this book and trying to keep close track of the clues got away from me with all of the hijinks created by Luanne.

The mystery is solid. There are a lot of clues and a good number of viable motives and suspects for the murder, including some possibly shady characters in the deceased life. Once again, Merry finds herself asking too many questions causing her to be right in the middle of danger when the climactic reveal occurs. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and did not have this person on my radar at all. Ms. Delany did a great job of dropping very subtle clues that I realized in hindsight were clues.

I love this series and will return to Rudolph New York for as long as Ms. Dleaney continues to write this series.

dollycas's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Dollycas's Thoughts

We arrive in Rudolph, New York, just in time for Christmas Eve and Merry is looking forward to a little relaxation after the holidays. Then, Luanne Ireland comes into the shop bubbling with excitement. She had asked Merry to do the decorations for her wedding and now instead of a summer wedding, she wants to get married on Valentine's Day. "What could be more romantic?" Luanne even wants Merry to tell her family, groom, and future in-laws it was her idea.

Life with Luanne is never easy but Merry didn't think Luanne's groom would be murdered at the Yuletide Inn, their future wedding venue the day after Christmas. She also didn't expect her brother to be a prime suspect in his death. That makes the murder personal for Merry and she finds herself right in the middle of another investigation. She hopes to help wrap up the case and prove her brother's innocence before the residents of Rudolph ring in the New Year but the killer may have other plans.

____

I love the Wilkerson family. Merry Wilkerson owns Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, her mother Aline is a retired opera diva and her father Noel is the former mayor and performs all Santa Claus duties needed all year long. She has sisters Eve and Carol and a brother Chris. Chris plays a major role in this story. Her best friend, Vicky, owns Victoria's Bakeshop. She helps Merry do some sleuthing whenever she can. I love the way Merry's relationship with Alan has grown. They are truly perfect for each other. Most of the core characters in this series are engaging and genuine. There are a few that are a little prickly and spirited but not in a good way.

The crazy quirky of this cozy mystery comes from the characters introduced in this story. Luanne is something else. She can test a person's patience and has total disregard for others. Thankfully Merry and her brother Chris are kind and patient people. Luanne's family, her groom before his death, his ex, and his family are also in their own worlds doing what is best for themselves at all times. I will say that they do deliver some wonderful comedic moments throughout the story.

The mystery was complicated and full of surprises. Merry's investigation even takes her, Vicky, and the loveable Mattie, Merry's St. Bernard, to the neighboring town of Muddle Harbor as they try to dig up some dirt while trying to tie some clues together. Merry works so hard, asking questions and keeping her ears open for any detail that will point her in the right direction. Ms. Delany gives her readers presents with plenty of twists and turns and I did my darndest to keep up with each one of them and failed. I had my A-Ha-Moment right along with Merry. There were several possible suspects and the actual killer didn't even make my list. That made the final chapters very exciting as a dangerous showdown played out.

I love the theme of this series and the setting of Rudolph. All the Christmas-themed places and events are so delightful.

Dying in a Winter Wonderland

is a fun, entertaining, and merry read. It is a Perfect Escape and perfect to read at any time of year, even now when we are creeping toward 100 degrees here in Wisconsin. Vicki Delany is a fabulous storyteller and I have fun escaping into anything she writes. I am very excited that the next book in this series, Have Yourself A Deadly Little Christmas

will be released on September 19.

staticdisplay's review

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4.0

I've given every book in this series (so far) 4 stars. that's pretty good for a cozy. the story tends to be largely about Merry's day-to-day life, solving little interpersonal messes while going out of her way to investigate the many, many murders that happen in Rudolph, murder capital of America. the secondary characters tend to be likeable. I really appreciated that in this book, Merry reframes her nosy landlord as a lonely older woman (which has been apparent but not overtly discussed throughout the series). a small detail like that adds some empathy and depth to the story.