This was a cute cozy mystery. Having never read any of her books before I didn’t know what to expect but now I want to read the rest of the books about Mistletoe. This book puts you in a Christmas mood and makes you wish you lived in this small little Victorian town.

I am SO hoping this series continues! The gang will be off the farm and there's no telling what could happen. 

This book was so much fun to read! I love the character development that has taken place over the series, especially with Evan and Holly. Don't worry, all your favorites are there - Cookie, Caroline, Holly's parents, friends, and her sis-in-law. 

As it creeps closer to Holly and Evan's first wedding anniversary, it seems that everyone is keeping secrets! When Holly's mom decides she wants to break the world record for the largest gingerbread man, of course catastrophe must follow. A dead man is found in the batter and it looks like all hope is lost for securing that record. 

There is so much love tangled in this book with a dash of murder, it's so good. Put this on your TBR list ASAP. 

Also, there is a cheeky mention of a certain character with the certain name of a certain author. 

Enjoy! 5*

I’ll Be Home for Mischief is the fifth installment in the entertaining cozy mystery series, A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book, by Jacqueline Frost. As Mistletoe, Maine prepares for the town’s 150th anniversary, townsfolk decide to come up with a plan to break a world record. Not surprising, given the town’s unfortunate record for murders in a small town, a body is discovered inside one of their endeavours and now Holly is once again on the trail of a killer.

This is a fun read with interesting and (mostly) likeable characters, a compelling mystery with plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader engaged and guessing as well as lots of holiday vibes to help ring in the season for those of us who consider Christmas cozies a very big part of the holiday. I read the book while listening to the audiobook narrated by Allyson Ryan who does an excellent job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Crooked Lane Books for bot the eARC and audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy of I'll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost in exchange for an honest review. It published November 12, 2024.
The fifth installment in this fun series, takes place in Mistletoe, Maine. I really enjoy this setting, it’s the place of my dreams! I love this family, and the relationships between everyone.
I loved the couple bits of self-awareness, I thought it was very, “meta” and definitely got a good chuckle from me!
The mystery is solid, who did it was a surprise. My Christmas tradition of reading books from this series continues, and it’s totally a highlight for me!

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series! I love the characters and the holiday theme. The mysteries are always well written and I look forward to the next in the series! If you considering trying a cozy mystery or are a fan looking for a new series, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

I'll Be Home for Mischief is a delightful holiday cozy mystery. Once again, the citizens of Mistletoe, Maine are celebrating Christmas. This year, it is the 150th anniversary of the town, and Holly's mother is attempting to bake the world's largest gingerbread man. Unfortunately, during the baking, a body is discovered. . . in the batter. When the sweet local mistletoe farmer is accused of the murder, Holly takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.

I'll Be Home for Mischief has everything a great holiday cozy needs: charming town, lovable characters, Christmas vibes, and all the baked goods! I absolutely love this series and will continue to follow Holly on all of her adventures. I can't wait for the next book!

I love Christmas cozies and this series is about as Christmas as you can get!! This was a really fun addition and I'm enjoying seeing all the relationships grow and evolve in this series! This cast of characters are some of my faves! Cookie is one of my favorite side characters and never disappoints! The new reindeer game was so fun! This book is just a jolly ole time!!!
I highly recommend this book to cozy lovers!
I would like to thank netgalley, the author Jacqueline Frost, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

Holly White is working at her inn in Mistletoe, Maine, when a sweet older man is accused of murder. Holly goes to work as an amateur sleuth in order to clear his name.

I wanted to read I'll Be Home for Mischief because I love cozy mysteries and enjoy books with a Christmas setting.

This was a fun, light weekend read - lots of Christmas atmosphere and an engaging mystery to solve. I have not read the other books in the series but had no problem enjoying this mystery as a standalone.

I recommend I'll Be Home for Mischief for other fans of cozy mysteries - and especially for anyone who enjoys Christmas cozies!

If you like cute mysteries set in cozy locations than you will likely enjoy I'll be home for Mischief. This is the fifth book in a continuing series by Jacqueline Frost, but I read it as a stand alone. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that cozy mysteries are not for me. While there is some tension around solving the murder and the main character's life is actually in danger at one point, the formulaic exposition and fairly flat characterization just didn't get me invested. Everyone is just a bit too much of a caricature in their roles, and while the main character is supposed to be nosey but smart, she seems to get herself in trouble a lot and need her husband to bail her out. It all felt al little silly. Not that it was bad, but it lacked something I needed to feel like I cared. The setting is the best part of course, if you like Christmas towns with all the food and smells and festive things. I just needed a little more of a story.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'll Be Home for Mischief is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. As with previous books in the series, I'll Be Home for Mischief is perfect to get the reader into holiday season mood. It's fun to return to Mistletoe, Maine, and to catch up with the characters that make this series so much fun to read, namely Holly, her parents, and Evan. Holly unofficially investigates after there is a death involving gingerbread cookies. I'll Be Home for Mischief is a great cozy mystery for both newcomers and previous readers of the book. The characters and the setting are charming, and the mystery is solid and engaging. I'll Be Home for Mischief is a truly delightful holiday-themed cozy mystery!

