A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

It's Christmastime in Frog Ledge. The entire town is assembling for the lighting of the Christmas tree. Right before the event, Santa is found dead in his sleigh. The Santa in the sleigh isn't Seamus, Jake's uncle from Ireland, much to Stan's relief, but there are many questions about the man inside the costume. Now, Stan has to figure out who wanted Santa dead, and whether the murdered knew who was inside the costume or were they actually after Seamus, especially since Seamus is missing.

The twists and turns in Purring Around the Christmas Tree really kept me guessing, while trying to figure out what happened, who was responsible, and the motive. There are several people that fit the bill of murder suspect. Every time a suspect is identified, the author has written the case so well that you can't help but believe you've figured out who was behind the murder. She then pulls the rug out from under the reader who's left moving on to the next suspect. The perfect murder mystery, whether it's a cozy novel or not, is the author's ability to not give away any clues to the actual person involved. I find that Liz Mugavero does just that in all of the books in this series.

Book 6 is a wonderful addition to the Pawitively Organic Mystery series. Purring Around the Christmas Tree is fast paced and totally engages the reader. The plot is solid and very unique. I love the organic pet food angle and the animal rescue plugs, giving this series a nice change of pace. I'm a huge fan of cozy mysteries, especially if there are animals involved in some positive way. The Pawsitively Organic Mysteries by Liz Mugavero are wonderful and definitely a favorite of mine.

Are you an animal lover who is interested in reading fun cozies over the holidays? Liz Mugavero is the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mystery Series, and these cute cozies feature Kristan (Stan) Connor and her fiancé Jake McGee, along with dozens of friends in the small New England village of Frog’s Ledge. Stan owns a popular organic pet patisserie, and seems to get involved in investigating the ongoing murders as an amateur sleuth. She often gets herself and her friends into danger, and even becomes a murder suspect on occasion. Law enforcement doesn’t want Stan’s help, of course, but without it, there would be a lot of unsolved murders in that small town.

Purring Around the Christmas Tree is the 6th installment in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery Series, and is a festive read for the holidays. Kristan (Stan) attends the annual Holiday Light Festival, in her small New England town of Frogs Ledge, hoping to see her fiancé’s uncle playing Santa. Unfortunately, the Santa that shows up is dead, and luckily it’s not Jake’s uncle. Jake’s uncle, however, seems to be missing, and so Stan must not only find him, but also find the one who murdered the man who is playing Santa.

Mugavero’s characters are well-developed and likeable. These cozies are suitable for all ages, since there is no graphic violence, language, or sex. There is a lot of fun however, and cozy readers will enjoy this series.

Who is the man in the Santa suit? A festive cosy mystery to curl up with at Christmastime. There is a lot going on here...and countless characters to keep track of. Part of a series and whilst it works well enough as a standalone and whilst the author does cover backstory, I did feel that it would have been beneficial to have read the series to date to, perhaps, get the most from this story and the characters. Overall a fun read.

When the wrong man turns up dead in a Santa suit, there's trouble afoot in this charming installment in Mugavero's organic pet food mysteries. Was the murderer intending to kill the original Santa or his replacement, and what does it have to do with a missing book in Ireland? There's plenty of intrigue and action, as well as humor, in this novel.

This is a book I've been looking forward to since the end of the previous book in the series as readers are invited to the unofficial opening of Stan's Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie on the same night as the town's Christmas tree lighting ceremony. What could go wrong? Turns out quite a bit, as Santa is DOA in his sleigh. Stan is horrified because her boyfriend Jake's Uncle Seamus is supposed to be playing Santa, but that's not who has been murdered. The victim is Harold, another resident of Frog's Ledge - and he has been poisoned by the apple cider made specifically for Santa - cider that was made by Stan's good friend Izzy. Seamus's whereabouts are unknown, and it's nearly impossible to even know who the intended victim was because both men had their enemies. Stan has her hands full trying to get her new business off the ground, entertaining a houseful of Jake's family members, and getting to the bottom of a very complicated set of circumstances. By the cliffhanger on the final page there's lots of excitement still to come for Stan too! Another great story in one of my favorite cozy series.

Frog’s Ledge is a charming Connecticut community where everyone knows everyone. The Holiday Light Festival is a Christmas tradition where everyone in the town participates. Unfortunately this year as Santa rides his sleigh into the town square it's clear that something is definitely wring. Santa is dead. Murder or natural death? That's to be determined.
Stan (Kristan) Connor thinks the police (specifically her soon to sister-in-law) are investigating the wrong people for the possible murder. She begins her own investigation of the death as well as her friend's missing husband and her boyfriend's missing uncle.
This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Wow, once again Liz Mugavero has served readers a treat as tasty as those her heroine “Stan” Connor serves up in her pet bakery.  Liz Mugavero consistently provides readers with entertaining mysteries where pets are more than just window dressing.  In this holiday themed cozy,  Santa is found in his sleigh, DOA.  At first, everyone fears the victim is Seamus, the uncle of Stan’s boyfriend.  Instead, it is a local drunk known to spend the winter at the local Christmas tree farm.  Meanwhile noone knows where Seamus has disappeared to and why he wasn’t in the Santa Claus suit.  To top everything off, Char’s husband Ray has also dropped off the map, and a number of Seamus’s shady friends have arrived in town to await his return.  

