Another great book in the series. ( )

This is the 7th book in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series but the first one I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had no problem whatsoever quickly getting up to speed on the characters. Val and her crusty codger Grandddad make for a delightful crime solving duo and there's a wonderful supporting cast as well.

In this installment, there's murder at the town's Dickens Christmas festival and soon, more murders/attempted murders. It's a very cleverly-plotted puzzler.

Very highly recommended!! In fact, as soon as I finished, I picked up a copy of the first mystery in the series so I can get up to speed on it.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

Val Deniston runs the Cool Down Café at the local health club, but tonight she's dressed in Victorian clothing and helping with a tea set out by her assistant Irene. It's for the volunteers who have been helping at the Dickens of a Holiday festival, and there are six people attending. One of them is a recent resident who's taken over her grandfather Don's job as the Santa, which he does every year, and it isn't making Don happy. Don's been relegated to play Ebenezer Scrooge, and he's right in character whenever he sees the man playing Santa - Jake Smith.

At the dinner, Jake's wife and Mrs. Claus, Jewel, are the center of attention. It seems Santa has had too much to drink and she's trying to get him to quiet down. But the action changes when someone enters the back of the bookshop where they're having their private tea in the CAT room -- dressed all in black with a gift bag on their head and distributes gift bags to each person and then leaves without saying a word. While everyone else is stunned, Jake is delighted to find the bag contains a gingerdead man -- a gingerbread cookie dressed like a skeleton, and he eats his, lauding the wonderful taste. But seconds later he falls over and later dies.

But things don't end there: Val is catering a private birthday party for a resident, and there's trouble in the home while she's there. When she leaves, she thinks that will be the end of it -- but it's not. Not only does she find something else to worry about, her best friend is soon brought into the mix, and everyone thinks a serial killer is on the loose. Now Val and her grandfather will have to do some fancy footwork and dig deep to find out who killed Santa and why. If they don't figure it out, no one will be having a Merry Christmas...

This is the latest book in the series, and I am liking it better with each one. This time out it's nearing Christmas, and Val is busy catering small parties and running the café, while also volunteering at the Dickens festival. It's a busy time of the year, and she and her grandfather both have their hands full. But when the Santa dies after eating the cookie, neither she nor Don think it was natural causes. After it's confirmed, they want to know who wanted to kill him, and start investigating on their own.

But when Val has problems at her latest catering gig, it soon leads to even more problems, and she needs to figure out a way to counter it. (I am loath to mention more, because this is a new book, and I don't want to give away any spoilers -- so I won't).

What I do like about this series is the reference to classic movies, which, as I have stated many times over, is my other passion besides books. There probably isn't a classic I haven't seen or can't quote a line from. It gives me even more pleasure when I read the books (and everyone should watch the movies referenced).

I am beginning to like Don more and more; he's learning things all the time and not withering away into a grouchy old man, and I love that. Val is entering a new chapter of her life, too, and both of these things keep the series fresh and moving along. They both keep their lives moving forward, and I enjoy reading about their latest ventures.

This tale is very good, with the mystery taking forefront, and adding a bit of tension along the way; it keeps the reader interested throughout the story and wondering what will happen next. The red herrings are thrown out, with clues leading back and forth, and eventually the killer is found, but it was almost a surprise to me, and that was entirely delightful. In the end, it was probably one of the most fun books I've read in awhile, and I really wish I could read the next one right away. Highly recommended. ( )