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A Year-Round Christmas Mystery #3
Hark the Herald Angels Slay
Santa’s summer vacation plans turn deadly in this festive mystery from the author of Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen and We Wish You a Murderous Christmas.
The town of Rudolph, New York, has the Christmas spirit all year long—but when homicide heats up a summer holiday, it’s up to shop owner Merry Wilkinson to wrap up the case.
In Rudolph, Christmas in July heralds Santa’s arrival by boat to begin his summer vacation at the lake, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, is looking forward to a busy weekend. But she’s caught off guard when her ex-fiancé, Max Folger, unexpectedly arrives with a team from a lifestyle magazine wanting to do a feature on the July festivities.
It’s clear that Max’s visit has less to do with business and more to do with winning back Merry’s heart. Merry has too much on her plate to deal with an old flame, but when Max is found strangled to death in Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, she must find out who wanted him dead—and stop a killer from ruining the summer holiday cheer.
The town of Rudolph, New York, has the Christmas spirit all year long—but when homicide heats up a summer holiday, it’s up to shop owner Merry Wilkinson to wrap up the case.
In Rudolph, Christmas in July heralds Santa’s arrival by boat to begin his summer vacation at the lake, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, is looking forward to a busy weekend. But she’s caught off guard when her ex-fiancé, Max Folger, unexpectedly arrives with a team from a lifestyle magazine wanting to do a feature on the July festivities.
It’s clear that Max’s visit has less to do with business and more to do with winning back Merry’s heart. Merry has too much on her plate to deal with an old flame, but when Max is found strangled to death in Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, she must find out who wanted him dead—and stop a killer from ruining the summer holiday cheer.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2017
148 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Vicki Delany
62 books1,907 followers“It’s a crime not to read Delany,” so says the London Free Press.
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.
She is the author of four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series.
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany
Vicki is part of Mystery Lovers Kitchen (http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Killer Characters (http://www.killercharacters.com)
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.
She is the author of four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series.
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany
Vicki is part of Mystery Lovers Kitchen (http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Killer Characters (http://www.killercharacters.com)
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
August 12, 2022
Merry Wilkinson left NYC about a year ago after a disastrous break-up and returned to her hometown of Rudolph in upstate NY. Rudolph is a town where it's always Christmas. In this third caper of the 'A Year-Round Christmas Mystery' series by Vicki Delany, Merry's ex-bf comes to tell her he wants her back, but then he ends up strangled to death in her office. Hark the Herald Angels Slay was a really fun read I devoured in about three hours, and it's earned a solid four stars. I probably should have saved the read for closer to Christmas, but if it's year-round, and I'm trying to catch up on all the series I love, why would I wait!? LOL
Delany always delivers whether it's humor or characters standing out, fantastic settings or overall mystery, I am embroiled in her cozy plots. This one offered lots of suspects when the entire magazine crew where Merry used to work tags along with her ex-bf as part of a spotlight on Rudolph. There were also a few surprising connections to other folks who lived in Rudolph to the magazine which made for great red herrings and potential danger.
I like that it's told in first-person because we can feel a stronger connection to Merry. Her parents are fun and quirky. The store / shop setting is very fun to have people in and out as good side stories that move the plot along and offer interesting moments where as readers we wonder 'how might this connect to the story?'
I'm moving on next to another of Delany's series about Sherlock Holmes bookshop!!!
Delany always delivers whether it's humor or characters standing out, fantastic settings or overall mystery, I am embroiled in her cozy plots. This one offered lots of suspects when the entire magazine crew where Merry used to work tags along with her ex-bf as part of a spotlight on Rudolph. There were also a few surprising connections to other folks who lived in Rudolph to the magazine which made for great red herrings and potential danger.
I like that it's told in first-person because we can feel a stronger connection to Merry. Her parents are fun and quirky. The store / shop setting is very fun to have people in and out as good side stories that move the plot along and offer interesting moments where as readers we wonder 'how might this connect to the story?'
I'm moving on next to another of Delany's series about Sherlock Holmes bookshop!!!
December 2, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love this series sooooo much!
This time Santa is on his summer holiday at the beach in Rudolph. It’s Christmas in July and the town celebrates it up big. A magazine has even sent a crew to cover the event, the publication Merry used to work for, meaning her ex Max Folger is in Rudolph. She quickly sees he is there to try to win her back and using the promotion of the celebration to do it. When his current fiancé arrives in Rudolph she is not happy. Her mind should be on finalizing their wedding plans not him on a date with Merry.
Merry has too much on her plate to worry about the sparing couple. Santa is due to arrive by boat soon and she is his Mrs.Claus. She never expected the scene she found back at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures after the parade. Max dead and her assistant missing. The last thing Rudolph needs is another murder! Could Jackie have killed Max and gone into hiding? Things will not be merry until the killer is caught.
Rudolph is full of Christmas spirit in December, in July, and all the other months of the year too. It is also the perfect setting for this cozy mystery series. The author takes us on a real journey around town with her words. There may not be any snow this time but the town is decked out in all it’s holiday trimmings. Just stepping into Mrs. Claus’s Treasures is so much fun. I enjoy the way Merry’s dad, Noel, rearranges the stock every time he comes into the store. I had a vivid picture in my mind as he moves the table settings from a focal point in the store to showcase more Christmas ornaments instead. Merry tries to get him to leave things alone but lets him do whatever he wants. He is Santa after all.
As you can see the setting feeds right in me telling you about these extraordinary characters. The relationship Merry has with her father is absolutely joyous, and they both know how to handle her mother. Jackie is unique in that she is so good with the customers but she has what I would call a strained relationship with her boss, Merry. Woodworker Alan Anderson is back too, working as Santa’s elf and trying to find time to actually go on a real date with Merry. All the characters we meet in Rudolph are entertaining but some are not entirely likable. The crew from the magazine brings all the drama to the story. It starts and ends with them.
I think the mystery in this story was the best one in this series. A murder and a missing person and a bunch of out of towners that had their own agendas. It was complex and Merry seemed to be drawn right into it no matter how hard she tried to leave it to the police. The pace of the story had a slow build that leads to a surprising conclusion that did make sense but the actual killer was never on my radar.
This is a fabulous series, book 1, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, was a perfect escape, and book 2, We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, made my Best Reads List in 2016, This one will find a place on my Best Rests of 2017. For maximum enjoyment, I suggest to start at the beginning, but if you are feeling ready for some warmer temps this Christmas season, escape to Christmas in July in Rudolph. It will warm you right up!
I love this series sooooo much!
This time Santa is on his summer holiday at the beach in Rudolph. It’s Christmas in July and the town celebrates it up big. A magazine has even sent a crew to cover the event, the publication Merry used to work for, meaning her ex Max Folger is in Rudolph. She quickly sees he is there to try to win her back and using the promotion of the celebration to do it. When his current fiancé arrives in Rudolph she is not happy. Her mind should be on finalizing their wedding plans not him on a date with Merry.
Merry has too much on her plate to worry about the sparing couple. Santa is due to arrive by boat soon and she is his Mrs.Claus. She never expected the scene she found back at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures after the parade. Max dead and her assistant missing. The last thing Rudolph needs is another murder! Could Jackie have killed Max and gone into hiding? Things will not be merry until the killer is caught.
Rudolph is full of Christmas spirit in December, in July, and all the other months of the year too. It is also the perfect setting for this cozy mystery series. The author takes us on a real journey around town with her words. There may not be any snow this time but the town is decked out in all it’s holiday trimmings. Just stepping into Mrs. Claus’s Treasures is so much fun. I enjoy the way Merry’s dad, Noel, rearranges the stock every time he comes into the store. I had a vivid picture in my mind as he moves the table settings from a focal point in the store to showcase more Christmas ornaments instead. Merry tries to get him to leave things alone but lets him do whatever he wants. He is Santa after all.
As you can see the setting feeds right in me telling you about these extraordinary characters. The relationship Merry has with her father is absolutely joyous, and they both know how to handle her mother. Jackie is unique in that she is so good with the customers but she has what I would call a strained relationship with her boss, Merry. Woodworker Alan Anderson is back too, working as Santa’s elf and trying to find time to actually go on a real date with Merry. All the characters we meet in Rudolph are entertaining but some are not entirely likable. The crew from the magazine brings all the drama to the story. It starts and ends with them.
I think the mystery in this story was the best one in this series. A murder and a missing person and a bunch of out of towners that had their own agendas. It was complex and Merry seemed to be drawn right into it no matter how hard she tried to leave it to the police. The pace of the story had a slow build that leads to a surprising conclusion that did make sense but the actual killer was never on my radar.
This is a fabulous series, book 1, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, was a perfect escape, and book 2, We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, made my Best Reads List in 2016, This one will find a place on my Best Rests of 2017. For maximum enjoyment, I suggest to start at the beginning, but if you are feeling ready for some warmer temps this Christmas season, escape to Christmas in July in Rudolph. It will warm you right up!
May 10, 2025
4.5 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Set in Summer but very Christmasy
One of my fav cozy author’s does it again!
I read this one in the winter, hoping the Christmas vibes would still shine through despite the summer setting. Thankfully they absolutely did.
If you love celebrity drama this one is full of it. It kept me interested the entire time. I just really enjoyed this one.
I could use a tad more romance and I continue to hate Jackie but beyond that I think this was a really good addition in the series.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Set in Summer but very Christmasy
One of my fav cozy author’s does it again!
I read this one in the winter, hoping the Christmas vibes would still shine through despite the summer setting. Thankfully they absolutely did.
If you love celebrity drama this one is full of it. It kept me interested the entire time. I just really enjoyed this one.
I could use a tad more romance and I continue to hate Jackie but beyond that I think this was a really good addition in the series.
