Death of a Christmas Mitten Knitter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed this first mystery. Lee Hollis, whom I will admit that I didn't care much for the first book in this series, has turned into a delightful author that I will read time and time again. I love the Hayley Powell series, and this short story gives us another Christmas with Hayley and her husband, Bruce. But it is Hayley who takes the spotlight, when she is roped into providing a pricey gift basket for the church bazaar by the local pastor. It seems her friends, Mona and Liddy, along with her brother, have been tapped as well. But there is discontent among the church ladies who knit and crochet gifts, as theirs aren't as popular, and they're blaming everyone else but themselves. Fights ensue. Then a valuable diamond ring is stolen, and everyone is a suspect. When Hayley is finally allowed to leave, she finds the body of one of the knitters, with a mitten shoved in her mouth. Now Hayley is tasked once again with helping the police to find a killer...

This was a delightful story, and kept me riveted enough to read it in one sitting. I enjoy Hayley and her friends, and the strong bonds they have. Hayley is stumped with this murder, and when she finally figures out who the killer might actually be, it could cost her her life...

Two Christmas Mittens: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Full disclosure: I read Ms. Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mysteries, and love them all. Unfortunately, I am not one to read fantasy, such as those with vampires, werewolves, or witches. So this is the first I have read of hers that have to deal with such. But, I love her other books, so was willing to give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised, and am happy that I did so.

Mia Malone is a caterer who also happens to be a witch, although she doesn't embrace it as much as others. When she and her friends find a dead body with a mitten nearby, no one thinks anything of it, until the mitten causes someone to fall into a coma, and will die if Mia and her witchy friends can't find a cure. Her grandmother can keep the woman alive for a time, but until then, they need to find a key item to endeavor a cure. Finding herself in strange situations, it isn't until she starts to put the pieces together that she's able to find the truth of the murder and who killed the person...

This was a very good mystery, even with its paranormal elements. I enjoyed the story, and everything that it entailed, including the above. I enjoyed it so much that I might actually delve into more of these mysteries. The ending was done well, and story intriguing, and worth it all.

Murderous Mittens: ⭐⭐⭐When CeCe Barton visits her twin sister Allie in Colinas, California, for a relaxing Christmas at Allie's B&B, it isn't going to be one. She meets a woman at a winery one night and by the next day the woman has been found murdered. Now she's involved in solving the murder along with a new friend named Cam who has some experience in solving mysteries herself...

I have read several of Ms. Day's books in the past and enjoyed most of them. But now I will have to do something I hate to do: which is speak of the way books have turned since before. This book is definitely 'politically correct,' and I read to get away from everyday learnings, not have them thrust upon me in books, which is why I couldn't give this more than three stars. There was more than a story in this, there were things that didn't need to be in there to get the story across.

I will say that I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing. It also introduces us to a new character, CeCe Barton, who is beginning her own series, and one of my earlier favorites, Cam, who had her own series of organic gardening (very good mystery series). It was like meeting an old friend and a new. A decent story for the most part, and worth reading anyway.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Three fun holiday themed cozy mysteries centered around mittens. All by great authors. Lee Hollis never fails to disappoint with Hayley Powell sleuthing her way through lots of hijinx and the added bonus of delicious sounding recipes you can try at home. Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch series is one of my newer favorites. It is such a different take on the cozy adding magic to the mystery that makes it so special. Maddie Day is a great writer that makes you feel connected to her characters. Introducing a new character and crossing over an old one made this novella a lot of fun.

DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS MITTEN KNITTER by LEE HOLLIS The church’s annual Christmas bazaar is a success until the local jeweler cries out that a valuable diamond ring has been stolen. Food writer Hayley Powell joins the search for it but discovers something more shocking—the dead body of a knitter with a homemade mitten stuffed in her mouth. Can Hayley unravel the mystery of Bar Harbor’s crafty killer before someone else receives a deadly gift?
TWO CHRISTMAS MITTENS by LYNN CAHOON Magic Springs, Idaho, is decked out in its sparkling best for the season, but Mia Malone is too busy to notice. Taking a second job at the Lodge to save Mia’s Morsels doesn’t leave her much time for festivities—until she finds a dead body near one red mitten outside the Lodge during the holiday party. Can Mia find the missing mitten and solve the murder before someone she loves becomes the next victim?
MURDEROUS MITTENS by MADDIE DAY A quiet Christmas in Colinas, California, at her twin sister’s charming B&B is exactly what Cece Barton needs. But the morning after an evening at the local wine bar, Cece learns that the bar’s proprietor, who sells mittens in her spare time, has been found dead. With her twin one of the main suspects, can Cece unmask the merry murderer?
This is a nice set of Christmas cozy mysteries. Personally, I liked Lee Hollis's mystery and the mystery by Maddie Day much better than I liked Lynn Cahoon's mystery. I felt that Lynn Cahoon's story was too focused on the magic and not the mystery. All of these stories had unique characters and challenging plots and as a fan of all these lovely writers I can't wait to read another one of their books again. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity of reading this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I just finished "Christmas Mittens Murder", and I have to say, it was a delightful way to kick off the holiday season! This anthology features three cozy mystery novellas, each revolving around—you guessed it—mittens. From a cursed pair causing chaos to a knitting circle with deadly secrets, each story had its own twisty charm.

I loved how the authors brought a mix of familiar and new characters into these festive mysteries. Lee Hollis' story brings back Hayley Powell in a murder mystery that had me guessing until the end, while Lynn Cahoon and Maddie Day introduce new faces and small-town drama that felt like curling up with a warm blanket. The setting of each story is perfect for winter, making you want to grab a hot chocolate while you read.

The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is that some of the plots felt a bit predictable, but honestly, that’s part of the cozy mystery charm, right? If you’re looking for a light, festive read with a side of murder, this is definitely a book to add to your holiday list.

Christmas Mitten Murders is Kensington Books Christmas 2023 holiday anthology featuring in-been novellas by Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, and Maddie Day.

Lee Hollis’ Death of a Christmas Mitten Knitter is set after her sixteenth Haley Powell Food and Cocktails – Death of a Clam Digger. Instead of finding a missing diamond ring at a church bizarre, Haley Powell finds the body of one of their knitters with a Christmas mitten stuffed in her mouth.

Lynn Cahoons' Two Christmas Mittens is set after her fourth Kitchen Witch mystery - Four Charming Spells. There is a curse associated with a red mitten. Maya Malone must find a missing cursed mitten before a loved one is the next victim.

Murder Mittens is Maddie Days introduction to the CeCe Barton mysteries. CeCe Barton is spending Christmas at her sister's B&B in wine country. A wine bar owner is found murdered, killed by bocca ball inside of a mitten that she sold as a side hustle. CeCe becomes involved when her sister becomes the main suspect.

I think each of the three authors does a wonderful job of setting up and solving a murder and half the pages they normally work with. If you haven't read any books by these three authors, I recommend you read this book so you can get a taste of what each series is about.

I really enjoyed this trilogy of shorter stories from all three of these great writers. Each story transported to Christmas in each location. All three were well-written with characters that I like. Many of the characters seem like old friends. The mysteries were well-crafted and kept my interest as I was reading.

Christmas Mittens Murder is a fun cozy mystery based at Christmas time with 3 novella length stories with an average of 110 to 115 pages for each story. 3 popular and established authors have penned these stories, and they are each based on a series the author has written. The murders all have a common denominator, Christmas mittens in the story. With the stories being so short there's not a lot of room for setting up the story or giving a background which cuts into the story development. If you've read any of the other stories in the series, you'll get some background there.
My favorite was the last story in the book, the one by Maddie Day. This is an introduction to a brand-new series and the introduction of a brand-new character. She also brings back a character you may be familiar with from a previous book. Overall, a quick read with characters I'm familiar with which makes it a great read for when you have less time to carve out a chunk of time for reading.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I love really books filled with short stories about characters that I already know and love.

