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CHRISTMAS COW BELLS
The first novel in Mollie Cox Bryan's brand new mystery series, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, will keep you guessing until the cows come home...
Christmas is time for new beginnings, so after her big breakup, Brynn MacAlister takes the gouda with the bad. With her three Red Devon cows, she settles in bucolic Shenandoah Springs, eager for a new life as an organic micro-dairy farmer and cheese-maker. Then her dear cow Petunia's bellows set the whole town on edge. But it isn't until Brynn's neighbor, Nancy, dies in a mysterious fire that her feelings about small town life begins to curdle...
It seems some folks were not happy with Nancy's plan to renovate the Old Glebe Church. But is a fear of change a motivation for murder? As a newcomer, Brynn can't ignore the strange events happening just on the other side of her frosty pasture -- and soon on her very own farm. Suddenly Christmas doesn't feel so festive as everyone demands she muzzle sweet Petunia, and Brynn is wondering if someone wants to silence her -- for good...
My Review:
Sometimes, when you're faced with a vast array of newly released Christmas fiction you just have to go with the book that has the decked out cows on the cover. That it's a cozy mystery is a bonus. And I get extra points because this is a new-to-me author as well. So many cozies, so little time!
What a moo-vellous start to a fun series! (Was that too cheesy?) Okay, I'll stop with the corny puns but it's hard to resist with those big brown eyes alight with holiday merriment watching me as I write this review. I love a cozy with critters and this one has a lot of them -- including a grief-stricken cow named Petunia. :-)
Brynn is living my dream -- organic farming on a small scale in a sweet little town...well, maybe sweet isn't quite the right word. There are a number of townsfolk who aren't keen on change and newcomer Brynn doesn't always feel welcome.
But when tragedy strikes, she discovers some close allies and even more suspects. Brynn wants answers when her friend is murdered but the sheriff isn't forthcoming and the fire investigator is just as annoying (though I sense perhaps a love interest in future books? Hope so!) In true cozy mystery fashion Brynn sets out on her own investigation and soon becomes entangled in intrigue and danger.
Bryan does a great job of mixing humour and holiday spirit into the mayhem -- including a live nativity, a crotchety minister and an ever increasing menagerie. Love how central characters are established and the community fleshed out. And the Christmas cheer brings a festive flare to the first book in Mollie Cox Bryan's new Buttermilk Creek Mystery series.
Sidenote: While not a Christam Fiction selection, this is a clean read.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Christmas Cow Bells, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!
