author: Dakota Cassidy
series: Marshmallow Hollow Mysteries #1
published: 12 October 2020
publisher: self-published
genre(s): cozy mystery, paranormal
pages: 209
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating: | series rating:
the blurb
Welcome to Marshmallow Hollow, Maine, a holiday mystery, where it's all Christmas all the time and murder is hung by the chimney with care...
I'm Halliday Valentine (yep; funny name is funny), a psychic witch who's recently moved from New York City back to my very human hometown of Marshmallow Hollow, where I run the family factory that caters to all things Christmas. I inherited the factory from Mom, who inherited from Nana Karen, but now it's just me (kinda...long story), my curmudgeonly British familiar hummingbird, Atticus; one ungrateful rescue cat; my talking reindeer, Karen; and my BFF Stiles (the only human aware of my witchy side).
Oh, and Digby Dainty (known as Hobbs), the tall drink of water who rents my guest cottage. And who I wouldn't mind getting to know better. We have a lot in common, including a love of true crime. So as macabre as it sounds, when a shady real estate tycoon shows up dead in the middle of the annual ice festival, I'm thrilled to spend time with Hobbs, flexing our amateur sleuthing skills.
Well...not thrilled. I mean, a guy's dead after all. But he did try to con some businesses right out from under the hard-working locals. In fact, the only thing more surprising than a murder in our charming Christmas town is how many of my friendly, beloved neighbors seemed to want the man dead...
a few notes
cover notes: so cute!
keywords/phrases: holidays, murder, scams
mood reading: in the mood for quirky characters and a solid mystery
my review
The story takes place in Marshmallow Hollow, the quintessential all-year-round Christmas village. But someone is greedily set on destroying the charm of the village by turning it into a giant theme park. When that man is found dead, the question remains… accident or murder?
Enter Halliday Valentine (a witch with visions) and her friends and family and familiar to solve the case. The characters were fun and interesting, both the humans and the non-humans. At times, the non-humans stole the show. Karen the talking reindeer was feisty and hilarious, willing to do most anything to get her hands/hooves on a candy cane. Atticus is Hal’s familiar, a hummingbird with a British accent and an admonishing yet loving hand for his witch.
This is a fun and funny cozy mystery, well paced and with fantastic characters!
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