SLASHING THROUGH THE SNOW

In a town fueled by holiday spirit, the murder of a Grinch-like reviewer spawns a few suspects too many.

The Yule-centric town of Mistletoe, Maine, is in the holiday spirit as Holly White’s family works to make The Hearth, the new café offshoot of their Christmas Tree Farm, a hit. What they really need is a killer review from Karen Moody of New England Magazine. The trouble is that Karen is, well, a real Karen who seems determined to find all sorts of things wrong with her experience. Sure, she can have a horse-drawn carriage drive her from the main hall to dinner, but it seems so inefficient: What if her dinner gets cold in the meantime? Instead of giving Karen the eye roll she so rightly deserves, Holly resolves to play good hostess while hoping her efforts can translate into positive vibes from the cosmos and glowing words from Karen. At least Holly's friend the irreverent Cookie Cutter is around to lighten the mood along with Cookie's companion goat, Theodore. But trouble comes on the scene when someone offs Karen using a metal nutcracker that was Cookie’s Christmas gift to Holly. Holly’s determined to find the real killer to save Cookie from taking the heat, even if investigating puts her at odds with boyfriend and sheriff Evan Gray’s pleas to let him take care of his own case. But Holly knows Cookie doesn’t belong in jail, and who would watch Theodore if she couldn’t? Unfortunately, a victim as disliked as Karen makes everyone a suspect.

Wholesome as the Christmas Tree Farm, with a little humor as a bow.