December 3, 2017
I was sent Hark The Herald Angels Slay to review and it was great. This is a series I have bought and read since book one and book three is a lovely read. Lovely in that while I am reading it at Christmas time and it is a Christmas themed cozy, it takes place in the summer and somehow this is just perfect. Reading it while it is rainy and cold outside but in my head as I am reading it is warm and humid and still Christmas was awesome. The dynamic characters in this series really are what stands out most. Merry, her Dad Noel who happens to be the town Santa and even Merry's Puppy Matterhorn have hugely important roles in the town and the mysteries. I love a Santa Claus parade however I am not fond of being in the cold to watch it so the idea of a water parade in the heat totally appeals to me. The town of Rudolph itself sound like the perfect year round getaway, charming shops, great bakery, right on the water and with friends and family that look out for each other, it is the perfect place to spend the holidays! I liked this mystery as it read as though it was completely plausible. With a story that seems as though it could be featured in celebrity news, it was compelling and kept me guessing. A great holiday read.
July 30, 2025
It's Christmas in July! I love this series! the characters are wonderful, and the audio is fantastic. Amy Deuchler is a great narrator, she has great character development, and her different voices for each character are unique. The story is so good, I really enjoyed how this plot evolved.
For Merry Wilkinson summer in Rudolph, New York is a special time. The days are hot; families are enjoying the lake and Santa arrives on a pontoon boat for Christmas in July. The event brings a lot of people to town and a much-needed boost to the town's economy. This year Merry's former fiancé, Max Folger, is in town to do a magazine spread on the town for "Jennifer's Lifestyle!" her former employer. She is not happy to see him again, at all.
But that's not the only reason Max is in town - he wants Merry back. But when Max's current fiancée arrives, all bets are off. Erica is the granddaughter of Jennifer and is now running the whole show, not very well according to many employees, but she is in charge, and no one wants to lose their jobs. She is a real piece of work and is pretty miffed to find her fiancé with his former fiancée. But she is not the only one who is miffed at Max and when he ends up strangled in the office of Mrs. Claus's Treasures, there is no shortage of suspects.
For Merry Wilkinson summer in Rudolph, New York is a special time. The days are hot; families are enjoying the lake and Santa arrives on a pontoon boat for Christmas in July. The event brings a lot of people to town and a much-needed boost to the town's economy. This year Merry's former fiancé, Max Folger, is in town to do a magazine spread on the town for "Jennifer's Lifestyle!" her former employer. She is not happy to see him again, at all.
But that's not the only reason Max is in town - he wants Merry back. But when Max's current fiancée arrives, all bets are off. Erica is the granddaughter of Jennifer and is now running the whole show, not very well according to many employees, but she is in charge, and no one wants to lose their jobs. She is a real piece of work and is pretty miffed to find her fiancé with his former fiancée. But she is not the only one who is miffed at Max and when he ends up strangled in the office of Mrs. Claus's Treasures, there is no shortage of suspects.
December 22, 2020
A little over 3 stars, I think. This was a fun little Christmas book, even if they were celebrating Christmas in July. In this installment, Merry's past comes back to haunt her, in the form of the ex-fiancée who was one of the reasons that she left New York and returned to her hometown of Rudolph.
Max, the ex, didn't come alone. He brought several staff and was followed by his new squeeze, the magazine owner’s daughter. Right about the point where, as a reader, you start to wonder if anything is going to happen, hey presto! A body is discovered in Merry's shop and her employee has gone missing.
There was a welcome departure from Delany's usual plot line—Detective Simmons never considers Merry a suspect and actually includes her in part of the investigation since she knows the people involved. The usual Delany pattern would dictate that the police would suspect Merry and resent any of her suggestions or discoveries. This was a refreshing change.
Also a nice change is a distinct reduction of the small town politics and less time spent by Merry and her BFF in restaurants and coffee shops. This may be the way that we really spend our time, but it's dull to read about. (One of my major beefs with cozy mysteries is that there is way too much attention paid to food, housework, clothes, and personal grooming. All this stuff needs to happen in real life, but it's boring as hell to read about.)
As cozy mysteries go, these are fast and reasonably fun, if somewhat predictable.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
Max, the ex, didn't come alone. He brought several staff and was followed by his new squeeze, the magazine owner’s daughter. Right about the point where, as a reader, you start to wonder if anything is going to happen, hey presto! A body is discovered in Merry's shop and her employee has gone missing.
There was a welcome departure from Delany's usual plot line—Detective Simmons never considers Merry a suspect and actually includes her in part of the investigation since she knows the people involved. The usual Delany pattern would dictate that the police would suspect Merry and resent any of her suggestions or discoveries. This was a refreshing change.
Also a nice change is a distinct reduction of the small town politics and less time spent by Merry and her BFF in restaurants and coffee shops. This may be the way that we really spend our time, but it's dull to read about. (One of my major beefs with cozy mysteries is that there is way too much attention paid to food, housework, clothes, and personal grooming. All this stuff needs to happen in real life, but it's boring as hell to read about.)
As cozy mysteries go, these are fast and reasonably fun, if somewhat predictable.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
December 17, 2024
i actually guessed the murderer omg
November 28, 2017
Things are gearing up for Christmas in July in the town of Rudolph, New York, and Merry Wilkinson is looking forward to the town’s new tradition, Santa arriving for his vacation in a boat parade. However, things get complicated when her ex-fiance, Max Folger, shows up in town wanting to rekindle his relationship with Merry. When he turns up dead in Merry’s shop, she finds herself drawn into the investigation. Can she figure out what is going on?
I love this series for the Christmas spirit that author Vicki Delany infuses into every page, and just because this book is set in July, that Christmas spirit hasn’t diminished at all. The mystery takes off into some surprising areas that kept me turning pages until I reached the end. The series regulars are their normal charming selves, and I was pleasantly surprised by the growth we saw in the suspects as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I love this series for the Christmas spirit that author Vicki Delany infuses into every page, and just because this book is set in July, that Christmas spirit hasn’t diminished at all. The mystery takes off into some surprising areas that kept me turning pages until I reached the end. The series regulars are their normal charming selves, and I was pleasantly surprised by the growth we saw in the suspects as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
July 27, 2018
What an awesome book to read for a July book club discussion, perfect for Christmas in July, which is exactly what the town of Rudolph, NY was celebrating, only to have it interrupted by a murder that takes place (again) in Merry's shop, Mrs. Claus's Treasures. This time she definitely has an alibi, the detective on the case personally saw her at the beach when Santa arrived by boat (her dad, Noel).
Merry's ex-fiance, Max Folger, was in town with some of the employees from the magazine where Merry used to work. Max has another agenda though--he wanted to talk Merry into getting back with him despite the fact that his fiancee, Erica Johnstone, who happened to be granddaughter to the magazine owner, Jennifer, was planning the wedding of the season. After finding Max in her shop, Merry could only think that someone from the magazine must have had it in for him, and she actually got to eventually work a little with Detective Diane Simmonds, who unlike the local police officer, Candy Campbell, respected Merry's thoughts on the case. Merry's main employee went missing at the time of the murder, which was a big reason why Merry wanted to be on the case.
I had my suspicions about the killer but there was a good twist and I was off base quite a bit. Everything worked out and Erica honestly became somewhat likable. She and her grandmother came to an understanding about the magazine as well. I love how Merry could feel kindness toward the woman who had stolen Max from her, but possibly she thought of it as Erica doing her a favor, seeing how things turned out. I was glad that Merry finally felt she could move on and allowed Alan into her life more. I'm anxious to see what the next book brings! This series just continues to get better and better.
Merry's ex-fiance, Max Folger, was in town with some of the employees from the magazine where Merry used to work. Max has another agenda though--he wanted to talk Merry into getting back with him despite the fact that his fiancee, Erica Johnstone, who happened to be granddaughter to the magazine owner, Jennifer, was planning the wedding of the season. After finding Max in her shop, Merry could only think that someone from the magazine must have had it in for him, and she actually got to eventually work a little with Detective Diane Simmonds, who unlike the local police officer, Candy Campbell, respected Merry's thoughts on the case. Merry's main employee went missing at the time of the murder, which was a big reason why Merry wanted to be on the case.
I had my suspicions about the killer but there was a good twist and I was off base quite a bit. Everything worked out and Erica honestly became somewhat likable. She and her grandmother came to an understanding about the magazine as well. I love how Merry could feel kindness toward the woman who had stolen Max from her, but possibly she thought of it as Erica doing her a favor, seeing how things turned out. I was glad that Merry finally felt she could move on and allowed Alan into her life more. I'm anxious to see what the next book brings! This series just continues to get better and better.
November 10, 2025
It's July in Rudolph, New York and that means it's Christmas! Merry is busy stocking her shop with handmade treasures and her dad is gearing up to play Santa with Merry as Mrs. Claus. The whole town is eager for the boat and parade. The event planning hits a sour note when Merry's ex, Max comes looking for her begging her to come back to him! Why yes he IS engaged to someone else... Not only is Max in town, he's brought a team from Jennifer's Magazine to do a spread on Rudolph's Christmas in July event. Merry knows this publicity is good for the town but does Max have to be here too? She is still wondering what's going on with her relationship with Alan and totally not into Max. When his spoiled fiancé shows up in town, she has a hissy fit in public when she finds Merry and Max together. Merry walks out and the next time she sees Max, he's lying dead on the floor of her office and her shop assistant, Jackie, is nowhere to be found. Is Jackie OK? Did she witness the murder? Who would want to kill Max? OK so who would actually do the deed? Does it have something to do with the magazine? Or with his relationship with Jennifer's granddaughter? Or perhaps another enemy followed him from New York. Even though Detective Simmonds doesn't consider Merry a suspect, Merry can't help but get involved in the investigation. She did love Max once and she's worried about Jackie.
This story started off a little slow. It seemed perfectly obvious to me whodunit and why. I had two other suspects in mind who were less obvious. It was getting late so I skipped ahead and discovered one of my suspects was victim #2 and I was wrong about whodunit! Suspect #3 turned out to be the killer. I went back and filled in the rest and discovered a character I thought was likable turned out not to be at all and a character I thought was horrible was actually a nice person. Who knew? So what I am saying is, this is a twisty mystery with unexpected character development and enjoyable cozy content. I wasn't sure if I would like Christmas in July so I waited to read this book until closer to actual Christmas but it wasn't too much July. It was charming and what Christmas must be like on the other side of the world and in places where there's no winter with Santa arriving by boat and sunning himself on the beach letting kids approach him with their wishes.
I like Merry well enough. She's realistic for a cozy mystery heroine. She's not overly intelligent, she's not too nosy and when something bad happens, it's not her fault. Merry is kind, sympathetic and caring. What I don't like about Merry is how she never talks to Alan about her feelings. She hasn't told Russ she's not interested either. She keeps wondering what's up with her relationship with Alan, feels jealous when she sees him with someone else but never picks up the phone to call him! She's also way too nice to Jackie. Jackie is awful. She's lazy and wants to wait to be "discovered" (by whom, she doesn't quite know) and tries too hard to catch the attention of wealthy men she believes can make her dreams come true. Jackie is a horrible employee. She flirts with customers, tries to dress sexy and uses her phone when Merry, who has forbidden it, is not there. I would have fired her long ago. I'm sure there's someone more reliable. Crystal sounds great but she's in college and isn't around all the time. Plus she's an artisan who makes jewelry to sell in the shop when she's not in school or working.
Merry's parents annoy me. I love how her dad is Santa Claus. That's wonderful and very cute but I don't appreciate how he tells her what to display in her shop and where. Yes he's usually right but it's her shop! Butt out Dad! Mom is a diva who has to be the biggest celebrity in the room. She's a drama queen even at the best of times. She does love her children and worries about them when she doesn't hear from them or gets mysterious pictures sent from Merry's phone! Merry's best friend Vicky is a lot of fun. She's not in the story enough and I would like this series better if Vicky was the heroine. She's happy in her relationship with Mark. He's devoted to her and willing to bend the rules at work to help her help Merry. Russ is nice but he's a reporter and goes where the story is. He's not afraid to flirt or follow to get the scoop. Merry's puppy, Matterhorn, finally gets his chance to shine. He's learning manners, mostly from everyone else, especially Diane Simmonds, but his Mommy doesn't listen when he tries to tell her something. He has a big role in the story and is a good dog!
None of the new characters are very likable. Max is a total sleaze and slimeball. He's DOGEing the magazine even though it's not necessary and engaged to a woman he doesn't love for her money. Then he has the audacity to make an improper proposal to Merry. Erica is just as bad and they deserve each other. Erica is a spoiled rich *itch who throws tantrums when things don't go her way. She doesn't understand the concept of the magazine, their readers and what has made it so successful. She's made too many changes. She wants to turn it into People or US Weekly or something more celebrity-oriented and less average lifestyle. That's not what the readers want and Erica's demanding behavior has made the staff quit in droves. She reminds me of a certain tantrum-throwing toddler in chief. Max goes along with whatever she wants. It's a match made in... not heaven exactly. I want to feel bad for Erica because her parents died when she was young but saying she had "no one to play with except the children of servants" is rude and offensive. What is this 19th-century England? Why didn't she have a nanny? Did she go to school? There were no neighbors? No country club set? No friends at all? That's Jennifer's fault. She sounds like a great businesswoman and I admire her for building an empire when many females barely got their toe in the door, but she is a terrible grandmother. She apparently spent too much time empire building and giving her granddaughter material things and not enough time actually loving and bonding with her granddaughter, teaching her granddaughter about the magazine- her special legacy. I'm not sure I like Jennifer very much either.
Willow is a *itch too, in different ways than Erica. She's ruthlessly ambitious, snobby and a rude New Yorker. She's false and pretends to be nice to Merry as if they were friends but they weren't. Willow would sell her grandmother to get ahead. What she wants is to be in charge of Jennifer's Lifestyle and she isn't getting that with Erica in the way. Willow seems creative and passionate about her job but she is a tough nut. She starts to crack once Max is killed and shows her true colors. She doesn't like Erica, didn't like Max, goes in the opposite direction of what Erica wants and is dismissive of the lower level staff. Jason Kerr is a freelance photographer working for the magazine right now. He's hired to take pictures of Rudolph's Christmas in July festival and that's it. He doesn't have any connection to the magazine at all. No past history. Merry doesn't know him but he seems OK. Of course being a new character, he went on my suspect list anyway. Muriel is Erica's put-upon assistant and if Erica was the victim, Muriel would be my first suspect. A mousy, middle-aged woman, Muriel does whatever Erica demands and is little better than a servant. She doesn't make much money for all the abuse she suffers. Perhaps she killed Max on Erica's behalf because Max was about to do something Erica wouldn't like? Merry also doesn't know Amber, a new junior staff member, little better than an intern. Amber is ambitious, eager and talented. Max barely gives her the time of day and Erica barely knows who Amber is. Willow sees potential in Amber though and it's not Willow who ends up dead. How badly does Amber want to advance in her career? She seems kind of flighty but she could be pretending. Plus she seems to be moving in on Alan who truly loves Merry but is waiting for Merry to make the first move. Which one of these New Yorkers did it? Does anyone care except Merry and Detective Simmonds? Does Erica really care or is she crying crocodile tears? I suspect she'll find a new man soon enough.
Notes:
I don't think this author knows The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Disney/Tim Burton movie and not a scary movie. It's a Halloween classic but apparently banned in Rudolph along with "others of its ilk". There are no others! She makes it sound like a slasher flick! Also I don't think she knows what a Regency romance is either because what Jackie reads is NOT a Regency romance. Historical romance is a different thing than Regency romance.
I don't think I want to read more of this series right now. I prefer other series by this author with more humor.
This story started off a little slow. It seemed perfectly obvious to me whodunit and why. I had two other suspects in mind who were less obvious. It was getting late so I skipped ahead and discovered one of my suspects was victim #2 and I was wrong about whodunit! Suspect #3 turned out to be the killer. I went back and filled in the rest and discovered a character I thought was likable turned out not to be at all and a character I thought was horrible was actually a nice person. Who knew? So what I am saying is, this is a twisty mystery with unexpected character development and enjoyable cozy content. I wasn't sure if I would like Christmas in July so I waited to read this book until closer to actual Christmas but it wasn't too much July. It was charming and what Christmas must be like on the other side of the world and in places where there's no winter with Santa arriving by boat and sunning himself on the beach letting kids approach him with their wishes.
I like Merry well enough. She's realistic for a cozy mystery heroine. She's not overly intelligent, she's not too nosy and when something bad happens, it's not her fault. Merry is kind, sympathetic and caring. What I don't like about Merry is how she never talks to Alan about her feelings. She hasn't told Russ she's not interested either. She keeps wondering what's up with her relationship with Alan, feels jealous when she sees him with someone else but never picks up the phone to call him! She's also way too nice to Jackie. Jackie is awful. She's lazy and wants to wait to be "discovered" (by whom, she doesn't quite know) and tries too hard to catch the attention of wealthy men she believes can make her dreams come true. Jackie is a horrible employee. She flirts with customers, tries to dress sexy and uses her phone when Merry, who has forbidden it, is not there. I would have fired her long ago. I'm sure there's someone more reliable. Crystal sounds great but she's in college and isn't around all the time. Plus she's an artisan who makes jewelry to sell in the shop when she's not in school or working.
Merry's parents annoy me. I love how her dad is Santa Claus. That's wonderful and very cute but I don't appreciate how he tells her what to display in her shop and where. Yes he's usually right but it's her shop! Butt out Dad! Mom is a diva who has to be the biggest celebrity in the room. She's a drama queen even at the best of times. She does love her children and worries about them when she doesn't hear from them or gets mysterious pictures sent from Merry's phone! Merry's best friend Vicky is a lot of fun. She's not in the story enough and I would like this series better if Vicky was the heroine. She's happy in her relationship with Mark. He's devoted to her and willing to bend the rules at work to help her help Merry. Russ is nice but he's a reporter and goes where the story is. He's not afraid to flirt or follow to get the scoop. Merry's puppy, Matterhorn, finally gets his chance to shine. He's learning manners, mostly from everyone else, especially Diane Simmonds, but his Mommy doesn't listen when he tries to tell her something. He has a big role in the story and is a good dog!
None of the new characters are very likable. Max is a total sleaze and slimeball. He's DOGEing the magazine even though it's not necessary and engaged to a woman he doesn't love for her money. Then he has the audacity to make an improper proposal to Merry. Erica is just as bad and they deserve each other. Erica is a spoiled rich *itch who throws tantrums when things don't go her way. She doesn't understand the concept of the magazine, their readers and what has made it so successful. She's made too many changes. She wants to turn it into People or US Weekly or something more celebrity-oriented and less average lifestyle. That's not what the readers want and Erica's demanding behavior has made the staff quit in droves. She reminds me of a certain tantrum-throwing toddler in chief. Max goes along with whatever she wants. It's a match made in... not heaven exactly. I want to feel bad for Erica because her parents died when she was young but saying she had "no one to play with except the children of servants" is rude and offensive. What is this 19th-century England? Why didn't she have a nanny? Did she go to school? There were no neighbors? No country club set? No friends at all? That's Jennifer's fault. She sounds like a great businesswoman and I admire her for building an empire when many females barely got their toe in the door, but she is a terrible grandmother. She apparently spent too much time empire building and giving her granddaughter material things and not enough time actually loving and bonding with her granddaughter, teaching her granddaughter about the magazine- her special legacy. I'm not sure I like Jennifer very much either.
Willow is a *itch too, in different ways than Erica. She's ruthlessly ambitious, snobby and a rude New Yorker. She's false and pretends to be nice to Merry as if they were friends but they weren't. Willow would sell her grandmother to get ahead. What she wants is to be in charge of Jennifer's Lifestyle and she isn't getting that with Erica in the way. Willow seems creative and passionate about her job but she is a tough nut. She starts to crack once Max is killed and shows her true colors. She doesn't like Erica, didn't like Max, goes in the opposite direction of what Erica wants and is dismissive of the lower level staff. Jason Kerr is a freelance photographer working for the magazine right now. He's hired to take pictures of Rudolph's Christmas in July festival and that's it. He doesn't have any connection to the magazine at all. No past history. Merry doesn't know him but he seems OK. Of course being a new character, he went on my suspect list anyway. Muriel is Erica's put-upon assistant and if Erica was the victim, Muriel would be my first suspect. A mousy, middle-aged woman, Muriel does whatever Erica demands and is little better than a servant. She doesn't make much money for all the abuse she suffers. Perhaps she killed Max on Erica's behalf because Max was about to do something Erica wouldn't like? Merry also doesn't know Amber, a new junior staff member, little better than an intern. Amber is ambitious, eager and talented. Max barely gives her the time of day and Erica barely knows who Amber is. Willow sees potential in Amber though and it's not Willow who ends up dead. How badly does Amber want to advance in her career? She seems kind of flighty but she could be pretending. Plus she seems to be moving in on Alan who truly loves Merry but is waiting for Merry to make the first move. Which one of these New Yorkers did it? Does anyone care except Merry and Detective Simmonds? Does Erica really care or is she crying crocodile tears? I suspect she'll find a new man soon enough.
