Apple Dumpling Murder
Christmas Catastrophe Mysteries, #2
by
Trixie Silvertale
Sugar and spice and murder!
Apple Dumpling Murder is the second book in author Trixie Silvertale’s fun and festive Christmas Catastrophe Mysteries, a cozy mystery series featuring none other than Santa’s daughter, Cindy Claus. With its naïve but good-hearted and oftentimes literal-thinking main character and the murder of a beloved community figure, I was compelled to get to the bottom of this dirty deed, rooting for Cindy, Keith, and Arti the entire time.
Cindy Cherubim Claus is the main character and the daughter of the famous Claus at the North Pole. She’s a half-elf, a quarter human, and a quarter angel, and has settled in Silver Shoals to open a bakery and do what she loves doing more than anything else: bake delicious pastries and treats. Cindy (and everyone else in the bakery) is shocked and surprised when her landlord, Ronnie Schmenkel, announces he’s going to leave her the building she’s leasing from him in his will. Uncomfortable with this generous intention, she goes to Ronnie’s house to ask him to reconsider this gift. However, someone else has been there before her, and Cindy finds Ronnie dead on the floor of his home, the victim of a deadly bash on the head with a rolling pin. When the murder weapon has her fingerprints on it, she becomes suspect number one.
The characters in this Christmas-centric town are, for the most part, a warm and charming bunch, and her relationship with Keith, the medical investigator, is getting even warmer. The little glimpses of Silver Shoals give close-knit, small-town vibes and a perpetual holiday spirit. With some good suspects to rule out before reaching the final, surprising resolution, the plot offers exciting, intense moments alongside its delightful charm.
I recommend APPLE DUMPLING MURDER to cozy mystery readers who enjoy culinary or holiday-themed stories.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.