Mistletoe Murder by Karen MacInerney is the fourth book in the “Dewberry Farm” mystery series. Publisher: Gray Whale Press, December 2017

It’s beginning to look a lot like. . . Murder.

It’s Christmastime, and farmer Lucy Resnick is living the life she’s always dreamed of. When she’s not selling her jams, soaps, and mistletoe bundles at the Buttercup Christmas Market, she’s enjoying cozy evenings by the fire with her knitting group–or her handsome veterinarian boyfriend Tobias Brandt. But less than a week before Christmas, a pall falls over the festive atmosphere when local man Randy Stone turns up with a knife in his back. . . and a sprig of mistletoe in his hair.

Local sheriff Rooster Kocurek, never the brightest bulb on the string, is convinced it’s an open-and-shut case–murder by jealous wife–but Lucy suspects otherwise. She soon discovers that Randy’s life was more tangled than last year’s Christmas lights. . . and that unless she wraps up the case fast, there might be more than one funeral this holiday season.

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This was a fun book to read where the well-executed mystery kept me engaged in all aspects as our heroine sought out clues to clear her friend’s sister. The author did a great job in staging this drama with plenty of suspects who had stronger motives and some strategic twists where the past and the present co-mingled with the murder and secrets surrounding the court house. The pacing and the comfortable tone was on par with how well this story was being told and I liked that the narrative leaped from the pages as the dialogue and visuals put me in the middle of all the action as Lucy’s last excursion had me on pins and needles. From the murder, to the sweet romance of Lucy and Tobias to taking care of the animals and the farm, to the likable residents of Buttercup, Texas, this was the best book in this lovable series that leaves me smiling and wanting more.