A Christmas Peril is a fun and exciting cozy mystery. Edwina "Sully" Sullivan left her cop life and ex-husband, Gus, behind and went back home to run a Theater Company. She's had five years of peace while getting her life back in order, that is, until the father of her her best friend, Eric, is found dead in his study. When one of the deceased's children asks Sully to do some discreet sleuthing, Sully can't help but get involved especially after Eric is now a suspect.

Full of twists and turns, A Christmas Peril is an enjoyable mystery throws in red herrings to lead the reader astray. The author does a great job concealing the murderer and unraveling the mystery. The world building is done well and the characters are well developed.

Sully's character is down-to-earth and likable. She loves her friends and her job running the Cliffside Theater Company. She gets along with everyone. Her biggest attribute is that she doesn't do stupid things that jeopardize her safety or the safety of others. She's not a perfect heroine but she's perfectly written for this story. The secondary characters, including Eric, Harry, Gus, and others, are fun and enjoyable, too.

The book is a little slow at times but has a mostly steady pace. I was never bored with the plot, characters, or antics that went on in the book. The addition of the theater company gave the book a different feel. Many of the cozies I read include crafting, backing, or something to do with animals. I like the ones that are based around theater.

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Christmas Peril.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Former police officer Edwina “Sully” Sullivan tries to leave her old career behind but when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation she can’t remain silent. Between the drama off stage and on at the theater and the murder Sully has her hands full. Then the bodies start to pile up, distant relatives of hers, she is drawn further into the investigation and closer to her ex. There is peril this Christmas and Sully needs to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

I enjoyed meeting Sully and I anxious to get to know her better as the series continues. Retired from the police force she has become the manager of the Cliffside Theater Company and has worked there quietly for several years. The director is a bit of a handful, as is one of the current actors but her previous job has prepared her to deal with difficult people. She is smart and knows how to use her talents and can truly multitask. Her ex-husband lands back in life when her best friend is accused of killing his father and Gus becomes his lawyer. She isn’t quite sure how she feels about that but she is surprising drawn to him, he cheated on her, how could she be having these feelings? They both seem to have other people in their lives too. Romantic tension – loved it!

The backdrop of the theater was very intriguing. The look behind the scenes of such a production was very interesting and the cast had its quirky characters. I imagine putting a standard like A Christmas Carol is not an easy task but when the main star is a drunkard with hearing issues it had to be a monumental task.

The mystery is filled with twists with multiple murders and several suspects. It starts a little slow but soon the pages were rapidly turning. I was surprised at the big reveal but the ending left readers hanging regarding Sully personal life. You know, the teaser toward the next book. 🙂

Well written, appealing characters and a fun theme have gotten this series off to a fine start. I would have liked it to be just a bit more “Christmasy” but this would be a great book to read curled up in front of the fire as winter approaches.

A Christmas Peril is an interesting and fun read .The story is about a retired police officer called Sully who now runs a Theatre,who is investigating a murder of a prominent local business man after her friend Eric is accused of murder .I found the beginning a little hard to follow but the story soon took off and is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing "who dun it" until the end !.

I had a feeling I was going to like this when the main character talks about "the traditional pantyhose dance". I love that.

The feeling was enhanced by the fact that a secondary character suddenly popped up who had my exact name – just first as last and vice versa (and my first name spelled "wrong"). I have never seen that before. It was also fun when that character, Stewart, engaged in a Shakespeare quote battle with another fellow named Patrick; Patrick and Stewart and Shakespeare all in the same sentence is just fun.

"…Something darted out—probably a coyote … "
"Probably a dog."
"Whose story is this? Anyway, I veered to avoid the werewolf…"

I'm often very hard on cozy mysteries, but this has all the essential ingredients, blended to excellent effect. The main character has a good and solid foundation for involving herself in any mysteries that come her way: she was a cop. And I loved the fact that the reason her cop-hood is in the past tense is that she was basically … encouraged very strongly to resign, as I recall. She wasn't a model police officer, nor a model wife or daughter or friend or overall human being – but her faults and failings never make her obnoxious. She's not sympathetic, on the whole – but she is interesting, and often funny, and her self-awareness makes her a really good protagonist.

It's not a perfect story. But it's more than enjoyable enough that it doesn't matter. I've said it before, and as long as I keep reading cozy mysteries I'm sure I'll say it again: the plot is possibly the least important part of a cozy. If an author can sell me on a three-dimensional, five-sensate (is that a thing? It should be) setting, on well-rounded characters I'm happy to spend a few hours with and will look forward to meeting again, and on sharp and clever writing that is not over-reliant on puns – then I honestly don't much care whodunit or why. Don't get me wrong – there had better be an at least halfway decent plot – but if the rest of it has lulled me into a state of complacency, I'm much less likely to complain about anything else.