Purring around the Christmas Tree is a fantastic cozy as complex and satisfying as a well seasoned mug of spiced cider.  I definitely recommend it, as well as Liz Mugavero’s other novels to anyone who enjoys well written cozies and of course - pets.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Purring around the Christmas Tree from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

The annual Christmas tree lighting in Frog Ledge is always a big deal but this year it's been marred by the unexpected death of the man playing Santa Claus, which turns out to be a murder. At first everyone thinks it's Seamus McGee who was supposed to have played Santa but it was actually a transient sort of guy named Harold.

There has also been a national story shared by newspaper man Cyril about the book of Kells being stolen from Ireland. With Seamus missing along with B&B owner Char's husband Ray, Stan is wondering if these two incidents could possibly be linked. When a mysterious Irish guy named Kevin shows up proclaiming to be Seamus's friend, Stan and Jake let him stay at their house.

In the meantime, Stan is trying very hard to have her grand opening of her pet pattiserie, which has been doing great having had a soft opening but she wants to decorate and do it up right. But all these things like the first murder, then a second body and threat of Irish mobsters seem to be getting in the way. Despite what Jake's cousin, Jessie, the town detective keeps saying about staying out of her investigation, Stan can't help but want to see it through.

This was the first book I've read in this series but the author did a really good job of explaining things without spoiling anything that may have happened in the first five books so of course I'm definitely wanting to start from book one and read the rest. This is a fun and interesting cast of characters and I know I will enjoy seeing how Stan aka Kristan and Jake got together as well as what happened when she first moved to town.

The McGee clan is definitely torn over whether or not they are fans of Seamus. His own sons are not crazy about him but when it all comes to a head, it does seem that the family has genuine love and loyalty for each other. There were actually two mysteries involved. I didn't guess the killer at all and was happily surprised about it. I did have an idea who might be behind the other mystery but as always I didn't know reasoning or anything like that. The ending was resolved really well and all turned out great!

PURRING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE is book six in Liz Mugavero's Pawsitively Organic cozy mystery series. In PURRING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE, readers get much more than a run-of-the-mill murder mystery. Liz Mugavero creates a fascinating, multilayered mystery full of surprises until tying everything together for a satisfying conclusion. When Santa turns up dead in his sleigh, the mood of the Christmas celebration in the small town of Frog Ledge takes a turn toward the horrific. After digging past the disguise, the situation becomes even more bizarre when it's revealed that the man playing the role of Santa is an unexpected and sudden substitution. The deeper Stan Connor immerses herself in this baffling murder mystery, the more questions she has than answers.

The holidays can be stressful for some people, but this Christmas Stan is put through the wringer. In addition to opening her Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie, and hosting a few of her boyfriend's relatives, Stan once again finds herself donning the mantle of amateur sleuth. I like how Liz Mugavero gives plausible reasons for Stan to get involved in the investigation. The missing man who was supposed to be playing Santa -- Seamus McGee -- is the uncle of Stan's boyfriend Jake. Another missing local man is Stan's friend and neighbor, Ray Mackey. If all of that weren't enough, one of Stan's friends becomes suspect number one. One of the puzzles for Stan and readers to figure out is whether the man murdered was really the intended victim, or whether it was meant to Seamus. Inexplicable acts of vandalism to Stan's new shop and a sudden influx of dubious newcomers to town add to the murky nature of this mystery.

PURRING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE is a fun and perplexing mystery for animal lovers. After being at odds for so long, it's great seeing Stan having better relationships with her mother and sister. Jake's sister, and Stan's employee, Brenna is a much-needed friend and confidant for Stan in this book. As Stan hunts for clues and talks to people, she and Sergeant Jessie Pasquale see each other as a constant hindrance. I look forward to reading Liz Mugavero's Pawsitively Organic mystery.

I know it is not unusual for cosy mysteries to be part of a bigger series, but often you can pick up a book in the middle of the series and not lose too much from not having read the previous ones. I didn't find that to be the case here. There were so many great quirky characters, but I just found myself a bit overwhelmed not only by the number of character I kept being introduced to, but the amount of the back story of each that was explained (I presume from previous books) but not really relevant to this particular story - it felt a bit like being dropped into Stars Hollow with the Gilmore Girls and introduced to everyone in town at once. That said, the story was enjoyable, and I did like the characters, but would recommend starting this series from book one rather than picking this up first (it's book 6 in the series).

