This is such a fun cozy series because it features a large boisterous Italian family . I love returning to the Ferrara family for this 6th in series. I have read the entire series and this is a cozy series I highly recommend. This is the perfect cozy holiday read.

Christmas time in Tranquility New Jersey is the theme of this next in series. The entire family is searching for their grandson after he mysteriously has not been heard from or seen since he began dating a new girlfriend. The entire clan joins in the search to no avail. As they all attend the Christmas festive chaos reigns when a body falls out of snowman and its his girlfriend. Grandson Alberto is now the prime suspect of her murder which has the entire family fighting for the truth and trying to free him.

This is such a fun Christmas theme book with a fancy ball,, mysterious sleuth and all the fun charcters of this favorite cozy family. I enjoyed this next in series as one of my favorite cozies of the fall season. I look forward to the next in series and returning to the fun Ferrar family .

Murder at the Mistletoe Ball was such a great cozy mystery. I highly recommend it.

The storyline was easy to follow and the well-crafted characters were a delight.

We are swept away to a small town in New Jersey, Tranquility during the Christmas holiday. An unexpected turn of events has Alberta's daughter stopping by for a visit asking for help to find Sergio her grandson who has been missing for six months.

Follow Addie and Jinx to see if they figure out the mystery. A must-read.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Murder at the Mistletoe Ball by J. D. Griffo in exchange for an honest review. The Ferrara family are celebrating Christmas at home in Tranquility, NJ. Alberta Ferrara is looking forward to seeing many members of her family. Though her daughter, Lisa Marie, can cause problems and has often ruined the holiday season. J. D. Griffo writes an interesting story about a Haitian family from New Jersey.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this new entry in the series. For readers who are familiar with the Ferrara Family Mystery series, Lisa Marie finally shows up and plays an important part in this book. For readers for whom Murder at the Mistletoe Ball is the introduction to the series, while you will most certainly enjoy reading it, I strongly recommend reading the previous books. It will definitely add to your enjoyment as it makes a lot of the dynamics between characters more understandable. That being said, the mystery is solid, with a somewhat twisted storyline. While it takes some time for the murder to be committed in the book, there is plenty going on. If you already are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this book for sure.

'Murder at the Mistletoe Ball' wasn't perfect, but close enough to it to be entirely delightful. This big Sicilian family and friends just added another dimension of quirky when Alberta's estranged daughter asks for her help. Alberta's grandson is missing, and the Ferraro Detective Agency is all over finding him. As he ends up in prison awaiting trial for murder the group has to kick it up a notch to secure a happy ending. I love how Alberta's mind works and how she continues to grow, even as a woman of certain years. I highly recommend this entire series for someone who would like to be exposed to a engaging cultural experience in Northern New Jersey.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Fun, easy read, cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was good. Started out a little slow, but picked up quickly,.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. #netgalley

So an awesome setting! Great on this hot day

New Jersey, Sicilian, situational-humor, family, family-dynamics, friendship, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, cozy-mystery, verbal-humor, discord, murder, murder-investigation, secrets*****

The Ferrara lady sleuths are very Sicilian Catholic. Older widow Alberta (who has turned into a very savvy sleuth!) and her granddaughter Jinx (a reporter for the local paper), Alberta's ex-nun sister Helen, and former sister in law (and former Wall Street executive) Joyce. They are also helped by
their friend, the local police chief, in their small town in New Jersey. This series just goes to show that not all of the fun/quirky Sicilian women live in Sicily, New Orleans, or NYC!
This time the madness is really a family affair. Alberta's estranged daughter (Jinx's mother) asks for help and comes from her home in Florida back to New Jersey to find her absconded son who appears to be in a mess with a woman (who is NOT Sicilian). But it's at the fundraiser for the local hospital and Breast Cancer research that things really get hairy and the sleuths get into high gear.
Great sleuthing with zany characters, Red Herrings, plot twists, and lots of humor!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was my first read from the author and I thought it was a nice enough Christmas mystery though the Italian quotes confused me a little. I liked the family but a lot of the twists and turns weren't believable enough for me. On the other hand, the book does a good job of creating a Christmas mood and that alone will probably please readers. Oh, and there is the food... !

I received an advance copy of Murder at the Mistletoe Ball, by J.D. Griffo. This is a good Christmas mystery. Family, secrets, and intrigue.

