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An Emma Wild Holiday Mystery #4
Valentine's Victim
Includes Cupcake Recipes!
It looks like superstar singer Emma Wild is going to be single on Valentine’s Day. She’s ignoring all of Detective Sterling Matthew’s calls and evading her promotional duties for her third album release. All she wants to do is sit at home, watch trashy TV shows and eat junk food.
But a journalist from Rolling Stone magazine on a tight deadline tracks her down and follows her around town the same time that Emma’s sister Mirabelle invites her to be one of the judges for the town’s annual baking contest. After the contest is over, Emma finds the winner’s dead body in a toilet stall! While Sterling and his partner Sandra arrests a contestant named Cherry, Emma thinks they have the wrong suspect.
Can she figure out who it is before the murderer kills someone else?
It looks like superstar singer Emma Wild is going to be single on Valentine’s Day. She’s ignoring all of Detective Sterling Matthew’s calls and evading her promotional duties for her third album release. All she wants to do is sit at home, watch trashy TV shows and eat junk food.
But a journalist from Rolling Stone magazine on a tight deadline tracks her down and follows her around town the same time that Emma’s sister Mirabelle invites her to be one of the judges for the town’s annual baking contest. After the contest is over, Emma finds the winner’s dead body in a toilet stall! While Sterling and his partner Sandra arrests a contestant named Cherry, Emma thinks they have the wrong suspect.
Can she figure out who it is before the murderer kills someone else?
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2014
25 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Harper Lin
89 books930 followersHarper Lin is the 3x USA Today Bestselling Author of several popular cozy mystery series—8 and counting!
When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga class, hiking, and baking with friends and family.
Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper's Newsletter: https://goo.gl/R7XmFR
www.harperlin.com
When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga class, hiking, and baking with friends and family.
Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper's Newsletter: https://goo.gl/R7XmFR
www.harperlin.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 3, 2018
A nice cosy little mystery for this time of year.
February 2, 2021
A satisfying conclusion to this fast and fun series. I do think the first book was the best out of all four, but the series as a whole almost feels like one big story.
February 22, 2022
One thing I don't like about cozy mysteries is when the amateur sleuth is better at solving crimes than the detectives. The detectives were made to look like idiots. This was an alright and short series. The last book does draw a conclusion but I wasn't a fan of that either. I liked how this one started off but then it felt slapped together.
Someone else may enjoy this series more. This was just my opinion.
Someone else may enjoy this series more. This was just my opinion.
December 26, 2017
Review was originally posted on The Writer's Inkwell
In the fourth installment to Emma Wild Mystery series, I found myself wanting to strangle Emma. As a famous singer, you would think she would have learned to get a backbone. So when she found her ex-boyfriend Detective Sterling in the throes of passion with his new partner at the end of Death of a Snowman, you wouldn’t expect her to mope around. But that’s exactly what she does.
At this point in the book, it’s been six to seven weeks since she came home for Christmas. She’s avoiding her record studio, requests for interviews, and basically jeopardizing her entire career over a man she dated for all of 6 days. Yes, he was her high school sweetie, but he broke her heart back then. So why is she so surprised when he does it again?
Her behavior in this short story is abysmal and I find her to be a truly detestable character. However, since I’m not a fan of spoiling things (unless I’m speaking about a previous book), I can’t even explain why I feel this way. Let’s just say that the ending of the series left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m grateful that there are no more short stories about this pathetic character.
As for the murder plot, I probably would have enjoyed the story if it wasn’t for Emma’s self-wallowing. It’s amazing how much a detestable character can destroy a potentially good cozy mystery. This final short story destroyed any potential this story and its main character had. This is definitely not a book I would recommend unless you are just glutton for punishment.
In the fourth installment to Emma Wild Mystery series, I found myself wanting to strangle Emma. As a famous singer, you would think she would have learned to get a backbone. So when she found her ex-boyfriend Detective Sterling in the throes of passion with his new partner at the end of Death of a Snowman, you wouldn’t expect her to mope around. But that’s exactly what she does.
At this point in the book, it’s been six to seven weeks since she came home for Christmas. She’s avoiding her record studio, requests for interviews, and basically jeopardizing her entire career over a man she dated for all of 6 days. Yes, he was her high school sweetie, but he broke her heart back then. So why is she so surprised when he does it again?
Her behavior in this short story is abysmal and I find her to be a truly detestable character. However, since I’m not a fan of spoiling things (unless I’m speaking about a previous book), I can’t even explain why I feel this way. Let’s just say that the ending of the series left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m grateful that there are no more short stories about this pathetic character.
