Another wonderful addition to this wonderfully entertaining series.This episode in snowy Vermont add in a mystery Prohibition whiskey a fun adventure highly recommend,#netgalley#Naughtyonice #St.Martinspublishers.

Naughty on Ice another enjoyable addition to the Discreet Retrieval Agency series by Maia Chance.

We find our favourite lady detectives in snowy Maple Hill, Vermont after receiving a Christmas card with a job opportunity from an anonymous client. Tasked with retrieving an antique ring from an elderly woman at a wealthy family gathering, the ladies get more than they bargained for when the owner of the home dies after being poisoned. As strangers in town and uninvited guests caught stealing a ring, Lola and Berta become prime suspects in the murder and must race to find the real murderer before they get arrested.

What's really interesting about Naughty on Ice is that we are given a prologue with the mysterious Christmas card and then the first chapter starts with the police interrogation after the owner has been murdered. I thought it was a clever choice on Maia Chance's part to start the mystery with the murder having already taken place as opposed to working up to the murder.

I love the writing of the Discreet Retrieval Agency. Maia Chance does an amazing job of transporting readers back to the prohibition era by inserting the right amount of lingo and descriptive language to make readers feel as if they're right beside Lola. Each time I read a new novel in the series, I fall more in love with Lola, Berta and Ralph. They're incredibly likeable characters and I thought Naughty on Ice did a great job building on their relationships with each other.

I did feel the ending was a bit abrupt and that the mystery was wrapped up a bit too quickly. I would've liked a few more pages exploring what transpired at the end, but perhaps Maia Chance is saving that for the next book.

Naughty on Ice is the fourth book in the cozy mystery series and I can't wait to read the next adventure.

**I received an ARC via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I think this one is my favorite of this series--so far. In this outing Lola and Berta receive an invitation to a holiday party in order to retrieve a stolen ring. Upon their arrival however, a murder happens. Nobody was expecting them and Lola and Berta have no idea who sent the invitation. The police automatically have misgivings of the ladies because they are outsiders. Lola and Berta aren't able to leave the small snowy town in Vermont so they begin their own investigation into the lady's death. Even though they aren't getting paid for this job, they can't help being curious. As more murders happen, things become more entangled. Berta seems tired all the time and Lola is worried about her and the future of the agency. Ralph, Lola's boyfriend, makes an unexpected appearance so he sets out to help Lola investigate. I really enjoyed the snowy atmosphere of Vermont and this investigation. I honestly didn't figure things out so I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. I also admit that I'm getting a crush on Ralph:) Best one yet!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Naughty on Ice, the fourth book in the Discreet Retrieval Agency Mystery series, is quite possibly my favorite so far. I love this series, set during the Prohibition era, filled with warmth and humor and offering some challenging puzzles to solve. Former society matron, current penniless widow Lola Woodby and her former cook turned sleuthing partner Berta Lundgren receive a mysterious Christmas card inviting them to a family gathering in Vermont - to retrieve an heirloom ring from another family member. They go to the party and find the ring but are surprised when their hostess keels over, poisoned. To further complicate matters, someone has stolen the file Berta created on the case so Berta and Lola can't prove they weren't at the party to steal the ring for themselves. Until they can prove their innocence, the ladies are stuck in the back woods of Vermont. Will they make it home to their beaus before Christmas? Or will they fall victims to a clever murderer? This is a delightful holiday read, but not so Christmassy that it can't be read at any time of the year. It would make a great gift for a mystery lover. But if you haven't read the first three books in the series (1. Come Hell or Highball 2. Teetotaled 3. Gin and Panic) I suggest you start with number 1 for optimal enjoyment. Still, there is no reason you can't start with any of the books.

Love this author and loved this book. Another great addition to an already fabulous series. Go out and buy this book!

My thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. NAUGHTY ON ICE takes our intrepid team of lady detectives to rural Vermont, and their adventure is filled with lots of bootleg whiskey, maple syrup, snowy treks to chase down a "furry monster" and a few murders to keep the ladies busy.

Maia Chance's Discreet Retrieval Agency series is frothy good fun---perhaps more light romance and adventure than mystery, but fun rainy-day reading.

NAUGHTY ON ICE takes our intrepid team of lady detectives to rural Vermont---their adventure is filled with lots of bootleg whiskey, maple syrup, snowy treks to chase down a "furry monster" and a few murders to keep the ladies busy.

Their detective methods are more than hap-hazard, and their skills quite questionable, but they are very apt at sniffing out the best candy and bake goods in any locale . . . . and that is a skill I admire.

This series is definitely best reserved for light mystery readers, but it would lighten the spirits of anyone having a dark day.

Was it the butler in the parlor?

Receiving a Christmas card addressed to The Discreet Retrieval Agency signed by Anonymous, Lola and Berta are requested to find an antique ring and leave it in a breadbox. And so they are off to Vermont to take up the task. Upon their arrival at Maple Hill at the wealthy Goddard family gathering, they are not only caught with the ring (taken off of inebriated Great Aunt Cressida Goddard's finger), but are accused of the death of Judith Goddard. It would appear she was poisoned while drinking a Negroni cocktail. There were many suspects, including her new, young fiance, as well as other family members.

So who's been naughty or nice...who will be the person getting a lump of coal in his/her Christmas stocking? Could a one time Society Matron and her cook, save the day as they investigate this murder and stumble on some other secrets as well?

As each suspect leads the two women on a "merry" chase, each suspect is eliminated for one reason or another until finally, all becomes clear. Well I now know it wasn't the butler in the parlor, but could it have been Ms. Scarlet in the library? You'll have to read this book to find out! Have fun.

Set in the prohibition era Lola Woodby and her side-kick Berta make this a fun read, setting the tone of the novel. These two are quirky and entertaining, quite tongue-in-cheek!

My thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.