Mischief in Christmas River

Christmas River #5

by Meg Muldoon, Randye Kaye (Narrator)

Listening Length: 5 hours, 29 minutes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Christmas River, and pie baker extraordinaire Cinnamon Peters has everything to look forward to this holiday season. She’s celebrating her one year wedding anniversary with Sheriff Daniel Brightman, her best friend’s getting hitched, and she’s making a triumphant return to the annual Gingerbread Junction Competition. Things are merry and bright everywhere Cinnamon looks.
But then, the cookie dough hits the fan.
A new pie shop moves in across the street, and Cinnamon starts losing customers faster than Santa can inhale a plate of cookies. In addition, strange things are starting to happen around town. And when these mischievous occurrences hit a little too close to home, Cinnamon finds herself in the center of a mystery that appears to have no answer.
Can Cinnamon and Daniel get to the bottom of the sinister deeds? Or will Christmas go to the dogs this year?
Mischief in Christmas River is the fifth full-length book in the Christmas River series.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Cozy, Audiobook, Fiction, Romance

Audible Audio

First published December 22, 2014

About the author

For a very limited time receive a FREE cozy mystery and recipe book when you sign up for Meg Muldoon's mailing list! Sign-up here: http://eepurl.com/zcGr1

Meg Muldoon is the author of over 20 feel-good mysteries, including the bestselling Christmas River Cozy Mysteries and The Dog Town USA Cozy Mysteries. A former small town news reporter, Meg has always had a special place in her heart for lost dogs, homeless cats, and feisty old locals. She enjoys Marionberry pie, red cowboy boots, and craft glue guns. Meg specializes in writing stories filled with humor and heart, and her books have been featured in the Amazon Kindle Top-100.

Meg lives in Central Oregon with two Great Pyrenees, a cattle dog named Huckleberry, and a rascal cat named Frank.

Reading Order:

THE CHRISTMAS RIVER COZY MYSTERY SERIES
Murder in Christmas River – Book 1
Mayhem in Christmas River – Book 2
Madness in Christmas River – Book 3
Malice in Christmas River – Book 4
Mischief in Christmas River – Book 5
Manic in Christmas River – Book 6
Magic in Christmas River – Book 7
Menace in Christmas River – Book 8
Missing in Christmas River – Book 9
Meltdown in Christmas River – Book 10
Midnight in Christmas River – Book 11
Mistake in Christmas River – Book 12
Matrimony in Christmas River - Book 13
Malarkey in Christmas River - Book 14 (Coming Spring 2025!)

THE CHRISTMAS RIVER COZY MYSTERY NOVELLA SERIES
Roasted in Christmas River – Novella 1
Cinnamon Peters & the Rabbit Bandit – Novella 2
Caught in Christmas River – Novella 3
Crushed in Christmas River – Novella 4
Hounded in Christmas River – Novella 5
Framed in Christmas River – Novella 6
Trapped in Christmas River - Novella 7
Merriment in Christmas River - Novella 8

THE HOLLY HOPEWELL COZY MYSTERY SERIES
The Silence of the Elves – Book 1
Elf Confidential - Book 2

THE DOG TOWN USA COZY MYSTERY SERIES
Mutts & Murder – Book 1
Bulldogs & Bullets – Book 2
Corgis & Conspiracy - Book 3
Pyrenees & Poison - Book 4 (Coming Soon)

THE COZY MATCHMAKER MYSTERY SERIES
Burned in Broken Hearts Junction – Book 1
Busted in Broken Hearts Junction – Book 2

THE WITCHES OF BROOMFIELD BAY MYSTERY SERIES (with Jools Sinclair)
Ginger of the West – Book 1

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mischief in Christmas River
Christmas River, Book 5

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: AudiblePlus
Dates Read: 2/19/24 - 2/20/24
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Randye Kaye

The Characters:

Cinnamon Peters
Daniel Brightman
Other residents of Christmas River

The Story:

There’s a new confectioner in town and her shop is giving Cinnamon a run for her money… well customers. More importantly, someone is snatching up the sweet pooches of Christmas River. Huckleberry theft is beyond unacceptable.

[Kathy Brackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!!

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this story three stars, until I reached the end.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining cozy mystery. It was a bit silly, but that was part of the fun.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinnamon Peters has a great life. She has been married to the love of her life for one year now. She adores their dog and she loves volunteering at the animal shelter. Her pie shop is doing well and her best friend is about to get married. It is Christmas time in Christmas River and time for the annual gingerbread house competition. Everything is alright in her world until….she sees the sign for the new pastry shop that opened across the street from her pie shop. She see the grand opening sign, the large crowd of people and the new business owner, who happens to be beautiful. Suddenly that perfect world starts to crumble. And when some strange thing start happening to the animals in the town, her world collapses. Will Cinnamon and Daniel be able to right their world before the damage that is done is permanent?

The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. They feel like people I would be friends with and I care what happens to them. I think this book spotlighted Cinnamon more than the others in the series because she did not have her best friend to help her investigate the mystery and her grandfather is out of the country. Having read all of the books in the series I can see how the characters are growing and evolving and that is a great thing.

One thing I found different about this book is that there is no murder to solve, no dead bodies found. In the vast majority of the cozy books I have read, the protagonist stumbles across a dead body and then decides to solve the case. It is very refreshing to read a book that has a different type of mystery to solve. There is still suspense and clues to follow and I was surprised to find out who the culprit was.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in using the written to describe things in enough detail to make me feel like I am right there. I think there is a lot of humor in the book and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things that Cinnamon thought and did. I just love that and is one of the things that make the book stand out from other cozies, in my opinion..

I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I read a lot of cozies and I can honestly say that this series is among the top three of my favorites. I cannot wait to read the next one and visit everyone in Christmas River again.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Christmas Read

I discovered this series by accident and read the first 3 in about a day and a half. Numbers 4 & 5 I got the day they came out on Kindle and devoured them immediately. This one came out just a couple of days before Christmas and I finished it appropriately on Christmas Eve. If you are a person who enjoys Christmas-Themed books and especially enjoys cozy mysteries, then this series is a must. They are quick reads and cozy as gingerbread and hot chocolate by the fireplace on a cold winter's night.

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mischief in Christmas River #5 Christmas River Mysteries
 
Cinnamon is preparing for her 1st Anniversary on Christmas Eve. Just as she is prepping and getting ready to enter the Gingerbread House Contest and her business seems to be doing so well, Pepper opens a shop across from her and her business starts to go to Pepper. Also, dogs all over town are disappearing. She wants to find out what happened to them, but when her dog and her foster dog go missing, she becomes distraught and stops working on her Gingerbread House and wanders around the town looking for the dogs. 
 
This story was not as good as the others and I was curious to find out if they found the dogs and got them back. 

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story from Miss Muldoon!

I love revisiting Christmas River! This series is so much fun and makes me want to live in a place just like this! Great characters and beautifully descriptive places

[Teresa Segura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute in a Hallmark-mystery kind of way. Just what I wanted.

[Krystyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The long way home

A good read. Again not really a mystery that involves murder but a story that involves a crime. This one is just a bit too cutesy, cutesy for me.
The new store has finally opened and she is shocked to find that it's another pie shop! However there is nothing she can do about it. Especially once her mind is on the crime wave taking place. Someone has stolen some dogs from their owners. There are no clues and the owners are distraught. She has been looking after a cooker spaniel and although Huck has taken to him - she and Daniel aren't sold. He barks at everything! However when they go missing too, they are determined to find them. Will they find out who has taken them and why? Will they recover all the stolen dogs? How will her business fare with the new shop?

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mischief in Christmas River," the fifth in the Christmas River’s series by Meg Muldoon, is a good, very readable cozy mystery set in the little town of Christmas River, Oregon. Everything is alright in her world until …. she sees a grand opening sign for a new pastry shop right across the street, with – of course - a large crowd waiting to get in. Strange things begin to happen in town including dog disappearances. Then, shall we say, the dough hits the fan.

I enjoyed the plot of “Mischief in Christmas River.” The small-town setting of Christmas River was well crafted, but most of all, the major characters were very likable and memorable. Cinnamon Peters, now married to the Sheriff Daniel Brightman, was a good female character, and even their dog Huckleberry was good! If you enjoy a well-crafted cozy mystery series, I do recommend a trip to Christmas River.

[moxieBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mischief in Christmas River (Christmas River #5) — Meg Muldoon; Narrator: Randye Kaye (66 chapters) Jan. 11, 2023

Everything seems hunky-dory in Cinnamon’s life she is Cele rating her 1 year anniversary to the sheriff; her best friend is getting married; her pie shop is doing great… until it isn’t. And on top of that: dogs in her town start to go missing.

This was a great story in this series. Every new story is a great addition and new take on the last story.

I really enjoy how Cinnamon goes through all the emotions and works through her self-doubts and still finds her center and her purpose.

I am glad that all the regulars are still present and I especially love how this author incorporates social issues into the stories.