As for the murder plot, I probably would have enjoyed the story if it wasn’t for Emma’s self-wallowing. It’s amazing how much a detestable character can destroy a potentially good cozy mystery. This final short story destroyed any potential this story and its main character had. This is definitely not a book I would recommend unless you are just glutton for punishment.
January 27, 2019
This very satisfying conclusion to the oh-so-fluffy Emma Wild Holiday Mystery Series ends with Emma still on hiatus from her pop star life, indulging in a case of the megrims, wearing ratty pjs and tattered bunny slippers, eating junk and watching trash tv. Who amongst us hasn't been there? Especially when our love life is a mess (or just non-existant) and Valentine's Day is upon us!
To the rescue comes her very pregnant sister Mirabelle, forcing her out of her funk and into judging a local bake-off. Where of course, a murder happens involving the bake-off contestants. As usual, Emma finds herself investigating and solving the murder while the police focus in the wrong direction. With help from Mirabelle and an intrepid reporter needing an interview with Emma. And her romantic dilemma is happily resolved as well!
Like the first in the series, yummy baked goods are described and recipes included. But the best, absolute best, were Emma's party game ideas for the baby shower she threw for Mirabelle! They made me laugh out loud.
ATY 2019 #37 - set in a school (small town high school)
To the rescue comes her very pregnant sister Mirabelle, forcing her out of her funk and into judging a local bake-off. Where of course, a murder happens involving the bake-off contestants. As usual, Emma finds herself investigating and solving the murder while the police focus in the wrong direction. With help from Mirabelle and an intrepid reporter needing an interview with Emma. And her romantic dilemma is happily resolved as well!
Like the first in the series, yummy baked goods are described and recipes included. But the best, absolute best, were Emma's party game ideas for the baby shower she threw for Mirabelle! They made me laugh out loud.
ATY 2019 #37 - set in a school (small town high school)
August 7, 2023
This book in the series and I have a feeling it is the last one has Emma feeling sorrow for herself when she thought the one guy she loved turned out to be a dirt back with his partner. Hey, he is divorced and has two kids....and if he really wanted to give their relationship a chance he would not have gotten caught doing his partner....lol
But the choice came down to a guy who really loved her and cared.....she couldn't go wrong with Nick.
But the choice came down to a guy who really loved her and cared.....she couldn't go wrong with Nick.
September 6, 2022
Although I love Harper Lin's writing style, and will read everything she writes, I didn't like this book.
It is the last in the Emma Wild Holiday series. I just didn't like how the relationship for the main character turned out. It seemed rushed and out of left field. It was a cute cozy mystery though and it was what I needed to take a break from the more intense readings.
It is the last in the Emma Wild Holiday series. I just didn't like how the relationship for the main character turned out. It seemed rushed and out of left field. It was a cute cozy mystery though and it was what I needed to take a break from the more intense readings.
March 11, 2024
The Cozy Mystery Book Club Bingo
Prompt : Rekindles Past Flame
This was fun and light and nothing too long or too complicated. I enjoyed it as an end to the series, and I feel satisfied that
It’s been a little time since I read it and my memory is sooooo bad that I can’t remember much of the mystery and how it’s solved. I guess this series didn’t leave a major impact on me, but it was fun and I am happy I read it.
Prompt : Rekindles Past Flame
This was fun and light and nothing too long or too complicated. I enjoyed it as an end to the series, and I feel satisfied that
It’s been a little time since I read it and my memory is sooooo bad that I can’t remember much of the mystery and how it’s solved. I guess this series didn’t leave a major impact on me, but it was fun and I am happy I read it.
March 7, 2019
I have to admit that Emma’s choice surprised me! Oh, and the story was entertaining also. I enjoyed this series- lighthearted and full of yummy recipes.
January 30, 2021
Delightful
I really liked these murders that Emma has solved, this Valentine murder was short and SWEET...Finally Emma got her man!!!
I really liked these murders that Emma has solved, this Valentine murder was short and SWEET...Finally Emma got her man!!!
January 28, 2022
Valentine's?
It is a good thing Valentine's was in the title, Or you might miss it! No
No one talked about Valentine's day until the last page or 3. Sweet short read.
It is a good thing Valentine's was in the title, Or you might miss it! No
No one talked about Valentine's day until the last page or 3. Sweet short read.
Read
February 22, 2022I loved this series it was quick and fun to read.
December 2, 2025
See book 1 in the series.
October 14, 2020
really enjoyed this book, especially the end, it was a great series for the end of the reading year
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews