MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

A real-life Grinch meets a mysterious end, leaving his latest adversary to find out who could have wanted him dead.

Kinsley Clark, the proprietor of SeaScapes landscaping, is in the mood to bring some holiday cheer to Harborside, Maine. She’s gathered a crew of friends, including her bestie, Becca, to make kissing balls to decorate the town just in time for the holidays. Maybe the good tidings these 17th-century clusters of greenery symbolize will brush off on Kinsley, who’d like a little good luck with her crush on Pete O’Rourke. Pete’s perpetual workload as the owner of the Blue Lobstah bar may have stalled their romance even before their first kiss, but Kinsley’s no quitter, and she’s determined to find out if she and Pete have a future together. While Kinsley, Becca, and the kissing ball company all have Christmas spirits in mind, not everyone is in a holiday mood. Grouchy town alderman Chris Chesterfield, whose wife, Mallory, has generously donated holly branches to the cause, yells at Kinsley for charging the town for the kissing balls. Though Chris is certainly a sourpuss, Kinsley worries that she may have taken advantage of Mallory. But nothing can dampen her spirits for the annual boat parade, where Chris is fittingly dressed up as a holiday Grinch—the perfect outfit for someone who’s about to be killed under mysterious circumstances. Kinsley turns from one of Chris’ enemies to the investigator of his possible murder, helped by the always-willing Becca and the ever-reluctant Pete.

A solid series that would need something more special to stand out in a crowd.