And the writing here is sharp and clever. "Leftover summer detriment, suntan lotion and gardening hats" – what a great, concise snapshot. It was good enough to overcome multiple issues with editing which I sincerely hope aren't going unnoticed by people who can fix them. Y'know, it worries me a little that the Netgalley emails often remind us "don't worry! This is an ARC! All those little grammar and spelling and punctuation things you people love to nitpick about will be fixed before the book's published!" Well, I hope so. I wouldn't want to see something about "breeching confidentiality" in the finished book, or about something peaking instead of peeking. Or pronoun abuse. Or apostrophe abuse. Et cetera.

Because this was a really fun book. And for once I look forward to reading a lot more.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

Edwina “Sully” Sullivan is a former cop who now manages a theatre in her hometown of Trevorton, Massachusetts. She left her old life behind when she suffered an injury on the job, was ostracized after exposing corruption in the force, and discovered that her husband was having an affair. Managing the Cliffside Theater Company should have come as a light relief, but this year’s big winter production of A Christmas Carol is proving particularly problematic. Sully’s life is further complicated by the murder of local bigshot Peter Whitehall, a distant relative whom she had not seen in years. However, Peter’s son Eric is a close friend and, when Eric emerges as the most likely suspect in the murder, Sully agrees to use her formidable detective skills to identify the real killer.

A Christmas Peril is the first book in J.A. Hennrikus’ A Theater Cop Mystery series and it is certainly a promising start to Sully’s investigative adventures. Sully is a great character. She has the stubbornness and tenacity needed to be a great detective. She’s perceptive, brave, and not afraid to bend the law a little if it will help her to get answers. She also has a good sense of humour, which is just as well considering the various personal and professional challenges that she has to face during the course of her investigation. The plot of A Christmas Peril is sufficiently complex to keep readers guessing as to who did what and why, and there are a surfeit of suspicious characters to choose from when it comes to picking out the killer. The setting of Trevorton in general and the theatre in particular works really well and helps to add a sense of cosy intrigue to the story. Despite much discussion about the production of A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Peril is not the most Christmassy of Christmas mysteries, but it’s still a very entertaining read.

Nice start to a new series! It seemed a little odd to be reading a book with a Christmas theme as hurricanes were storming through the US and Caribbean but this is more of a mystery than anything else. Sully is an ex-cop who made a conscious decision not to become a PI and yet she finds herself in a position where she wants to help her friend Eric, who has been accused of murder. The deaths do pile up a bit (I sometimes shake my head about that in cozies) but Sully is an intrepid investigator. She dusts off her skills and gets back in the game even as her rotten ex-husband turns up in town. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for a new character and a well told story.

A Christmas in Peril is a first in what should be successful series. It is extremely well written, and Sully is my new sleuth of choice. She has spunk, humor and a seriously, honed knack for solving this crime. Cozy lovers should find this book leaving them wanting more, and asking what is coming next.

I usually stays away from Christmas Cozies in September, but this book had such a great mystery and characters, that I didn't mind. I liked how descriptive the author is in describing details. I would recommend to anyone who loves a great mystery with a little ho ho ho

Sully, a retired police officer has moved back home and become the general manager at the local theater company. Having had issues with her previous job and divorcing her husband she was looking for a change and she seems to have found peace with where she has landed. When a prominent member of the community is murdered the mans son asks Sully if she would look into what happened, it doesn't hurt that she is also a distant relative and has an investigative background. She agrees but when things start to turn sour with this years showing of A Christmas Carol she doesn't know how much help she can give. Things change when she learns that her ex-husband is a lawyer for the family and he wants to work with her in finding out the truth. Sully begins to realize that she still has feelings for her ex but also one of the actors from the company who pops in and out of her life. With all these changes messing with her emotions and the play not going the way she planned will Sully be able to help figure out who the murderer is? I liked how the author wrote the main character and look forward to seeing where she takes her in the future. I also can't wait to see what other showings will be happening at the theater while Sully helps solve the mystery in upcoming books.

This book was a promising start to a new series. The theater aspect of this book really caught my attention and intrigued me and it delivered well on that end. I loved getting to see the way that a theater is run. I volunteered in a theater while I was in high school so that brought back some nice memories for me and it was fun to see it displayed in this book.

I enjoyed Sully's character. She was well developed as well as the other characters also.

The mystery was well written and I wasn't able to figure out who the killer was, so that's always good. I like being stumped in a mystery.

A Christmas Peril by J.A. Hennrikus is the first book in the Theater Cop Mystery series. Sully has left her job as a cop to be the manager of her hometown's theater. Her current job is to keep the theater's production of A Christmas Carol on budget and on track. When her best friend is accused of murdering his father, she reverts back to her cop training to help find the real killer. The characters are well developed for a first book, and the mystery kept me interested until then. I look forward to seeing how the characters evolve as the series continues.

Thursday last week I sat down to read A Christmas Peril, by J.A. Hennrikus. I did not know at the time that J.A. Hennrikus is also author Julianne Holmes, though I should have known by the excellence in the way the story was written! A Christmas Peril centers around a retired police officer who is now a theater company general manager. The death of a prominent member of the community who is not well loved and who is distantly related to main character Edwina, who goes by Sully, has her pulled into a no win situation! On top of the family drama, the theater production of A Christmas Carol is not coming together as hoped or planned and so much is riding on its success. In true cozy mystery spirit, two love interests both with history and intrigue, help and hinder Sully's ability to concentrate on what is now both her jobs, the murder mystery and the overseeing of the Christmas play! I was blown away with how this one played out and I had no idea until the reveal who or why the murders happened and who was behind it all. Loved this one and it was a great read! This one is out September 8th by Midnight Ink and one you will not want to put down! I love this cover so much as well, it is one I would pick up in a shop for sure!

