Dollycas's Thoughts

While Rudolph, New York goes all out for Christmas they need tourists to visit year-round. Right now, they are decking their halls for Easter. Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, and the other shopkeepers are adding some eggs, chicks, and bunnies to their wares and windows.

Merry is also looking forward to her best friend, Vicky Casey's wedding. It is just three weeks away and she and her groom Chef Mark Grosse have made a major purchase, the historic Cole House. It has been empty for a long time and needs serious renovation but it is also plagued with a history of drama and it may be haunted. On top of that alienated relatives of the previous owner are fighting her will and want the house.

Vicky and Merry are having a girl's night at the house and a noise leads them outside. There they find a dead body in the garden and Mark is standing over the body with blood on his hands. Mark is now Detective Diane Simmonds' prime suspect and Merry knows she and Vicky need to prove his innocence. Can they do that before the wedding? or will Mark be locked away on their big day?

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Merry Wilkerson is a terrific protagonist and a master juggler taking care of everything thrown at her in this story. Her father Noel performs his Santa duties whenever needed. Her mother gives voice lessons. They are a perfect match. Merry is dating Alan Anderson, woodworker extraordinaire. Her best friend Vicki owns Victoria's Bake Shop. Her fiance Mark is head chef at the fancy Yuletide Inn. Merry's dog, Mattie is a big lovable drooling Saint Bernard who goes with her almost everywhere. All the core characters in this story feel like old friends including Mattie.

The victim, Jim Cole has made many enemies over the years and hadn't visited the property he wanted in very long time. Merry and Vicki soon had a nice list of suspects. With Vicky's wedding day quickly approaching she and Merry worked hard to follow every clue much to the angst of Merry's assistant Jackie who was left handling the shop. Ms. Delany has written a well-plotted story. I thought I had my focus on the right person but her talented writing sent me in another direction only to realize she tricked me. She really is an expert at creating twists and turns to keep her characters and her readers on their toes.

The Cole House was a character in itself. It is a rundown creepy place. Boarded up for years, red brick with multiple chimneys, the old Victorian featured dusty chandeliers, cracked tile, mouse-chewed carpeting, heavy dust-filled curtains, moldy furniture draped in sheets, cobwebs, and an overgrown yard and that was just at first glance. Over the years it became a kid's hangout and a right of passage to spend the night there for the students from Rudolph High.  It did have a working kitchen but I wouldn't have made it beyond the porch and I definitely wouldn't have moved in. I would have sided with the people who thought Mark and Vicky had lost their minds.

Ms. Delany also uses her descriptive writing talents when describing the food served in this story too. Her words may have you drooling as much at Mattie. She does include recipes at the end of the book. The Holiday Shortbread recipe was scanned and printed out immediately.

A Slay Ride Together With You is an entertaining read that takes us on a merry chase to catch a killer. It was unusual to visit Rudolph in the spring but I enjoyed catching up with the Wilkerson's, their friends, and the town's residents. Until next year, Ms. Delany. I am excited for this series to continue.

This is book number 7 in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. Merry Wilkinson finds herself sleuthing a mystery with Halloween vibes during the Easter season in the Christmas themed town of Rudolph New York. Not to worry, you do not have to be familiar with the series to be able to enjoy the story.

Merry’s BFF is Vicky Casey, a very gifted baker who is engaged to be married to an equally gifted chef named Mark Grosse, and together they purchased the fixer-upper known as the Cole House. Apparently the word around town is that Vicky and Mark must have lost their minds because the place has a sad and possibly cursed history. Not to worry the backstory for the Cole house is included in fact there is plenty of backstory regarding all of the characters to keep you in the loop. In addition to backstory there are some great interactions between characters. There are some truly interesting characters such as Merry’s parents. Her mom, Aline Steiner Wilkinson, is a real diva as in opera diva and a little bit of a regular diva. Noel Wilkinson, her dad, is the official town Santa Clause, complete with real beard and the jolly disposition. Merry takes after her dad a bit more than her mom, which is probably why everyone in town thinks that Merry’s store assistant, Jackie O’Reilly is indulged to the point that she gets delusions of grandeur. In Jackie’s defense, Merry is often running off to ask questions and hunt for clues instead of managing Mrs. Claus’s Treasurers. If it wasn’t for Merry, we the readers would not get to armchair sleuth.

Ms. Delaney does a great job of keeping the reader intrigued and turning pages while trying to reason out who could have killed the sue‑happy and obnoxious Jim Cole, cousin to the former owner of the Cole house. Instead of being able to challenge the will for ownership of the really run down house, he got blunt force trauma. Suspects include Jim’s own daughter whom he had nothing to do with since she was little and he left her mother. There is also an additional ex-wife and a current girlfriend, both of whom are “distraught” that such a financially well off and loving man has been murdered. The only reason Merry is involved is because Mark has a little bit of a temper and was the unfortunate person who found the body.

The story moved at a good pace and the red herrings were well thought. I was able to figure out the “who” but not the “why.” I also enjoyed the little something extra that both Aline and Jackie add to the story. It might not be Christmas time but this was a great cozy for a year round Christmas town. Be sure to check out the recipes at the end of the story. I am adding the Coconut Sugar Cookies to my holiday baking list. The cookies are both easy to make and tasty to eat.

Merry couldn’t sit by and let her bff marriage end up into a no-show, and to make matters worse her life span be shortened. She needed to be circumspect with her investigation to avoid any confrontation with the police. Time is running out on her, she needs to up the ante and force the killer out into the open before there is no wedding or Vicky. This one had an unexpected ending, it was intriguing, engaging, captivating, and exciting.

This is a very fun seventh installment of the Year Round Christmas Mysteries. Even though it takes place in the spring, it still has a distinctly Christmassy vibe to it. This book has lots of delicious baked goods, a big old haunted house, and lots of quirky townspeople. Even though it's in the middle of the series, it could also be read as a standalone.

A Slay Ride Together with You

by Vicki Delany

If you enjoy cozy mysteries in small towns, but want a Christmas flair, then A Slay Ride Together with You is the perfect combination.

The protagonist, Merry Wilkinson, owns a gift shop, Mrs. Claus’s treasures while her best friend from childhood, Vicky, owns Victoria’s Bake Shoppe. The story is told from Merry’s point of view, but Vicky plays a huge role as she is a wonderful pastry chef, is planning her wedding to Mark, the chef at The Yuletide Inn, and is writing a cookbook. Mark and Vicky are also restoring an old home that has garnered a reputation for being haunted.

Characters you will enjoy include three dogs with prominent roles. Vicky’s dog Sandbanks is an “ancient golden Labrador” who frequently sleeps through excitement. Merry’s dog is Matterhorn (Mattie), a faithful Saint Bernard. Alan, Merry’s boyfriend, adds to the canine mix with Ranger, his “overly active Jack Russell.”

Vicky is not sleeping well in her new home because of weird sounds all through the night. These noises come to a climax when Merry is visiting and someone knocks on the front door and then the back, disappearing before the doors can be opened. This is a cozy mystery, so expect a murder and lots of suspects including Vicky’s fiancé Mark. I have always found references to extended family members of an ever widening circle to be confusing. That turmoil happens to Merry also as she investigates the various people that might want the victim dead. There are inheritance and relationship issues that emerge too.

I enjoyed A Slay Ride Together with You and will jump at the chance to read more in this series. Delany has written several more cozy mystery series. One I particularly enjoy is the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: I started Delany’s Year-Round Christmas Mystery Series with #6. A Slay Ride Together with You is #7 in the series and I had no problem jumping into either book. I believe the setting of Rudolph, New York, with the nickname of “America’s Christmas Town,” is standard from one novel to the next and the characters recur, but Delany does a great job of giving background on the characters so the reader’s introduction to the series is almost seamless.

Publication: September 24, 2024—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

Mattie sat next to me, hoping for some lunchtime tidbit to drop. It never does, but he never gives up hope. A lesson for us all, perhaps.

Jim was a reverse Santa Claus. He made enemies and spread ill will everywhere he went.

Vicky and I had changed out of our wet clothes and were wrapped in sweaters and thick blankets against the cold that seemed to have penetrated into our very bones.

A Slay Ride Together With You is the latest book in the Year-Round Mystery series set in Rudolph, New York. Merry Wilkinson, who owns a Christmas shop in town, is drawn into a mystery. Her best friend Vicky and Vicky's fiancé Mark buy an old, supposedly haunted, house in town. When Mark discovers a body on the grounds, he is a suspect in a murder investigation. Merry sleuths to help clear his name.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries and this is one of my favorite cozy series!

This was an engrossing read. It was made even nicer by the addition of Merry's Saint Bernard and his pals, a Jack Russell and an elderly Lab. I really like Merry, Vicky, and the extended Rudolph community. Little details about the Christmas shop are fun too!

Merry is a good amateur sleuth. I solved the case just about the same time she did. There were several viable suspects and the mystery moved along at a good pace.

I recommend A Slay Ride Together With You - and this enjoyable series - for other cozy mystery fans!

I usually love a cozy festive mystery as a palate cleanser between more intense books. However this one was just okay. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The beginning was slow to start and seemed really repetitive. About 75 percent into the book I became invested and kept reading to see what would happen. Prior to that, I was forcing myself to pick it up and read. This review was also posted on Goodreads

Another fun Christmas story but one of my top favorite cozy mystery authors. Helped set my mood for the holidays this week. I purposely saved it until 30 days from Christmas, and even tho this setting was June / July, it still made it a jolly season. What a mystery with the house history and strange folks visiting town.

A Slay Ride Together With You is the 7th in the Year-round Christmas Mystery series. Don't you just love the puny titles for cozy mystery books.

This cozy mystery has all the elements a good cozy mystery should have:

🎄 It is set in the cute little town of Rudolph, New York, known as the year-round Christmas town,
🎄 We have our female amateur sleuther, Merry, who is also the small business owner of a decor and things shop called Mrs. Claus's Treasures,
🎄 We have our furry companion, Merry's dog Matterhorn, and
🎄 A great cast of supporting characters, including Merry's boyfriend Alan, the local toy maker, and Vicky, Merry's best friend and local bakery owner.

And finally, you have the mystery. Merry's friend, Vicky, and her fiance buy a house. But someone is not happy about their purchase and ends up dead on their property. Vicky's fiance ends up as the prime suspect.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. The actual culprit came as a huge surprise, especially the why.

While this book is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

Merry's best friend Vicky is getting married in a few weeks. Vicky and her fiance Mark have bought the old Cole House. The house is the local spooky, haunted house. The kind where teenagers dare others to enter. Well there is strange stuff happening. Mark and Vicky hear strange noises and the sounds of footsteps overhead. Then distant relatives of the previous owner start to show up and demand that the house is really theirs's. One night, the girls hear a noise outside and when they step out, they find Mark standing over the body of one of those troublemaker family members. Mark is now the prime suspect. Can Merry figure out in time for Mark and Vicky to be married.

Such a fun adventure. Kind of a mystery in a mystery. Who is the actual murderer, but why now are all these people demanding an old run down house? The writing style is easy-to-read and the characters are fun and quirky. I enjoyed the story--it kept me turning the pages.

In A Slay Ride Together with You by Vicki Delany, readers are once again whisked away to Rudolph, New York, where the spirit of Christmas persists all year round. This time, Merry Wilkinson's best friend, Vicky, is on the cusp of marriage to chef Mark Grosse and has just purchased the historic, potentially haunted, Cole House. As Vicky prepares for her wedding, a shocking discovery—a dead body in the garden—turns their festive plans upside down, with Mark quickly becoming the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With time running out before the wedding, Merry must unravel the secrets surrounding Cole House and its storied history to clear Mark’s name.

