Book Recommendation – The Mistletoe Mystery

I noticed something over the past few weeks. Many of the “reader” bloggers that I follow spend the weeks leading up to Christmas reading holiday themed books. I had added some of those books to my “To Read” list and actually got to read some of them.

Not too long ago, I saw that there would be a “holiday” novella about Molly the Maid out this year. I enjoyed the first two books in the series, so I added it to my list. I actually just finished reading it.

This is a book that can be enjoyed whether or not you are familiar with the rest of the series. Knowledge of the series and Molly’s idiosyncrasies helps you understand her thinking a bit more.

Anyway, before I go into my thoughts, here is the Goodreads Synopsis:

Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s most joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

I was left a bit disappointed with this one. Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed the story. It was a perfect holiday read. My disappointment stems from my expectations.

In each of the two books in the series, there was a murder. Molly is the one who takes all of the clues and puzzle pieces and puts things together to discover who committed the crime. I went into this expecting a murder and there was none. So, my expectations left me disappointed.

I admit, the story doesn’t need a murder. The “mystery” is more of a soap opera type mystery than say a Perry Mason mystery. That being said, it became obvious to me how the book would end and I figured it out (and you will, too) before Molly does.

If you want a holiday story that will leave you saying, “Awwwwww…” and with warm fuzzies, this is it.

3 out of 5 stars.