Mistletoe Murders 3

Mistletoe Murders #3

by Ken Cuperus, Cobie Smulders (Narrator), Raymond Ablack (Narrator)

The much-anticipated return of the hit Audible Original Mistletoe Murders series, featuring Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) reprising her role as the captivating Emily Lane in Mistletoe Murders 3.
From Canadian Screen Award winner Ken Cuperus, with Ginny & Georgia’s Raymond Ablack, plus a stellar ensemble cast featuring Anna Cathcart (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Alex Mallari Jr (Ginny and Georgia) and Jean Yoon (Kim’s Convenience), this new season of the Audible Original will help you prepare for yet another cozy (and criminal) holiday season.

When Emily Lane isn’t busy running her charming Christmas-themed store, ‘’Under the Mistletoe,‘’ located in the quaint tourist town of Fletcher’s Grove, she finds herself compelled to investigate not so quaint local murders. On the surface, Emily is a perfectly lovely, good-natured puzzle-solver and mystery lover. But she is hiding a secret past that has finally begun to catch up with her, as an old acquaintance arrives to throw a wedge between Emily and Sam’s burgeoning relationship, and worse, threatens to destroy the new life Emily has built for herself.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Romance

4 pages, Audible Audio

Published November 7, 2024

Reviews

[Utkarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, deck my halls and call me Sherlock! 🎄🕵️‍♀️

Frost my cookies and call me Santa! 🎅🍪

Dust my gingerbread crumbs and call me clueless! 🍪🕵️‍♀️

Hang my mistletoe and find the killer! 🌿🔪

I’ve got a million of these, but I better stop.

I absolutely love this audiobook series!

This series has officially ruined all other Christmas murder mysteries for me because Mistletoe Murders is THAT good. The plot? Engaging. The characters? Unforgettable. And the narration by Colbie Smulders? Pure holiday magic. Seriously, Colbie is such a brand. Someone cast her as a detective already! She makes you feel like Emily might just walk out of your speakers and crack a case in your living room.

Plot:

How do you juggle running a Christmas store and solving a murder at the same time?

Emily Lane runs Under the Mistletoe, a cozy, Christmas-themed store in Fletcher’s Grove. Everything’s perfect—until murder knocks on her door, and her world is thrown into chaos once again. If that wasn’t enough, her old acquaintance from her past shows up unannounced.

Now, Emily’s got more to worry about than just keeping the Christmas spirit alive. Between solving the murder and dealing with this unexpected blast from her past, Emily is way over her head.

Emily is the perfect mix of sugar and spice. By day, she’s running a cute little store. By night, she’s solving murders like it’s her side hustle. Don’t let her cozy exterior or the two cats fool you—this woman is as sharp as a candy cane’s broken edge. And she has a secret name, which makes her even more badass.

Grab your cocoa, snuggle up, and let Emily’s sharp mind and secret name guide you through the twists and turns. Just don’t forget to feed the cats.

Who should read this book?
If you’re a fan of holiday-themed mysteries with a dash of humor and a side of cozy charm, Mistletoe Murders is totally worth a listen. It might not hit the same high notes as its predecessor, but it’s still a great companion for those chilly winter nights

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I raced through these and now I’m fresh out of new content. 😢 Mistletoe Murders is the perfect cozy mystery series for the Christmas season.

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely my favorite of the bunch. There’s a cliffhanger so there’s more to come.

[Elizabeth ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely love this series! This is definitely my favorite out of the bunch ❤️

[Rodica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess, at this point, it’s a tradition for me to read the next installment of this Audible series. It’s cheesy, over the top, getting more and more unbelievable every season, but also just fun. The mysteries are not too important, more like vehicles to keep our character development going. We find out more about Emily’s past, new perils come around, and, as expected, we are left on a cliffhanger. Again, more chewing gum for the brain, but more fun this time.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
This is actually three shorter stories in one audiobook. I loved Mistletoe Murders 2 and was excited to see that Emily's adventures continued in this audiobook. This is a full-cast recording, which is my favorite kind of audiobook. Cobie Smulders does an excellent job as Emily and the other cast members are fantastic, too. The stories are fast-paced and held my interest. The last story ends with a major development, so I am hopeful the story will continue in an upcoming installment.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 1. 3 stars
Story 2. 4 stars
Story 3. 2 stars

So I went for a 3 star over all.

There was too much secret ops talk and not really enough small town detective work in this return to Fletcher's Grove.

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars What's more festive than a small Canadian town featuring a Christmas shop owner with a past and a penchant for stumbling upon murders? Mistletoe Murders is a series of Christmasy audiobooks from Audible that are short, sweet and full of murder and mayhem.

If you're looking for something with a Canadian vibe, this is it! Written by Canadian TV writer and producer Ken Cuperus, this group of audiobooks are narrated by a trio of Canadian talent - actress Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother and Marvel), Raymond Ablack (Degrassi, Ginny and Georgia), Anna Cathcart (To All The Boys, Descendants) and a full cast, complete with background sounds. Holy poutine, that's a lot of Canucks!

With solid mysteries that have bits of humour and larger story arcs, they will make you want to listen to the next book in the series asap. Each book has two sections and runs a total of about 3 hours making them great to listen to while you're wrapping Christmas gifts or stuck in looooong checkout lines at the mall this December.

[Morgan Giesbrecht]

“I prepared for a series of interviews, not The Hunger Games.” 😂

That line was the best part of the season. Getting into Violet’s head for an episode was very fun.

Not gonna lie, this batch of mysteries felt more wacky than intriguing. And they’re starting to lose the believable aspect. Love Sam and Emily’s continued growth after the on-again-off-again, but I’m not crazy about the implied s*x in their relationship now.

I’m curious to see how Hallmark tackles adapting the rest of the series.


Content: s*x implied multiple times between Sam and Emily; innuendo; language level of season 1

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished what has become my annual visit to Fletcher’s Grove. And it did not disappoint! The characters are likeable, the story interesting and the whole thing is entertaining. For a short audiobook, there’s a lot packed in. There’s an overarching story with a few mini mysteries thrown in. A fun, satisfying holiday read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

6🌟
These episodes just keep on getting better and better. The ending of this book was so good. It leaves you on a cliffhanger wanting more.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

every one of these is better than the last

[Coraline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Different story line and lot of plot twists, good cozy mystery.

[Mandy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVE these!!! It’s being made into a movie or TV show! Wish they were longer but hope they don’t stop! Great narration acting and great sound!
I saw it’s coming out as a movie or tv show.
I really wish they had used the 2 main narrators as the actors as they ARE tv actors but oh well. I don’t remember where I saw it would be streaming but google should tell us.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

These cliffhangers!!
As always - entertaining holiday series. Looking forward to next year's episodes.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Correction: I will not only cry into the void, I will scream my guts out over this being the last available instalment in the series - and it too ends with a cliffhanger, of course!
I'm so mad! I can't wait an entire year for more. And then another year!?? Plz, kill me now and put me out of my misery. 🤣

Jokes aside: This series is cute, funny, and kickass. It's really, really well produced too, which makes it a joy to listen to.

I saw there's even a Hallmark version, but since it doesn't have the same actors, I'm not so sure I will check it out. Cobie Smulders and Raymond Ablack are Emily and Sam. That's just how it is, if you ask me. I really can't see them played by some Hallmark actors just as well. (Sorry, not sorry.)

I've so far never run into an "Audible Original" I've quite liked, because they've all felt very much "B grade", next to "proper" audiobooks, as in: Audiobooks actually based on a book.

This one though. It won me over, by being something else than a regular audiobook. More theatre than audiobook - in a good way!
And I want more, dammit. NOW. 😂

[Quenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

So the third book in the series really pays off some serious little hints that were dropped in book one. This one was great but the middle story felt like a spin-off for Violet and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that because Emily didn’t seem to catch on as quickly as she does in other cases and I was wondering if the author did that on purpose.

This book really brings home the whole Sam/Emily relationship and gives you a lot more insight into Emily’s past and Emily figuring who she wants to be. Her past side plot did get in the way of some of the other mysteries but not enough to take me out of the story.