This entire series feels like a big hug! I love that each story is centered around Christmas and it lets you escape into a magical, holiday world. Every installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series is better than the last. Holly and her family run a Christmas Tree farm and they are tasked with creating cozy Christmas magic for their town every year. They always deliver with games, cookies, and solving a mystery of course!

I'll Be Home For Mischief is the fifth in the Christmas Tree Farm cozy mystery series.

This cozy mystery is set in the small town of Mistletoe, Maine. Our main character, Holly White's, family owns the Christmas tree farm, and Holly runs the Inn on the farm property. It's a couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, and Holly's mom is trying to break a world record for the largest gingerbread man. But, with lots of town folk and the representatives from Guiness there, something goes horribly wrong. Holly is married to the local sheriff now, and she wants badly to stay out of his case, but she just can't help herself.

I loved the setting of this story, and the secondary cast of characters are amazing. The mystery was very intriguing. This one had a little bit of magic to it, too. I loved the marriage between our sleuther and the sheriff. They are such a good duo, even though Holly can't seem to stay out of his case.

I definitely recommend this one to cozy mystery lovers. You can read it as a stand-alone of you are looking for a good, cozy Christmas mystery.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Its Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine and Holly's mother is setting out to break the world record for the world's largest gingerbread man. The towns founding family, the Snows, are in town for the towns 150th anniversary and are staying at the Inn. During the baking of the gingerbread man, a body is discovered in the batter of the gingerbread man.
I love this series. It is the perfect book to get me in the Christmas mood. The characters are wonderful and make me smile. I love the games and activities that are offered at Reindeer Games. I love how we see something different every book. I loved the ending of the book. The gift exchange gave me the feeling of Christmas magic and I absolutely loved it.

This series is hands down one of the things I look forward to most every year and this book may have been my favorite in the series so far!

I thought that this newest addition to the series had so much more character growth in it and while was loaded full of main and side characters, not once did it feel overwhelming to read!

Three things I always look for in my cozies are:
1.) Quick to get to the action.
2.) Fun/Quirky pet or side character.
3.) Unique and cozy setting.

This book (like the rest of the books in the series) ticks off on all 3 of those for me. The action (while not in the first chapters) comes up as quickly as it could with the build up to the story. Of course we have a cat as our quirky and fun side "character" in this series. Finally, what is cozier than a Christmas tree farm at Christmas? Nothing. Nothing is cozier!

I am really looking forward to where this series goes in the future!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This year the holidays are extra special in Mistletoe, Maine as the town celebrates its 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family are returning for the celebration and will be staying at the Reindeer Games Inn. Holly is going all out to welcome the Snows.

There is another big event happening on the farm. Holly’s mother has set her sights on breaking a Guinness world record for the largest gingerbread man. Holly and Evan’s 1st wedding anniversary is right around the corner too.

Everything goes awry when a dead body is found in the gingerbread batter. The man is identified as one of Holly’s special guests. Positive an old family feud is the motive for the murder, local mistletoe farmer, Mr. Moore is the prime suspect. Holly is positive the man she has known all her life is not a murderer. So, like the previous four Christmases Holly is again out to prove someone’s innocence even though Evan asks her to leave the case to him.

With running the inn, Reindeer Games to host, and trying to find the perfect anniversary gift for Evan, Holly is also donning her sleuthing cap to frost the real killer.

I was delighted to return to the Reindeer Games Farm and Inn where the White family welcomes everyone with open arms. It is really like catching up with old friends and there is always something fun happening. I enjoyed the lengths Holly’s mother went to in her attempt to break a world record. Holly’s dad and the farm crew were so creative making things in giant size to her specifications. My heart broke when she couldn’t complete the event. The duo represented Guinness were so nice and stayed in town after the incident enjoying themselves through the holidays. They also came up with a fabulous idea. Holly and Evan had some things to work out in this story but their love was never in question. The core characters Ms. Frost has created for this series are so genuine. They have continued to grow and I become more invested in their lives with each story. The new characters are so good too.

