Book Review: The Last Death of the Year (New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, #6) by Sophie Hannah

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The Last Death of the Year (New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, #6)  by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie  opens with Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool arriving on the island of Lamperos in Greece on New Year's Eve in 1932. Poirot has been requested by the leader of a religious community to investigate the threat against one of its members, but just a short while later, another resident is found dead after a New Year's game threatened this member's life. I'd like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this mystery. I've been a long time fan of Agatha Christie and her Hercule Poirot series, so learning I'd receive a copy of Sophie Hannah's new book based on this series made me absolutely giddy. A digital copy was provided to me in exchange for my honest review. Sophie Hannah has done a fabulous job of recreating Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series and keeping a similar style of writin...
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Book Review: A Corpse Among the Carolers (Food Blogger, #7) by Debra Sennefelder

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of A Corpse Among the Carolers (Food Blogger, #7) by Debra Sennefelder
A Corpse Among the Carolers (Food Blogger, #7) by Debra Sennefelder opens with Hope Early preparing for the annual Jingle Bell Stroll. When the person playing Santa Claus is murdered, Hope knows she must find out how and why it happened. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just the one I needed to read to help me get in the mood for Christmas. I know that it sounds weird since it's a cozy mystery where people are murdered, but it was full of holiday activities including caroling, a holiday market, making wreaths, picking out a Christmas tree, and more. The caroling event especially made me think of my childhood when the neighborhood kids along with a few adults would go door to door around the neighborhood to sing Christmas carols. We would have luminaries lit on both sides of the street as well.

All of the characters, minus one or two of them, were very likable, and despite me not having read any of the other books in the series, it wasn't hard to keep them straight. Additionally, the friendliness of the characters drew me into the story, and I felt a sense of community if that makes sense. I guess it reminded me of all my neighbors where I grew up. Even though the main character, Hope, does a lot of things with her church, it doesn't come across as too religious, as in the story doesn't push any religion down your throat, which is a plus. 

As for figuring out who the culprit of the murders was, I had a couple of characters in mind, but I ended up being so completely and utterly wrong. Debra Sennefelder did a fantastic job of misdirection and throwing suspicion on other other people. Overall, I loved the sense of community in this book and will likely read other cozy mysteries by this author. Four out of five stars.


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