Before her current job as general manager for a theater company, Edwina "Sully" Sullivan was a police officer. That's the reason her cousins come to her for help when her .... uncle-ish person (her mother and his wife were first cousins). She doesn't want to help at first but then the police arrest her favorite cousin, Eric. Sully decides to step in, even if that does mean working with her former husband who is working as one of the lawyers for the family.
I was surprised to see that this was a new mystery. This felt more like something written in the 90s. It was still enjoyable but just felt a little dated. It was also surprising to me that this was the first book in the series. There were several points were I felt like there was some backstory that had already been told that we just weren't getting to see. The ending was incredibly convoluted but I would still read the next book in this series.

Three stars
This book comes out September 8

This was a strong start to what promises to be an enticing new series. The characters are well developed and written, especially Sully. I love a character that experiences life distress then rises above to save the day.
Overall this story had a strong plot, well written and likable characters, and a well described setting. I cannot wait for the next in the series.

I really rather enjoyed this one. It was slightly festive (wish it had been more Christmasy). It was well written and well paced. The plot was interesting and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. There was an excellent array of secondary characters. Sully was a likable main character.

There was a smidgen of romance and maybe the beginnings of a love triangle. Which is a bit odd for a cozy mystery, but hey it worked in this instance. What I wasn't a HUGE fan of was the way the book ended. The mystery, of course, was all wrapped up in a nice little bow, but the love triangle part just kind of left us hanging with unanswered questions. Like who is Kate? What about Stewart?? Does Gus want Sully back? Gus was trying to tell Sully something through the entire book, and we never find out what! But honestly, this is a mystery first and foremost, so most people won't be bothered by the lack of romance resolution.

Two thumbs up from yours truly.

This book is exciting, interesting, filled with twists and turns and many well developed and likable characters. I believe this is either the first or second book by this author and it will be interesting to see how she develops as a writer as time passes. It certainly lays a great foundation for the series.

Edwina “Sully” Sullivan was once part of the state police of Massachusetts, but she is now medically retired and divorced from her unfaithful husband. She’s moved back to her hometown, Trevorton and taken on the job of General Manager for the local theater. Sully was surprised to find that her skills learned on the police force would serve her well at the theater, but they do.

Sully deliberately chose not to become a PI because she wanted to leave police and investigative work behind. That has worked for five years. However, when the town’s leading citizen is murdered and his son (who is Sully’s friend) is the main focus of the investigation, she has to at least look into it a little to see if she can help.

When she arrives at the police station to see what she can do for her friend, she finds he has a very good lawyer – Sully’s ex-husband. She’s not sure how she feels about that. There is a tingle of excitement at seeing Gus again – but – she doesn’t really want to be around him.

The investigation is filled with twists and turns, multiple murders and multiple perpetrators. One of those perpetrators is a surprise!

Sully is a very relatable character and you can just feel her being pulled by her interest in the case all the while she is trying to stay out of it. She’s also pulled to Gus and it is obvious that the softer feelings are still there for him. He seems to still be drawn to her as well – especially since he didn’t want the divorce – he wanted to work things out. So, it will be interesting to watch and see the romance grow throughout the series. I say that hoping that it will grow because I really like both characters and can see them working together really well.

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Sully is a former police officer who returns to her hometown and finds a job running the local theater company. When her friend Eric's father passes away from unnatural causes, Eric Whitehall becomes a suspect. Sully begins to investigate and finds things weren't as they seemed in the Whitehall residence. There isn't a shortage of suspects and to complicate things, Sully is falling for her ex-husband while an ex - paramour is in town starring in the theater's production of A Christmas Carol - which is due to open with a lead character who can't remember his lines! I enjoyed this first novel in a new series and I am looking forward to reading the next.

This was a fun mystery with a lot of twists. Sully, an ex-cop who manages a theater, got caught up in helping to find the murderer of a local prominent businessman. Shortly after, there was another murder of a family member. Then there was a third death of a family member - not sure if this one was a murder or an accident. There were a lot of family members living in the house at the time of the deaths - and everyone is a suspect. The unraveling was interesting. I found the early part of the book a bit hard to follow, but soon got wrapped up in the story. I'd give it 4 stars if not for the early part being a little messy - so I give it 3 1/2.

Thanks to J. A. Hennrukus and Midnight Ink through Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great Christmas cosy mystery, the main character is very relatable and likeable and I'm pleased to have discovered this new series form book one! I look forward to the next instalment. Not quite Christmassy enough to be a really good cosy Christmas read but a great mystery read nevertheless.

This book was not my cup of tea. I do not publicly post negative reviews so I will not share this.