This is the second book in this series that I have read. The first one was book six and I have so enjoyed both books, I have purchased several of the earlier stories in the series.

Val Deniston and her Grandad share a Victorian home. They have shared a bit of part time sleuthing as well. While Val is the manager of the Cool Down Cafe at the local fitness center, she is also branching out into catering.

Their town, Bayport, Maryland is hosting a Christmas fete that is based on Charles Dickens. People are encouraged to dress as one of the characters in his various stories.

The setting is set for all kinds of mischief as individual identity if hidden. Val and her friend are catering a tea for the city residents who have been part of putting the fete on. A stranger appears (really strange, stranger) to drop of a sweet gift for each of the individuals at the tea.

Remember, you should never, ever eat something that is given to you by a stranger, especially one whose face is completely hidden.

Therein lies the tale. Val and her Grandad are on the case. Val’s catering business depends on finding out who was responsible for the death as her business is suffering as customers start cancelling their orders.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is book 7 in the Five Ingredient Mystery series, in it we meet Val Deniston and her Grandfather and they are preparing for the Dickens of a holiday festival in their town of Bayport, Maryland. Normally her Grandfather would play the part of Santa but this year he has been asked to play Scrooge – which he sees as a demotion. Santa is being played by Jake Smith, a newcomer to the town and not someone people know much about. The same could be said of his wife, who is playing Mrs Claus, but are they all that they seem? As a thank you, to all the volunteers, Val is hosting a tea party at the local bookstore. Only a few volunteers have said they will come. During the tea part an unexpected guest arrives and places gift bags infront of all those there. The official Santa eats his gingerdead man and collapse to the floor, later dying in hospital.
The story revolves around Val and her Grandfather, aided by various friends, solving the murder before Val’s business as a caterer are totally ruined.
The plot was well written, the characters engaging. I really enjoyed the interplay between Val and her Grandfather. I liked the small-town setting and how you may think you know someone but will they be there for you when the chips are down. I didn’t feel that I had to have read the other books in this series so far to before I read this one.
I would recommend this book and hope that you enjoy it as I did.

Gingerdead Man is the 7th book in the 'A Five-Ingredient Mystery' series. I picked up this series with Crypt Suzette (book 6), which I thoroughly enjoyed.

In this fabulous cozy mystery, Val Deniston is looking forward to Christmas in Bayport, Maryland. Val and her granddad, Don, are taking part in the Dickens holiday festival, serving teas and homebaked gingerbread at a private party to the costumed revellers. But when this year's stroppy Santa keels over, dead, Val and Don must find the killer before (s)he strikes again...

This Christmas themed cozy was right up my street, with its well-drawn characters, exciting plot and a wonderful setting. I was especially fond of Val and her Grandad Don and how well they got along together. It was refreshing to have a male assistant amateur-sleuth in Grandad Don as most cozies tend to focus on female sleuths.

Protagonist Val also runs the Cool Down Café at the local athletic club, as well as being kept busy with other catering jobs. When a local man, in addition to her dear friend Bethany, are poisoned with chocolates Val knows she's got to get to the bottom of the deadly goings-on, quick. Maya Corrigan's writing style continued to impress me and the story was amusing and easy to follow. Narrator Val is a great character and I loved her determination and her common-sense approach.

The author delightfully conveyed the tastes the Festive season has to offer, and I was desperate to try a gingerbread cookie myself! The mystery aspect was great with plenty of opportunities for armchair detectives to play along. Abundant clues were scattered around and I found myself caught out by the clever misdirection a few times. As the reveals unfolded everything started to gel together into a splendid read.

This tremendously good novel was a hit for me and I am looking forward to reading book eight, as well as reading some of Maya Corrigan's back catalogue. If you adore a fantastic cozy mystery with oodles of scrumptious sounding recipes and foodie references, don't miss out on Gingerdead Man. Maya Corrigan includes several five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book and they all sound absolutely yummy.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Christmas is getting near and Val has a lot to deal with. Besides running the Cool Down Cafe, she is working on catering various parties and a Dickensian themed tea for the volunteers working on the local Dickens of a Holiday Festival. It's all going well until a creepy incident invades the tea. While others are decked out in period attire as befits the Dickens stories, one person has given it a twist, that, while clever, is strange. Dressed in black with a gift tag on the head, the meaning is clear - the ghost of Christmas Present. But what's with the bags of cookies for each guest, cookies decorated as skeletons. This year's Santa, (previously played by Val's grandfather, Don), is eager to enjoy the cookie offering but it's the last he will ever enjoy. It turns out to be a killer of a cookie.
Val and Don are not new to unmasking killers. Don has even gotten his PI license and the two of them have become quite the sleuthing team. I'm not going to say any more for fear of spoilers. As far as the mystery goes, it's got all of the needed twists, turns and red herrings to keep you on your toes. The characters of Val and Don are well developed and I really enjoyed spending time with them. More, please.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

This is the seventh book in the Five-Ingredient mystery series by Maya Corrigan.

During a holiday festival, Santa meets his demise eating a gingerbread man cookie.

I thought this was a pretty good story. Santa wasn’t quite a Santa. He would have probably been voted least likely candidate due to this real life activities but there is some inkling of his nefarious ways at the beginning.

Val who lives with her grandfather hosts a tea party after the Victorian London-esque affair. This is where Santa bites into a cookie left by the ghost of christmas present who was dressed as a present with a gift bag on their head.

I have read a couple of other mysteries in this line: Crypt Suzette and The Tell-Tale Tart. They have all been equally good and kept my attention all the way through. The mystery was well-plotted and solid. I wasn’t a fan of all the secondary characters but it is the main ones that will keep me coming back. Definitely a series I want to continue to follow.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Murder Wrecks the Holidays
This is a well-written mystery with solid detecting and 'supposing'. This book is the seventh in a series that I have not read. I was not lost at all because of the great way the author gives enough background to include all readers, The author is very good at describing the scenes so the reader feels like they are present. There are plenty of moving pictures in this story. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

The Dickens tea which should have been a wonderful event in advance of Christmas turns sour for Val when Jake, an iffy newcomer to Bayport, is poisoned by a Halloween decorated cookie! She's got another murder on her hands but luckily, she also has her grandfather. This latest installment in the series is fine as a standalone. Jake has lots of people who didn't like him but what about the next victim? No spoilers from me but cozy readers know things are seldom as they seem. There's no way that a town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland could double for London (not even Easton) but once you get over that well, the characters are good and the tale twisty. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Oh- and there are recipes!

This is the seventh in the Five-Ingredient Mystery. I always enjoy these books and my visit to Bayport, Maryland.
For me, it started out a little slowly but then picks up the pace after the death of the Santa-wannabe creep.

The writing is well done. I could smell the damp woolens during the Dickens festival and see the mud/dirt that could easily gather on the long dresses. Ms. Corrigan does an excellent job describing the settings without going overboard.

I enjoy Don – he’s always learning/trying new things - no stick in the mud senior citizen, here. I found the story entertaining and loved all the twists and turn until the reveal.

I always enjoy perusing the added five-ingredient bonus recipes at the end of the book.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
It’s a guilty pleasure of mine to read cozy mysteries over the Christmas period. Actually, scrap that- I don’t feel any guilt about it- I thoroughly enjoy and revel in these genteel and polite murders that give you a mystery to solve but won’t haunt your dreams at night! admittedly some you can see everything coming, but others can keep you guessing and I certainly found that with this one.
The Gingerdead man is a team of our heroine and her Grandad, solving a poisoned gingerbread murder. Not forgetting the aptly named Muffin the dog who is the ever present assistant.
This mystery is full of wonderful Dickens and Sherlock Holmes references so if you’re looking to extend your Christmas Carol fix this Christmas, this may just do that for you. I found the plot of poisoning well researched and the pace suited me fine. As with any food related mystery worth it’s salt, there are plenty of yummy recipes to try at the end of the story. Really enjoyed and would recommend.

This series has really hit its stride; strident personalities have mellowed and this series has grown from potential to fun for me! The mystery was a fun one and the clues to the murderer didn’t sharpen till much closer to the end, so I had a nice time trying to figure out which of the suspects might be the murderer. Just the right amount of misleading and real clues to keep me guessing, without going crazy over too many red herrings made this an excellent and breezy cozy for a fall evening.

This was just okay. Didn't get to know the characters well and not much investigating going on. A bit blah for me
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

An excellent read! When Santa drops dead at a Christmas festival, there is no shortage of suspects. Seems everyone in town disliked the less than jolly man. This cozy mystery is extremely well written with a good plot and engaging characters. I was kept guessing until the end and am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

Val and her grandfather had one thing in common they had the sleuthing bug. Faced with a murder mystery that occurred right before their very eyes, had set all their inquisitive senses throbbing on the alert. They are hot on the trail of the mysterious murderer, finding out why they did it was imperative. While all this was taking place, Val's romantic relationship with Bram seems to have hit a rut in the road.

Enjoyed this one. Suitibly festive. A mystery that kept me guessing. Likable character's, and bonus recipes. 👍👍

A Sweet Cozy Christmas mystery set in Maryland. I enjoyed this Christmas cozy. Though I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I had read it closer to Christmas. But despite reading it in September I did enjoy it. This one is perfect for fans of Christmas cozies and food cozies.

I highly recommend this book even is you haven't read others in the series. I haven't, and had no problem. A great witty mystery with twists and turns that kept me reading well into the night. I liked the protagonist, the grandfather she lives with and other friends and fellow townspeople from Bayport, Maryland. There's even a touch of romance!

I don't want to give out any spoilers so I'll leave it at that.

