Murder in Her Stocking by G. A. McKevett is a stand alone mystery that is also a prequel to her popular Savannah Reid mystery series. As a mystery it stands alone, but much of the book is also exposition for Savannah Reid and others of the Reid family. Because this was the first book in the series for me, I was somewhat at a loss as it began, feeling as if I should know these characters better than I did.
The story of the Reid family, and Granny Reid in particular, is more prominent than the mystery itself. Throughout the novel there was emphasis on creating the atmosphere of the poverty stricken Reid family in the hardscrabble town of McGill, Georgia. The narrative was made up of an abundance of colloquialisms and other southern phrases, some more famous than others. There was a familiarity in these initially that helped to create the book’s atmosphere, but they became somewhat redundant as they were used so often they created a feeling the author had a list of sayings she was determined to include before the book ended.
Overall, the story of the Reid family comes across as a bit cliche. It’s the typical portrayal of the simple, but good, uneducated southerners who have hearts as good as gold and an abundance of common sense. The story is written to occur at Christmas, during a cold winter, but the feel is more consistent with barefoot children shuffling down a dirt road on a long hot summer’s day and adults spending the majority of their time gossiping about the other adults in their small community while fanning themselves with a hand-held funeral home fan.
Until the final few chapters, it was only with an occasional reference to the cold, or to a typical Christmas activity such as buying a tree, that would remind me the story actually took place in December. The timing was made clear in the prologue of the story, but was quickly forgotten as I became engaged in the story itself.
I found the mystery of “who done it” easy to solve, as well as the process to lead to the unmasking of the murderer which was a bit of a mystery of its own. Because the solution of the murder was not as central to the book as some of the other storylines, there were some good clues, but not many red herrings. This resulted in the feeling more of reading a novel about the Reid family than a mystery novel with well identified suspects, clues and false trails. As such, it may be more enjoyable for people who are acquainted with the Savannah Reid mystery series and who would like more information on her early days, along with more in depth information on the early years of her family.

This is the first of a new series featuring Savannah Reid's grandmother Stella Reid and set in the small town of McGill, Georgia, when Savannah was just 12, and she and her 6 siblings were pulled back and forth between their mother and grandmother. Their mother is a neglectful mother and dedicated alcoholic who hates her mother-in-law with a loud passion. It is from their "Granny Reid" that the children find love and stability. Into this complex situation are added neighbors and friends missing and in jeopardy, the pranked town nativity (shiny black mustaches on all the figures!), the murder of the town floozy, and a kind and smart sheriff sweet on Stella.
This is a wonderful small town story filled with believable, lovable characters, hard quandaries and decisions, and complicated relationships, all wrapped around the framework of a murder mystery. It is highly successful on all levels. I really enjoyed it.

Is this a prequel, a flashback, or a sideways start to a new series? No matter, it's good! And, don't worry if you haven't read the Savannah Reid series from which this is sort of derived. Granny Reid was once Stella and she was a kicker. This is set in the 1980s but still in McGill, Georgia. Prissy, who is found dead behind the tavern, is not a nice person but for me the mystery who who killed her was less interesting than Stella and her 7 grandchildren. What a life change for her and at Christmas no less! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely written and fun.

I love Savannah Reid books. I have been a fan since book one. This book is about Granny Reid and I love that. This book may just be my favorite of the series. The characters are well developed and the writing is as good as always. Thank you netgalley gir the arc in exchange for my honest opjnion I this review

This book was sooooo good! I loved reading about Granny Reid and her life when she was younger. I had no idea that she was a bit of a sleuth herself. I also enjoyed seeing what Savannah and the kids lives were like growing up. PLEASE write more of these! I need them in my life!

This was a well-written whodunit with a mystery that was tightly woven in the fabric of the story being told. The pacing was good and the tone was very comfortable. The characters were carefully developed and the dialogue was engaging. I enjoyed reading about Stella and her interactions with the kids and the residents of McGill, Georgia.

This was an emotionally driven tale where if I wasn’t laughing at the humor, I was sad at the circumstances that the children had to endure with their mother. We got to see a young Savannah who at the age of twelve knew what she wanted to do when she grows up. We got to see Waycross and his mischievous nature and the other children and can see who they will turn out to be.

A good solid mystery that kept me engrossed in all aspects from a wonderful beginning to an even more wonderful ending and I’m so glad the author gave us this story.

If you are a fan of the Savannah Reid mystery series, this is a must read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is fantastic! Reading about Granny "raising" all the little Reids was very informative and interesting. This book will make you laugh and, probably, make you cry. Seeing how Savannah started out gives you more insight to how she is as an adult. You will love this very interesting and entertaining read. Enjoy!

This is the first book I've read by this author and it was a fun read. I hope for many more in this series. It was interesting enough for me to add her to my TBR pile. Granny Reid is a great character.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review - try this book even if you haven't read her other series.

Murder in Her Stocking is the first book in G. A. McKevett’s Granny Reid Mystery series. This delightful read had me laughing aloud one moment and then reaching for a box of tissues the next. The storyline is well thought out, the well-developed characters are affable, is full of compassion and caring, and the dialogue is witty and engaging. There’s some adult language, but no graphic violence or sexually explicit situations. This quickly paced whodunit kept me guessing until the reveal.

The Reid family and friends are gathered together on Christmas Eve in California and while Granny Reid is rocking her newborn great-granddaughter, Vanna Rose, she reminisces about the past. Her focus is on a Christmas season over thirty years earlier in McGill, Georgia, when her seven precious children came to live with her. Stella’s son, Macon, is an absentee father and her daughter-in-law, Shirley, neglects and abuses the children and spends too much time drinking in bars. While Stella Reid and two of her grandchildren, Savannah and Waycross, try to repair the town’s recently acquired nativity display that an “anonymous” person vandalized, trouble breaks out in the alley behind a tavern. After taking Savannah and Waycross to the nearby police station, Stella returns to the alley to help the person in distress and ends up holding Priscilla “Prissy” Carr in her arms as she takes her last breath. Prissy had a well-deserved reputation as a loose woman, but that doesn’t stop Stella from wanting to find her killer and provide peace in the afterlife for her. Savannah, who wants to be a policewoman when she grows up, wants to help her granny and Sheriff Manny Gilford solve the case. Small towns are notorious for their gossip circuits, and Stella stirs McGill’s up looking for clues. Stella and even Savannah, help Manny with his investigation into Prissy’s death and locating the “missing” husband of her friend, Florence Bagley.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is the first Granny Reid Mystery that I have read and I really loved it. Besides the story around and finding the murderer which was hard to figure it out. Just when you thought you had it, you didn't., you had a story along with it relating to Granny Reid's family which really was a sad situation. You also saw the amount of friends that Granny had and how the small town came together for them plus her love of many years. There is a lot in this book to absorb but I just thought it was a wonderful mystery as well as story and would recommend this book highly for any one looking for a great story.

As a devoted fan of the Savannah Reid mystery series, I was glad to see Grandma Reid was being given her own series. It's thirty years earlier in small town McGill, Georgia. Stella (Grandma) Reid is trying to make Christmas a happy festivity for her seven grandchildren. But there is trouble in town. Someone vandalizes a celebrated nativity display. And then Prissy Carr is found strangled to death in an alley behind a tavern. Sheriff Manny Gilford is investigating her murder and Stella decides to help search for clues since her no-good daughter-in-law Shirley seems to have witnessed the murder and is putting both herself and Stella's beloved grandchildren at risk.

