4.5 Hoots

A whimsical cozy mystery in a picturesque setting. A will reading, murder, and a holiday romance, what more could you ask for?

The first thing that grabbed my attention in this book is how Joy described Heart’s Harbor and Haywood Hall. Everything was described so beautifully that I felt I was transported right into Haywood Hall along with Callie (our lead character). Right away you are introduced to so many characters gathering together at Haywood Hall for the will reading of Dorothea Hall, the town’s oldest and wealthiest resident. Everything was going great until Mr. Leadenby was found stabbed to death before the will could be read. Who could have killed him? Was it the mayor? A relative of Dorothea? The maid? Callie could not help but try and piece together what happened on this fateful night.

I loved Callie. She was sweet, kind, and genuinely wanted to find out who killed Leadenby. She grew up in Haywood Hall and was very attached to everyone who currently lived there. The one this she did not want to see was someone she cared about being falsely accused of murder. Through out the book there were a few fun book references and of course it almost felt like you were playing the game Clue. You had your set of characters, each with motivation to kill him, and just had to figure out who was desperate enough to kill him.

Overall, the book was a lot of fun and really (as weird as it sounds) put me in the holiday spirit. Yes there was a murder, but there was also a group of people learning to connect again. You had old friends picking up where they left off and new romances starting. There was family and hope for the future…granted not Leadenby’s future, but you know what I mean. While yes there was murder, there was also so much more going on in this town. There were plenty of twists and turns in the book to keep you guessing. The way that the killer was caught was also exciting. I think that this was a great start to the Book Tea series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book! If you want a cozy mystery that also has a Christmasy feel, this is the book for you!