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Loading... Murder Fir Christmas (Christmas Tree Valley Mysteries) (Volume 1) (edition 2015)by Joyce Lavene (Author), James Lavene (Contributor), Chris Lavene (Contributor)
Work InformationMurder Fir Christmas by Joyce Lavene
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Joyce and Jim Lavene write wonderful stories, where the mystery and characters keep me coming back for more. Bonnie Tuttle’s family had come from a small town in Tennessee, but she left to strike out on her own. Now, her new job as a wildlife ranger and her ailing mother have brought her back to Sweet Pepper and Christmas Tree Valley. Small towns can be a bit claustrophobic. Not only does everyone know your name, they know your business. Some people thought she was stubborn, but she believed she was just determined. Bonnie and Matthew are drawn together by circumstances and events out of their control. Her first day, she is forced to deal with a fire, a couple of murders and a snowstorm. She also meets some ghosts. In Sweet Pepper they are accepted as a part of life. They can be helpful, even going so far as to open the door for the ladies. But are they good or bad? Will they help her or hurt her? Could that slight puff of air on your neck be a friendly ghost or your worst nightmare? How about the stuck door? Do they not want you to leave? She has friends in the animal world. They are drawn to her when in need of help, but will they return the favor when she is in trouble? Oginali became my favorite character. He is persistent, patient and determined. I love the Indian mysticism. I am reading about a protector of the animals and earlier I was watching a TV show about their Extinction. The Native American beliefs and mountain magic make all things seem possible in Bonnie’s world. If the mystery isn’t enough to chill your bones, Joyce and Jim do a great job of bringing back memories of the need to shovel and plow the snow, scraping the windshield as the car warms up, and the dangerous driving. I do not miss it! The humorous writing keeps the story light, even though there is plenty of murderous greed to go around. In case you work up a hunger, we have some delicious Christmas recipes to share. I received a copy of Murder Fir Christmas by Jim and Joyce Lavene in return for an honest review. To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com If you are looking to read an intriguing cozy mystery story with a Christmas theme over the holidays, then look no further, Murder Fir Christmas is the book for you! Husband and wife author team of Joyce and Jim Lavene weave a delightful holiday cozy mystery tale that transports the reader to the picturesque Great Smoky Mountain small towns of Sweet Pepper and Christmas Tree Valley, Tennessee, where they follow Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle as she investigates a case of arson and murder. After ten years in Alabama working with wildlife animals, Bonnie Tuttle heads home to Christmas Tree Valley, Tennessee, to help her ailing mother on their family Christmas tree farm, and to take over for retiring Federal Wildlife Agent Harvey Shelton. But an arson on the island of Sweet Pepper Lake, the rescue of an injured wolf pup, and the murder of Agent Shelton and another person, has Bonnie caught up in an investigation to find the killer before anything else occurs. Murder Fir Christmas is the first book in A Christmas Valley Mystery Series. This is an exciting tale that easily draws the reader into the mystery and suspense that befalls the peaceful small towns of Sweet Pepper and Christmas Tree Valley, Tennessee. The authors provide the readers with a wonderful tale full of intrigue, action, suspense, Cherokee Indian folk lore, a paranormal twist, and enough twists and turns that easily keeps them turning the pages. I loved following Bonnie's intertwining storylines of taking care of her mother and family's Christmas tree farm with the rescuing of the injured wolf pup and the arson / murder investigation at Sweet Pepper Lake. You can't help but delve into Bonnie's story with its wonderful mixture of mystery and mystical themes, the richly vivid descriptions transported me into the center of the action, and simply kept me captivated from beginning to end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I would be remiss if I didn't mention the yummy Christmas recipes that are included at the end of the book. If you want to know what there sinfully delightful recipes are, then you'll just have to read the book to find out! You can thank me later. *wink, wink* I am a fan of reading cozy mysteries that are set in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and Murder Fir Christmas had everything that I expected and then some. I am a new fan of the Lavenes, and I look forward to reading more of their books. My heart aches for Joyce and Jim, as Joyce passed away in October, but I know that she is looking down from heaven and smiling lovingly at Jim for continuing their legacy of weaving wonderful tales for their fans. Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the authors in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/12/murder-fir-christmas-by-joyce-... no reviews | add a review
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"Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle has always had a special gift with wild animals. It was one of the reasons she decided to train with the wildlife agency. She's spent the last ten years in Alabama working, but her mother needs her home and she's back despite all the bad parts of her life she hoped to leave behind. Her first day home begins with a fire on the island in Sweet Pepper Lake and the death of Harvey Shelton, the wildlife agent she's supposed to replace. Bonnie manages to rescue dozens of animals from the fire--including a wolf pup that was shot with the same bullet that killed Harvey. Now she's hot on the trail of Harvey's killer and trying to reintegrate the wolf back into the wild even though he seems to want to stay with her. Yet old memories persist in the small community where she grew up, and the killer now seems to believe that she has what he killed Harvey for. All she has to do is figure out what that is before it's too late." -- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyRatingAverage:
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Bonnie is living the life I wished I could. She’s a Federal Wildlife Agent. Returning to her roots in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee to take care of her mother, she hardly has time to check in on her new job before she’s called out to help rescue some wildlife when a small island catches on fire.
While rescuing the animals, she finds not one, but two people dead, the latter being the retiring agent who’s position she is taking.
A good cozy mystery requires multiple suspects, with the main protagonist becoming a target of the killer or a prime suspect themselves. You get that, because Bonnie is not about to stay out of the investigation. It also requires a little romance. You get that too, and it’s a hoot.
And there’s another plus to this story. A little bit of paranormal and folklore. Right from the beginning I sensed something peculiar and it wasn’t long before Bonnie was made aware of it too.
Bonnie’s affinity with wild animals is another thing I loved about this story. She rescues a young wolf cub from the island and takes him home to rehabilitate and then release back into the wild. Well, of course I fell in love with the cub and it became a focal point for me. Would she turn the wolf loose, and would it go? It didn’t seem to want to leave Bonnie’s side.
How to describe my reading experience? I had a blast. Loved the budding romance, Had to laugh because they could deny it all they wanted but the heart wants what the heart wants. The murder mystery had a lot of suspects and I loved following the clues, discarding a suspect, finding another, and another. And the wolf cub. He was so adorable. I loved how he attached himself to Bonnie, accepting her as pack leader, never wandering far from her. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted him to integrate back into the wild or stay with Bonnie. And there’s much more going on. Every page led me to something else.
With a puzzling mystery, lots of wildlife, a touch of romance and some paranormal elements, I was hooked from the first chapter and didn’t stop until I read the last page. One of those books you can’t wait to finish and hate to finish at the same time. ( )