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Mac and Millie Mysteries #1
The Christmas Walk Caper: A Mac and Millie Mystery
Add 'Catch a killer’ to your Christmas to-do list! Meet Mac, a retired hero cop with writer’s block and a penchant for trouble. What holiday hijinks will he get himself into?Probably a murder investigation.
Meet Millie, a local banker and former college athlete who may have a trick or two up her sleeve. What Christmas conundrum will she be brought in to solve?Again, a murder mystery.
In this delightful cozy mystery set in downtown Geneva, Illinois, our sarcastic and savvy sleuths will seek justice for the untimely death of the owner of the beloved and charming retail The Tiny Wanderer.
It’s time to stroll on Third street. Immerse yourself in beautiful Christmas décor. Drink some hot chocolate and help solve the Christmas Walk Caper.
Meet Millie, a local banker and former college athlete who may have a trick or two up her sleeve. What Christmas conundrum will she be brought in to solve?Again, a murder mystery.
In this delightful cozy mystery set in downtown Geneva, Illinois, our sarcastic and savvy sleuths will seek justice for the untimely death of the owner of the beloved and charming retail The Tiny Wanderer.
It’s time to stroll on Third street. Immerse yourself in beautiful Christmas décor. Drink some hot chocolate and help solve the Christmas Walk Caper.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2019
221 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Michaels
21 books162 followersUSA TODAY BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR!
Greetings! For the official site of JB Michaels head on over to http://mistermichaels.com/ for two free books!
J. B. Michaels, multi-award winning author and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, has written stories since he was in fourth grade. He is a history teacher who loves his job.
Married and with a son, Michaels has a great love of family. He has two series: the Gold and Bronze medal-winning Tannenbaum Tailors and Bud Hutchins Thrillers.
Greetings! For the official site of JB Michaels head on over to http://mistermichaels.com/ for two free books!
J. B. Michaels, multi-award winning author and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, has written stories since he was in fourth grade. He is a history teacher who loves his job.
Married and with a son, Michaels has a great love of family. He has two series: the Gold and Bronze medal-winning Tannenbaum Tailors and Bud Hutchins Thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 5, 2019
I bought this mystery at The Little Traveler in Geneva, IL, a 36-room Victorian house filled with food, wines, kitchenware, clothing, jewelry and much more. There's even a lovely cafe where we had Sunday brunch. The shop is featured in the story, the clerk told me, so I snapped it up!
The hero of The Christmas Walk Caper is Mac O'Malley, a retired Chicago cop, who is attempting to write a memoir of his last big case. He now lives in Geneva where he has fallen in love with Millie who works at Salem Bank and Trust. Millie, it seems, has a big family secret which she hesitates to share with Mac. What could it be?
When Mac learns that Patricia , the owner of The Tiny Wanderer, has been found dead in her home on the morning of the annual Christmas Walk, his cop instincts are telling him she didn't just die of old age. If the local cops, including his brother Vince, don't agree, maybe he and Millie can do some investigating on their own.
JB Michaels does a great job of describing Geneva at Christmastime with its lovely quaint shops and street decorations. I wish he'd enlarged on the mystery though: this was more of a novella than full-length book at only 117 pages. The rest of the book contains excerpts from other books he's written.
This is a light, fun read with some quirky twists to the plot. I enjoyed spending a crazy day in Geneva, IL with Mac and Millie.
The hero of The Christmas Walk Caper is Mac O'Malley, a retired Chicago cop, who is attempting to write a memoir of his last big case. He now lives in Geneva where he has fallen in love with Millie who works at Salem Bank and Trust. Millie, it seems, has a big family secret which she hesitates to share with Mac. What could it be?
When Mac learns that Patricia , the owner of The Tiny Wanderer, has been found dead in her home on the morning of the annual Christmas Walk, his cop instincts are telling him she didn't just die of old age. If the local cops, including his brother Vince, don't agree, maybe he and Millie can do some investigating on their own.
JB Michaels does a great job of describing Geneva at Christmastime with its lovely quaint shops and street decorations. I wish he'd enlarged on the mystery though: this was more of a novella than full-length book at only 117 pages. The rest of the book contains excerpts from other books he's written.
This is a light, fun read with some quirky twists to the plot. I enjoyed spending a crazy day in Geneva, IL with Mac and Millie.
December 27, 2021
A new cozy mystery series set in an idyllic town featuring a well-known ex-cop and his girlfriend and a touch magic.
Thoughts:
Mac O’Malley is at the local cafe working on his story for a publisher when he overhears someone worried about a mutual acquaintance, Patricia. Mac is a former cop who is well-known for preventing an attack on the Chicago marathon and his instincts kick in just a little when he hears the concern. Patricia’s home is one of the houses featured in the town’s Christmas Walk – the town’s lighting of the Christmas along with festively decorated houses around the downtown area. He decides to go with the individual who had the concern just to check on things and together they discover Patricia has died.
Everyone believes the death is from natural causes, including Mac’s brother Vince, but Mac doesn’t believe this to be the case. So, he decides to investigate on his own with help from his girlfriend Millie.
The Christmas Walk Caper is set in a town that reminds you of a Christmas Hallmark movie, just with a bit of murder instead. With several suspects to look at Mac and Millie have a lot on their hands. The actual Christmas Walk is a bit deal and brings in a huge crowd and lots of money for the town, so Patricia being potential murdered instead of dying from natural causes is fairly inconvenient for those involved, especially some of the suspects.
Things I Liked:
- Christmas. You can never go wrong with this holiday, especially when the backdrop is festivity
and the town has a small town feel to it.
- About 75% of the way, the story took a turn I wasn’t expecting. There’s a slight twist of sorts
toward the end. Twist perhaps isn’t the best word to use, but maybe ‘unexpected addition’ to this
new series is a better choice. I mean, cozy mysteries often have an element that makes them
special and unique, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting this one. But the twist/unexpected
addition adds a new dimension to the story and any future stories that will be interesting to see.
Millie’s family. They were really nice and homey and funny.
- The cover has a lot of Christmas charm.
What was Ok or Didn’t Like:
- Some of the conversations and dialogue were a bit awkward. I noticed this more when a new
character was being brought into the mystery, or during a transition to one part of the story to
another. This mostly happened early on and smoothed out later.
Overall, a pleasant read for fans of cozy mysteries, especially those who like partnerships in their mystery solving books.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thanks to Lola’s Blog Tour and the author for the reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Thoughts:
Mac O’Malley is at the local cafe working on his story for a publisher when he overhears someone worried about a mutual acquaintance, Patricia. Mac is a former cop who is well-known for preventing an attack on the Chicago marathon and his instincts kick in just a little when he hears the concern. Patricia’s home is one of the houses featured in the town’s Christmas Walk – the town’s lighting of the Christmas along with festively decorated houses around the downtown area. He decides to go with the individual who had the concern just to check on things and together they discover Patricia has died.
Everyone believes the death is from natural causes, including Mac’s brother Vince, but Mac doesn’t believe this to be the case. So, he decides to investigate on his own with help from his girlfriend Millie.
The Christmas Walk Caper is set in a town that reminds you of a Christmas Hallmark movie, just with a bit of murder instead. With several suspects to look at Mac and Millie have a lot on their hands. The actual Christmas Walk is a bit deal and brings in a huge crowd and lots of money for the town, so Patricia being potential murdered instead of dying from natural causes is fairly inconvenient for those involved, especially some of the suspects.
Things I Liked:
- Christmas. You can never go wrong with this holiday, especially when the backdrop is festivity
and the town has a small town feel to it.
- About 75% of the way, the story took a turn I wasn’t expecting. There’s a slight twist of sorts
toward the end. Twist perhaps isn’t the best word to use, but maybe ‘unexpected addition’ to this
new series is a better choice. I mean, cozy mysteries often have an element that makes them
special and unique, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting this one. But the twist/unexpected
addition adds a new dimension to the story and any future stories that will be interesting to see.
Millie’s family. They were really nice and homey and funny.
- The cover has a lot of Christmas charm.
What was Ok or Didn’t Like:
- Some of the conversations and dialogue were a bit awkward. I noticed this more when a new
character was being brought into the mystery, or during a transition to one part of the story to
another. This mostly happened early on and smoothed out later.
Overall, a pleasant read for fans of cozy mysteries, especially those who like partnerships in their mystery solving books.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thanks to Lola’s Blog Tour and the author for the reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
August 22, 2023
*coughs*
The author asked all readers to write a review upon completion of this book sooo… here goes:
Ok, I hated this book, for MANY reasons:
1. Sure, it was fast paced, but the plot was so boringgg. The summary and cover looked so promising, but rly, it was just a letdown.
2. The author’s writing style has a lot of gramatical mistakes, and he avoids contractions which makes the writing even weirder.
3. The characters are sooooo boringggg. Their personalities are as dry as the Sahara desert!! They are so bLuNt and so… UGHHH, badddd characters
4. AGAINNNN, the writing style was literally like this: Becca chopped celery. She called her daughter to come down. They laughed at a joke. AHHHHH -_-
Anyways, so sorry, but… I don’t rly recommend this book. Didn’t rly like it :/
***************
Christian View:
At the end, I found out that one of the MCs is a witch, and so is her mom. I honestly had no clue because it was only revealed at the end and… well, you couldn’t notice anything, until the last ten pages, soooo…. yeah.
The author asked all readers to write a review upon completion of this book sooo… here goes:
Ok, I hated this book, for MANY reasons:
1. Sure, it was fast paced, but the plot was so boringgg. The summary and cover looked so promising, but rly, it was just a letdown.