Fun Christmas Anthology from a few of my favorite cozy mystery writers. Always great for a little bit more of a story, especially at Christmas time.

This is a collection of three short cozy mysteries by some of my favorite authors. They are quick, relaxing Christmas themed mysteries to help get you in the holiday spirit. Alternatively this would be a great way to introduce yourself to some cozy authors you might not have read before.

This was a great, festive short story collection of mysteries! My favorite was Maddie Day's tale, but they were all good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I only read the story by Lee Hollis since I have not read the new series by Maddie Day and I have stopped reading the kitchen witch series by Lynn Cahoon. My review for Death of a Christmas Mitten Knitter by Lee Hollis was an okay read. I found many of the characters downright unlikable. The exceptions being Hayley Powell and her husband Bruce, her brother Randy and his husband, Sergio, who also happens to be the chief of police. Some of the action was a bit improbable, but still fun and holiday appropriate, murder aside. Three stars.

I only read Two Christmas Mittens by Lynn Cahoon in this book. I don't read the series by the other authors so I wasn't interested in the other two short stories. I did enjoy Two Christmas Mittens though. I liked that the stakes were really high for the main characters because one of their own was under a nasty spell. This short story is a great addition to the Kitchen Witch series.

A fun mitten-themed cozy mystery anthology featuring three whodunits written by some top writers in the cozy mystery genre. I really enjoy anthologies for reading sorry stories in an established series, to meet a new-to-me author, or to introduce a new character/series.

My favorite was TWO CHRISTMAS MITTENS by LYNN CAHOON as I love her Kitchen Witch Mystery series. 5 stars

I also enjoyed DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS MITTEN KNITTER by Lee Hollis and MURDEROUS MITTENS (prequel to a new series) by MADDIE DAY. 4 stars each

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

A collection of three great holiday mysteries featuring mittens. It was a fun and entertaining read.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley for giving me an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Christmas Mittens Murder, which is a collection of three novellas written by Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, and Maddie Day. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was excited to be approved to read this book!
DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS MITTEN KNITTER (HAYLEY POWELL FOOD AND COCKTAILS MYSTERY, #16.5) by LEE HOLLIS

This particular novella was a fun read, and I enjoyed reading about Haley Powell and her friends trying to solve the latest mystery, which had me guessing. It's always great to revisit characters that are so likable. I haven't read a lot of books in this series, but overall, I have come to enjoy the storylines a lot, and this novella did not disappoint. It's becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and I need to find more time to read more by this author. Four out of five stars.

TWO CHRISTMAS MITTENS (KITCHEN WITCH MYSTERIES, #4.5) by LYNN CAHOON

I haven't read any of the books in this particular series, so it took a while for me to really figure out who some of the characters were and how they were connected to the other characters in the story. There really wasn't much backstory either, which was a bit confusing as well. The overall story ended up being great once I figured out how the characters were related to one another. Additionally, it was a little predictable. I enjoyed it enough that I would like to read the first book in the series to give the series a fair chance. Three out of five stars.

MURDEROUS MITTENS (CEECEE BARTON MYSTERY, #0.5) by MADDIE DAY

This novella is a prequel to a new series that brought in a guest character from another series by the same author. The storyline was interesting enough and had plenty of red herrings. With that being said, the ending felt a little rushed, and the motive a little unrealistic. That aside, I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series because this novella was fun and entertaining. Four out of five stars.

Overall, Christmas Mittens Murder by Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, and Maddie Day was a fun, entertaining read that put me in the mood for Christmas. Four out of five stars is what I give this book.

