Hollyberry Homicide
Considering her name, Marlee Jacob is an obvious choice for the role of Jacob Marley in Oriole Point’s production of A Christmas Carol. It’s sad that the role has opened up because of the death of the elderly actor who’d originally been cast.
But Marlee, the proprietor of The Berry Basket, will do her best to keep spirits high, that is, until clues start mounting that there’s danger behind the scenes. There are accidents on set, the tree in the village square topples over, and worst of all, a body is found with a sprig of holly draped over it. If Marlee can’t wrap up the case, she may not have a berry merry Christmas.
Series: A Berry Basket Mystery – Book #5
Author: Sharon Farrow
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/ Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
It’s Christmas time in Hollyberry Homicide, and Marlee is all set to enjoy x-mas with friends, family, and customers in her berry shop. But wouldn’t you know it, murder finds itself nestled in Oriole Point’s holiday festivities. What started as a fun season takes a turn when Marlee gets involved in finding a killer.
This new book is a wonderful addition to the series. It can stand on its own without the need for a lot of background information, but there is enough to give readers a good idea of who the characters are and the part they play in Marlee’s life. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers interested and turning the page. Suspects vary and are easy to follow. The setting, mainly Marlee’s berry themed shop, is fun and detailed enough to make readers want to visit during the holiday season or even year-round.
One of my favorite parts of the story is when Marlee gets to play in the local production of A Christmas Carol as Jacob Marley, which also happens to be whom she was named after. Her parents had a wonderful sense of humor and dedication to literary figures. Cast members in the play keep having accidents, are taken ill, or murdered, so it makes for a very entertaining part of the story to see if they will be able to pull off the play before Marlee ends up as the next victim.
The killer did not come as a big surprise to me, but I have a highly suspicious nature and rarely need to read the entire book to know who-done-it. In this case, however, many readers will not guess who the bad guy is until the very end of the story. This is the mark of a good mystery. Hollyberry Homicide is a good story that leaves readers feeling happy and excited for the holiday season to come, and maybe wanting some lovely berry scents candles or soaps. I am pleased to recommend this book to those looking for a feel-good Christmas story they can wrap their head around and let the worries of the world fade away for a brief time.
Readers should also check out these wonderful holiday cozies, Maddie Day’s very merry cozy series “A Country Store Mystery” or maybe Sarah Fox’s cheery holiday book “A Literary Pub Mystery”.
About the Author:
Sharon Farrow is the latest pen name of award-winning author Sharon Pisacreta. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Sharon has been a freelance writer since her twenties, with her first novel released in 1998. Published in mystery, fantasy, and romance, Sharon currently writes The Berry Basket cozy mystery series. She is also one half of the writing team D.E. Ireland, who co-author the Agatha nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries.
In her former life, Sharon turned her hand to a variety of endeavors from a principal investigator on an archaeological site, college history instructor, caterer’s assistant, and dancing in a giant animal costume for a non-profit company (it’s a long story). Although Sharon has lived in Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey, she calls Michigan home, specifically the beautiful coastline of Lake Michigan. Indeed, she is so enamored of the sand dunes, orchards, and beaches of western Michigan; she set The Berry Basket mysteries in a town very similar to the one she is lucky to live in.
While much of her time is spent hunched over a laptop, Sharon does take breaks to enjoy the nearby lakeshore and village marina, preferably while talking on her cell phone and sipping an iced coffee drink. Sharon’s reading and viewing pleasure span everything from Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache novels to the Real Housewives shows on Bravo. And she is currently trying to maintain a stiff upper lip now that Game of Thrones has come to an end.
Contact Sharon: sharonfarrowauthor@gmail.com
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