A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford

A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford ISBN-13: 9781984805904 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: September 24, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Heavenly, PA has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. As the owner of Heavenly Treasures, the local gift shop, Claire is busier than ever helping her English customers (and even a few of her Amish friends, like Esther and Ben) find the perfect gift for the special people on their shopping list. Claire makes sure she has time for her boyfriend, Detective Jakob Fisher. But the man, who was raised and then shunned by the Amish over his choice of career, has been unusually secretive lately.

Before she can figure out what's going on with Jakob, word comes that Ruth and Samuel Yoder are being questioned in the death of an elderly Amish couple, found murdered not long after the newlyweds were seen leaving the victims' farm. Ruth, in turn, seeks Claire's help in convincing the police that she and Samuel had nothing to do with what happened. But when Claire comes across a cryptic note tucked inside the wedding gift the victims had given the newlyweds no more than an hour before their murder, she finds herself in dire need of a little convincing as well. Can Claire get to the bottom of things in time to ensure a merry Christmas for all?


My Review:
A Killer Carol is a cozy mystery. It's the seventh book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the whodunits in the previous novels. The author wove in details about living near the Amish and what it's like for people to be or leave the Amish.

The mystery was clue-based. Claire helped find new information about what happened leading up to the murder which helped her and the detective to realize whodunit. Due to the murderer planting false clues, uncovering the correct whodunit was more complex than in most cozy mysteries. The characters were engaging, complex, and reacted realistically.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.