In addition to the Snows, there are other special visitors to Mistletoe that add to the fun, there may have been a little mischief involved. No Spoiler!

I always have a good time trying to solve the mystery before the protagonist but I couldn’t do it this time. The mystery was very well plotted with plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns. The killer did warn Holly to back off but she pressed on and got herself into some precarious situations that could have ended badly. They led up to a surprising reveal and a chilly rescue. Ms. Frost’s descriptions and attention to detail took me right into every scene, the merry ones and the scary ones. I appreciated every one.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief is a marvelous addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series and a fabulous read to kick off the holiday season. Engaging characters, an intriguing mystery or two, set in a wonderful winter wonderland kept me entertained from beginning to end. The charming ending has me wishing for another visit to Mistletoe soon, but I know I must wait until next Christmas.

We've come back to Mistletoe for Christmas once again and there are tons of activities besides the annual Reindeer games! The world book record keepers are in town to watch Holly's mom try to break a world record, the remaining family members of one of Mistletoe's founding families is in town and crime pod casters have descended to attempt to get a big story for their podcast. Unfortunately, it appears the podcasters are going to get their wish as a body appears and once again thrusts Holly into the center of things! The setting of this series makes it fun and lighthearted while the murder is complex, detailed and compelling making you stay up way past your bedtime to keep turning pages! There is so much going on that you won't want to put the book down as you can't help wanting to read what comes next! The story is really well crafted, but honestly it is the development of the characters, their relationships and antics that will have you putting this cozy mystery series on the top of your must-read list! I can't wait to read the next book in the series, alas, I'll have to wait for the author to create the next book! Hopefully soon!!!

FYI: If you are an audiobook lover like I am, I highly recommend that you put this one on your must-listen list. The narrator does an outstanding job of bringing the characters personalities and emotions to life while enhancing the already awesome plot!

I don't what it is but this series just keeps getting better and better. The characters feel like friends and family and the mysteries to feel new and exciting. They don't feel like I've read them before.

I look forward to reading these cozy mysteries each year. The characters and town, Mistletoe, all feel like familiar places and it feels like going on vacation to my favorite holiday town. The stories are always cute and twisty and this year it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost will have you humming Christmas carols and ready to deck the halls. I always enjoy my visits to Mistletoe. It is a festive town with fun activities for the whole family (I would love to live there). I like the characters in this series especially Cookie (she is a hoot). Holly’s mother is attempting to bake the world’s largest gingerbread man and, if she accomplishes the task, it will have tourists flocking to Mistletoe. You just know from the moment you hear about the challenge that something will go wrong (it’s a given). The mystery was well-plotted with some twists and turns along the way. Holly, naturally, is curious about the crime. Despite being told to stay out of it (that is like waving a red cape in front of a bull), Holly searches for clues and asks questions. She needs to be careful because someone is not happy with her sleuthing. There is a good reveal at the end. I liked the humor sprinkled throughout the story and the smooth flow of the story. I’ll Be Home for Mischief is the fifth A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I encourage you to read the series in order. I enjoyed the descriptions of Holly’s jewelry (I want one of each item that she has created). I liked the hint of magic in the story. You will find yourself wondering if certain guests are from the North Pole. I’ll Be Home for Mischief is a charming Christmas cozy with a gingerbread challenge, a problematic murder, pesky podcasters, a chilly climate, gift wrapping problem, special guests, a galore of jewelry orders, missing cookies, and a happy holiday!

Jacqueline Frost’s I’ll Be Home for Mischief is a delightful holiday mystery that brings the cozy warmth of Christmas together with the intrigue of a small-town whodunit. Set in the charming, snow-dusted town of Mistletoe, this mystery wraps readers in the festive spirit while delivering a story that is both engaging and well-paced. Unlike many holiday-themed cozy mysteries, Frost crafts a plot that’s surprisingly intricate, with layered clues and character motivations that keep readers guessing until the very end.

Frost’s writing shines in its immersive descriptions of holiday scenes, making Mistletoe feel almost like a character itself—a place filled with cheer but also shadowed by the mystery at hand. The main character, with her mix of wit, warmth, and curiosity, is easy to root for, and her interactions with the quirky townsfolk add a rich, entertaining layer to the narrative.

I’ll Be Home for Mischief is more than just a lighthearted Christmas read; it’s a well-developed mystery that stands out in the cozy genre, particularly among holiday-themed stories. Frost has given readers the best of both worlds: a cozy escape into a charming holiday world and a mystery compelling enough to satisfy seasoned fans of the genre. Perfect for a fireside read, this is a book that will put readers in the holiday spirit while keeping them on the edge of their seats.