Holly Jolly Homicide: A Christmas Cozy Mystery Series Book 7

A Christmas Cozy Mystery #7

by Mona Marple

The halls are decked, the air is filled with festive cheer, and wedding bells are about to ring in Candy Cane Hollow. But beneath the twinkling lights and snow-dusted rooftops, secrets long buried are about to surface…

Holly Wood is days away from saying "I do" to Nick Claus, the most magical man in town, when a chilling discovery threatens to turn her dream wedding into a nightmare. While touring the grand and storied Olde Jolly Hall, Holly stumbles upon a hidden passageway—and the body of Beatrice Harper, the long-missing owner who was supposedly grieving in Bali.

As whispers spread through the charming town and the mystery deepens, Holly must untangle a web of lies, old rivalries, and hidden motives. Suspicion falls on Charles Harper, Beatrice’s enigmatic brother, who fiercely guards the family’s secrets, and a loyal caretaker who knows more than he’s willing to share. Meanwhile, Holly juggles cake tastings, dress fittings, and surprise mishaps as the wedding countdown begins, all with the help of the ever-dramatic Gilbert, who is determined to keep the day perfect—or threaten to hang up his apron trying.

With only six days to uncover the truth and clear the air before walking down the aisle, Holly races against time in a flurry of tinsel and suspicion. Can she solve the murder and bring peace to Candy Cane Hollow, or will her wedding bells be silenced by a killer’s final twist?

Holly Jolly Homicide is a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud cozy mystery brimming with holiday magic, lovable characters, and enough twists to keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of small-town mysteries with a holiday flair!

Genres: Christmas, Mystery, Cozy Mystery

156 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2024

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining holiday listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account

They are planing a wedding when a dead body is found. It is the owner of the hall where the wedding is to be held. Family members are suspects but the truth comes out leading to the arrest of the killer.

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2025 👒😉🌙

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was finally almost wedding time for Nick and Holly but murder had struck at their wedding venue and Holly knew it'd be up to her to get some answers to the many secrets the old place and its family held. Once the perp was caught, everyone was able to relax and enjoy an amazing Claus wedding.

Gilbert was an absolute hoot with his part in the wedding! He definitely made up for being gone most of the previous book. I just love that elf! I was glad there were two books out this Christmas season, what an awesome treat!

[Sue Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few chapters of this book bothered me. A woman's body is lying dead in another part of the house, and laughing and preparations for the wedding are going on as if nothing has happened. The police are too busy with broken candy canes to get there in a timely manner. I know this is Candy Cane Hollow, but even in "Santa Land," I would think a dead body would be more important to investigate than broken candy canes.

Finally once the police got there, the death started being taken a bit more seriously, but it just left me with a bad feeling. And of course there was the inevitable wedding. I hate weddings!

[Jaimie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of this one. The whole book basically took place in one building and I wasn't very into the murder and mystery of this one. But the wedding 😍😭 I definitely teared up. I love these characters so much.

[Gayle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas time. An old family home now a venue for events. Hidden passages. A murder.
Holly and Nick are planning their wedding at Olde Jolly Hall during the Christmas season. Holly is exploring the venue for their wedding and finds an old unused passage way. And the oldest sister of the owners of Olde Jolly Hall, dead.. The police are called but ask Holly to help "investigate" as she has in the past. Lots of suspects in the family. Money and property to inherit. Can she solve the mystery before the wedding? No one wants a murder investigation going on during the most important event of the season.

I could see this as a Hallmark Christmas movie with a mystery. The descriptions of the decorations and holiday hustle and bustle is easy to picture in your mind. The light romance of a wedding, the Claus family and their "helpers". The description of the food being prepared for the wedding. The cozy mystery is very good. I can see it on the screen! Great holiday read.

I received a free copy and voluntarily provided this review.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly has an uncanny ability to find mysteries. When she and Nick checkout the wedding venue Holly stumbles on to a doozy. A dead body! With their wedding in just a short time away, it becomes crucial that they find out who is the murderer. After all, there can’t be a wedding if the venue is a crime scene.
Gilbert is such a huge part of this story. I love how much he wants everything perfect for Holly and Nick. The way he’s behaving with the kitchen staff at the venue is just so funny!
I found myself smiling and laughing at so many instances in the book, even with the murder hanging over all the planning. The wedding sounded beautiful and I could envision how beautiful Holly’s dress was.
The book was like watching a cozy mystery movie that was set in a Christmas wonderland in my head.

[Theld · Rating 4 out of 5]

While planning her wedding, Holly stumbles across the owner of the venue who is supposed to be in Bali enjoying a vacation. With the help of Gilbert and Wiggles, she dives into the mysteries of the Harper family so she can solve the murder before her fast approaching wedding day.

This book in the series was more slow-paced than the previous ones and it was fairly obvious who the culprit was but it was a fun ride reading how Gilbert was running a wedding boot camp for the workers to the hall. The story weaves together a lot of loose threads surrounding the death of Beatrice Harper, a rather unlikable victim, and sweet, sentimental moments between Holly and the Claus family. This book ends as sweet as a candy cane even if it takes some time to gain momentum.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED it!

So well written! Warm and inviting. And the adventure immediately begins.