This is a nice little series I would like to see continue.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wedding gone wrong kicks off the first case, where the groom and his best man are injured, only for Emily to uncover that the real culprit is Oscar, the best man himself, driven by misplaced anger over his failed marriage. His plan spirals, injuring even him, and the truth leads to a tragic end. The second case sends Emily, Sam, and his daughter Violet on a campus road trip, only to learn a student was murdered. Violet becomes a co-sleuth, uncovering that another waitlisted applicant killed to secure a spot. Justice is swift, and Violet earns a place at her dream school. The final case follows the death of one of Sam’s old friends, whose peanut-allergy murder ties back not to his notorious wife, but to mob business gone wrong. And just when Emily thinks she’s settling back into her life, Damien turns up dead under her Christmas tree, proving her danger is far from over… and hinting that this series may not be done yet.

This book was also an easy 5 for me: exactly the kind of cozy mystery chaos I crave, packed with clever murders, tangled motives, and that warm small-town heartbeat that keeps Fletcher’s Grove feeling wonderfully alive. The characters continue to shine, especially with those little sparks of romance slipping between Emily and Sam, giving the story a gentle sweetness beneath all the intrigue. Plot, atmosphere, intrigue, and enjoyment all ranked high for me, and while the character scores dipped slightly thanks to Emily’s past crashing harder into her present, it actually made the story richer. I loved how each case connected emotionally rather than feeling random, and how Emily’s history kept creeping out of the shadows piece by piece, stirring drama, tension, and doubt in her relationships. The pacing stayed smooth, the mysteries satisfying, and that cliffhanger finale? Deliciously frustrating in the best way. I’m already eager for the next book, because the past is clearly nowhere done with her.

[Suzanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, a great series of little mysteries (each story takes place over 2 chapters). I tried watching the series that is based on this Audbile original series, but I need Emily to be Cobie Smulders. Her voice in this series, as well as the other characters are wonderful.

In addition, though I started Goodreads to aid me in remembering what I have read, I can easily remember these mysteries at this point so the fun of figuring things out would be lost if I watched it so closely to listening to the series.

I am now going to have to wait for #4 to be produced. The cliff hanger was a big one!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always really enjoyed this series and look forward to it every year. Although season 3 went different places than I expected, I still quite enjoyed it. I love Emily and Sam. They have a great relationship. I appreciate that mysteries are broken up into short stories, making me think I need to read more mystery short story collections as much as I enjoyed this series. The plot was interesting, and I had guessed the twist, but I still had a great time. I really wish that we didn't have to wait a whole year for the next one.

[Amancay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try not to “binge” series, breaking things up and diversifying my experience… but I’m really enjoying these mysteries and the underlying storyline strewn throughout. if I weren’t out and about when I finished this (no Wi-Fi) I would’ve jumped right into the next one…

[Alyson Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody cliffhanger.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! And this cliffhanger 🫢

[Neal Schindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like these keep getting better and have collectively helped me survive a somewhat stressful holiday season. Thank goodness for Emily Lane and her trusty hybrid vehicle!

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed part III a little more than I did part II; I particularly liked the episodes featuring more of Violet, when she helped investigate one of the murders more in-depth than usual (or maybe as a current PhD student I just enjoyed the campus setting). Then, in the last episode, Damien was super annoying, but that ending...

Now I have to wait for the next in the series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been a highlight of my Christmas reading. Emily, Sam, and the entire town have been a delight. A couple of things made this one of my favorites. 1) Emily and Sam's relationship made a lot of progress. I loved seeing them together after all the pining. 2) We learned more backstory about Emily and how she got where she is. It was interesting and not what I was expecting. 3) I liked that we ventured out of town for one of the cases. There are only so many murders that can happen in one small town without it getting ridiculous, but I think the author does a good job at making them believable. I hope we aren't done with this series! I'll be eager to get a new addition next year.

[Satara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Fabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So entertaining!

[shailee♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this continues to be so incredibly entertaining and engaging! I’m gonna def lookout for the next book bc the cliffhanger is killing me

[Ami Cormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little bit addicted to hearing all about Emily Lane and her life in Fletcher’s Grove! Running a Christmas-themed shop whilst investigating murders, it seems like a secret from the past she’s been hiding is finally catching up with her…

Another great story in the series, perfect for this time of year!

Bring on number 4!!