Delany’s cosy mystery combines humour, heart and a cracking cast of quirky characters. The interplay between the charming Christmassy town backdrop and the tension of the murder investigation creates an engaging narrative filled with red herrings and unexpected twists. As Merry and her lovable St. Bernard, Matterhorn, navigate the intrigue of Cole House and its troubled past, readers are treated to a blend of suspense and warmth. A Slay Ride Together with You is a great addition to the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series and is sure to leave fans eager for more.

Merry’s best friend Vicky is now engaged to Mark. She is excited to hear they plan to get married and buy a house in short order. Her excitement is tempered when she learned the house is a neglected building with a reputation for being haunted. Vicky and Mark seem determined to restore the old mansion to its former glory but begin to have serious doubts when mysterious noises are heard in the dead of night. It turns out the noises are the least of their worries.

A relative of the deceased woman who owned the house thinks he should have inherited. Even though there is no legal leg to stand on, the man who is litigious to an extreme, threatens to sue Vicky and Mark. Then, when the man is murdered, on their property, Mark is the one who discovers him. He is the first candidate in the long list of suspects and gossip being what it is in a small town, he and Vicky have to deal with threats and innuendo. The deceased was a vile man and the people on the fringes of his life are a colourful and questionable lot. Which one of them did the deed? Or was there someone else’s evil hand holding the murder weapon.

While I did twig early as to the killer, there was a suspenseful and exciting denouement to unmask the villain and solve the murder. As a whole, it was an easy and entertaining read. Four purrs and two paws up.

Another entertaining entry to the series by a talented cozy mystery writer.

Rudolph, New York is Christmas town, but this book takes place right before Easter. The town does manage to diversify and celebrate other holidays as well and draws in a lot of tourists year round. Merry was born and raised in Rudolph and runs a shop called Mrs. Claus’s treasures. Her best friend, Vicky runs a bakery.

Vicky had recently become engaged to Mark Grosse, head chef at a high class hotel in the area. Over lunch, Vicky reveals that she and Mark have finally found a house – in an area where affordable housing is very rare. Merry is happy for her friends, but dismayed to find out that they have purchased Cole house, a long abandoned and very dilapidated mansion. But that very neglect has made the house affordable, even though it needs a lot of .work. Due to a trust, the house had been slightly maintained and had some areas that were habitable so Mark and Vicky decided to move in while rehabbing.

After some prodding, Vicky reveals to Mary that she’s been having troubles sleeping because she’s hearing noises. Mary tries to comfort her friend by saying that the house is old and the grounds are overgrown so she could be spearing animals or trees brushing against the house a bit later when the women are having and movie night at the house, they hear knocking and realize that something was going on. Even their dogs are alarmed. Armed with Kirchen knives, they search, the house but find nothing

They hear a moaning sound outside, and just as they’re getting ready to go out Mark returns home. After explaining what’s been going on, he sends them back in and says he’ll search the outside for signs of an intruder. Shortly afterwards, they get a call from Mark telling them to 911 because he found a body in the garden.

The body is that of Jim Cole, a nephew of the previous owner of Cole house, who had been making claves that he was the rightful owner of the house and harassing Mark and Vicky. Mark becomes a primary suspect as he discovered the body and had blood on him. But Jim Cole was not a nice man, and there were many who had a reason to harm him and as the story unfolds you discover them and why.

A Slay Ride Together With You
By: Vicki Delany

Publish Date: September 24, 2024

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Literary Fiction/ Mystery and Thriller

#ASlayRideTogetherWithYou#NetGalley

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Book Review:

This is book 7 in the series The Year-Round Christmas. I haven't read all the books in this series, and you really don't have too to get the understanding of this book. I really enjoy in the family and friendship in this book. The small town vie also works well in this story. I gave this book 4 stars.

In this book Merry's best friend is getting married. Just before the wedding Vicky, Merry's friend, and Mark buy an old house with an interesting history. Things start happening at the home and this has both Mark and Vicky a little worried. Then one night they find a body on the property. The body is none other than Jim Cole who was causing them problems about the home. The home that both Vicky and Mark used to belong to the Cole family and Jim wanted the home even though the owner wanted it sold on her death. Mark is being investigated for the murder,but did he do it. The town is up in the air on what to do and who actually did it. You will have to read the book to find out. I didn't guess it and usually I can figure it out.

No matter what time of year I pick up a new Merry Wilkinson title, I feel immediately in the holiday spirit! This time, Merry and her best friend Vicky are working on Vicky’s upcoming nuptials to fellow chef Mark Grosse. Their new house purchase is certainly throwing a wrench in their plans- between a dead body and a possible ghost sighting, Vicky is overwhelmed and leans on her best friend Merry for support. The two team up to get her down the aisle and solve the crime before it’s too late! It wouldn’t be a Year Round Christmas mystery without a lot of walks with Mattie, a budding romance with Alan and hefty attitude from Jackie.

Each time I dive into the newest book, it feels like coming home. I love all of the characters and it’s fun to catch up with them in a new mystery. Each story is uniquely different and yet familiar. I enjoyed the fun haunted aspect in this book and I already have my eye out hoping for a new title next year. Please pick this or any of the others one up in the series to enjoy this upcoming holiday season!

Rated: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vicki Delany brings the reader another Year Round Christmas mystery in A Slay Ride Together with You. Rudolph, New York, has Merry Wilkinson, shop owner, busy with her friend Vicky Casey who is engage to chef Mark Grosse. The duo have bought an old house with a haunted reputation and have the ill luck to have a body dead on the ground. Whodunit The dead man is well hated and there are lots of suspects including the chef. Good cozy.

I'm not going to lie I didn't love this one as much as I did previous ones in the series. And it wasn't because of the Easter time setting. Nor the characters I love getting to see Merry and Mattie and Alan and the rest of the gang again. With this one it was the mystery that fell flat for me. But even so I'll still pick up the next book in the series as well as anything else the author writes.

I love this series. Merry Wilkinson and her best friend Vicki have another mystery to solve in the Christmas Town of Rudolph, New York. A Slay Ride Together With You is the 6th installment in the Year Round Christmas cozy mystery series by Vicki Delany.. A great read any time of year..

This was not what I was expecting but still enjoyable. More of a mystery than a romance but still very good.

A Slay Ride Together with You is the seventh cozy mystery in the A Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. Back in Rudolph, New York it is Easter time and Vicky Casey’s wedding to local chef, Mark Grosse, is just weeks away. She wants a quick affair because of the crazy schedules of both of their jobs. When Vicky and Mark buy a the historic Cole House they aren’t ready for what’s coming. This house is surrounded by drama and mystery with a possible haunting, they knew all of that going in, but the dead body that turns up is the last thing they suspected. With her friend’s fiancé as a prime suspect in the murder case it’s time for Merry Wilkinson to put on her sleuthing hat and try to get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late.

I am a fan of everything I’ve ready by Vicki Delany and fell in love with this series when I started reading it a few years back. A cozy mystery in a year round Christmas town is exactly my type of book and this series has yet to disappoint. I always love revisiting Rudolph and Merry and wish I could visit for real. The mystery in this book was intriguing and kept me guessing. The town itself, even at Easter time, has me wanting to curl up by the fire with some hot chocolate as I devour this book. I really enjoyed getting to dive into the personal lives of the regular characters and learn more about them in a way I don’t think we have before. This was an entertaining cozy mystery and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series. If you haven’t read this series yet and are a cozy mystery fan with an affinity for Christmas this series is a good one to try. This book can be read as a stand alone, but it might be better to start from the beginning to meet a lot of the characters first.