I loved that Gilbert has a significant role in this books, he’s so funny. Best quote from Gilbert: “I don’t do well with drama that isn’t of my own making.”

A curious case and Holly finds herself in a race against the clock; the mystery really should be solved before her wedding! What follows is a well developed story with great flow and great pacing. Wonderful characters! The author really has a way with words!

Lovely, LOVELY ending! *swoons*

[Marsha Asquith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homicide and Family Secrets

This is the 7th book of the Christmas Cozy Mystery Series, Holly and Nick were planning their wedding. As if that wasn't enough, they find the lifeless body of the owner. Wedding happening in six days and trying to solve the homicide. Can Holly find the answers for both before she says I do and the culprit gets away with murder?
I love this series, this book has murder, secrets, obsession (of everything being perfect), mixed with love and Christmas magic. Fun read, not sure who's actually guilty until the end.
I highly recommend it!

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

The event we all had been waiting for! But will the wedding happen? When a body is discovered just days before, things are not looking good. I love how much Gilbert was in this story. The mystery was interesting. There were plenty of suspects and clues. The wedding dress design of snowflakes made me wish for a winter wedding. I loved recognizing a couple of the guests. That was a fun surprise! Settle in with a hot chocolate and get cozy. Its time to witness the wedding!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Jolly Homicide

It’s days before Holly Wood’s wedding in Candy Cane Hollow and she finds herself caught up in another mystery. As Holly prepares for her wedding day, she finds the body of a woman who was thought to be on vacation hidden in the Olde Jolly Hall where her nuptials will be held. Naturally, Holly’s curiosity doesn’t allow her to ignore the murder, so she starts digging around to find the killer. This story is filled with the charm of the other Candy Cane Hollow tales and doesn’t disappoint. I recommend this light whodunit that will charm you until the end.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly finally weds Nick...but not until the very end of the book! First, she has to solve yet another murder, this one at the wedding locale, Olde Jolly Hall, where Holly finds a secret passage and then a corpse. It took 7 books to get Nick and Holly to the altar, but I am glad they finally got there. I need to take a break from the people living in Candy Cane Hollow. The next book comes out in July, so hopefully, I will be ready to read about them again then. I am happy to report that the typos and grammatical errors are almost totally gone now. Thank heavens!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

This was such a nice and quick read on a relaxing Christmas Day. This wasn’t as interesting to me as the last book, but it was still good.

Holly stumbles across the body of a woman in a passage of the hall where she and Nick will soon be married. After overhearing conversations amongst family and staff, Holly believes Beatrice stumbled across a secret and was killed over it. Now all she has to do is solve the crime before her wedding day.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets, Lies, & a Wedding

Another fantastic & magical book. I love the theme, anything surrounding Christmas is my favorite. The characters are awesome, I love Holly, but I think Gilbert is my favorite. He is quite the character! The ending was beautiful. I hope there will be many more in this series!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Wood and Nick Claus are going to be married in a few days.
They go to the Olde Jolly Hall that will be the venue of their wedding. Unfortunately when Holly finds one of the owners dead in a secret passageway, she just has to help in solving the murder.
Full of twists and turns, secrets in this cozy mystery. A magical wedding that Holly has dreamed of.

I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.

[Angie R Geissman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly and Nick go to the olde Jolly Hall that they plan to be the venue for their upcoming wedding. While taking g a tour through, Holly comes across a secret passageway with a dead body in it. Now she just has to help solve the murder while working on her wedding plans so she can have the wedding of her dreams. This was a really great story with a lot of twists.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatrice could not be dead; she was still sending emails the very night before her body was discovered! But all that meant was that a very clever killer was amongst them and determined not muddy the waters.

Another good read from Candy Cane Hollow. Fun and intriguing and perfect for the season.

[Jennifer Wertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Jolly Homicide is a fantastic cozy mystery. I love this series. It is magical and festive. I love the characters, especially Gilbert and his sass. This book is full of twists and turns. This is a fun and entertaining read. I highly recommend it.

[Barb Foerst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Wood is about to marry Nick. The wedding is just days away and there’s lots to be done. Unfortunately, one of the owners of the event facility is found dead. Don’t miss Gilbert and he teaches the staff how to do the wedding. I love this series and this is another great mystery.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! I had my suspicions about the culprit…BEFORE Holly! I was right too! I can’t believe it! This story was fantastic. I loved the details that went into the Hall and the food (poor Gilbert!) I can just picture the whimsical beauty of the wedding. I love this series!

[Jeanne Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly and Nick are preparing for their wedding but first there is a mystery to solved. Fast pace fun book when you think you have solved you end up second guessing yourself.

[Darcysmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming

[jenni nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25, story was a little bit too much of a stretch in my opinion. I know the others are too, but this one felt more forced. Also saw some misspellings

[Krista Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Every instalment of this series is masterful. I am loving every instalment of this series. Can't wait to read more from this author

[Susie Fevella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars

[Nana Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!!

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these characters, but sometimes I wonder why these strangers talk to Holly at all, haha... In any case, another fun one :) I've already downloaded #8!

[Ta'Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I just can't get over how long that body just laid there 😩

[Elizabeth Speechley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author is pretty consistent with writing very repetitive mysteries. The mystery themselves are different but they always end up being the same to some extent.