Notes:
I don't think this author knows The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Disney/Tim Burton movie and not a scary movie. It's a Halloween classic but apparently banned in Rudolph along with "others of its ilk". There are no others! She makes it sound like a slasher flick! Also I don't think she knows what a Regency romance is either because what Jackie reads is NOT a Regency romance. Historical romance is a different thing than Regency romance.
I don't think I want to read more of this series right now. I prefer other series by this author with more humor.
March 29, 2018
Rudolph Christmas is held year round and in July Santa arrives by boat to start his summer vacation. Merry who owns a Christmas store is looking forward to a busy weekend but her ex-fiancé Max show up as part of a magazine that wants to do a story on the town. Max is getting married to the spoiled granddaughter of the magazine’s owner but he wants Merry back. Later Max is found dead and she has to figure out why he was killed and at her store.
December 3, 2017
This is such a charming series and I look forward to each new book as it is released. It has a wonderful setting that gets the reader into the holiday spirit and is paired with wonderful characters that are a joy to read and a mystery that kept my turning pages. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
December 27, 2021
2020…Save for next winter Came in as one of those small paperbacks. Too hard to read. Need a better copy
2021. Still could only get in the small paperback so took awhile to read.
2021. Still could only get in the small paperback so took awhile to read.
December 26, 2021
This is book 3. Merry ex Max came to town with his Jennifer's Lifestyle magazine crew to do photo shoots with Merry and some of the town's shops Christmas in July ( really year round Christmas) spread. Max wanted Merry back. But the catch was Erica the owner ( Jennifer Erica grandma was owner) and Max were supposed to get married. But something terrible happens to Max in Mrs Clause Treasure shop ( Merry shop) Did Erica find out about that Max wanted Merry back of was it something sinister that killed him. Love these year round Christmas series
December 24, 2020
Wow!! The best one yet. I didn’t even know the killer until the end. I love mysteries that keep you guessing.
December 30, 2017
Just when I think one of my favorite series can't get any better, it does! In this installment, Merry Wilkinson and the other residents of Rudolph, NY, are putting together a Christmas in July celebration. Santa (Merry's dad, Noel) arrives in a boat parade for Santa's summer vacation. Merry is stuck dealing with an ex-fiancé who thinks he can win her back. When he turns up dead in her shop, she finds herself wrapped up in yet another murder mystery. With missing people and dead bodies piling up, Merry has to use all of her skills to figure out whodunnit...before she becomes the next victim.
I absolutely love this series. I preordered Hark the Herald Angels Slay as soon as it was up on Amazon, and I'm so glad I was able to read it right around Christmas. Though, this series is fun any time of the year. Ms. Delany has penned a top-notch Christmas cozy, with twists that kept me guessing right up until the killer is revealed. The setting is spot on...you truly will feel transported to a Christmas town...even in the middle of July. I am already looking forward to more in this wonderful series. Hark the Herald Angels Slay is one of my favorite reads of 2017.
I bought this book on Amazon and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
I absolutely love this series. I preordered Hark the Herald Angels Slay as soon as it was up on Amazon, and I'm so glad I was able to read it right around Christmas. Though, this series is fun any time of the year. Ms. Delany has penned a top-notch Christmas cozy, with twists that kept me guessing right up until the killer is revealed. The setting is spot on...you truly will feel transported to a Christmas town...even in the middle of July. I am already looking forward to more in this wonderful series. Hark the Herald Angels Slay is one of my favorite reads of 2017.
I bought this book on Amazon and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
August 6, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
A well plotted mystery about who killed someone in Merry’s store. It’s midsummer when tourists come to town, among them Merry’s ex-fiancé and his new fiancée too...and her old coworkers and all...this town’s too crowded by a long shot and it seems a killer has taken matters into his own hands by killing off the ex-fiancé in Merry’s own shop! As usual with this series, it’s not “who has motive” but “who DOESN’T have motive” as plenty of folks had good reason to hate him.
A well plotted mystery about who killed someone in Merry’s store. It’s midsummer when tourists come to town, among them Merry’s ex-fiancé and his new fiancée too...and her old coworkers and all...this town’s too crowded by a long shot and it seems a killer has taken matters into his own hands by killing off the ex-fiancé in Merry’s own shop! As usual with this series, it’s not “who has motive” but “who DOESN’T have motive” as plenty of folks had good reason to hate him.
November 17, 2017
An excellent book!
December 22, 2020
It was fun visiting Rudolph for Christmas in July. The mystery was fun and kept me guessing and I enjoy the characters.
