Thirteen stories for the holidays. How great is that!

Some of my favorite authors contributed to this anthology along with some new ones for me.

Each story, though not a full length novel, was so well written it felt complete. That shows the talent of these authors, giving you a beginning, middle, and end, in a limited amount of words.

Spend the holidays meeting new characters, falling in love, and solving some murders.

Each new story brings that feeling of wonder. You are entering a new world, going on a new adventure.

After I finished one story, I couldn’t resist starting the next one. And so it went until I finished them all.

With weather cooling down, these stories would be great companions while curled up with a snug blanket and a hot cuppa tea. ( )

First, I must admit that when I asked to read and review this book, I was not familiar with any of the authors. I love cozy mysteries, though and couldn’t resist wanting to read this collection of thirteen stories all in one huge compilation of 669 pages. Some of the stories have murder in them. Some do not. All the stories are well written, well-paced mysteries that are character driven and they are “cozy” mysteries. There are stories with animals in them and some without. Some of the stories I enjoyed more than others, but overall I liked them all.
I really enjoyed this set and can recommend it to others without any difficulty, especially now around the holiday season. I wish there was a paperback version available in order that I could purchase it and keep it in my home library and read when I felt like reading a cozy mystery short story. There’s a variety of stories here, enough for someone to love. My personal favorites were Dog Forbid, Teddy Saves Christmas, and The Dog Who came For Christmas. Yes, these have animals starring in them.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the ePub from Reading Alley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

First, I must admit that when I asked to read and review this book, I was not familiar with any of the authors. I love cozy mysteries, though and couldn’t resist wanting to read this collection of thirteen stories all in one huge compilation of 669 pages. Some of the stories have murder in them. Some do not. All the stories are well written, well-paced mysteries that are character driven and they are “cozy” mysteries. There are stories with animals in them and some without. Some of the stories I enjoyed more than others, but overall I liked them all.
I really enjoyed this set and can recommend it to others without any difficulty, especially now around the holiday season. I wish there was a paperback version available in order that I could purchase it and keep it in my home library and read when I felt like reading a cozy mystery short story. There’s a variety of stories here, enough for someone to love. My personal favorites were Dog Forbid, Teddy Saves Christmas, and The Dog Who came For Christmas. Yes, these have animals starring in them.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the ePub from Reading Alley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Happy Homicides is like a holiday sampler platter – every morsel is delicious, and when you are finished you want the full menu! I enjoy anthologies. The stories are shorter so I can read them on the go, and I get in-between glimpses about familiar characters from my favorite authors, as well as discovering new authors who are probably similar to ones I already like. This collection was one of the best I have read and includes stories by Joanna Campbell Slan, Neil Pakcy, Lois Winston, Annie Adams, Jenna Bennett, Nancy Jill Thames, Sara Rosett, Camille Minichino, Nancy Warren, Linda Gordon Hengerer, Joyce and Jim Lavene, and Teresa Trent.

The stories are all holiday themed, but that is where the similarity ends. It’s a diverse set: we get dogs and cats and children of course, and some murder sprinkled in. We go to familiar settings like tea shops and craft stores and recipe competitions, but also take a fun trip to a trailer park. We meet sisters and aunts who are wonderful family, but there are some husbands who are not so wonderful and some scary strangers. One of the stories is very down home, while another is almost scientific, and Jane Austen makes an appearance in one story.

I did have a couple of favorite stories, but I enjoyed each and every one of them, and ended up purchasing several books by new-to-me contributing authors because I enjoyed their Happy Homicide so much. It was a great way to start getting into the holiday spirit.

This is a must read. It’s well written, quick to read, and very entertaining. And . . . there are recipes and crafts!

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )