Feliz Navidead: A Santa Fe Cafe Mystery

Santa Fe Cafe Mystery #3

by Ann Myers

Holly, jolly, and downright deadly—the third Santa Fe Café mystery unwraps surprises both naughty and nice . . . It’s the most picturesque time of theyear in Santa Fe, and Chef Rita Lafitte of Tres Amigas Café hopes the twinkling lights and tasty holiday treats will charm her visiting mom. Rita is also planning fun activities, such as watching her teenage daughter, Celia, perform in an outdoor Christmas play.

What she doesn’t plan for is murder.

Rita discovers a dead actor during the premier performance but vows to keep clear of the case. Sleuthing would upset her mom. Besides, there’s already a prime suspect, caught red-handed in his bloodied Santa suit. However, when the accused Santa’s wife begs for assistance—and points out that Celia and other performers could be in danger—Rita can’t say no. With the help of her elderly boss, Flori, and her coterie of rogue knitters, Rita strives to salvage her mother’s vacation, unmask a murderer, and stop this festive season from turning even more fatal.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Cozy, Holiday, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

First published October 25, 2016

Reviews

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feisty Rita Lafitte is back on the case again! Along with her wacky boss, sometimes surly teenage daughter, crazy co-workers, hunky boyfriend -- Rita is trying to survive a Christmas visit from her judgmental mom whilst solving a murder! She just can't seem to stop finding dead bodies and, of course Mom has no idea of her sleuthing. Ex-husband Manny the cop makes life even more difficult with his interfering ways. When someone starts threatening -- and murdering -- actors playing the Las Posadas devils, Rita really has her work cut out for her! Filled with funny animal characters, cute kids, an actual witch & some delinquent senior citizens, this story is a great off-the-wall Christmas offering.

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome New Mexico Cozy Mystery Series

Love these series. Rita an divorced woman ( her ex is a Sheriff Manny) with her daughter Cecilia. Have lived in New Mexico since Rita and her ex were still married. Rita now is a Culinary Diner Chef waitress with her older Owner Flori. They both were culinary sleuths. Together they solved mysterious ( deaths) Rita ex husband Manny always told her stay out of his crimes. But no both don't Rita trys but to no avail. Very adventurous and with So much New Mexico foods ( recipes at the end) I would love to try. New Mexico historical marks and sleuthing. You won't get enough of. But the only problem is there only 3 books in this series. But it is worth reading if you love culinary sleuths cozy mystery books

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off, I'd like to recommend Feliz Navidead to any one who enjoys a cozy winter holiday book.
This one had so much that drew me in. Rita, a midwestern woman who went to culinary school and moves to Santa Fe, New Mexico with her teenage daughter Celia. Rita works as chef at Tres Amigas Cafe and Christmas is coming.

Her daughter is part of the Posadas celebration and there are many authentic Santa Fe references and of course food with a recipe section in the back of the book.

I found the mystery entertaining enough, but went down all sorts of rabbit holes with local references as well as with the food.

I would like to note that this is the third of the series, so now I will have to go back and read the other two at seasonally appropriate times. Bread of the Dead, the first is set at Dia de los Muertos and the second Cinco de Mayhem is obviously set at Cinco de Mayo.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rita Lafitte’s mother is visiting Santa Fe for Christmas and Rita is trying to make this the best visit ever. Mind you Christmas is a little different in the desert with no snow and devils. But there is a bunch of great food that should make up for it. That is until an actor in the Christmas pageant that Rita’s daughter Celia plays a devil in, is discovered dead. It seems that some Native American artifacts are being returned to their tribes and someone doesn’t want this to happen. Rita tries her best to let the police investigate the murder but when it is suggested that others in the pageant might be a target, Rita steps up with Flori and plan on solving this mystery.

This is a great cozy mystery and my first book in the Sante Fe Café Mystery series. This is a great story that kept me engaged with lots of red herrings. I had my idea of who the killer was and I was completely wrong.

Along with the wonderful story you have an interesting cast. Rita is a nice person and I loved following the romance with Jake Strong. But I have to say that Flori’s knitting group with their knitting graffiti stole the show. Plus the recipes for some of the wonderful dishes were included. BONUS!!!

I really enjoyed this story; it is one that I will be adding to my keep shelf. I will be definitely be checking out the other books in this series along with other books from Ann Myers.

I received Feliz Navidead from Partners in Crime Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read all three of the books in this series, and was entertained by all of them. Rita and her cohorts at Tres Amigas Cafe are a fun bunch of people, and there are a variety of other enjoyable folks around town as well.