Christmas Mittens Murder is a fun anthology, where mittens play a part in a murder in each of these cozy mysteries. Lee Hollis penned a wonderful holiday mystery with a knitter who is stabbed with her own needle, outside of a church, believe it or not. Was it a member of her knitting group or one of the rival knitters. Hayley is on the case again, helping her brother-in-law Sergio solve the crime. This time when she comes face to face with the killer, her husband is with her but it was still a dangerous situation. Once again, I did not guess the culprit. Of course recipes were included. In Two Christmas Mittens by Lynn Cahoon we are back in the world of the kitchen witches and others from the coven. I am not a big fan of paranormal stories, and don't follow this series. In this story a pair of murderous mittens carry a curse that affects Mia's best friend Christine. I skimmed most of this story, but did enjoy the ending. Finally, Maddie Day gives us a quick introduction to her new Cece Barton series, in Murderous Mittens. Cece is in Colinas, California visiting her sister's family when a local business women is killed. Cece had met her the day before and they discussed her hand knit mittens that she was selling. She was bonked over the head, and the weapon involved one of her mittens. When her sister, Allie, is the main suspect, she and her new friend Cam begin their own investigation. I liked both Cece and Cam, but I'm pretty sure Cam will not be in the rest of the series as she lives across the country. She is the protagonist in one of Maddie Day's other series. Because this was a novella and the introduction of a new character, I found the mystery pretty easy to sort out. The culprit seemed to be obvious and I was right. I liked the original murder weapon and the investigation was interesting. Cece's nephews are adorable and I hope they continue to be in the books in the series. I always enjoy these holiday collections and even though the paranormal story was not my cup of tea, this was a fun anthology. If you are interested in cozy mysteries, or maybe just want to give them a try, pick up Christmas Mittens Murder and see what you think, it might introduce you to three new authors and their series.

Christmas Mittens Murder contains three Christmas cozy mystery novellas. Death of a Christmas Mitten Knitter by Lee Hollis (A Hayley Powell Food and cocktails Mystery) is satisfactory. I found some of the characters to be unlikeable (not Hayley, Bruce, Sergio, or Randy). I liked the mystery. There are the normal hijinks along with Hayley’s column and recipes. Two Christmas Mittens by Lynn Cahoon (A Kitchen Witch Mystery) has Mia trying to find a cursed mitten’s mate and break a curse before Christine loses her life. Her family and friends are in on the action. It is a fun story with a touch of suspense and a dose of snark. Murderous Mittens introduces Cece Barton (for A Cece Barton Mysteries). Cece has low self-esteem (she kept calling herself a failure). I found the story to be on the preachy side. There is a cameo by Cam Flaherty (A Local Foods Mystery) who gives Cece tips on solving a mystery. The friendship that developed between Cece and Cam happened too quickly (faster than you can say jingle bells). It felt forced. There were random details with clumsy explanations. I like how mittens tied the three stories together. Christmas Mittens Murder was okay, but they did not fill me with the holiday spirit (nor entice me to read other books in their respective series).

Princess Fuzzypants here: Looking for some light holiday reading, these three short stories will fit the bill nicely. Three well known and well loved mystery writers dish up stories that all revolved around some very murderous mittens. In the first, rival knitting groups take the competition to new levels and someone ends up dead. In the second a magical and deadly mitten causes the death of one characters and almost causes a second until the spell can be broken. And in the third, a mitten becomes an unusual weapon.

The first two stories revolve around established cozy heroines who have a strong fan base. The third one introduces a new character in the world of cozies with a bit of an origin story. I confess my favourite was the witchy one but all three were easy and enjoyable reads. Four purrs and two paws up.

This trio of holiday-themed novellas feels almost like three full culinary cozy novels in one volume!

The first of the three, Lee Hollis’ Death Of A Christmas Mitten Knitter, sees Christmas coming to Bar Harbor, Maine. Hayley Powell is already overworked with her restaurant when Reverend Ted, pastor of the local Congregational church, comes to guilt her into providing a luxe gift basket for the annual church bazaar raffle. She doesn't want to turn him down, given that the proceeds will all be going to help the local poor. Her competitive streak is also piqued when he lets slip that her closest family and friends have put together their own enticing baskets too, and that he's sure they'll all be hotly bid on.

His predictions come true, much to the chagrin of several local yarn craft groups whose own offerings, while traditional, can't compete with luxury food, alcohol and self-care items. But the last thing anyone expects is to find one of the knitters stabbed to death right outside the church during the event. As if that weren't bad enough, a rich but reputation-minded benefactor immediately withdraws his donation to the church, not wanting to be associated with the scandal of murder. In desperation, Father Ted asks for Hayley's help in solving the case, in hopes of getting their one-time donor to change his mind. Can Hayley and her investigative reporter husband Bruce figure out whodunnit and save Christmas for their congregation’s neediest?

The second novella, Lynn Cahoon’s Two Christmas Mittens, takes place in the (literally) magical town of Magic Springs, Idaho. Mia Malone is a little miffed that her employer at the Lodge declined to hire her to cater the staff holiday party. Frank Hines claimed that he didn't want to show any favoritism, then went ahead and hired his girlfriend's not-great company to provide the food instead. As if that weren't bad enough, Mia is leaving the premises with her best friend Christina Adams when the latter picks up a stray Christmas mitten… which turns out to be cursed. With Christina falling ill and another party-goer straight up murdered, will Mia be able to find the unlucky mitten’s missing mate in order to break the curse and bring a mystical killer to justice?

The final story in this collection, Maddie Day’s Murderous Mittens, serves as an introduction to a new series sleuth. Cece Barton is visiting her sister in Colinas, California for the holidays when she finds herself caught up in the murder of prominent local figure Val Harper. As co-chairs of the Colinas Community Coalition, Val and Cece’s twin sister Allie had very publicly butted heads over the direction in which they wanted their small town to go. When Allie falls under suspicion of Val’s murder, Cece is both shocked and determined to clear her sister’s name. With the help of another visiting amateur sleuth, Cece will get to the bottom of the case and, perhaps, set herself up for a big life change of her own.

My favorite novella of the three was likely the first, which perfectly captured the madcap hijinks of Hayley and her crew as they sleuth around their city. I do love a good paranormal mystery though, and continue to enjoy Lynn Cahoon’s world-building. Finally, I adore the multiculturalism at the heart of all Maddie Day’s novels, and am definitely looking forward to seeing more of her intriguing new sleuth.

Lee Hollis provided six delightfully festive food and drink recipes here, and I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Randy’s Favorite Peppermint Bark

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 candy canes, crushed

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Fill the bottom of a large pot with 3 to 4 inches of water.

Bring the water to a simmer. Place a large heatproof bowl over the pot. Add your semisweet chocolate, stirring occasionally until melted.

Stir in the extract. Pour into your prepared baking sheet. Spread out the chocolate into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Over the same pot, place another bowl filled with the white chocolate. Stir until melted. Pour over the set chocolate, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle your crushed candy canes over the top. Place the sheet back into the refrigerator until fully set.

When set, remove the sheet and break apart the chocolate with your hands or with a rolling pin, depending on bark thickness.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
END QUOTE

Everything was going really well with this until my white chocolate seized while on the double boiler! If you’re trying this at home, I give you permission to just melt the white chocolate in your microwave, if the instructions that come with it say you can. It will certainly save you the heartache of feverishly trying to get the white chocolate to melt again so you can continue making this recipe.

The end result is quite tasty, especially if you enjoy mint chocolate. My family can take it or leave it, but my friends have very much enjoyed scarfing down handfuls when I bring this to holiday gatherings.

And this is our last column for the year! Have a very merry holiday season, and we’ll see you in the New Year with a tasty baked treat while investigating a murder and a haunting. Do join me!