Billie Thomas

Mother and daughter Amanda and Chloe Carstairs are decorators and at this time of year they're very busy decorating for Christmas parties. While chasing a dog to retrieve the stolen baby Jesus from their nativity display they find a severed arm on the doorstep of another of their clients. And that's just the beginning. At one client's holiday bash he dies right in front of everyone, and it's determined to be murder. Then a few days later at another holiday party yet another client is murdered. Amanda and Chloe decide they have the inside contacts and knowledge to solve these murders, so off they go.

I enjoyed the amount of women in this book. Amanda, Chloe, other daughter Bridget and her daughter Lily, Nancy the widow, Robin the suspected black widow, outlandish Bunny, kind Margie, and younger women Angela and Cassie. There are men, sure, but these women form the heart and community of this world. I had as good a time reading about them as I did about the mystery.

As for the mystery, I had no idea at all whodunnit and when I found out, along with Chloe, I was as shocked as she was.

(Provided by publisher)… (mehr)

I loved the first in the series, Murder on the First Day of Christmas, and I'm happy to say the second was as enjoyable.

It focuses on the unique bond between mother and daughter Chloe and Amanda, but while the first was establishing strong ties over common bonds, the second delved further into them working together but apart. Chloe has to do her own digging and consults with her mother rather than as many outright adventures together. This neither added nor detracted from the book's enjoyment potential, but it did change the focus on the dynamics of their relationship.

Delightful not only because of the charm, it works as an intricately woven mystery with many layers. Through subtle and major surprises you don't sniff out in warning, to false leads and convincing motivations that are about more than just murder, this is a mystery that wines and dines your brain as much as it does your tickle bone. It's filled with genuinely amusing moments that seem come naturally from the author, making the characters a delight to read about.

There are some game changers in Chloe's personal relationships, which were interesting but set in the back burner considering all that was going on. It's a pure set mystery with a tiny romance possibility on the side, but nothing that overtakes the story. The shining stars are still the mains, Chloe and Amanda, but you couldn't have another excellent book with the amusing Tony Trianos, the joking father with his car obsession, and of course the rivals.

The setting was another thing which rocked. An old mansion saddled with a ghost legend while all suspects and victims were closed in together for much of the book. Besides the fun in solving a mystery through room-rummaging, eavesdropping and general mingling, there were the humorous situations that arose with them squished together, namely in the form of Honey - Bunny's daughter (yes, really!)

It was unrealistic they relied too much on sense of smell - seriously, not many people keep noticing deep scents when passing people in panicked situations. There was also a small plot hole or two, but nothing big. Overall it was a clever whodunnit with many leads and not a predictable reveal for the villain.

I will definitely check out more of the series if more come - it's a top favorite cozy series, a pure delight to read.… (mehr)

4.5 stars

"Nothing like the holidays and homicide to bring people together."

Initially I sought this one out because I needed a holiday-themed novel in December, and this one fit the bill because it looked easy, cute, and was a cheap price. I never figured I'd enjoy this one as much as I ended up doing - usually with cozies my rating is an average 3 star slap and decent impression. Now that I've read this, I not only loved it but want to continue more of the series.

On that note, when I went to read about the author, I found out that the person who wrote this was a mother who died, and this book was the result of her daughter who wanted to revise the book and see it published in her mother's memory.

It's a nice touch then that this story focuses on an unusual mother/daughter relationship. Cozies often feature pairs of siblings or other relatives, but they don't usually have such an unusual combination that comes across realistic, workable, and downright funny. Fans of the series such as Ophelia and Abby will know what I mean - those pairings were enjoyable in their own ways, but they were a little too purified to come off as true.

Here there's argument, hiding, sarcasm, humor, non-perfection but still close bonding of mother/daughter. Fun stuff. Not only does the plot grow to be more intriguing and intricate, but the mother/daughter bond connects strongly and flourishes in the end into its own new story.

Besides the pair of daughter Chloe and mother Amanda, there's hilarious side characters who work their charms too, such as the local town bimbo, shifty committees, and local crime boss who enjoys flirting with mommy dearest. Be still my heart!

The mystery is amusing (someone stabbed in a santa costume on Christmas shouldn't be amusing, but I'm twisted this way and the author helped it be so.....), but it's more than just funny. It's genuinely good. The pair investigates, questions, hypothesizes, ponders, chases red herrings, holds their own theories, shares other theories, and uncovers the culprit cleverly in the end. It's not an easy guess, there are misdirections, new leads, fun mystery injections, plausible villains to suspect, and no clear arrows pointing an obvious direction. There's not much more you can ask for in a mystery.

Obviously I recommend this for mystery and cozy fans, but please don't wait for the holidays only - this is a mystery that works all year round and I can't wait to continue the series, which the daughter is continuing in her mother's memory and name. The Kindle price is 2.99, which is totally worth it.… (mehr)

The premise in this first of hopefully many from author Billie Thomas: Finding a severed hand at a client’s house might throw lesser decorators off their games. But Chloe Carstairs and her mother, Amanda, won’t let a little thing like murder keep them from decking the halls. With a body under the partridge’s pear tree and a dead Santa in a sleigh, they have to crack the case before the killer strikes again - this time much too close to home.

I have never laughed out loud like this reading a book in my life! What I love about Billie is that she’s hilarious without being vulgar, and she is really exciting at the same time. I’ve said more than once that she has Janet Evanovich beat by a mile. Quite frankly, she’s giving Stephanie Plum a run for her money, too. Murder on the First Day of Christmas just oozes Southern charm and makes me wish I was back in the South once again.

Despite something I couldn’t quite wrap my head around toward the very end (and the use of a word improperly – oy!), the excitement, the fun, the downright dangerous situations in which they either found themselves or they put themselves kept me reading and loving every moment.

I tell you what, too. Never in a million years did I figure out the killer at the end. I had NO idea. That is the mark of a truly well-written plot.

I’m glad you picked up the torch, Billie. Carry on!

… (mehr)