In this book, Rita has invited her mother to come from the Midwest to celebrate Christmas in Santa Fe. Mom wants her traditional Christmas, while Rita wants to introduce her to some traditions of the Southwest, which leads to some "discussions" between them.

When a body is discovered on opening night of the Christmas play, Rita is torn. She wants to put her sleuthing skills to work yet again, but she doesn't want to upset her mother. Will Flori be able to draw her in? Will they find the murderer before Christmas? Will Mom realize Rita has found a new home, and a new love?

The characters are very well-written, and by this point they feel like old friends. Santa Fe and its cuisine are featured prominently in the series, and each book contains several recipes from the story. The mystery is not easy to solve, and will keep you guessing until the final reveal.

I love that Flori and the ladies of her knitting circle were "graffiti knitters," which is something I had never heard of prior to this book. Google it and take a look at what some actual graffiti knitters have been doing!

I can hardly wait for the next installment in this series.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the setting in the SW. It added a lot of interest to the story. Other than feeling that this cozy mystery was a little long it was entertaining.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every December, the book club at our library does a cozy mystery to ease into the holidays. This was my pick for the group this year. The book has a title with a nice play on words and a fun cover.

Even jumping into the series late, a reader can pick up what is going on. The first couple chapters establish the setting and the reoccuring cast of characters with only passing reference to events from the first two books. That is helpful.

The story was...interesting. A bit chaotic in spots and some very odd transitions as well as awful coincidental meetings of characters at times. The ending was a bit bonkers too. Not sure how the group is going to take this one.

I did find the recipes at the end to be a nice touch. Cozy mysteries seem to like to include recipes. I also did learn quite a bit about the las posados tradition. So, something good did come out of it.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars: A delightful holiday tale that delivers a solid mystery with plenty of Southwestern holiday cheer.

Rita is hoping to pull off a cozy, Southwestern Christmas, but hosting her mother might make it difficult. Rita's mother is all about the traditional Christmas so asking her to embrace chili peppers, outdoor plays with devils and all things celebrated in Santa Fe might be a steep order. To make matters worse, the night Rita's daughter debuts as one of the devils in the town's Christmas play, one of the performers is murdered. Rita along with Flori, can't help but to do a little snooping and sleuthing, especially since the murder hit a little too close to home. Will the murder and mayhem ruin the holiday season?
What I Liked:
*Feliz Navidead was another fun edition to the Santa Fe Cafe Mysteries series. I love the setting for this series, the quirky characters and all the delicious New Mexican cuisine. This book had me wanting to pack my bags and head to Santa Fe to check out the holiday festivities for myself.
*The mystery in this one is solid. I liked that the murder mystery wasn't easy to solve. There are plenty of suspects, several motives and lots of red herrings. I had my suspicions, but when the killer was unmasked, I was wrong.
*I love the quirky, funny characters in this series. Flori, the owner of Tres Amigas, is in her eighties, but she is feisty and active, and hilarious. In this book, Flori is one of the lead members of a knitting circle, except this isn't your ordinary old lady knitting circle. These ladies participate in fly by night graffiti knitting. Basically, they head out under the cover of darkness and knit things for statues and landmarks. They even have code names and knitted masks that double as ordinary knitted hats. Adele is also entertaining with her desire to be just like her idol, Adele. Rita, the main character, is more down to earth but easy to like. I also enjoyed the addition of a muffin munching donkey and his sidekick goat named Sidekick. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment with this bunch.
*What I love most about this series is the setting. I have never been to Santa Fe, but after reading this series, I want to go there. The author does a wonderful job in transporting the reader to this remarkable, Spanish influenced city with its adobe houses, colorful mosaics, unique traditions and delicious cuisine. This time around, it is Christmas time in Santa Fe, and I loved learning about the unique traditions during the holiday season in this wonderful city.
*A cozy mystery wouldn't be a cozy without the cozy. You get plenty of cozy with this one, especially when it comes to food. This series is all about the Southwestern cuisine: chili peppers and spice. Even the chocolate pie has heat in it. I wish I could sample all the delicious food in the book, but the author does the next best thing, she provides recipes. This one has recipes for several Santa Fe dishes. Yum!
*There is a romance in this series, and I appreciate that it is without drama and angst and no love triangles. Just a simple, straightforward romance! Yeah!
*The ending wraps up the majority of the threads in the book. No cliffhangers or nagging questions. The killer is unmasked, the mystery is solved for now.
And The Not So Much:
*I was a bit disappointed that more time wasn't spent in the cafe. I love hanging out in the Tres Amigas Cafe with all of its spicy dishes.
*The big unmasking culminates with one of those ridiculous scenes where the killer reveals all of his motives and such to Rita. It felt a bit like a Scooby Doo reveal to me.
*While the police aren't complete bumbling idiots, they still don't seem competent to me. I always struggle a bit when an amateur sleuth solves the murder.