This was a fun read and it was great to see an 11-year old Savannah using her burgeoning detective skills and determination to help solve the murder with her grandma, and for the Reid family to have a Christmas that they would never forget.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

This book is a little different from the other Savannah Reid mysteries in that it is Granny Reid remembering a Christmas in the past that was very special to her. The memory does involve a mystery... in fact it was the very first mystery that Savannah solved. The memory also includes the dire circumstances her grandchildren were forced to live under, the shameful excuse of a mother her daughter-in-law was, the town floozy, and a pair of Grinch underwear. Wrap all that up and you get a fun read and a cozy mystery to solve. I loved it!

I have read only one Savannah Reid mystery and wondered if I would be able to follow this new series which includes many of the same characters. Thankfully this series completely stands on its own and you don’t need to know anything about the author’s other successful series to fully enjoy this one. The writing was really excellent, a bit deeper than most surface cozies, but still something to curl up with on a cold night. The Christmas season was well described and I loved the unique setting of a sleuthing grandmother watching over all of her grandbabies. An excellent book!

Melancholy. Whispering through my mind while I was reading was sadness, it wasn't overwhelming, but nothing about Granny and Savannah's childhood was good other than the fact they had each other and a few good friends (and one or two of Savannah's siblings).

I like getting to see how the Moonlight Detective Agency started out and why. Liked Granny getting some more page time. I just wished there had been a little more light. The ending was positive and filled with love, but ultimately more sad for me (you have to read to possibly understand why I felt that way).

Definitely interested to see how the author develops this series.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Granny Reid, from the Savannah Reid Mystery series, is the headliner of this new series.

It's all about the love as the Moonlight Magnolia Agency gathers on Christmas Eve, remembering the events leading up to the first Christmas the Reid children spent with their beloved Granny as their guardian is the basis of this story.

Raising 7 children ages 11-6 in small town McGill Georgia has Stella Reid stretched. Finding herself holding Prissy Carr as she takes her last breath, Stella is determined to do right by Priscilla by helping Sheriff Manny Gilford investigate the murder.

Meeting a young Savannah and seeing the dynamic woman who shaped her was a true cozy experience.

I am looking forward to more Granny Reid stories.

While I've always enjoyed the Savannah Reid series, this one beats them all! It's a flashback, told from the perspective of Savannah's grandmother, Stella Reid, about a Christmas when Savannah was still a child. The town prostitute is murdered and Stella (and young Savannah) try to unravel the mystery. The mystery is a good one, but even more so are the characters and poignant story lines around them. I was in tears at times, laughing at others. This is the best book I've ready in the past few months (and I've read a LOT!) A definite "feel-good" story!

I love this new series by Ms. McKevett. In a way, it's like a prequel series to the Savannah Reid Murders that I've read since Book 1.

I liked getting to know Granny Reid but it was a treat to read about Stella's investigations and Savannah as a child. The mystery was well-written and I thought the twists and turns were well done. The characters are well-written with personalities that are both likable and unlikable. I also found some humor and a bit of romance in this one. I can't wait for another in this series!!!

Although this is a new book featuring a character from another series, I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other series.

I love G A Mckevett Savannah Reid series so I was excited to learn Granny Reid was getting her own series. This story takes place before the Reid kids came to live with Granny. Granny, Savannah and Waycross are out and her a woman scream. Granny sends the kids to the police station and goes back to help the person. She is of course too late. The sherif asks for her help and of course Savannah helps as she wants to be a policewoman when she is older.

The book also shows how the kids came to live with Granny and how living with their mother was like. I enjoyed seeing the kids when they were small and to see that their personalities didn't change when they got older. I liked seeing Savannah and Granny team up just like always. This book had everything that I love about this series . It always makes me happy to read about the Reid family. I now need to reread all of my Savannah books now. That's how much I love this book. Great first book in a series .

I received an ARC from Netgalley. G.A. McKevett is one of my favorite authors. I try never to miss a book. I was delighted to find that Granny Reid is getting her own series. This book was awesome. I loved reading about younger Stella Reid and the grandkids. Plenty of action and it was nice to know how Granny came to have the kids. Must read for everyone.