3.5 stars
Since I couldn't decide between 3 or 4 stars, I guess 3.5 is my final answer. This was a very typical cozy Christmas mystery. Instead of just one woman moving to a small town, the author serves up twin sisters. Alex runs the mystery bookstore, Hannah is the chocolatier specializing in poison themed Killer Chocolates.
Alex and Hannah are both single, of course, although Hannah is divorced (luckily she is still friends with her policeman ex-husband). As is usual in cozies, there is romantic speculation about both women. Piles of cookies, scones, and chocolates get consumed during the course of the investigation. Despite the fact that they set up a “murder board" to keep track of their thoughts, it often seems that Alex is just randomly poking at things without much thought to her own safety.
Another frequent trope used in the cozy mystery is the incompetent law enforcement officer, driving the main character to investigate for themselves. In this case, it's a smug sheriff who has pegged Alex as her best friend's murderer. So it's okay to interfere in an investigation under those circumstances, right? Hah!
Although there's no mention of it yet, I'm pretty sure there will be another book. Hannah may have found a new admirer, but Alex hasn't sealed a deal yet. I'm glad that this book was good enough for Christmas reading (I'm more forgiving of Christmas books), as the author is a local and I'd like to see her do well.
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