What do you think?
Rate this book
Misdeeds and Mistletoe: This Christmas, the ornaments aren't the only things breaking
Snow is falling, cocoa is steaming, and the Tumblebrook Inn is aglow with Christmas cheer… until a renowned ornament appraiser collapses beneath the tree and turns the holiday festival into a murder scene.
Stranded by a blizzard and surrounded by nervous guests, innkeeper Amelia Farnsworth and her quick-witted friend Clara Henderson must sift through cryptic gift tags, forged ornaments, and long-buried town secrets to uncover the truth. But someone else is hunting for the mysterious “crown ornament”—and they’ll stop at nothing to recover it.
With the help of Lady Grey, the inn’s intuitive British Shorthair, Amelia discovers that the Monarch Society—a shadowy group tied to Tumblebrook’s past—isn’t as forgotten as the town hoped.
As the storm tightens its grip and clues vanish as quickly as footprints in the snow, Amelia must protect her guests, unravel her family’s connection to the Society, and outsmart a killer lurking in the twinkling shadows of the inn.
Full of cozy charm, holiday intrigue, small-town warmth, and a cat with impeccable timing, this Christmas mystery will keep you turning pages long past the last snowfall.
Stranded by a blizzard and surrounded by nervous guests, innkeeper Amelia Farnsworth and her quick-witted friend Clara Henderson must sift through cryptic gift tags, forged ornaments, and long-buried town secrets to uncover the truth. But someone else is hunting for the mysterious “crown ornament”—and they’ll stop at nothing to recover it.
With the help of Lady Grey, the inn’s intuitive British Shorthair, Amelia discovers that the Monarch Society—a shadowy group tied to Tumblebrook’s past—isn’t as forgotten as the town hoped.
As the storm tightens its grip and clues vanish as quickly as footprints in the snow, Amelia must protect her guests, unravel her family’s connection to the Society, and outsmart a killer lurking in the twinkling shadows of the inn.
Full of cozy charm, holiday intrigue, small-town warmth, and a cat with impeccable timing, this Christmas mystery will keep you turning pages long past the last snowfall.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2025
31 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 11, 2025
3.5/5 — A fun, lighthearted, cozy, clean Christmas mystery.
This was exactly the kind of story I was hoping to read two weeks before Christmas. It has a comforting, nostalgic charm that reminded me a bit of the original Nancy Drew mysteries—both the books and even the old computer games. I’m not entirely sure why, but it carried that same delightful, slightly whimsical detective feel. As someone who grew up loving those, it made for a very enjoyable read.
Since I haven’t spent much time around cats, Amelia and Clara’s interactions with Lady Grey occasionally felt a little unusual to me (mainly how quickly they recognized that she was bringing them clues and helping them solve the mystery). But that might be completely normal for seasoned cat owners, so take that with a grain of salt. 😄
The chapters told from Lady Grey’s perspective were a charming surprise, and added a unique twist I don’t often see in cozy mysteries… at least not the kind I normally read. :)
I listened to the audiobook version, which uses an AI narrator. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality—if I hadn’t known ahead of time, I’m not sure I would have guessed it was AI. The only challenge was the lack of distinct voices for each of the characters, so I did get a bit confused at times and had to pause to remember who was who. I think reading a physical copy might make that easier.
If you enjoy poison, blackmail, secret societies, hidden keys, snowstorms, mysterious ornaments, and long-buried family secrets, this is a cozy holiday mystery worth picking up.
Clean read: no profanity, gore, or sexual content.
This was exactly the kind of story I was hoping to read two weeks before Christmas. It has a comforting, nostalgic charm that reminded me a bit of the original Nancy Drew mysteries—both the books and even the old computer games. I’m not entirely sure why, but it carried that same delightful, slightly whimsical detective feel. As someone who grew up loving those, it made for a very enjoyable read.
Since I haven’t spent much time around cats, Amelia and Clara’s interactions with Lady Grey occasionally felt a little unusual to me (mainly how quickly they recognized that she was bringing them clues and helping them solve the mystery). But that might be completely normal for seasoned cat owners, so take that with a grain of salt. 😄
The chapters told from Lady Grey’s perspective were a charming surprise, and added a unique twist I don’t often see in cozy mysteries… at least not the kind I normally read. :)
I listened to the audiobook version, which uses an AI narrator. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality—if I hadn’t known ahead of time, I’m not sure I would have guessed it was AI. The only challenge was the lack of distinct voices for each of the characters, so I did get a bit confused at times and had to pause to remember who was who. I think reading a physical copy might make that easier.
If you enjoy poison, blackmail, secret societies, hidden keys, snowstorms, mysterious ornaments, and long-buried family secrets, this is a cozy holiday mystery worth picking up.
Clean read: no profanity, gore, or sexual content.
December 14, 2025
Misdeeds and Mistletoe by Ellen Le Teace
I found this book very engaging and a nice addition to any cozy mystery collection.
Amelia is the innkeeper of the Tumblebrook Inn. When the ornament appraiser is found dead, it is up to her to keep the other guest safe. With the help of her friend Clara and her very smart cat by her side to help her, she goes through clues to find the killer.
I really liked the cryptic messages as they made me think and added a lot to the storyline.
This is a wonderful story for the holiday season, and I am looking forward to more stories of Amelia and Lady Grey in the future.
I found this book very engaging and a nice addition to any cozy mystery collection.
Amelia is the innkeeper of the Tumblebrook Inn. When the ornament appraiser is found dead, it is up to her to keep the other guest safe. With the help of her friend Clara and her very smart cat by her side to help her, she goes through clues to find the killer.
I really liked the cryptic messages as they made me think and added a lot to the storyline.
This is a wonderful story for the holiday season, and I am looking forward to more stories of Amelia and Lady Grey in the future.
December 30, 2025
Misdeeds and Mistletoe is an Excellent story about Amelia Farnsworth an Inn Owner with her special, clever sleuthing cat Lady Grey and Clara who works at the Inn. There is a snowstorm and the lights go out and the body of a guest is found in the Inn. They are cut off from outside help. So Amelia with guidance from Lady Grey she starts to investigate with support from Clara until Sheriff Daniel's can arrive. But can Amelia and her team find all the clues and discover the truth?I
Superb story and series that I enjoyed reading and I highly recommend that you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Superb story and series that I enjoyed reading and I highly recommend that you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 4, 2025
This Christmas story of innkeeper Amelia Farnsworth and her quick-witted friend Clara Henderson, and Lady Grey the inn’s intuitive British Shorthair cat. I have to say this one was suspenseful and a page turner. I have not read any other books from this author but will now. This murder mystery was filled with twists and turns and few times had me telling the characters Not to go in there. Truly amazing story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 14, 2025
Lady Grey, Tumblebrook Inn’s cat really stole the show in this edition. With the help of innkeeper Amelia and friend Clara, the trio sniff through clues and cryptic messages delivered in the form of gift tags.
So much is tied to a past that so many want to keep hidden but we all know the truth must come out especially when an ornament appraiser becomes a murder victim. However, even after secrets are revealed, the culprit is not who you would expect.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So much is tied to a past that so many want to keep hidden but we all know the truth must come out especially when an ornament appraiser becomes a murder victim. However, even after secrets are revealed, the culprit is not who you would expect.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews