If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, Christmas Cow Bells, it's an absolute gem that deserves every one of its five stars. With its charming small-town setting, and during characters, and intriguing whodunit, this book is the perfect blend of suspense and comfort. The author’s storytelling prowess shines through as they skillfully weave together clues, red herrings, and surprising twists, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the satisfying reveal period from the delightful amateur sleuth to the quirky supporting cast, each character feels like a beloved friend, adding depth and warmth to the narrative. With its cozy atmosphere clever plot and satisfying resolution, Christmas Cow Bells is a must-read for anyone seeking A delightful escape into the world of cozy mysteries.

I love Christmas, Cows, and Cozies and this book was the perfect combo of all three. This is a light, quick, and fun read. I guessed the killer before the bog revel, but still enjoyed the book. I cannot wait for the second book.

This was just an OK read for me. I read it for the Christmas Holiday and the farm and cheese background. It took me awhile to read this. Brynn has recently moved to Shenandoah Springs with three cows and her cheese business. Her neighbor Nancy is renovating an abandoned church for a local farmer's market. Someone burns the church down and kills Nancy inside and trying to get Brynn to leave her farm. Brynn decides to investigate. I liked the setting and some of the characters. There was not a lot of character development. The mystery really felt flat for me. There were not a lot of suspects, the solution was lazy and one mystery remained unsolved. There are recipes in the back and lots of Christmas cheer.

2.5 stars. I liked elements of this cozy, the cows and the cheese making was interesting. The mystery was good for most of the book. I didn't like some of the characters though and the book was just an okay read for me. Not my favorite cozy.

A small-town mystery set in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with Brynn, a cheese-maker who owns three cows. This is a new start for her and she is determined to make it a success. She is new to this town and has become friends with her neighbor Nancy, who is also new to town. They are both getting to know the locals when tragedy strikes. With many unanswered questions, Brynn decides to get involved in the mystery. I liked the small town in the story and I liked Brynn and the secondary characters, especially Willow, Schuyler, Wes and Max. I also enjoyed learning about cheese making. I loved how much that Brynn loves her animals and is always concerned for their well being. There were many suspects and I worked the clues along with Brynn to try to solve the mystery. I liked the recipes that were included at the end and can't wait to try the spicy hot chocolate. I'm sure that there will be many more adventures in Brynn's future.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is going to be such a fun new series! I love reading books by Mollie Cox Bryan and this one definitely didn't disappoint. Thank you for allowing me to read and ARC.

Christmas Cow Bells is the first book in Bryan's Buttermilk Creek mystery series. This series introduces Brynn MacAlister who is making a new start for herself after a heartbreak, and Brynn and the reader both get to meet some great new characters as Brynn begins this new journey. When Brynn's new friend and neighbor dies after a mysterious fire, Brynn starts asking some questions that end up making her a target as well. Brynn must solve this perplexing mystery to save not just her new home and business but her own life as well.

Bryan creates an entertaining holiday story that provides an enjoyable holiday read that you can enjoy during the holidays or at any time of the year. Brynn is well developed in this book, and the reader can not help but root for this character to succeed with this new venture. The secondary characters introduced are enjoyable and help to make this book and new series more enjoyable. The book's mystery is well done and keeps the reader guessing until the end. Overall Christmas Cow Bells proved to be an enjoyable read that I would most definitely recommend. I look forward to reading Brynn's next adventure.

Received a copy of Christmas Cow Bells through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book and fell in love with the characters. Especially Petunia, Marigold and Buttercup. The main character Brynn is doing a lot of healing on her new farm but it isn't easy especially after her neighbor is murdered. Can Brynn solve a mystery and get her Christmas spirit back? If you love copies with animals then this book is for you. This is one of the best Christmas cozies I read this year and look forward to other books in the series

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Christmas Cow Bells is Mollie Cox Bryan’s lovely debut Buttermilk Creek Mystery. With a beautiful setting, unique theme, and likable protagonist, it lays the foundation for a delightful series.

Brynn has dreams of running a boutique dairy farm and making wonderful artisanal cheeses with her fiancé, but breaking up with him after he cheated makes those dreams harder. Intent on carrying on and making her dream a reality, she moves with her three cows to Buttermilk Creek Farm in Shenandoah Springs. It is a tight knit community reluctant to accept outsiders, and Brynn’s neighbor Nancy, also new to the area, is facing more than a little pushback with her plans of converting the old church into a market. When Nancy dies in a fire, Brynn cannot help but think that the fire is more than a tragic accident, and she sets out to find the truth.

Brynn is a personable, steadfast protagonist. I like her. She is surrounded by a variety of supporting characters that are interesting and diverse in age and personality, and they keep things interesting. The setting is bucolic, and Bryan’s descriptive writing makes me feel like I am there in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The pace of the book is steady but still manages to reflect the slower pace of small town life. I love that animals are largely featured, including Brynn’s cows, a dog, and a cat. I look forward to their future shenanigans.

The mystery is well plotted and executed. I did suspect the killer’s identity pretty early on in the story, but there are plenty of suspects and red herrings included to make me second guess myself throughout. In addition to the murder, there is lots of talk of cheese which I enjoy.

Christmas Cow Bells is a promising start to a new series. I impatiently await the next installment. Recommended.

*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

A cost mystery set at Christmas. While I normally focus on Christmas romances, this was an interesting change of pace.

This is the first book in a new series called the Buttermilk Creek Mysteries and it makes for a great beginning. We have a feisty, determined heroine Brynn and there’s a fascinating case of secondary characters, including the cows!
Things don’t go smoothly for Brynn, so there’s an edge to the cosy background of this mystery, but it makes for interesting reading. The mystery itself is tantalising. We never quite guess until the very end.
Entertaining and with plenty of festive touches, this is an enjoyable seasonal cosy mystery.

Christmas Cow Bells by Mollie Cox Bryan is the first book in the Buttermilk Creek Mystery series. Brynn is beginning her new like at Buttermilk Creek with her three cows and a few new friends. When her dearest friend, Nancy, dies after her home burns under suspicious circumstances, Nancy cannot help but get involved. It soon begins to feel as if some of her new neighbors dislike not only Nancy but Brynn as well. I have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand it was full of various events from fires to mourning cows. On the other the actions of the characters were a bit "off". I get that Brynn was crushed by her husband's betrayal, but I was weary of the whole thing before I got halfway through the book. I will take into account that this is the first book in the series and will give a second book a try before writing off the series.

Christmas Cow Bells is the first book in the Buttermilk Creek Mystery series by Mollie Cox Bryan. Christmas is a time for new beginnings, so after her big breakup, Brynn MacAlister takes the gouda with the bad. With her three Red Devon cows, she settles in bucolic Shenandoah Springs, eager for a new life as an organic micro-dairy farmer and cheese-maker. Then her dear cow Petunia’s bellows set the whole town on edge. But it isn’t until Brynn’s neighbor, Nancy, dies in a mysterious fire that her feelings about small town life begin to curdle. It seems some folks were not happy with Nancy’s plan to renovate the Old Glebe Church. But is a fear of change a motivation for murder? As a newcomer, Brynn can’t ignore the strange events happening just on the other side of her frosty pasture—and soon on her very own farm. Suddenly Christmas doesn’t feel so festive as everyone demands she muzzle sweet Petunia, and Brynn is wondering if someone wants to silence her—for good .

Christmas Cow Bells is a mystery that had moments where I was glued to the page and others where I started to wander away. I liked the set up and a great deal of the character building. I love the unique cast of characters and getting to know them as Brynn discovers more about them. I liked the mystery aspects, and thought the variety of clues was well done. I think the character depth and growth was well done and kept things interesting, I certainly want to know more about the past and future of several of the secondary characters. I liked the complexity of what was going on behind the scenes, but I think more of how everything tied together could have been explained in the book, or had Brynn figure out more of it for herself. I just felt like there were moments of absolute brilliant writing, and then a couple pages that were less inspired. Perhaps it was because of the necessary world and character building, but I did enjoy a great deal of the read and am not giving up on the series.

Christmas Cow Bells is a mystery that shows some sold potential, but had hot and cold moments for me. I will be trying the next book in the series to see where the author takes it.

I have read everything that Mollie has written as a cozy mystery author and have loved every book. This book is no exception. The plot and characters and their development throughout is wonderful. It kept me on the edge of my seat and up reading well into the night. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Christmas Cow Bells (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #1)
Author: Mollie Cox Bryan
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
4 Stars

Brynn is a newcomer to Shenandoah Springs. She settled in the area with her three cows to become a local cheese producer. Just down the road from Brynn is another newcomer to town, Nancy. Nancy had purchased the old Glebe Church and planned to renovate it and turn it into a shop where local farmers could sell their goods everyday. Nancy shared with Brynn the fact that the locals hadn’t been very supportive. Brynn sympathized because one of her cows had lost her calf and had been bellowing ever since, and the locals had been vocal about their displeasure. The two bonded over their shared goals and hurtles.

One night, a terrible fire broke out at the church, and Nancy is severely injured. Brynn rushed to the hospital to be with her new friend, but Nancy died shortly after she got there. Something about the fire bothered Brynn from the start. So although she didn’t know Nancy well, she felt she owed it to Nancy to find out the truth. As Brynn investigated the situation, she became even more convinced of foul play. Then, mysterious things start happening on her own farm. Brynn gets scared and thinks about leaving town. However, she ends up digging her heels in and becomes even more determined to solve the mystery.

Christmas Cow Bells is the first book in a new series called the Buttermilk Creek Mysteries. It is a great start to the series. It has just enough background information on characters to allow you to become invested in them, and still plenty of mystery to keep you guessing all the way until the end. This is often a tricky balance with a first in a series novel. The author introduces us to a great set of varied characters including those of the four legged variety. Our central character, Brynn, is a determined and kind hearted soul. The secondary characters are plentiful, but not overwhelming, giving us a very diverse group of suspects. Brynn’s four legged friends have well developed personalities as well, and they are a great addition to the cast of characters. Brynn builds some great relationships in this first story, and it will be interesting to see how these develop in future installment.

The mystery was great with plenty of cheese crumbs left behind from beginning to end to help the reader find their way to the mystery’s solution. This wasn’t an easy mystery to solve, however, as there were plenty of wrong paths to get lost on if you weren’t careful. The only part of the plot I didn’t care for was that there were a couple of clues that Brynn did not share with the authorities immediately. It wasn’t because she was trying to hide them, but more like she didn’t feel a rush to turn them over. The clock seems to be frantically ticking so this seems a little out of place, and at least one important clue goes missing.

This story takes place at Christmastime, and although there is a mystery afoot, there is still Christmas spirit to be had.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #ChristmasCowBells

This is book 1 in a new cozy series, A Buttermilk Creek Mystery . Brynn moves to Buttermilk Creek even though she and her boyfriend break up. They had plans to open their cheese farm and Brynn decides she still wants to pursue her dream. When her new friend and neighbor dies in a fire it's beginning to look like murder for both Nancy and Brynn. Someone isn't happy with the plans for her farm. With her cow Petunia causing a ruckus in town with her constant bellowing Brynn isn't making any new friends. Good beginning for a new series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A good start to a new mystery series. Set in a darling rural setting, Brynn has started her own small cheese making farm. With 3 sweet cows, and a good friend nearby what could go wrong? When the neighbor gets killed, and Brynn starts getting harassed herself, she decides to snoop a bit to find out what is going on. Although she bumbles through, she does stir things up and actually helps the investigation. With a snarky cop and a hunky fire marshal there is plenty of romance possibilities for future books. Highly recommend this one, and like the recipes offered at the back. Fun read.

Title: Christmas Cow Bells



Author: Mollie Cox Bryan



Series: A Buttermilk Creek Mystery book 1



Chapters: 54



Pages: 336



Genre: Cozy Mystery



Rating: 4 stars



Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation



Christmas Cow Bells is the first book in the A Buttermilk Creek Mystery series by Mollie Cox Brown and who doesn't love a mystery with three sweet cows. Brynn MacAlister has started a cheese-making business complete with having her own cows for milk for the cheese. When she finds herself witnessing a fire turned murder. She does her best to avoid anything to do with it for the most part but someone has set their eyes on her, and she becomes the next target.



Christmas Cow Bells is the first cozy mystery that I've read that features cows and a micro-dairy and cheese farm. As well as the first cozy that I've read set in Virginia. This was a pretty fast read and I enjoyed every minute of it. This one is a sweet Christmas cozy featuring sweet loveable animals. This cozy is perfect for fans of Christmas cozies and cozies featuring animals.

There’s also reprices at the back of the book for the cooks and chefs out there.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I was pleasantly surprise by how quickly this book caught my interest and kept me reading until very late in to the night. I liked the characters but look forward to watching them grow in their relationships. The mystery was well-written and had the twists and turns that kept me guessing. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.

I would absolutely love to read this one, since I love a Christmas cosy mystery and the title is so pun-ny, but unfortunately I somehow missed out on downloading it before it was archived. I'm so sorry!