The Christmas Letter

Tess and Tilly #1

by Kathi Daley

A cozy mystery series featuring family who are friends and friends who are family. Set in the small town of White Eagle Montana, the series features Tess and her dog Tilly, who spend their days delivering the latest gossip along with the daily mail. When a close friend is murdered they join forces with the new Veterinarian in town to sleuth out the truth behind the shocking murder that is rocking the community as it prepares for the annual Christmas Festival.

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

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2017

About the author

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).

Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really uplifting story.

This story is for all the pet lovers. Tess is small town mail carrier, not is not all she does. Also good at solving the mystery, who and why he was murdered.

[Christina/ The Blog for Teachers, Readers, & Life! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have fallen in love with this series!🥰 I look forward to reading the next one in this series.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Christmas time in the small town of White Eagle, Montana where everyone knows each other. Tess Thomas it the local postal carrier and makes her rounds everyday with her trusty sidekick, Tilly. Tilly is her beloved dog and always by her side.

During one of her deliveries, Tess and Tilly stumble upon the murdered body of one of the local older townspeople. There’s also a tiny kitten tangled up in a fishing line. Tess quickly calls her brother, who happens to be the local cop. Once she’s finished answering questions, she gets the kitten to the vet. She’s surprised to find a new vet has taken over the practice. A very handsome new vet.

Tess and Tilly keep the new kitten, now named Tang, and find themselves in the middle of the murder investigation. Actually, Tess had no plans to get involved but her best friend Bree’s boyfriend, Donny, has been arrested for the murder and pleads with Tess to help solve the crime. She’s sure Donny is innocent. Tess isn’t so sure since Donny used to be her boyfriend, too, but she agrees to help.

Along with her longtime genius friend Tony, Tess starts asking questions around town. She stumbles upon many deep, dark secrets hidden in White Eagle for decades. She knows she’s getting close to a killer when she begins to receive threats. Tess has no intentions of backing off until this mystery is solved.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, “A Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery” series. What a delight! So much fun with a cast of incredibly likable characters. Tess is both strong and adorable at the same time. As an animal lover, I was touched at how quickly she accepted Tang into her family. Plus, she helps out with animal adoptions. How nice is that?

There are two romance possibilities for Tess, but mainly this is a mystery. The main focus is on “whodunnit”, not Tess’ love life. Although, there’s a little bit of romance mixed in. It adds a nice touch to the story. I always love my cozy mysteries to be heavy on the mystery with just a small about of romance. This one is the perfect mix.

This was a quick read for me. It just took a couple of hours and was a total joy to read. A wonderful start to a new series.

Kathi Daley has been on my list to read for a long time. Not only am I looking forward to another adventure with Tess and Tilly, but I’m going to check out her other series as well.

Fast-paced mystery with a touch of romance…perfect for a couple of hours of relaxation.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and if I didn’t already know how great Kathi Daley writes, I probably wouldn’t go further into the series. I liked main character, Tess (and I liked the other characters, except for Bree who acts like she's 13) but this plot was bizarre and convoluted. My estimation is the plot wasn’t developed enough to span the book because there was a lot of detail spent on things that really didn’t matter to the plot and the things that really mattered to the plot felt like they were added as an afterthought. Just ok

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Tess Thomas and her dog Tilly. They live in White Eagle, Montana where Tess is the mail carrier and Tilly is her constant companion. When they discover the dead body of their elderly friend, Tess is drawn into solving the crime and finding the murderer. A complex murder with lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages. The characters are well developed and the mail carrier background is interesting and lends itself to many different story lines. Their are plenty of furry friends, a cute new vet and a long time geeky male friend to keep the excitement going. A must read for cozy and animal lovers alike.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter
A Tess and Tillie Cozy Mystery, Book #1
Kathi Daley
5 Stars


Synopsis:

A cozy mystery series featuring family who are friends and friends who are family. Set in the small town of White Eagle Montana, the series features Tess and her dog Tilly, who spend their days delivering the latest gossip along with the daily mail. When a close friend is murdered they join forces with the new Veterinarian in town to sleuth out the truth behind the shocking murder that is rocking the community as it prepares for the annual Christmas Festival.