Feliz Navidead was a fun, cozy holiday read with a solid murder mystery and plenty of spicy, holiday cheer. I loved the setting and the Christmas charm, and I couldn't get enough of the Santa Fe cuisine. This is a simple, fun read perfect for when you want something to cozy up with on a winter afternoon.

I received a copy of this book from a tour promoter in exchange or an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Linda Brue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the Santa Fe Café mystery series. Rita Lafitte is a chef at the Tres Amigas Café, and is hosting Christmas for her Mom, who has never been to Santa Fe before. She is hoping the visit goes well, planning lots of activities to show off her adopted city to her Midwestern Mom, who is unhappy that she is living so far away with her daughter, Celia. Celia is appearing in the Christmas pageant, Las Posadas, which takes place in the streets, acting as one of the three devils. Things don't go quite as planned, and her anxiety-ridden Mother is horrified when one of the devils is murdered on the first night of the pageant. She is further alarmed to find that Rita is caught up in finding the murderer, and worse yet, has engaged in sleuthing previously.

A fun, well-plotted mystery with the cast of characters well described--no cardboard characters here. And while I very much enjoyed the human characters, the addition of Mr. Peppers, the miniature donkey (who is on a strict diet but is not above stealing muffins and fry bread from innocent bystanders), and his goat sidekick added hilarity to the mix of devils and danger. Ms. Myers tempts the reader with the southwestern foods of New Mexico (there are recipes in the back), and readers will enjoy the total immersion into that culture.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What great fun! This book was a riot. I loved the characters, especially the way Rita was with her mom. They had a great relationship and Rita was really good with her. I also loved Flori, Rita's friend! She was hilarious, outspoken, fearless, my kinda gal!

My favorite part of this book and what really made it for me was all the talk about knitting! I, myself am a knitter. So this was great (a nice unexpected surprise!). The first time knitting was mentioned I was like - "OH! knitting!" and then when it was a theme through the whole book - well I just fell in love! She talks about "Yarn bombing" and for those non-knitters, this is a real thing! I have actually been wanting to do this!
I also loved all the south western talk. I love Mexican food so this too was a delight!

There is a lot going on in this book. It is full of action. There is never a dull moment!
If its fun, cozy mysteries you love - you will love this one!

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving this book from Partners in Crime Book Tours. Thank you!

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Great mystery, I guessed a bad guy, I was almost right, and then there was a surprise twist.

Wonderful Santa Fe background. It seems respectful of the Native characters and themes, but I don't know enough to say for sure. Not blatantly gross, at any rate.
Also, I need chocolate cream pie with cayenne pepper RIGHT NOW.

Really well done family scenes, both up and down the generations.

Obligatory love triangle is mostly one hot boyfriend + Mom pushing an old flame.

My usual complaint about holiday scenes - isn't -anyone- in the neighborhood a Muslim or Bhudist or anything?

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series takes place in Santa Fe New Mexico.
Lots of local color, history lessons and New Mexico cuisine in this series.
Rita is a chef at Tres Amigas Cafe, has a teenage daughter, Celia, and Ex who is a police detective and her mother is visiting for the Christmas Holiday.
Celia scores a role in the local Las Posadas parade as devil.
All is well and good until Rita finds the first devil dead during the fist night of the parade.

This is a very fun read, the characters are believable and entertaining.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did the audiobook version of this book. Maybe a mistake. The voice actress didn't bother researching how to properly pronounce some hispanic names, or was told by the author incorrect ways to pronounce some hispanic names. Josephina is not pronounced with a standard english J. It's more of an H sound. The inconsistency with which she did character voices was also a bit annoying. I only got about a 3rd of the way into the book before I had to stop. Maybe I'll revisit it later in hard copy to read it with my own voice.

[Avanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in a cozy mystery series set in Santa Fe, NM. I am sad it's also the last book (so far!) in the series... and I hope she writes more! It's well paced and well-charactered, and the mysteries are not obvious (which I like!). I enjoyed this one in particular ... because it's Christmas, because it's familiar (Santa Fe) and because the mystery was well-paced, written, and resolved! Hoping for more!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef Rita LaFitte works at Tres Amigas Café in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This Christmas season her mother is visiting from Illinois, uneasy with the different traditions and the spicy foods. She is especially upset that her teenage granddaughter Celia is playing a devil in the holiday pageant. It seems like her fears may have come to pass when the man playing one of the other devils is murdered during the first performance.
Rita’s ex-husband Manny is the cop investigating the crime and her current boyfriend Jake is a lawyer defending the top suspect. There is a lot of local color and atmosphere, and a subplot about missing antiquities. There are five recipes included, and after reading a book, you will want to make a batch of the bizcohitos. Readers who enjoy culinary mysteries will savor this spicy mystery.

