Bells, Bodies & Blizzards: A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery Book Four

by Fran Heap

Sleigh bells, snowstorms, and slightly illegal sleuthing.

For the past thirty years, an undeliverable Christmas card has arrived at the Willowcroft Post Office—no return address, no known recipient. When it turns up yet again, writer-turned-amateur sleuth Tammy Rumbelow can't resist tracing the trail of this mysterious mail.

With her curious cat Lockie by her side, Tammy teams up with her festive crew of

Olivia the bookstore owner and genealogist,

Mrs. Temperance the knitting-circle queen,

retired sheriff Wally, and

tech-whiz teen Xander.

When their holiday adventure spirals from festive to felonious with a break-in at the Dead Letter Office, the stakes rise higher.

The team uncovers clues that could unravel Willowcroft's most cherished tradition—and expose heartbreak hidden beneath decades of holiday sparkle.

Between shattered nutcrackers and ghosts of Christmas past, this season promises both peril and romance.

Perfect for fans of snowy settings, small-town secrets, and sleuthing with a side of tea, tinsel, and a touch of romance.

Genres: Mystery, Second Chance Romance, Christmas, Cozy Mystery

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2025

About the author

Fran currently lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has travelled to 61 countries but aims to visit over 190. Her life is travelling and caring for babies as a Nanny and Neonatal Nurse. By her own admission she's a terrible redhead with a penchant for quirky data collecting. Her favourite motto being "Curiosity killed the cat, but INFORMATION brought him back." She loves ancient ruins and drains, hates dusting, loves going behind the scenes, can't smile in photos and detests selfie sticks. In her younger days she wanted to be an actress, an astronaut, a youth hostel owner, a department store owner, and a writer. When she was ten she wrote in her diary, "Tonight I vow I will get a story published at some stage before I die." She has now fulfilled this vow.

Reviews

[Laura❄️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher BooksGoSocial for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. Also a big thank you to the author for kindly providing me with another copy of this book after the file I received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a cosy small town Christmas Mystery novel with a hint of intrigue, a dash of charm, a light sprinkle of romance and plenty of seasonal magic then look no further as this book has it all. I confess I haven’t read the other books in the series but I’m very keen to after reading this. Our amateur sleuths Wally, Tammy and her faithful cat Lockie, Xander, Olivia and Mrs T team up to solve the mystery of a series of undeliverable Christmas letters.

I really enjoyed this book the plot intrigued me and that’s why I decided to read it, it was a cosy small town mystery and I loved that it was set around Christmas. In the run up to Christmas I love to drench myself in plenty of Christmas novels and this one was delightful, it actually contains a rather sweet and heartwarming love story. This book was beautifully written and a pure delight to read, for anyone in search of a festive read I would recommend this one to you. I loved our team of amateur sleuths, they all had their quirks and were rather endearing. I have to give a special mention to Lockie as our feline detective stole the page whenever he appeared, he was purrfect. I enjoyed this book so much I absolutely devoured it in one sitting, simply enchanting.

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this whole series and it been a very good one!!

Blurb

Sleigh bells, snowstorms, and slightly illegal sleuthing.

For the past thirty years, an undeliverable Christmas card has arrived at the Willowcroft Post Office—no return address, no known recipient. When it turns up yet again, writer-turned-amateur sleuth Tammy Rumbelow can't resist tracing the trail of this mysterious mail.

With her curious cat Lockie by her side, Tammy teams up with her festive crew of sleuths:

Olivia the bookstore owner and genealogist,

Mrs. Temperance the knitting-circle queen,

retired sheriff Wally, and

tech-whiz teen Xander.

When their holiday adventure spirals from festive to felonious with a break-in at the Dead Letter Office, the stakes rise higher.

The team uncovers clues that could unravel Willowcroft's most cherished tradition—and expose heartbreak hidden beneath decades of holiday sparkle.

Between shattered nutcrackers and ghosts of Christmas past, this season promises both peril and romance.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Willowcroft sleuths think they have just an innocent and fun mystery when they learn about some undeliverable letters. For 30 years, each Christmas, letters addressed to Jeremiah/Willowcroft from Gwendolyn have sat in the unofficial dead letter file at the post office. Tammy and friends think solving the mystery will just be a fun Christmas challenge. Tracing the year the letters started turns up a number of other mysteries including a family going missing during a blizzard, a stolen family heirloom, and an embittered man who’s become the town’s Christmas Grinch. Things turn dangerous when the team stumbles over a dead body. A second murder and threats against the team raise the stakes even higher. Can Tammy and company untangle the threads to uncover another Willowcroft secret?