If you love small towns, endearing relationships, food, animals, and a touch of murder, you will love this new mystery series by Kathi Daley, author of the popular Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery Series. (Goodreads)


Review:

As is the norm for this author, the characters are well developed and well rounded. Tess is a smart caring woman who likes just about everyone she meets. And as a mail carrier, she meets a lot of people. She has a good friend, Bree, and I enjoyed watching the interactions between the two friends. And she has a couple of possible love interests, I cannot wait to see what happens. You cannot help but fall in love with Tilly and Tang, Tess’s dog and cat. They are very cute and add a lot to the story.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author creates a cozy setting in White Eagle, Montana. Everyone looks out for each other and neighbors are happy to help those in need. They are also happy to get in everyone’s business, just like a typical small town. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place.

The mystery was carried on well throughout the entire book. There were enough suspects to consider and enough clues to shift through that the mystery was not easy to solve. I was surprised at the culprit.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. This is going to be another great series and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We start off meeting Tess and her dog Tilly, Tess delivers the mail and along the way she interacts with quite a cast of characters. When she comes across the body of an older friend while on deliveries one day, she is saddened and wonders who could have wanted him dead. She isn't going to get involved but when her best friends boyfriend is arrested she feels she should help in anyway that she can, even if he turns out guilty. Things start to heat up when Tess realizes that there is a secret that needs to be unearthed and she enlists the help of long time friend Tony, who happens to be a computer expert. Follow along as they move from one clue to the next in an effort to find out who killed Pike and why? What a wonderful beginning to a fun new series. There are so many great things, animals, and people happening in this read but I don't want to give it all away. Not to mention Tess has a secret of her own that she is working on. I can't wait to see what happens next!!!

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Tess Thomas, the local postal carrier, stumbles upon a dead body, she calls her brother, a cop. The top suspect quickly becomes Tess' best friend's boyfriend. Tess agrees to investigate the murder.

Daley has given us a charming protagonist who is both strong and likable. The believable plot is well constructed. The small town setting is inviting. And there's a Christmas tree. What a joy.

Recommended to any cozy mystery fan looking for a festive holiday read.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle e mezza
E con questa sono ben quattro le serie di questa autrice che mi ritrovo a seguire... Decisamente mi piace il suo modo di scrivere; inoltre, i suoi sono racconti lunghi o romanzi brevi, quindi si tratta di letture veloci, ma non per questo meno soddisfacenti.
Anche questa serie è ambientata in una piccola cittadina, anche qui cani e gatti hanno un ruolo nella narrazione (e conquistano il cuore del lettore). Insomma, promossa a pieni voti!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as I do all Ms. Daley's books. Her characters are real and people that are very easy to envision with depth to them. I found Tess being a mail carrier interesting, which helps her interact with many people, which keeps all kinds of possibilities open for future books. The mystery was excellent and kept me guessing and I will continue on with this series.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter is the first book in the cozy mystery series Tess and Tilly by Kathi Daley.

It is christmas time in the small town of White Eagle and Tess, the local postal carrier is out making her daily rounds when she stumbles upon the dead body of an old townsfolk along with a kitten tangled in fishing lines. She quickly adopts the cat and names it Tang, and informs of the death to her brother and local cop. She becomes involved in the investigation after her best friend Bree's boyfriend Donny is arrested for the murder.

This was such a quick, fun read. One major issue I face with cozy mysteries and amateur sleuth books is how know-it-all the MCs tend to appear often times which immediately puts me off. But Tess was fairly likeable in this one. She was the perfect amount of curious yet conscious enough to only insert herself as much into the investigation as needed.

There were quite a few twists and turns in this one as well and the mystery did manage to surprise me, it kept me guessing the entire time which I loved.

4 stars.

[Kav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute cozy mystery and I love that Tess (human) and Tilly (dog) are inseparable and the whole town accepts them as the dynamic duo they are! This is small town at its finest and we get the perfect view from the Tess (and Tilly's) mail route. Really neat twist that enables our amateur sleuth to snoop without leaving her job! lol The mystery was intriguing with a good resolution -- I just felt it was a bit rushed. And I'm kind of worried that there is a hint of a love triangle looming...but just the teensiest of hints so maybe I'm wrong and I have nothing to fear? Crossing my fingers as I dive into the second book. Oh -- and I listened to the audible edition narrated by Kasey Logan who did a great job of keeping me engaged.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Wonderful Story

White Eagle Montana is a small town where everyone knows you yet there still are secrets.
When mail carrier Tess and her four legged pal Tilly deliver mail to their friend Pike, and find him dead she is of course upset. When her best friend Bree asks for Tess's help because her boyfriend Donny has been accused of theft and Pike's murder.
As things unravel and secrets are uncovered, life in White Eagle will never be the same.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute little cozy mystery, my base rating for cozy mysteries are 4 stars unless they really blow me out of the water and tho I did really like this story and the animals in it (so cute!) it was an average cozy mystery, that being said I did really like it and would read more of the series in the future

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cosy mystery is set in a small town in Montana leading up to Christmas, where the local mail woman gets sucked into investigating the death of a local resident whose body she discovers while out on her route.

To be fair, I got roughly what I was expecting out of this. I intend the 3 star rating positively (as pretty much always). It was cute, light and fluffy. At times the writing was a bit stilted and there were a few typos, but overall I enjoyed it. And I would definitely consider reading the next instalment in the series. There’s an overarching backstory that has a cliffhanger at the end of the book, and I found it intriguing enough to want to continue. And the main story is wrapped up satisfactorily, so it’s not like you’re forced to read more books to get the solution to this one. And I totally understand that writers need to do something to keep you hooked for their next book – it’s a tough market out there.

The main characters were interesting enough, though I don’t really feel like we got to know anyone that well. Which was probably due to the fact that it’s a very short book, but also that there were a few too many side characters and I more than once found myself wondering “who is this person again?”. The side characters didn’t have enough of a plot line for them to be justified, so in my opinion it would have worked better if the story was spread over a few main characters.

What made me pick this book over the myriad of other cosy mysteries out there was both the Christmas theme and that it was advertised as a book for animal lovers, and I did very much enjoy the four legged characters in the story as well.

So, as mentioned. this is only the second cosy mystery story I ever read, and maybe this is common in the genre, but it did bother me: Apparently it’s totally acceptable in rural Montana for random non-law-enforcement people to break into a murder victim’s house and go through their stuff and steal their laptop. AND apparently local law enforcement doesn’t find it worth their while to – I don’t know – look through the house of someone who was murdered for clues. I mean I could kind of have gotten on board with the first part if the protagonist desperately needed to clear someone they cared about of the crime and the police weren’t listening to them – but the police was her brother, for crying out loud. And it’s not like he said “I firmly believe x happened and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise. Case closed.” So yeah, that bugged me. It was my main beef with the whole book.

It was also pretty much lacking in suspense. I guess that’s where the “cosy” part of cosy mystery comes in, but what I’d really love is something in between this and the “child molester/animal torturer/sadistic psychopath killer” genre which is what most other modern crime fiction/thriller novels seem to be these days. Something clever and suspenseful that doesn’t make me want to hurl or gouge out my own eyes. So, next year Santa, can I have that please?

[Nick Hendry · Rating 2 out of 5]

With Thanksgiving and the holidays approaching I was in the mood for a cozy mystery holiday read. This book is out of my usual cozy mystery reading list, as I usually love the paranormal or English themed mysteries, but I definitely was drawn to this cozy mystery for it's small town setting since I live in a small town myself. The story follows local Mail Carrier Tess and her dog Tilly and cat Tangletoe. Tess comes across the body of one of the local resident's and gets sucked into investigating the murder.

I ended up giving this book two stars sadly as I feel the book definitely needed more developmental editing before released. I've been trying to figure out the best way to write this review, but the book felt rushed and pieced together. The book blurb doesn't even describe the book correctly as the veterinarian doesn't even play a part in any sleuthing and only has small appearances through the book and there isn't any mention of a Christmas Festival throughout the whole story. The sleuthing being done is basic and doesn't uncover any real clues and the authors writing tends to be confusing and not developed clearly enough to help further the story along clearly enough. In one part of the story the main protagonist is saying how close they are to figuring it out, then a few paragraphs later they hit a dead end, and a chapter later it all just falls together and the main protagonist is like it all makes sense now. As I said before I just feel either this book was rushed or the beta readers, or editors just didn't do what they should have been doing unfortunately.