Not everything about Christmas is merry and bright. Val's Grandad usually plays the role of Santa Claus for the town's holiday festival. This year the theme is Dickens and Grandad is given the choice role of Ebeneezer Scrooge. The newcomer chosen as Santa is probably not anyone's first choice, but the planning committee was happy to fill the role. Well, until Santa falls down dead.
Shortly after there is another unexpected death and other troubles. Val, Grandad and friends plan to find a Christmas Killer before anyone else is hurt.
Fans of Hitchcock films will love the references. Many cold theories are tossed around but you can't take speculation to the police.
A fast paced mystery and plenty of strong friendships populate this novel. A well written series.
And one heroic dog, too.
Thank you to the author for all the delicious recipes included.

Val Deniston, sports centre coffee shop owner and outside caterer is ready for the 'Dickens of a Festival' being held in Bayport, Maryland, her granddad not so much. Usually he is the town’s santa but a newcomer has usurped him and he has to grudgingly play Ebenezer Scrooge instead.

Val spends a busy day helping out in the cafe at the local bookstore keeping the festival goers fed while grandad 'bah humbugs' his way around town. They meet up again at the final tea party of the day, reserved for the volunteers, and all is going well until Santa collapses - dead.

It seems a poisoner is targeting people linked to Val and her catering business as Christmas gets closer. She knows it's up to her and grandad to once again try and find a killer in their small town preferably before her livelihood is destroyed.

This was an enjoyable experience, full of atmosphere and believable characters. I liked it very much and the recipes at the end were an added bonus. There are others books in this series which I will definitely be investigating as future cosy crime reads.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this author's work or is looking to begin a festive reading collection.

Val Deniston runs the Cool Down Café at the local health club, but tonight she's dressed in Victorian clothing and helping with a tea set out by her assistant Irene. It's for the volunteers who have been helping at the Dickens of a Holiday festival, and there are six people attending. One of them is a recent resident who's taken over her grandfather Don's job as the Santa, which he does every year, and it isn't making Don happy. Don's been relegated to play Ebenezer Scrooge, and he's right in character whenever he sees the man playing Santa - Jake Smith.

At the dinner, Jake's wife and Mrs. Claus, Jewel, are the center of attention. It seems Santa has had too much to drink and she's trying to get him to quiet down. But the action changes when someone enters the back of the bookshop where they're having their private tea in the CAT room -- dressed all in black with a gift bag on their head and distributes gift bags to each person and then leaves without saying a word. While everyone else is stunned, Jake is delighted to find the bag contains a gingerdead man -- a gingerbread cookie dressed like a skeleton, and he eats his, lauding the wonderful taste. But seconds later he falls over and later dies.

But things don't end there: Val is catering a private birthday party for a resident, and there's trouble in the home while she's there. When she leaves, she thinks that will be the end of it -- but it's not. Not only does she find something else to worry about, her best friend is soon brought into the mix, and everyone thinks a serial killer is on the loose. Now Val and her grandfather will have to do some fancy footwork and dig deep to find out who killed Santa and why. If they don't figure it out, no one will be having a Merry Christmas...

This is the latest book in the series, and I am liking it better with each one. This time out it's nearing Christmas, and Val is busy catering small parties and running the café, while also volunteering at the Dickens festival. It's a busy time of the year, and she and her grandfather both have their hands full. But when the Santa dies after eating the cookie, neither she nor Don think it was natural causes. After it's confirmed, they want to know who wanted to kill him, and start investigating on their own.

But when Val has problems at her latest catering gig, it soon leads to even more problems, and she needs to figure out a way to counter it. (I am loath to mention more, because this is a new book, and I don't want to give away any spoilers -- so I won't).

What I do like about this series is the reference to classic movies, which, as I have stated many times over, is my other passion besides books. There probably isn't a classic I haven't seen or can't quote a line from. It gives me even more pleasure when I read the books (and everyone should watch the movies referenced).

I am beginning to like Don more and more; he's learning things all the time and not withering away into a grouchy old man, and I love that. Val is entering a new chapter of her life, too, and both of these things keep the series fresh and moving along. They both keep their lives moving forward, and I enjoy reading about their latest ventures.

This tale is very good, with the mystery taking forefront, and adding a bit of tension along the way; it keeps the reader interested throughout the story and wondering what will happen next. The red herrings are thrown out, with clues leading back and forth, and eventually the killer is found, but it was almost a surprise to me, and that was entirely delightful. In the end, it was probably one of the most fun books I've read in awhile, and I really wish I could read the next one right away. Highly recommended.

Gingerdead Man is the 7th book in Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series, but it is the first that I have read. That may have affected my response to the book, as I never really became invested in the characters.

The book is well-written and well-edited. The mystery is complicated and interesting, with misdirection aplenty. The culprit only became obvious very late in the story, keeping the reader guessing. So those are all good qualities in a cozy mystery, but overall the book just seemed kind of flat. Yes, I came late to the series, but the main, recurring characters did not have enough spark (either by themselves or in their interactions) to make me want to find out more. I am not drawn to read the earlier books in the series to see how these folks all got here, nor do I expect to continue in the series.

It was an OK book. Ten thousand times better than anything I could write. Just not entertaining enough to have me coming back for more.