[Nd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chef Rita Lafitte, who loved to solve mysteries and previously had become entangled in several, finally coerced her critical and disapproving mother, Helen, into coming to Santa Fe for Christmas. She was determined to show her the beauty in the holiday customs of Santa Fe and how traditions there were equally as loved as those in exact same Christmas Helen had always insisted upon in Illinois. She had no intention of letting on to her apprehensive mom that she had become something of a crime solver there Santa Fe and hoped to show off how safe the city was. However, things didn't go exactly as planned. Daughter/granddaughter Celia landed the part of one of the three devils in the traditional Christmas festivities, which horrified Helen, and shortly after the production began, one of the other devils was murdered.

[Sandybear76]

Rita's mom is visiting Rita and her daughter Celia at Christmastime in Sante Fe, NM. Evening outdoor performances are going most nights and Celia is one of 3 devils for the play. Rita is taking some time off from the restraurant she works at and part owns to show her Mom around town and meet her friends. Judith the sponsor of the performances is having her Native American collection inventoried and returned to the tribes the artifacts belong. But Judith is getting sicker everyday. Then one of the devils is killed right before his performance.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rita is at it again and this time, Celia could be in danger. One of the actors in the Christmas pageant is murdered and Rita vows to make sure that Celia is safe. This one has Indian artifacts, Rita's mom and lots of tasty food to make you wish you could be in Santa Fe at Christmas, too.

The mystery is fun and the food sounds great and the added bonus is Flori and her wacky pals as they lend a hand...

a really fun read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Christmas time and Rita is planning on watching her teenage daughter in an outdoor play and entertain her mother, who isn't impressed with Santa Fe.Rita find a dead actor during the first performance. Getting involved will upset her mother and put them in danger but the wife of the suspect begs her to look into it. The book was ok, but it seemed rushed without enough time to really getting into the characters.

[Ashley Mariner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feliz Navidead is the third and final book in the "Santa Fe Cafe Mystery" series by Ann Myers. I really enjoyed all three books in this series. The characters are quirky and memorable. The descriptions of the food and town of Santa Fe make the setting come alive - and keep readers hungry with cravings! All three books are set during holidays, which is a bonus for me. I wish there were more books in the series; I would have loved to continue solving crimes with Rita and Flori.

[Alexandria Massey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute and reminded me of home. I was looking for just a fluffy Christmas book and this was nice because it was set in New Mexico. Of course my brain was ready to nitpick (only tourists order dishes Christmas) but it was nice to hear familiar places/things. Her trying to convince her mother that Santa Fe was perfectly safe was a bit laughable but I guess it’s not as fun that New Mexico has plenty of crime opportunities for stories like this 😅

[Lady Galaxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite of the series. The mystery is well plotted and kept me guessing. The side characters were interesting. I liked the subplot of attempting to return sacred items and ancestral bones to their tribes. Since no new books have been published since 2016, I fear that means this is the end of the series. I hope the author is just taking a long break and will eventually continue. I want to know more about her father!

[Shonda Franks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dont want to give this book a terrible rating so im just going to say this. I read the first 3 chapters. Its not in my wheelhouse of comfort. I am trying to read a goal of 125 books by Jan 1 so I can not take the time to read books that I find tedious to complete. I have just been stopping when I realize its not holding my attention. For all I know its a lovely book.

Happy reading

[Hannah Seeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty predictable- I guessed the murderer well before the end. Some of the food and New Mexico descriptions were nice, but a lot of the characters felt off or just kind of strange. An okay Christmas read, but I didn’t feel super attached to any of the characters and I probably won’t read any more in the series.

[heidi canton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Having spent some time in New Mexico, I appreciated the sights, sounds and tastes portrayed here. It makes me want to experience a New Mexico Christmas. The characters were wonderful and I was swept up in the story line. I’m looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. 😊

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fluffy installment. A little editing could have eliminated a few transitionless scene jumps and I shouldn't have had to work so hard to keep the suspects and their supporting characters straight. Still fun.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read for the long holiday weekend. The mystery was interesting and all of the characters were pretty likeable. I also enjoyed all the food references, especially around the holidays!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these three cozies. Mouthwatering descriptions of Tex Mex, New Mexico and Mexico food.. Art, love, family dynamics and romance.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish that there were more in this series. I really enjoyed each of them.