I wish this book was much better executed as it definitely has promise and I loved the setting. I enjoyed some of the character's especially the furry ones like Tilly the dog and Tangletoe the cat! The book was fun to read and gave me a few good laughs as well.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter: A Cozy Mystery is the premier book in Kathi Daley’s Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery series. The reader is introduced to Tess, a mail carrier and her dog Tillie who accompanies her while delivering main in a small Montana town. The characters come to life on the page as the reader comes to know the residents of this town throughout a classically written cozy mystery which includes a plot woven with skill to keep the reader guessing. A touch of sweet romance, clean mystery and classic small-town secrets hold the reader’s attention. This debut story, numerous suspects, some suspense, hints of what’s to come in the next book of this series and the importance of family, friends and community. The theme of this book revolves around Christmas and brings back childhood memories of far less stressful, enjoyable times with friends and family. This book can be read as a stand-alone and be enjoyed by young adult and adult readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the sequel. Readers who enjoy Ms. Daley’s Zoe Donavan series will enjoy this new series too.

[Robin Leslie Coxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter is the first book in the Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery series by Kathi Daley. Set in the small town of White Eagle, Montana, the main character, Tess and her dog, Tilly, are known by the area residents as their mail person. Along with the mail Tess and Tilly deliver other items from the area residents such as gossip or muffins. Tess also is known to spend a few minutes checking on various people too. When a murder takes place of one of the town’s oldest residents, Tess is determined to find out who is the real guilty party is and what was the reason for the murder. The story plot moved along very smoothly, and it was enjoyable to be able to relate to the relationships among the town residents. Of course, the touch of a little budding romance made the story even better. I am anxious to see what avenue Tess will take in the next book in this new series.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced story

Kathi Daley writes several different series and this is the first book I've read in this series.
This is a light cozy mystery with a touch of romance.
This book definitely has a lot of characters that will make you happy you visited them.

[RO G'ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter is the debut novel in Kathi Daley’s new Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery series and it’s an awesome and delightful read. The writing style flows smoothly and Ms. Daley provides great background information about the characters and the town. The characters are well rounded and affable and the mystery well plotted. As with all her books, Ms. Daley has provided readers with a clean, fun read, caring and compassionate characters, an intriguing mystery to try to solve, and lots of adorable dogs and cats. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Welcome to the small community of White Eagle, Montana. Tess Thomas was born and raised in White Eagle, has one brother, Mike, who’s a member of the White Eagle Police. Her father died in an accident when she was fourteen and her mom, Lucy Thomas, co-owns a café, Sisters’ Diner, with her aunt, Ruthie Turner. She likes to hike in the summer and ski in the winter, volunteers at the animal shelter, and is a book club member at her best friend, Bree Price’s bookstore, the Book Boutique. She isn’t currently in a relationship because she dumped Donny Dunlap after she realized he paid more attention to Bree than he did to her. Tess works for the United States Postal Service, and even though the weather can be cruel in White Eagle, she enjoys delivering the mail and visiting with the town’s residents and business owners on her route. Tess has a special relationship with her dog, Tilly, who accompanies her while she’s delivering the mail. Although he doesn’t receive a lot of mail, one of their favorite stops is Pike Porter’s cabin, but on their most recent visit, they found him shot in back in his bedroom. When Mike arrests Donny for Pike’s murder, Bree begs Tess to help her prove his innocence. Neither Tess nor Bree have any experience investigating crimes, but they decide to start asking questions and snoop around Pike’s cabin. Tess asks her other best friend, Tony Marconi, who she met in the seventh grade, to help her.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery, the postal worker, and the dog that helped her deliver mail. In fact, I enjoyed both pets - Tilly (the dog) and Tangletoe (the cat.) I almost wished that the cover picture had Tangletoe in the mail bag instead. Or tangled in the fishing wire.

I did not guess whodunit. I'm not convinced we had enough information, unless it was partially by process of elimination.

I would read another in this series.