This book is ok. I thought it was really slow and dense. The murder doesn't even occur until half way through the book. I didn't really like the characters although they are well done. #MurderattheMistletoeBall #NetGalley

I'm a fan of Alberta, Helen, Jinx and Joyce and this book has everything I love - great mystery, humor, family, friendship and a cast of characters who feel like old friends! When Alberta's estranged daughter returns asking for help with a family member, Alberta goes right into mother and detective mode and has to stop a cruel killer who has targeted her and her family.

Another plus for the book is the Christmas theme and the Mistletoe Ball. It was the middle of July but I was transported to a Tranquility Christmas! The relationship between Alberta and her estranged daughter, Lisa Marie, is presented in a kind but very realistic manner. It's the perfect holiday mystery with murder, intrigue, beautiful ball gowns, delicious food and most importantly - forgiveness! So turn the air conditioner up, have a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy this "keep you reading" mystery!

I'm ready for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

I really like cozy mysteries, and this is a great one for the upcoming holiday season. (Never too early to get in the mood!)

Ample drama and twist combine with a solid mystery that is fun to sleuth along with the relatable characters. I haven't read any other books by this author or in the series, but it works as a standalone.

Ok, just finished my third Ferrara Family book in a row (4-6), having skipped 1-3. I totally understand what to expect from this series and received it this time. My first review of book #4 wasn't thrilled by the heaping dose of Ferrara drama and the dense, detail packed story.

We finally meet Lisa Marie, the daughter, "in person". The murder involves her son and, of course, Alberta will do anything for family so the investigation is on despite their 14 year separation. The ideas, motives and story line behind the mystery/murder are quite sophisticated. Despite the lack of sex, on page/descriptive killing and foul language (though I think there's one or two minor vulgar words used, including one in Italian), I don't think this is really a cozy mystery.

There were a couple of proofing misses like the word fight for fit, but I was reading an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, so that may be fixed in the final version. A few things weren't explored, like how someone ended up with someone else's belongings and Lisa Marie's actions 14 years ago. Neither really impacted the story, but since they were brought up, a quick line to address them would have been nice.

I've definitely warmed up to the series, but I wouldn't pick it up if I wanted a light, quick cozy read. These are more substantial.

Family drama at Christmas time. Yep been there! Likable characters with an interesting mystery. A good holiday theme read! Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Christmas is coming to Tranquility and the ladies are getting ready for the return of an old historic ball the town held for years. Alberta is in for a bigger surprise though when she gets a card from her estranged daughter, Lisa Marie, asking for her mother’s help. It’s been so long since the two have seen each other, and Alberta is nervous, but she will always answer the call of family. Especially when she finds out her grandson has left home to follow a sketchy woman he thinks he is in love with, though his parents see her for the bad seed they believe she is.

When the young woman who has led Sergio astray falls out of a snow woman at the ball and he is found holding the murder weapon, Alberta knows that she and the Ferrara ladies are on the case. They will stop at nothing to prove his innocence, even if they all harbor a small bit of doubt that his anger issues could have led to him accidentally hurting the young woman. As the ladies dig deeper and uncover more details, they find a much bigger problem in their town and need to balance sleuthing with safety if they want to have the whole family home for Christmas.

I love this series. I have some Italian family members and can hear my cousin saying “Ma” every time Lisa Marie does. Family is truly everything and these ladies live it each and every day. Be sure to check out the recipes at the end of the book as well!

Christmastime In Tranquility….
Christmastime in Tranquility, New Jersey, means fun, festivities and family but murder should most definitely not be on the guest list. With the arrival of the Mistletoe Ball comes that uninvited guest, murder most foul. While shady family secrets abound, can Alberta and Lisa Marie put their pasts behind them to find a killer? With a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters this is an entertaining and enjoyable read. Delectable Italian recipes included.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I loved the characters and though the mystery was easy to solve its well worth reading.

Murder at the Mistletoe Ball has it all. Family drama, twists, turns, likable characters, intriguing storyline and you won’t want to put this one down. The cozy mystery genre isn’t going away. Get in board with this series.

I adored this book! Alberta Scaglione is a top notch character, and I didn't want this book to end.
From previous books, we know Alberta doesn't have a relationship with her daughter. Lisa Marie, so when a greeting card shows up in the mail, Alberta is shocked.
Eventually we find out why her daughter is reaching out, and before long a mind blowing investigation takes place.
I have read a lot of cozy mysteries, but I honestly have to say this is my favorite Christmas themed cozy so far this year.

I love the cast of characters, the Italian food sounds divine, and I can easily relate to the family drama. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of Murder at the Mistletoe Ball.

I definitely recommend this boom to all cozy mystery fans!

#MurderattheMistletoeBall #NetGalley