Disclosure: I won a copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.
Cozy mysteries seem to be everywhere these days. This was the first one I’ve read. When the book Christmas Caramel Murder came in the mail, I didn’t expect to be overwhelmed by plot and literary prose. Instead, I thought it would be a fun, lighthearted read on a snowy day.
This is apparently book #20 in the series, and I could tell that I’d missed A LOT in terms of story line and plot. There are so many characters, I would have made a list if I’d cared more. It’s kind of cute that recipes are included between some of the chapters, along with notes from the characters. The main characters bake cookies constantly, so there were a lot of recipes.
The story itself wasn’t too bad. It was pretty clear who would be the murder victim. Hannah seems more like a busybody than a sharp-minded investigator, but solving the “mystery” took up most of the plot.
For me, the dialogue was completely miserable. I couldn’t stand the conversations; they were so fake that I started skipping over entire pages. Who discusses the idea of not using foil in a microwave? Why did the author use such repetitive phrases over and over? For example…(my paraphrased version).
“The sandwiches are ready!” Michelle said. “Are you ready to eat?”
“Yes, I’m ready,”Mike said as he stood up.
I couldn’t put myself through the rest of the book. I peeked ahead to see who committed the murder. Then, it was time for some cookies.
I have only tried one cozy mystery and I ended up not finishing it. What a drag to start a book that is so far along in the series. I can see why they are so popular, but they aren’t for me.
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