I loved the Star Wars themed Christmas tree ornaments. We've had a few, although not that many.

One reviewer complained that Tess did some illegal things. (Yes, she did.)

Another complained that Mike didn't do enough investigating. I assumed that he was doing SOMETHING, and that it was private police business, and that we just didn't see it, because we were following Tess around, not Mike.

Favorite quote:
"Why is it you young folks are always in such a hurry? Life should be savored and enjoyed, not rushed through from one minute to the next like you're in some sort of race to the finish line. Trust me, when you get to be my age you're gonna wish you'd taken the scenic route."

[Teresa Kander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathi Daley is a writing superstar. This is her EIGHTH series, and she continues to write each and every one without making them repetitive or predictable. Each one is written in a slightly different style or voice so that they are unique entities, even with the occasional crossover of characters.

This new series features Tess, a small town mail carrier, her dog Tilly and her new cat Tangle. Tess has a very friendly relationship with everyone on her mail route, so when one of the town's residents is murdered (and Tess finds the body) it's no surprise that she would want to find out who killed him and why. With the help of her computer expert friend, Tony, and her best friend, Bree, she works to uncover the secrets Pike was holding---and we learn Tess and Tony are working on a mystery in Tess's life as well. Tess also has a budding romance with the new veterinarian in town, so there are going to be a lot of irons in the fire for her as this series continues.

All of the major characters are very well developed, with hints of things still to learn about them. The animals are an integral part of the story, which is true in many of Ms. Daley's series. The identity of the murderer and the motive are not readily discernible, but the clues are there if you pay close attention.

As always with Ms. Daley's books, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good cozy
--and I look forward to the next installment.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I really enjoyed this light, cozy book. I especially like the main character, Tess Thomas, who is a mail carrier in the small town of White Eagle, Montana. She has several good friends in the book, but her dog Tilly goes everywhere with her, including delivering the mail and investigating a murder and adds just the right amount of cuteness to the story.

Her best friend Bree comes across as immature, but I appreciate that she and Tess are such good friends. Tess begins investigating the murder as a favor to Bree, but then becomes invested in getting to finding the truth. There seems to be a few loose ends at the end, and I would rate the book 3.5 stars. Overall I really liked this cute Christmas cozy mystery and see the potential for some romance for Tess in future books.

[JoAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Christmas cozy mystery and new series. You are going to love Tess and Tilly and the small town they live in. Tess is the perfect person to go sleuthing and solve mysteries as she and her faithful companion, Tilly, deliver mail with a personal touch so they really get to know what is going on in the community and gather tidbits of information throughout the day. Kathi Daley's great weaving of stories makes it very easy for her readers to find themselves totally immersed in the story and fast friends with the awesome characters. Definitely a good beginning to what is going to be an awesome series.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this is one of those cozy mysteries that features 20-something characters, but written by an older author. I'm going to guarantee that no one fresh out of college is named Wilma! And the heroine sounds and acts more like she's in her 50s than her 20s.

It's an okay cozy, although somewhat clumsily written. But I just found the characters to be too bland and written much older than they were supposed to be. It was just meh for me.

Also, this is supposed to be a Christmas story but the Christmas part was minimal.

[Lynne Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read. I love all the characters in this new series. From the main character to the quirky and fun furbabies and all of the towns people. The secrets and mystery are well written. A great start of a new series from Kathi Daley.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Letter by Kathi Daley is the first book in a new series for this author set in Montana. It was an easy and fun cozy mystery. The characters are introduced well and I'm sure the author will provide more background information about them as the series progresses. Many of the residents are likable and a few are quirky so I look forward to getting to know them better. A smoothly paced plot with a few twists that kept me guessing until the reveal.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read and short story of murder in small town. The mail carrier and her dog and cat deliver the mail daily and also learn the latest gossip. When a friend in murdered she joins forces with a friend and also the town veterinarian to sleuth out the truth. Fast moving and light read.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new to me series. The writing is good and interesting. While I did guess the Big Secret, all the past history that was dug up was interesting! I like the friendship dynamics and the pets being a huge part of things. I look forward to reading more in this series.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

My mom read this and her reason for a 3 is because of lack of excitement. I myself will read this and give my rating as well.