When Mira returns home for the holidays, a serial killer strikes again, and her curiosity as a budding private investigator leads her to start her own dangerous investigation. This gripping and fast-paced whodunit, featuring the witty partnership of Mira and Mrs. Berns, blends suspense with nostalgia, making it the best entry in the series yet. A compelling story with engaging writing, it’s impossible to put down!

I sat down this morning to read this cosy mystery and I couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting. It is well written with characters that I really liked and is as cosy as a mug of hot chocolate. I loved it

I enjoyed this one! I usually don't enjoy cozy mysteries, but because this read more like a light thriller, I think that is why I enjoyed it.

Although this story followed Mira, Mrs. Berns was the star. Her sassy, witty comments gave me life, especially during the moments when the story felt a bit far fetched.

Great mystery, winter/Christmas read and overall pretty interesting characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A return to form for this delightful comic mystery series after a bit of a glitch in the November installment.

I was relieved to see a funnier, more subgenre-appropriate theme for this book, and while I generally don’t love serial killer novels, this has a light touch, holiday themes, and keeps up the funny and sweet tone that has made this series so enjoyable.

I’m still not sure why we’re calling these RomCom’s since they have virtually no romantic plotlines aside for Mira’s once-per-book date with Johnny. This is not a complaint, as I generally don’t care for romantic subplots, more a question as to why these books continue to be marketed that way. I’m also still confused about the main character’s age (based on childhood details given in this book, she would have to be late 40s/early 50s, but she’s written more like a late 30s character).

The humor is excellent as always, and though this one has less zaniness to it (we don’t see the mayor much), it still feels clever and the jokes never feel cringey or forced. Mrs Berns remains an absolute delight, and there are some sweet but not overly saccharine moments between Mira and her mom.

This book was so much fun! It was a little bit grittier than the other cozy mysteries that I've read but I liked that. It had a lot of Christmas, festive fun included and was the perfect book to start the Christmas season. The pacing is fast and even in a reading slump, I found myself constantly reaching for this one. I can't wait to pick up the others in the series.

Book #8 in the Murder by the Month series. Each book can be read as a stand aone and enjoyed but Jess Lourey should be a must-read author on your TBR list. Her books are always entertaining and the mystery has enough twists that it's hard to figure out "who done it" before the reveal. DECEMBER DREAD finds our intrepid PI, Mira James, chasing the Candy Cane Killer. She's in her home town and surrounded by people she knows so how could one of them be a killer? Reading this was an enjoyable way to pass a chilly evening.

Thank you NetGalley! As always a great addition to the murder of the month book. This was my favorite one yet, probably due to proximity to Christmas.

Mira heads home for the holidays, though very reluctantly. Though with a candy cane killer targeting women, Mira is committed to solving the case. When one of the murders hits close to home, it freaks her out a little bit because then she realizes she may just be the next one on the killers list.

I actually really enjoy this series. It is pretty good. Mira and Berna just crack me up. Miss series brings together a solid mystery and humor, to deliver a great read each and every time!

Being a thriller reader who likes a sprinkle of everything else throughout the year, I wanted to find some more thriller/ mystery holiday reads to mix up with the cozy ones. That’s where December Dread by Jess Lourey comes in. This is part of a Murder by Month romcom series and is number 8, but don’t let that stop you from reading. These books can be read alone and in any order.

There is the Candy Cane Killer who has returned for another holiday season. They leave their mark by leaving a candy cane on their next victims door. Mira James who returns home knows some of the people who have been victims and she fits the profile of these women. She tries to figure out who the killer is while taking a private investigator program. Will she figure it out before it’s too late or will she become the next victim?

This was an easy light read and not as intense as some thriller/ mysteries are. There is online dating and very little romance, so don’t let the romcom aspect throw you off, if that’s not your thing. The next book is January Thaw which I plan to read.

December Dread is one of the books in Jess Lourey’s series Murder by Month Mysteries. When the library is temporarily closed in December, Mira heads home to stay with her mother. She anticipates rebuilding their relationship and never dreams that she’ll be caught up in the hunt for a serial killer.

This is a cross between a cozy mystery and a thriller, although I tend to think of it as a cozy on steroids. The plot is somewhat convoluted and detailed and the humor is appealing, as are the characters. I found it a bit difficult to keep track of the various locations visited throughout the book. The small towns are in proximity to each other and they tended to blend together. There were times the story was a little far-fetched but if the reader can overlook that aspect, December Dread is an enjoyable and easy read. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

December Dread by Jess Lourey was a fun and humorous cozy mystery.
A riveting mystery with an intriguing plot, packed with witty storytelling and characters you’ll instantly fall in love with.
Another great mystery and I love how the characters are developing over the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am going to try and read the other books in this series. I really liked all the characters as well. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Another fantastic and fun installment in the murder by month series with Mira and friends. These are such entertaining books, and I love every installment as much as the one before it!

good mystery about a couple and staying in a house and the other couple there. kept me on my toes . good mystery and figuring stuff out.

Mira and her sidekick Mrs. Berna are back. December in Battle Lake, MN is getting festive. Mira gets temporarily laid off from the library sending her home for the holidays in her home town.

She busies herself with a PI class and a self defense course that she’ll put to work when she starts to sleuth out the Candy Cane Killer that is striking in neighboring towns.

I enjoyed the ride along trying to figure out who’s the bad guy! There was a fine line up of suspects, each twist helping cross each one of the list, Mira figured it out before I did!

I laughed out loud several times at the many Mrs. Berns one liners! So funny!

Chilling!

The stakes are high this holiday season as a serial killer targets women who look a lot like Mira. She somehow always solves cases despite her boxcar of emotional baggage. When a childhood friend falls victim to the killer Mira and Mrs. Berns start sifting through the clues.

Jess Lourey has sculpted a perfect mix of mystery, humor, terror, and sexual innuendo into a brilliant thriller. This is my favorite book in the series so far! I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

I’ve been loving this series! This book is about a serial killer that targets women, and it just so happens that the victims all resemble the main character. This book kept me guessing and when I thought I figured it out, I was wrong.

When Mira finds out due to budget cuts she will be out of her job for a few weeks, she isn't too happy to go back home. But she decides that she better go home anyway. As she travels home she starts to think about the Candy Cane Murders that keep occurring. Through connections in her home town to the need to get answers she decides to investigate.

This is a good book but a little too predictable for me. I have read her other books and they are very similar so it wasnt too unique. The characters were fun and I enjoyed the little bit of suspense I did get. I would recommend!

This is what i label a rom com thriller. It had the small town sweet heroine solving the crime feel. She comes close to death but always narrowly misses it.
About halfway through i was able to figure out the killer. The characters were loveable and the story was cute but I need more in my thrillers. I would still give the author another shot but overall it wasnt my favorite

Where to start... First, I was so happy to see this is a series! Every character feels like someone I knew back home growing up in the Midwest. I love Mrs. Berns, a feisty, tiny, 90 year old woman who can still run verbally and physically with the best of them. A madman (or woman) named the Candy Cane Killer is on the loose in the Midwest. They strike during the Christmas season by leaving them a candy cane before killing them, targeting a specific type of woman, in which Mira fits the mold. She and Mrs. Berns take self defense classes after Mira leaves her Private Investigator class. They are staying with Mira's mother over the holidays, trying to stay safe from the killer. Mira is also a part time reporter and Librarian. She starts looking into the serial killings and gets dangerously close to becoming the next victim. I can't get enough of Mrs. Berns, she is so funny and snarky. Thank you Netgalley for putting me on the path to reading the entire series!