Our intrepid amateur sleuths have quite a tangle on their hands this time around. The various plot threads are intricately interwoven to create a tale of misunderstandings and grief turned bitter and misguided revenge turned deadly. Lockie and Lamby bring their unique skills to play pointing out to clues to the humans around them. Olivia’s window gets shattered again in a spectacular fashion bringing another visit from Mike. The romcom between Olivia and Mike is gold, and I hope we see them move past awkward flirting. The mystery is tied up in a lovely fashion with a heartfelt reunion, and another Willowcroft secret sees the truth revealed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tammy's Team on the Prowl . . .

Feeling defeated at mastering Christmas gift-wrapping (paper cuts and tangled ribbons having won this round), Tammy Rumbelow's attention will be captured by an intriguing situation and we will join her and her amateur sleuthing team in trying to solve a 30-year-old puzzling mystery.

Tammy was struggling to get the gift she was trying to wrap mailed to her grandfather today, so she and her cat Lockie headed to the post office. She arrived in time to hear Mr. Taylor mumble, "Not another one. Thirty years, and they keep on coming.” Curious, she asked him what he was talking about. Apparently an undeliverable Christmas card arrives at the Willowcroft Post Office every December without fail. The only return address is "Gwendolyn" and it is sent to an unknown recipient named ‘Jeremiah Willowcroft’, with no street name included. So it goes into the dead-letter file. Tammy is a writer of cozy mysteries, so the circumstances around this undeliverable card pique her curiosity and lure her in. This seems like the perfect time to gather her “detective” team consisting of retired sheriff Wally, knitting circle gossip-gatherer Mrs. Hazel Temperance (“Mrs. T”), bookstore owner and genealogist Olivia Huddlestone, Xander Simmons (tech-whiz teen), and her talented cat Pawlock Holmes (“Lockie”) and find out what they can discover. Will they be putting themselves in danger? Or will they solve the 30-year-old mystery?

[Dani ~ Booksbrewsandbees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 in the Willowcroft cozy mystery series, Bells, Bodies and Blizzards is another great book by Fran Heap.

This series is honestly so enjoyable. The books are so easy to read, full of adventure and mystery and definitely make me want to keep reading more!

This book follows the usual group of Tammy, Olivia, Hazel, Wally, Xavier and Lockie the cat, this time during the build up to Christmas where once again they are investigating a mystery in Willowcroft.

The mystery this time centres around a ruby necklace, missing since 1995 and mystery undelivered letters. It’s never that simple though and the team get caught up in another murder case. Will they be able to keep sleuthing and solve all the mysteries before Christmas?

The characters in these books are all so likeable! After reading 4 books, it feels like reading about friends. I love that as the books go on, the team become more like a family and that we learn more about other people in Willowcroft.

This was a delight to read and I look forward to more in this series!

[Jessica Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been meaning to jump into this series, and now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I did appreciate the list at the beginning with important characters and places. I referred to it a few times in the first couple of chapters. That said, the story was easy to follow, although I was super surprised at the culprit. Lots of twists and turns in this one! Also, seeing the covert gossip mission near the end cracked me up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the sleuthing friends had plans with out-of-town families for Christmas, so when they found a couple bodies, they knew if they wanted to help with the outcome, they better do it before Christmas. Wally’s skills as a retired police chief definitely came in handy, and two different mysteries came together, especially one for two people who never thought they’d see each other. A really awesome Christmas mystery!

[LaBibliodeCaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I read in the series, and overall it was a fun experience. The book contains all the classic, cosy ingredients like a bookshop, a cat, a smalltown atmosphere and a colourful cast of characters. The humorous writing style was pleasant to read. The only downside would be that the murder investigation was a bit late to start. Even though I sometimes found that the pace was uneven, I enjoyed this novel and will gladly try another installment in the series.

[Barbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining cozy mystery, book 4 continues with a fun group of characters and an interesting story line. Mixing past and present, they come together to solve a past mystery and a current murder. Very enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a tissue handy on the day you set aside for this delightfully sweet, historical, midlife, Young Adult, small-town, contemporary postal cozy murder mystery in Willowcroft, Michigan, during December, involving bells, bodies, blizzards, the town's biggest humbug, a postal conundrum. a bio-hazard coffee mug, robo-deer. adventure, Chicago, Christmas, families, ghosts, laughs, mafia, romance, and a long-delayed second chance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angelica Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an adorable and cute little holiday read. I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series but I was still able to make it through. Now I want to read the others.

[Devi · Rating 4 out of 5]

📱📖 Read on Kindle
📃 221 pages
⏱ Duration: 2 hours (which should tell you everything about how hooked I was)
📚 Read as: NetGalley ARC
🏷️ Publisher: BooksGoSocial

First, a personal shoutout: Fran Heap deserves a standing ovation just for her authorly charm. I had a technical hiccup with my ARC, and Fran herself sent a replacement copy. Getting a direct author "tech support" email felt like Emilia Clarke popping in to help me stream Game of Thrones. Yes, my excitement is real.

Now for the book itself, let's start with the vibes: snow, sleigh bells, small-town charm, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Bells, Bodies, & Blizzard dropped me straight into Willowcroft and somehow made book four feel like coming home, eventhough I skipped the line and started here. Tammy, Olivia, Wally, Xander, Mrs. T, and Lockie didn't need any further introduction. They just walked on the page and immediately felt like the kind of people you'd sit next to at a cafe and accidentally overshare your entire life with.

The mystery around that persistent Christmas card hooked me hard, blending light-hearted sleuthing with touches of heartfelt emotion that snuck up on me. But what really sold it was the found family dynamics shining though the book. The banter of the crew, the way they rally for each other amid blizzard and break-ins, had me grinning and invested. A touch of romance, with the emotional undercurrents around Mike's presence made me immedietly want to go back and see where he appears earlier in the series, which is always a good sign in a long-running cozy world.

Fran Heap manages that sweet spot with just the right comforting and soft story, while keeping enough mystery, secrets, and emotional payoff that you don't feel like you're just drifting through snow-globe scenery.

Would I recommend it?
This is an easy yes for me. For anyone craving snowy streets, festive intrigue, and a team of amateur sleuths you can't help rooting for, this is a must read. Fran Heap's storytelling is warm, witty, and addictive.

Cozy Mystery vibes to chat about
Have you ever jumped into a series mid-way and instantly felt at home with the characters? Did it make you want to binge-read the rest? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how series can welcome new readers seamlessly!

[Chandra Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love cozy mysteries with a dash of holiday charm and a hint of mischief, Bells, Bodies & Blizzards is an absolute treat. Fran Heap spins a story that is as heartwarming as it is suspenseful, blending snowy Willowcroft streets, quirky characters, and a decades-old secret into a story that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Tammy Rumbelow, a writer with a nose for the curious, can’t resist the lure of a Christmas card that has appeared at the Willowcroft Post Office for thirty years—with no known sender or recipient. Armed with her clever cat Lockie and a ragtag team of amateur sleuths—including bookstore owner Olivia, knitting-circle queen Mrs. Temperance, retired sheriff Wally, and tech-savvy teen Xander—Tammy dives into a holiday mystery that is both festive and fraught with danger.

From break-ins at the Dead Letter Office to missing heirlooms, shattered nutcrackers, and whispers of old heartbreak, the story is packed with twists that keep the pages turning. Heap masterfully balances suspense, humor, and heartfelt moments, while painting a vivid, snowy backdrop that practically smells of pine and gingerbread.

What makes this story so charming is the ensemble of sleuths, each with their own quirks and skills, working together to unravel a secret that has lingered for decades. The mix of generations—from teen tech genius Xander to the retired sheriff—adds warmth and relatability, making you feel like part of their sleuthing family.

Bells, Bodies & Blizzards is a perfect holiday read for anyone who loves cozy mysteries, endearing characters, and a touch of romance wrapped in a snowy, festive setting. With its clever plot, engaging pacing, and a heart that beats beneath the mystery, Fran Heap delivers a story that will leave you smiling, shivering from suspense, and wishing your holidays were just a little more mysterious.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a cozy Christmas mystery, look no further! I promise it will have you guessing till the very end who did it!
Fran Heap does it again with her mystery series!

The storyline hooked me in with the mysterious letters arriving at the post office and the story of the missing ruby necklace since 1995. The main detective team, Tammy, Olivia, Mrs. T, Wally, Xander, and Lockie (one of the cute fluffy members) are critical in their expertise roles to uncover the mystery. However, along the way things get a little sticky when the team digs up historical past. People are also watching their movements and send a message to scare them. Will they ever find the ruby necklace and solve the case?

This was honestly such a fun read for me. I felt Fran Heap did an amazing job plotting out the storyline, gave some hints/clues of who the killer or thief might be yet, also I literally had to read till the end of the book to solve the case.

All the characters of the detective team were essential and I loved how at the end of the book their roles/expertise were explained. I also loved at the beginning of the book there was a map of Willowcroft to allow myself to visualize where events or references the characters made in the story took place.

I would recommend Fran Heap’s mystery stories as a fun, mysterious, and suspenseful read!

[Nyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨, 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 & 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 by 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙥 is a cozy mystery novel with a splash of murder.

I’m new to Fran Heap’s books, but I really love how this one differentiates and emphasizes each character! I also love the quirkiness of the Willow Crafters. I just wish I could see more of Tammy’s personality (or maybe it was highlighted more in the previous books).

To be honest, I wasn’t that intrigued by the story at first. Knowing that a letter was sent every Christmas to an unknown person didn’t catch my interest right away. But as the story progressed, the mysteries continued to pile up—plus a murder on the side—and I became completely absorbed! I was excited to find out who the culprit was, who the sender and recipient of the letter were, and more. I had my suspicions; some were wrong, but some were right.
If you want a short, cozy murder mystery read, I think this book is for you. I loved this book, and I want to know more about Tammy and how the team comes together, which is why I plan to read the entire series (from the start this time).