I loved this latest installment of the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. I love travelling to the town of Frog Ledge and I really enjoyed how this one focused a lot of Stan's family, Jake's family, and other families throughout town. I do wish Nutty and the rest of Stan and Jake's pets were a little more prominent in this story. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Kristan (Stan) is finally ready to open her pet patisserie and the grand opening is scheduled for the weekend of the Christmas tree lighting, which brings in a lot of tourists, but when Santa makes his entrance and it turns out he is dead, chaos breaks loose. Not only is Santa dead, but Harold (the guy in the costume) wasn't supposed to be playing Santa at all. Throw in Char's missing husband, Ray, Jake's missing uncle Seamus, and the mysterious theft of the famous Book of Kells, this is certainly a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end.

Stan Connor and the residents of Frog Ledge are getting ready for the towns Christmas Celebration, when an unthinkable crime happens Santa Claus has been murdered. The victim is Harold Dewey who replaced Seamus McGee who had always played Santa. When Seamus and his friend Ray can't be reached on their phones or located people start to get worried. Ray's wife takes to her bed then gets drunk at the town pub. Seamus's family figure that he is involved in another get rich quick scheme and he dragged Ray into it. Stan finds herself trying to find Harold's killer and locate Seamus and Ray so that everyone can have a Merry Christmas. There is plenty of action and the plot keeps you engaged with it's twists, turns, and clues. I got an ARC of this book from netgalley.

This is book six of the series but my first read. The book incluedes recipes. While reading this as a stand alone worked well enough I think I was in over my head trying to get all the characters straight. I picked up and set the book down three times by the time I was halfway done. I think I would find this book and series more enjoyable read in order. The book itself was written well.

PURRING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE, the sixth book in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery series by Liz Mugavero, grabs your attention from the very first sentence and keeps you entertained until the very last page. The plot includes a missing ancient national Irish treasure, a missing Uncle Seamus, a dead Santa, and strangers invading the town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut. Frog Ledge is a charming Norman Rockwell type of town and the protagonist, Kristan “Stan” Conner has just opened her equally charming shop, Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie. Her shop provides delicious, healthy treats for the many pets living in the area. With the murder of Santa, Stan finds herself in the middle of trying to solve the crime even though her boyfriend and his sister, the town’s State Trooper, doesn’t want her involved. She’s fortunate that she has an amazing support system in place to keep her new business running while she investigates. The friends and family surrounding her provide both support and insight into Stan’s character.

The author describes vivid holiday scenes to get the reader in the holiday spirit. I love the festivities that the town is involved in, while the various threads of plots and subplots fit neatly within the theme. A suspenseful reveal pulls all the threads together while a sweet, heartwarming ending is a nice surprise to leave the reader smiling and ready for the holidays. Given that Stan bakes numerous treats for her new pet patisserie, Ms. Mugavero thoughtfully provides several pet treat recipes at the back of the book, and I’m sure your furry friends would be very grateful for a chance to try them!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book six in the series. I haven't read a book in the series since book 2 and while I felt like I was missing a little background, it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It just made me want to go back and read the rest to see what I missed, haha.

Kristan "Stan" Connor is opening a store front for her organic pet items and what better time for her grand opening then right after the lighting of the town's Christmas tree?

Things go immediately wrong for Stan, her boyfriend, Jake and the town when Santa's sleigh pulls in carrying a dead Santa and the person who was originally supposed to play Santa has disappeared.

This was a fun book, even if the plot was a bit convoluted. I enjoyed spending time with Stan again, and meeting Jake, as well as Stan's mom. I did have a bit of confusion, since there are just so many characters to keep track of. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and will look forward to more.

It's never good news when Santa drops dead at the beginning of the holiday season, and then when the man in the Santa suit isn't who the town expected to see, the plot thickens right away with missing people and mystery motives. On top of all of this, Stan Connor is finally trying to hold the grand opening of her Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie. There's a lot of characters running around this story and it keeps the pace, and Stan's life, very busy.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
This is one of those series that I have enjoyed since the first book and look forward to each one. The latest did not disappoint. Stan has more than enough on her plate with Christmas holidays, a house full of people and the grand opening of her new store. When the Santa for the town’s celebration dies during the festivities, it puts a damper on things. He was poisoned and there is some controversy about whether the victim was the intended or whether the man who was supposed to be Santa was the target.
He is the favourite uncle of Stan’s live in love, Jake, who might be the only person who doesn’t think his uncle is a n’er do well. Complicating things further- as if it needed further complication- Seamus has vanished and taken Stan’s dear friend Char’s husband with him.
There are lots storylines and lots of tension and suspense to go along with the mystery.
Stan is a great heroine. I love her animals too as well as the human characters. The stories include the evolution of the relationships in a way that is both interesting and satisfying. Stan is smart enough to want to help figure things out but wise enough to know her limitation. That makes her a more relatable character heightening this reader’s enjoyment.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Sorry, I would have read this but it was archived and withdrawn earlier than I expected. I'm currently reviewing Hallowe'en and Christmas titles.