My name is Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin and in November in an ordinary year I’m busy getting my shop, Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium in Moosetookalook, Maine, ready for the Christmas season. This year, though, my husband and I were offered the chance to get away for a week before the rush. “A little vacation,” my old friend Gina said.
Hah!
Murders. Mysterious “accidents.” Way too many secrets. But there is one bright spot. The house we’re staying in is located on what was once a commercial Christmas tree farm and I’m helping a new friend re-open it as a cut-your-own operation.
There’s lots to do. Publicity, including signs along the road so folks can find the place. Digging out the hand saws and tarps (to use to drag cut trees back in from the fields) and netters—the two the police didn’t confiscate. A netter puts a net around a tree so it’s easier to tie onto the roof of a car for the trip home from the Christmas tree farm.
Once the tree farm opens on the day after Thanksgiving, business should be brisk. Little kids, in particular, like to pick out their own tree and help cut it down. I can remember doing that myself when I was small. Since there are no lights out in the fields, it will be strictly a daytime operation. Weekends will be the busiest.
There’s no controlling the weather, so we’ll offer a heated office/gift shop with free hot chocolate to warm folks up. Christmas music? Of course. And among the items for sale in the gift shop, there might even be copies of two Christmas mysteries written by that Maine author whose name I can never remember. You know—the one who lives on a Christmas tree farm all year round.
You can read more about Character in Ho-Ho Homicide, the 8th book in the “Liss MacCrimmon” mystery series, published by Kensington. The first book in the series is Kilt Dead.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on October 30 for the chance to win a copy of HO-HO HOMICIDE. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
About the author
Kaitlyn Dunnett writes the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American Heritage Mysteries featuring former professional Scottish dancer turned shopkeeper Liss MacCrimmon. In the newest entry in the series, Ho-Ho-Homicide, Liss and her husband, Dan Ruskin are looking forward to a peaceful getaway on a friend’s Christmas tree farm. Some vacation! There’s nothing restful about an unsolved murder, a missing person, or a mysterious maze.
Kaitlyn Dunnett really does live on a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of Western Maine. She also writes as Kathy Lynn Emerson (three historical mystery series and numerous other books and short stories) and as Kate Emerson (non-mystery historical novels).
Visit Kaitlyn on her website.
Vacations are a lot of work. Bobbipad at gmail.com
I am looking foreword to this Holiday cozy. We visit a Tree farm every year but so far we have not found any bodies in the Evergreens.
I enjoy this series. It is always fun when the characters leave their usual setting.
I must play catch-up with this series:-)
My turn! This one will be my perfect next r3ad.
I really enjoy this series and I am looking forward to reading this one.
How did I miss this series! Looks like another one for my TBR pile. Thanks for the giveaway.
Not the type of vacation I would want to take. But I love to read about it. hehe
This would be a great series to start!
Sounds like a great series. I need to add it to my wish list. Thanks
I’ve never cut down a tree before and it’s something I would be interested in doing. How about you guys? Would you like to cut down your own tree?
i love holiday themed stories, thank you for the chance 🙂
I love this series! Looking forward to reading this new book. I hope I win.
This sounds like a great series. I love the Christmas theme for this book. Thanks for having the giveaway.
I love the town name of Moosetookalook!! I must read the book so I can visit there. Thanks for the giveaway.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I love holiday books, this one sounds great
So nice to find another holiday book. Thanks for reviewing this one and bringing it to the reader’s attention.
I try to read as many of the Christmas books as I can each year. I’ll be adding this one to the list. Sounds great.
This sounds so good.
Christmas cozies are my favorite! Would love to win a copy 🙂
melissa0908@hotmail.com
I love books that are situated in Maine and particularly a Christmas book. Thanks for the offer.
Christmas cozies are my favorite…would love to win a copy 🙂
Cutting down your own tree sounds like fun, but a little daunting too. I always miss living somewhere it snows for about 2 weeks around Christmas. Then I go back to being happy I live where I can drive to snow if I want.
I haven’t read this series yet but look forward it .
Sounds like a great series.
I would want to read this book if only because the name Moosetookalook made me laugh out loud on a morning when I definitely needed a good laugh; and I’m sure I’d probably want to read all the others, too, just from the description here. Would love to win!
Sounds interesting!
Looking for something to read when the snow begins to fall here.
this is exciting to see a Scot be a primary character. I am sure Kilt Man will like it.
One of my family’s most treasured traditions is the annual tree cutting day. And it is a whole day affair. Now that the tree kids are married with kids of their own, we caravan to the tree farm, all traipse out to select the best tree for each family, then get the trees on all the cars and go to lunch. Then the whole crew comes to our house to decorate before everyone goes to their own homes. Love to read this adventure in tour book😍
Just shopping for a live Christmas tree seemed like hard work when I did it, so cutting one down would be really hard. Reading about it would be lovely, though.
8th book? Good grief do I have some reading to do, I love the sound of this one, thanks for the chance to win.
I really enjoy this series and would love to win this 8th book in the series.
Growing up, my father and brothers were the ones who found our tree every year. Off, into the woods, they would go and cut down the “best Christmas tree ever”. (Happy memories)
I enjoy this series very much. Thank you for a chance to win a copy of Ho-Ho Homicide.
Can’t wait until this is out. Love these books and this sounds like it’s a winner!
I am so pleased to find out about another New England author. This is great news to me who loves to read all the stories based in the North East where I live. This sounds like a great book and I will check out the other series as well. I can’t tell you enough times how much I appreciate finding out about all the authors and the ones in New England that I just may have a chance to meet some day at a book signing in our area. Hopefully, anyway. Thanks again Dru, you are a gem.
Cynthia
I love this series. I read every book so far. Would love to win a copy of this latest book.
Oh I would love to win this. I so want to read it
Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to real Christmas trees so I can’t have one in the house. But I would love for my husband and I to take my 4-year-old on a tree-hunting trip and cut down our own. Maybe the doctor can boost my allergy prescription? Ha!
Thanks for the chance to win this book – will keep my fingers crossed.
I have never read this series before! I must now go on the hunt and find the the first 7 in the series! Thanks I would love to win!
Sounds great
I go to Moosetookalook every chance I get. I’m ready now.
Enter me
This sounds like a great cozy book.
I remember cutting my own tree several times. It was a wonderful experience.
Thanks for the giveaway.
What a great cover!!
Thank you for the giveaway!!!
contest is closed.