Lastly, can we all agree that Lockie is the only professional sleuth in the group?

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pure winter comfort with a twist of mystery. Fran Heap drops us right into Willowcroft, where sleigh bells and snowstorms set the stage for Tammy Rumbelow’s latest sleuthing adventure. What begins with a decades-old undeliverable Christmas card quickly turns into a small-town caper filled with secrets, sparkle, and just a dash of danger.

Tammy’s crew—bookstore owner Olivia, knitting queen Mrs. Temperance, retired sheriff Wally, tech-savvy teen Xander, and of course her curious cat Lockie—make the story feel like a festive gathering you’d want to join. Their camaraderie adds warmth to every clue, even when the trail leads to break-ins and heartbreak.

The atmosphere is delightful: snow-dusted streets, cozy shops, and the kind of holiday traditions that hide more than they reveal. Between shattered nutcrackers and ghosts of Christmas past, the mix of peril and romance keeps the pages turning while still feeling like a fireside read.

If you love small-town mysteries wrapped in tinsel, tea, and friendship, this one will leave you smiling—and maybe humming carols while you sleuth along.

With thanks to Fran Heap, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bells, Bodies & Blizzards is a great mystery story that starts when Tammy with her clever, sleuthing cat Lockie heard about a Christmas card that appears
every year for the last 30 years to an unknown person. The letters are kept in dead letter no return address. She goes to the Bookstore Owned by Olivia and to the Reading / Sleuthing Group.They decide to investigate and try to uncover the mystery.
The Sleuthing group have a mixture of skills and ages.
Some are retired and Xander is a Tech savvy teen.
The mystery has many twists and turns throughout.
But will be the truth?
Superb story and series that I enjoyed reading very much. I highly recommend that you read book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shree · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Willowcraft mystery and I enjoyed this. The writing style, colorful characters, and white-christmas-in-a-small-town vibe added to the charm of this cozy mystery (more cozy than mystery). This isn't for those expecting a serious murder mystery...the mood is light hearted and sweet, with a dash of romance. I enjoyed reading this book and would definitely try another Willowcraft mystery. This does work well enough as a standalone, but I recommend reading the books in order to feel more connected with the characters.
I thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Nanciann Lamontagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "detective group" in choice of characters is perfect in choice of ages and personalities. Well developed in the depth of each and you will fall in love with the planning, bantering and organizing they go through.

Story line was woven extremely well, balance of personal growth and progression of the story was perfectly harmonized. I found the book hard to put down, felt totally engaged.

I will be looking for more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bells, Bodies & Blizzards by Fran Heap

I really like to read books where the pet is involved with solving the mystery.
This book does not disappoint. Lockie steals the show and helps Tammy solve the mystery.
There is an undeliverable Christmas card that has no information. Tammy and her crew of mystery solvers including Lockie are on the case, which leads to a surprise.
I like the cast of characters, and they all add to the storyline.
This is a wonderful addition to holiday reading for any cozy mystery lover.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfectly cozy Christmas read, if you discount a murder or two. This is the fourth Willowcroft cozy mystery. It is set at Christmas, and it simply makes me happy.
I love the interactions between Tammy, Olivia, Mrs. T, Wally, Xander and Lockie the cat.
There are Christmas lights, bells, a market, and mysterious letters that have been arriving for 30 years.
The story can be read as a standalone. I enjoy every visit to Willowcroft Michigan.
I recommend picking up Bells, Bodies and Blizzards. Fran Heap is an author I’m glad to have discovered this year.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an amazing book. I really enjoyed the small town characters and how they interacted. The mystery will pull you in and you just have to keep reading. A wonderful page turner of a book that will make you smile and look forward to a Christmas miracle.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deana Lauritson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This last book in the Willowcroft Cozy Mystery series does not disappoint! It’s a wonderful cozy Christmas mystery that will leave you guessing until the end! I would definitely recommend reading this book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cyndi Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite of the series. Mysterious letters, old loves torn apart, murders, and Christmas. I really didn't think it was possible to make a murder mystery feel like a hallmark Christmas movie, but here we are.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect cosy mystery set during the Christmas season, Bells Bodies and Blizzards was a fast paced read with a captivating mystery and a unique array of varied yet likeable characters.
An enthralling and mysterious read.
Thankyou to Net galley, Books Go Social and the author Fran Heap for an arc of this book.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic tale of mystery. A deep seated secret is the catalyst of this story. Letters addressed to a person nobody knows. A missing necklace is what this story is about.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written Christmas-themed cozy. I enjoyed every page of it and was intrigued right from the get go. Lockie is one of my favorite cozy kitties too!