I'm so in love with this series. The ending for this was so high-stakes and made me tear up! I love Holly, her family, and (especially) Cookie and Theodore. What a fantastic setting! You can't go wrong with this series.

Last December, I binged the first four books in Jacqueline Frost's Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. I loved the series so much that I was glad I didn't have to wait to listen to each one. Since they were already released and available through my local library, I listened to one right after the other. After book 4, I was disappointed I would have to wait until this year to read or listen to the next one. I was delighted to see I'll Be Home for Mischief (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery 5) was recently a "read now" option on NetGalley. I grabbed it, knowing I would read it during Christmas in July.

It is once again Christmastime in Misteltoe, Maine, and this year, the town is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family have returned for what promises to be a festive occasion. Unfortunately, just as innkeeper's Holly White's mother is about to set a world record, a dead body is discovered in what is one of the most unique ways I've read in a cozy mystery. The local farmer, Mr. Moore, is accused of the crime, but Holly knows better. She sets out on another dangerous quest to clear the sweet man's name. She does so while also keeping her guests at the Inn comfortable and happy, and searching for the perfect anniversary gift for the love of her life. She may need a Christmas miracle to make it all happen...and to survive.

I've been waiting seven months to read this installment and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed spending time with some of the same characters from previous books, humans and otherwise, as well as meeting new ones. There are a wide variety of characters with interesting personalities. For example, you will get a kick out of reading about Theodore and his wife. They are a couple of goats!

The people in Mistletoe, Maine are so warm and welcoming. It's a town where I would want to spend Christmas (minus the annual Christmastime murders, of course). I especially adore Holly White, our amateur sleuth. She loves her family and friends so much and she wants to see everyone smile.

Although Holly is investigating a murder, Jacqueline Frost does such a great job painting a festive picture of the town. It was the perfect cozy read, complete with snow, cookies, hot chocolate, and more. I also loved reading about the Reindeer Games. These games were not just briefly mentioned. As a reader, I felt like I was there participating in them as they were happening. If you're planning a Christmas party, you might want to read this book to get some ideas for games!

As for the mystery, there were several viable suspects, but not too many to overwhelm the reader. Although the culprit was one of those viable suspects, the big reveal still surprised me. Those reveal scenes read like a cozy thriller novel without being too graphic. I was on the edge of my seat hoping for the best outcome possible. I was happy to see there was still some time left to read in the book because I needed something calming after that, and that's what the reader gets. I was comforted and satisfied in the end.

I am really hoping this series continues for a long, long time. I think the characters still have potential to grow, especially in their relationships. There is just the right amount of romance in this installment. It does not distract from the mystery. In fact, some of those relationships are the needed calm in the midst of the storm.

If you enjoy Christmastime cozy mysteries, you can't go wrong with this series. Each book is a self-contained mystery that is wrapped up in the end, but in order to see the characters grow, I recommend starting with the first installment, Twelve Slays of Christmas. They are best enjoyed in order even though you can easily pick up this one and not feel lost. Either way, I'm certain you'll be glad you dove into this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a new favorite of mine in the series! I loved the idea of the 150th anniversary and all the fun activities and interesting people that it brought into Mistletoe. I felt like this mystery stretched Holly and Caroline and Cookie and Evan in new ways. Holly and Evan are still two of my favorite cozy mystery couples ever, and I'm so glad that we get more books with them!
Frost is a master at weaving clues into the story so that you can solve it yourself but also adding enough red herrings and plot twists to leave you guessing. Her thrilling ending with Holly's epic save was fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved this story!

All is normal in Mistletoe, Maine this year. Will this be the first Christmas in four years that no murderer has struck? At Reindeer Games this year, Holly and her family are hoping to get in the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest gingerbread man made. As the crowds gather to watch Mrs. White put together her gigantic gingerbread man, they see a shoe in the batter, and a foot and body attached to the shoe. Was it murder? The victim was Elijah Snow, the son of the founders of Mistletoe who had left more than 40 years ago. There are a lot of laughs and suspects abound as Holly investigates this Christmas murder. Was it the pod casters who came to the murder town to get a story? Was it old Mr. Moore who had an old feud with the Snow’s that no one wanted to talk about? I love to read books about Christmas and this series in one of my favorites. It will have you hooked from the first page, and you won’t be able to put it down. Although it is part of a series, it is able to be read as a stand alone.

This is a wonderful cozy holiday mystery! That sentence seems like such an oxymoron. It is a Mary of a series, but I read it as a standalone. Holly is doing everything she can to make she the town of Mistletoe is perfect, because the founding family, the Snows, are coming to visit. Unfortunately, Mr. Snow ends up murdered, and it’s up to Holly to find the killer!

This is the 5th book in the "A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery" series. I love this series!!

Innkeeper Holly White is preparing for the Mistletoe, Maine 150th anniversary celebration. Her VIP guests are the Snows, who are descendants of the town's founding family.

Holly’s mother plans on breaking a world record for baking the largest gingerbread man to mark the occasion.

All plans come to a dead stop when Mr. Snow’s body is found in the gingerbread batter and Mr. Moore is accused of murder.

Holly puts on her sleuthing hat while her other guests enjoy the festivities.

This is a great holiday book!

#illbehomeformischief

feuding-families, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, local-history, small-town, small-business, cozy-mystery, family, family-business, friendship, investigation, murder, secrets, innkeeper, world-record, Maine, unpleasant-guests, unpleasant-victims, podcaster*****

It's time for the annual Christmas madness in Mistletoe, Maine, a town that is all things Christmas.
Amateur sleuth/innkeeper Holly, her whole White family, her rather new husband Sheriff Evan Gray, and a whole lot of fun friends and neighbors are all involved in the annual Reindeer Games and other festivities. There's a presence from Guinness World Record about the 1000 cookies she baked and the enormous Gingerbread person she is making, a woman and son who were once prominent in Mistletoe, and several other disturbing people. Then one winds up in the cookie batter and the investigation is on despite the Sheriff's objections. Had to read right to the end!
I requested and received a free temporary review copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#ChristmasTreeFarmMysteryBk5 #CozyMystery

I have read all of Jacqueline Frost's Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Books and this one did not disappoint. I love seeing the characters' growth. In most books, you can predict the outcome but that's not the case here. I hope we continue to get a new Christmas Tree Farm book every year.

Enjoyed our latest visit to Mistletoe, ME, and the gang from The Reindeer Games Farm. In this installment, Carol White is trying for a Guinness World Record. It's also two weeks before Holly and Evan's first anniversary... can they find the perfect gifts? While all this is going on once again, there is a murder hindering the holiday celebrations.

I enjoyed the different storylines interspersed throughout the book. Wish there really was a real place like the farm, would definitely visit each winter. I did like how a podcast was included, too, made the book feel realistic.

Despite some of the sadness, I enjoyed the book and will be anxiously waiting for the sixth in this fun series.

Thank you, NetGally, for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Reading the latest installment of A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series has become an annual holiday tradition for me. The series gets better and better with each installment.

There are several things that I look forward to in each one such as the body reveal, the newest Reindeer Game, and what antics Cookie and Theodore are up to. This years are top notch and truly highlight the amazing creativity of Jacqueline Frost. This installment also has several very subtle and clever nods to faithful readers of the series. One reveal in particular had me hooting with laughter and glee.

Along with characters that are well developed and a setting that is so well draw and detailed you wish Mistletoe Maine was a real place you could visit, we also get a well crafted mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end and compelling personal storylines for the main characters and their family and friends.

There are new characters introduced in this installment that I hope we see in stories to come at the Christmas Tree Farm.

I received a free copy of, I'll be Home for Mischief, by Jacqueline Frost, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book five in the, A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Holly White did not expect to solve a murder this Christmas season, but her she is, trying to prove the accused did not commit murder. Christmas and cozy mysteries, nothing can be better, I enjoyed this cozy read.

First book in the Christmas Tree Farm series I have read, but had no problem following the story or characters. A very cosy Christmas feel, despite the discovery of the body in the cookie batter. Well worth reading the previous four books, if you want that all year round Christmas feeling.

I love the A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series and Jacqueline Frost has done it again! I am seriously considering moving to Maine or finding a town like Mistletoe Maine.

Holly White has been married almost a year to her dreamy husband Evan and you guessed it there is another murder on the farm.

Evan doesn’t want Holly to get involved but how can she not. She is drawn to solving mysteries and she has to help out her families farm.

All of the usual characters are back and I can’t get enough of them! I enjoy the close knit community in this series and it gives all the cozy vibes.

The is definitely a twist to the mystery that I did not see coming. I did feel that this might be the last book in the series. I don’t know if that’s true but it has that sense in the writing. Very well written and a must read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions express in this review are completely my own.

A very good Christmas cozy mystery that takes place in Mistletoe, Maine. Holly (White) Gray is busy running the inn on Reindeer Farm and is gearing up for her mother's attempt at breaking a Guinness Book World Record by baking the biggest gingerbread man. As her Christmas Eve first wedding anniversary gets closer, Holly is trying desperately to find the perfect gift for her local sheriff husband, Evan, but she is having no luck. Locals and visitors alike are excited about the upcoming holiday and also about her mother's world record attempt and the town is teeming with holiday cheer. That is until the gingerbread man record is thwarted when a dead body shows up. Holly promises not to get involved in the investigation but one clue leads to another and before you know it, she is trying to find out who the murderer may be before they strike again. The characters, their holiday-inspired names, and the setting of the book are just wonderful and the story moves along at a great pace and before you know it you're wishing the book wouldn't end just yet so that you can spend a bit more time with these festive people in Mistletoe. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Rural Christmas Cozy
Ms. Frost has created a series around a business most of us would truly love to have near, Mostly family run Christmas Tree Farm creates business for others in the community due to it's popularity and the fact that it's run by and surrounded with good people. A stranger's unusual death creates havoc for the town and the farm. Crafted with humor and romance along with the mystery, it's a definite winner.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

I'll Be Home For Mischief is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series where the town celebrates Christmas year round. Each book is set at Christmas and there is a lot of talk in this one about the murder problem every year. It's the 150th anniversary of Mistletoe, Main. To celebrate the town is decorated in a Victorian theme. No cars are allowed downtown and even resident's are dressing appropriately. Holly's mother is also trying to get into the Guiness Book of World Records by baking the largest gingerbread man cookie. Descendants of the founding family are back in town. There is a lot going on at the farm and things once again take a dark turn when someone is found murdered.



This is the first one in the series I read and I had a little trouble keeping the characters and relationships straight, There is talk, without spoilers, of previous incidents and murders from the other books. It made me excited to read them.

The Christmas details are fantastic. It really feels like Christmas while reading. All of the events described were a lot of fun.

The mystery itself is interesting. It wins most memorable discovery of a corpse. The investigation wasn't as satisfying to me. Holly is a nice person but her sleuthing skills could use some work. For all the talk about danger she didn't seem to be aware of some things. I had more questions after the murderer is revealed because some of their actions don't make sense.

There are a few things that were distracting. At one point Holly has brought some cookies with her. Within a few paragraphs how they are contained and where they are located keeps changing. I read an ARC so maybe this will be changed by publishing date. Another time when Holly is alone she has a thought that something is odd but nothing ever comes of it. But it almost seems like it's supposed to be explored further.

If you want a seasonal mystery this is one to read. Readers will love the Christmas theme. It's done so well. However, I wish some detail was also given to the inn to balance things out and provide clarity.

3.5/5 stars

I’m thrilled about this 5th installment of the Mistletoe, Maine Christmas Tree Farm series, as the previous installment was assumed to be the end. Hooray and thanks to the publisher for changing course!

While it’s often true that series hit their peak early on, Jacqueline Frost (under any of her pen names) always keeps it fresh and fun. Honestly, I’ll read anything she wants to write. Her characters and humor are 100% up my alley. The Mistletoe cast are all here shining brightly, and Santa’s (I mean Christopher’s) wife and frosty cool friend Jackie are fun additions this year.

Highly recommended for cozy fans, and anyone else looking for a fun Christmas escape.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishers for allowing access to an ARC upon request.

I really enjoyed this book.. I would recommend it as a good Christmas cozy to read. I enjoy this whole series. The crime is even Christmas themed. What not to love about an old fashioned themed town. Highly recommended.

I'll Be Home for Mischief is the fifth installment in the A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series set in Mistletoe, Maine and featuring Holly White. Mistletoe has chosen a Victorian Village theme for the town's 150th anniversary, Holly's mother is attempting to set the world record for the largest gingerbread man and Holly and husband Sheriff Evan Gray are celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary.

Everyone is in the holiday spirit, two members of the town's founding family - the Snows are visiting and the mysterious Christopher's (readers of previous books in the series might suspect he's Santa) wife and friend have arrived by sleigh from up North. Representatives from Guinness and two obnoxious podcasters are also among the visitors to Reindeer Games. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong when Elijah Snow ends up buried in the gingerbread batter.

Despite the pleas from her husband and parents to stay out of the investigation, Holly finds herself trying to clear the name of a close neighbor who she believes is being wrongly accused of murder. A delightful addition to the series, even in the height of summer. A wonderful cast of returning characters and a setting that sounds like so much fun you'll want to move to Mistletoe.

I received an advanced copy of I'll Be Home for Mischief from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

I let out a little squeak of joy when I saw this book had come out. I love the Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries, they bring together both the joy of Christmas and that of a cozy mystery.

This Christmas it's the town’s 150th anniversary and descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned to Mistletoe and are staying at the inn.

Meanwhile, Holly's Mother is attempting to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans go splat when the body of one of the Snows ends up in the batter.

Adding to this Christmas cocktail, it is Holly and Evan's first as a married couple and Holly's focus seems to be on getting him the perfect gift (which let's be honest would probably be her not getting involved in a murder).

But despite her denials she's getting involved Holly is of course knee deep in the investigation.

As usual Jacqueline Frost brings tons of festive fun.

Features like the Hearth, the reindeer games and characters like Cookie all make their essential appearances, while some new characters like the very Mrs Claus-like wife of Christopher add some extra fun to the mix.

And eventually we figure out who killed the man in the gingerbread too.

Another killer Christmas mystery.