These are awesome books to listen to when doing monotonous tasks! Makes the work going happier, and faster.

Four stars.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s almost time for the annual gingerbread house competition, and Cinnamon has designed a palace that is sure to win. That is, until she sees what another contestant has made. A pie baker and pastry chef has opened a new pie shop in Christmas River, and Cinnamon’s customers are deserting her. She and Daniel are having some minor issues, and Grandpa is still across the pond. Then something even worse happens, to Cinnamon and some other residents. Cinnamon has all but given up hope that things will work out. It’s a great Christmas cozy, with enough intrigue to keep you reading, interesting characters you care about, and the glimmer of hope that things will work out somehow for a happy Christmas for all.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. MC still flying off the handle and getting angry at the slightest thing. I’m glad her hubby, the Sheriff is growing a backbone and calling her out on her behavior.
Dogs are missing, that’s the mystery in this story,+ a new pie shop has moved in. Those two events have cause Cinnamon to spiral out of control 😒😒. When her own dog and the one she’s fostering go missing from the backyard, things only get worse.

The mystery is solved, no thanks to Cinnamon, I’m still not her fan, but I do like many of the other residents of this quirky town.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The folks of Christmas River can rarely become too comfortable in complacency, for more often than not, another mystery lurks around the corner. I liked the addition of Pepper Posey, her unintentional rivalry of Cinnamon's pies with her own French pastry shop, and the ever-popular draw of the Gingerbread Junction competition. This one was not too difficult to figure out, but the story was entertaining all the same.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 5th book of the cozy mystery series set in Christmas River, Cinnamon and Daniel have to try and solve the mystery of why dogs are being taken, as well as Cinnamon entering the annual gingerbread house competition too! Life is never dull.

Easy to read cozy mysteries, read in a couple of hours, just the thing for a cold wet afternoon snuggled in a blanket; the only thing which could make it better would be a slice of one of Cinnamon's pies! Best read in order.

[KylieAtkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this cosy mystery series. It's so wholesome and sweet. It's like coming home to your favourite small town family. Cinnamon's pies are always drool worthy and I'd love to try them.
It's a dog lovers mystery this time around, all while Cinnamon has a new competitor in her business as well as the annual gingerbread house competition. It's a hectic time in Christmas River so sit back and enjoy with a coffee and a delicious piece of pecan pie.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment was a roller coaster ride for my emotions. I was anxious through most of the book to get to the happy ending. I admit to looking ahead to see how much further i had to read to get to where the storyline reached a particular turning point. It does have a satisfactory resolution of the storyline, but expect some drama as well.

[Jo Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This episode of Christmas River sees cinnamon’s business put to the test whilst also competing at the annual gingerbread junction competition. Meanwhile dogs are going missing in Christmas River and soon it’s very personal to cinnamon and her friends. This was a fab outing to Christmas River and I am not ashamed to say it made me cry. I am loving this series!

[Claudia Ainsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy watching the characters grow and change. There are many times I see myself in them and like that things are not always easy to get through and the main character does not always handle situations perfectly or even well. This mystery did not have to do with murder which was nice. The mystery was still intriguing.

[Grandma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good yarn!

Story line is good, but maybe it's time to end this series. It's a little disconcerting that the last book had Daniel and Cin missing their honeymoon because he was injured, and this story has him with a tan from his honeymoon?

[Matambrn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
If I read that one more time I’m gonna puke. Over used lines like this and inconsistencies in the small detail make me wonder who is the editor??

[Mel Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one for the animal lovers! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the way everything worked out in the end. Just the way a Christmas Cozy Mystery should be - a few tense moments with a happy feeling at the end of it all.

[Sara Kreps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a small town mystery without a murder. Not that big cities can't have the same but you have to start wondering how small these towns really are if there is still a significant population after so many homicides.

[Kristina Rasmussen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I still love the characters and the series, I just really didn’t care for this storyline. Missing dogs and jealousy just don’t pull me in. I did like it more by the end, and I do like how after the mystery is solved we still get a bit more story.

[Nickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Once again I sat here crying. Who didn't want to believe in Christmas miracles? I know I am still a kid @ heart and love the happy endings. Another great story.

[Ron Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know where your dog is tonight?

If you are a dog lover, then this is a tail wagging tale for you. Competition, family love and believing are all here.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of all the Christmas River mysteries so far! Such a wonderful happy ending. 🥰

[Lawanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook performed by Randye Kaye

[Andra Fore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really got me hooked

I loved this one. It kept me reading. I did not want to put it down. The story line was awesome. Can't wait to read the next in this series.