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A review by kimdavishb
Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany
5.0
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, the fourth book in the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries by Vicki Delany, is a delightful addition to a fun holiday read. While the town of Rudolph, New York celebrates Christmas year-round, this newest book is set at Thanksgiving time. I enjoyed how the author melded the two holiday celebrations together in the shop of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, owned by protagonist Merry Wilkinson. Ms. Delany has a strong descriptive voice and has developed terrific characters. I greatly enjoyed the descriptions and names of the town’s shops and locations, all capturing the holiday spirit the town wants to convey to the many tourists who visit. I also appreciated the close relationship Merry has with her parents: her father, Noel, who is the town’s resident Santa, and her mother, Aline, a retired opera diva. They are supportive and caring of each other, which brings a sweet, emotional element to the story. On the other hand, when Aline’s college friends come for a reunion visit, continuous strife seems to haunt the group which disrupts the Wilkinson’s household. I’ll have to admit, all of the women were nasty, maybe too nasty. It wasn’t a surprise when one of them is murdered while eating a potluck dinner with the group.
The investigator insists the women stay in town until they can be cleared…stuck at Aline’s house. This prompts Merry to get involved to find the killer and get the remaining horrid women out of her mother’s home and life. There’s also a subplot woven into the murder mystery of why Noel Wilkinson might be ousted from his role as the town’s Santa. I had to admire Noel’s calmness and the way he exhibited the true meaning of Christmas in the face of strife. As the story progresses, the author sprinkles clues for a sharp reader to catch, then provides a twist to pull it all together for a satisfying conclusion. In my opinion, it’s never too early to get in the holiday spirit and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is a delightful way to indulge.
I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The investigator insists the women stay in town until they can be cleared…stuck at Aline’s house. This prompts Merry to get involved to find the killer and get the remaining horrid women out of her mother’s home and life. There’s also a subplot woven into the murder mystery of why Noel Wilkinson might be ousted from his role as the town’s Santa. I had to admire Noel’s calmness and the way he exhibited the true meaning of Christmas in the face of strife. As the story progresses, the author sprinkles clues for a sharp reader to catch, then provides a twist to pull it all together for a satisfying conclusion. In my opinion, it’s never too early to get in the holiday spirit and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is a delightful way to indulge.
I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.