December 25, 2020
Wonderful story, great characters and a really good plot.
Love the dog who got a bigger part in this one. Look forward to more in this series.
Love the dog who got a bigger part in this one. Look forward to more in this series.
August 16, 2021
I like this cozy series, the theme town should be hokey but it doesn't feel that way to me.
December 14, 2017
Loved it, my favorite Christmas read this year!
June 8, 2020
Excellent addition
I love everything about Rudolph, New York, and I would love spending time in a town that focuses on Christmas all year long.
This book is very exciting and I really had fun visiting old friends. I'm getting ready to read the next book in this series.
I love everything about Rudolph, New York, and I would love spending time in a town that focuses on Christmas all year long.
This book is very exciting and I really had fun visiting old friends. I'm getting ready to read the next book in this series.
December 7, 2017
Charming series that seems to get better and better with each new book.
July 31, 2018
Another great addition to the Year Round Christmas series!
August 16, 2019
Hark the Herald Angels Slay finds the town of Rudolph, New York celebrating Christmas in July. Santa is arriving by boat to kick off a little vacation for himself. The town is planning an event filled weekend to welcome all the tourists arriving. To everyone's surprise, a team from Jennifer's Lifestyle arrives in town with a plan to feature the town in an upcoming magazine issue.
With the arrival of the Jennifer’s Lifestyle team, Merry Wilkinson is reunited with some people she used to work with in Manhattan before she left the city and moved back to Rudolph. This visit turns out to be a very calculated visit on the part of Max Folger, Merry’s ex. Max is planning on marrying Erica Johnstone, the granddaughter of the founder of the lifestyle magazine. Max claims he and Erica don’t love each other and are only getting married to make her grandmother happy. Max asks Merry to rekindle their relationship and return to Manhattan with him. Of course, this is something Merry would never consider. In fact, she’s very shocked at Max’s proposal. But she’s in for a bigger shock when she stumbles upon Max’s dead body in the office of her store, Mrs. Claus’s Treasures.
While Merry isn’t a suspect in the death of Max, there is a long list of people of interest. Could it be that Max stumbled upon something happening inside the store? Or could someone Max knows be behind his death? One thing is for sure, Merry will do a little investigating of her own.
Hark the Herald Angels Slay is a standalone read. The characters of Merry, her parents, Alan (her high-school sweetheart), and Vicki (her best friend) are awesome. I love the depiction of the town, even in the middle of summer. The mystery was good. I wasn’t completely sure who the killer was. In fact, the reason behind the death of Max Folger surprised me. This was a story where what you see and/or hear isn’t always the truth.
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**
With the arrival of the Jennifer’s Lifestyle team, Merry Wilkinson is reunited with some people she used to work with in Manhattan before she left the city and moved back to Rudolph. This visit turns out to be a very calculated visit on the part of Max Folger, Merry’s ex. Max is planning on marrying Erica Johnstone, the granddaughter of the founder of the lifestyle magazine. Max claims he and Erica don’t love each other and are only getting married to make her grandmother happy. Max asks Merry to rekindle their relationship and return to Manhattan with him. Of course, this is something Merry would never consider. In fact, she’s very shocked at Max’s proposal. But she’s in for a bigger shock when she stumbles upon Max’s dead body in the office of her store, Mrs. Claus’s Treasures.
While Merry isn’t a suspect in the death of Max, there is a long list of people of interest. Could it be that Max stumbled upon something happening inside the store? Or could someone Max knows be behind his death? One thing is for sure, Merry will do a little investigating of her own.
Hark the Herald Angels Slay is a standalone read. The characters of Merry, her parents, Alan (her high-school sweetheart), and Vicki (her best friend) are awesome. I love the depiction of the town, even in the middle of summer. The mystery was good. I wasn’t completely sure who the killer was. In fact, the reason behind the death of Max Folger surprised me. This was a story where what you see and/or hear isn’t always the truth.
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**
June 15, 2023
I read the first two when they first came out and have waited a very long time before picking these up again. I only did so because they are now available on audio. Starting this one, I remembered why I always hesitated to continue with the series. It’s Merry – she’s unlikeable. Her attitude is annoying and I found it difficult to concentrate on the actual mystery because she was so off-putting. I’m a little baffled by all of this since I love the other series by this author. I don’t think I will continue with this series.
December 11, 2023
I really loved seeing some of Merrys past show up in this book! This series is just so fun
April 15, 2018
This was a great book that introduced us a little to Merry's past life in New York. When these two worlds clash it's not pretty. I've grown attached to the town's cast of characters and they're all here- often adding to the problem Merry is trying to solve. Who killed her ex-fiance? I confess to having figured it out- eventually but it took me most of the book. And that's okay. It's good to figure it out around the same time as our heroine- it means Delany is doing her job as an author!
October 12, 2020
This book was very, very enjoyable! I can honestly say that it held my interest from beginning to end with NO dull moments. The character development was exceptional, and once again I must repeat that you should read the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries in order because it is one continuous story. I am looking forward to reading the remaining two books, and I hope that Vicki Delany continues to write many more books in this series, because I will read them all!
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