This book zips along and has all the elements that I love in Christmas-themed cozy mysteries. You have a Christmas Festival that has a cookie contest, you have cocoa and coffee, a B&B a cozy little town--this one is in the mountains, there is snow and there is of course a murder.
I read the book in two sittings, I enjoyed that in this story the protagonist Mel is a retired police officer, this makes her sleuthing and her investigating seem second nature. She has a new business and she needs it to be successful--a common theme in both Hallmark Christmas movies and Cozy Mysteries.
A big mystery for me was the cookies. I have never heard of Starlight Mint Suprise cookies, not knowing if Marla White made them up whole cloth or if they were a thing, I did my googles and found that they are a thing.
So Retro! Check out the recipe- Starlight Mint Suprise Cookies from the blog A License to Quill
Overall 4 stars, I liked Mel alright, the Christmas theme was on point, and some nice red herrings were all part of this fast-paced- mystery!