2. The author’s writing style has a lot of gramatical mistakes, and he avoids contractions which makes the writing even weirder.
3. The characters are sooooo boringggg. Their personalities are as dry as the Sahara desert!! They are so bLuNt and so… UGHHH, badddd characters
4. AGAINNNN, the writing style was literally like this: Becca chopped celery. She called her daughter to come down. They laughed at a joke. AHHHHH -_-
Anyways, so sorry, but… I don’t rly recommend this book. Didn’t rly like it :/
***************
Christian View:
At the end, I found out that one of the MCs is a witch, and so is her mom. I honestly had no clue because it was only revealed at the end and… well, you couldn’t notice anything, until the last ten pages, soooo…. yeah.
December 12, 2023
This book started out pretty good. The writing was not bad except for the author's avoidance of the use of contractions in dialogue which made the conversations between the characters somewhat awkward. The main characters were a bit quirky, which I usually like, so I was expecting a pleasant cozy mystery. However, without giving away any spoilers, let's just say it became downright silly with a ridiculous conclusion. All in all, not very good.
October 26, 2019
Maybe the truth will out
A good read. A well thought out plot of an elderly woman killed the day of the Christmas Walk. Everyone seems to think that she died of natural causes. All except one former cop. Invalided out after injury. He suspects murder. As he starts to question things, helped by his girlfriend, more and more clues surface. A sale, a large amount of money and intimidation. Help is on hand from his girlfriend and her mother as they use magic (of which he is completely ignorant) to help catch the killer. Can they do so?
Good strong characters and I must admit that the magic came as rather a surprise. However it was used with such a low keyway that you accepted it without even realising.
A good read. A well thought out plot of an elderly woman killed the day of the Christmas Walk. Everyone seems to think that she died of natural causes. All except one former cop. Invalided out after injury. He suspects murder. As he starts to question things, helped by his girlfriend, more and more clues surface. A sale, a large amount of money and intimidation. Help is on hand from his girlfriend and her mother as they use magic (of which he is completely ignorant) to help catch the killer. Can they do so?
Good strong characters and I must admit that the magic came as rather a surprise. However it was used with such a low keyway that you accepted it without even realising.
December 6, 2022
Objectively a pretty bad book. The writing was overly descriptive, the dialogue was so stunted, and the plot just did not hold up well enough to forgive any of that.
However, I read this because it’s set in my home town during my favorite time of year, and I did enjoy all the little nods to Geneva (even if the author chose to conveniently move the Viking ship).
However, I read this because it’s set in my home town during my favorite time of year, and I did enjoy all the little nods to Geneva (even if the author chose to conveniently move the Viking ship).
May 24, 2020
I received this book from Lola's Blog Tours in exchange of an honest review.
A murder has been committed in the little town of Geneva, who would want to murder an old lady? Mac and Millie are on the case. Mac very enthusiastic... Millie not so much but still doing all she can.
Mac, a retired cop who is now a writer. I liked him, though I wasn't a fan of how he just forced himself into things. I get that he wants to solve the mystery, that he wants to find out who killed this kind lady, but at times I just felt he went a tad too far. Breaking into someone's house is just a big no no for me. But I also found it sweet that he would do so much for someone he only met like 3 weeks ago (at least I believe that was mentioned). I liked that he was a writer, though I would have loved to see what he was writing about a bit more, I know he has a writing block, but I am curious about the story.
Then there is Millie, a girl who looks normal... but has something special. I loved how she tried to help Mac, while also telling him that he shouldn't do the things he does. She tries to reign him in a bit as she knows how hyper he gets when he finds something new and shiny. I liked this girl.
Mac and Millie's relationship was sweet and cute, though I have to say they often felt more like brother/sister rather than a couple.
The town was magical and I am glad we got to meet the town in Christmas season. I definitely wanted to step into the story at times as the author did do a great job at describing the town. I wanted to visit. For real.
The mystery was exciting and fun and I loved finding clues and helping out Mac/Millie with the whodunnit. There are plenty of twists and turns as they get deeper into the mystery.
One thing I had was that it felt like I should have read some other series with these characters before reading this one. Mac and Millie have their pasts and while we do learn about them, throughout the book I just had a niggling feeling that I missed something. Especially when the twist about Millie came about. The next day (I read this one while I couldn't sleep) I checked the author but couldn't find any books featuring the characters separately. So that was a bit weird.
The twist about Millie and what she was, it felt a bit odd that we would go from normal murder mystery to fantasy and it did pull me from the story just a little bit. In the end I guess I also like it, it does fit with the feeling of the story if I look at it now.
All in all, this was a fun book with a delightful mystery and great characters. I do definitely want to read more of this series and I am planning on getting the next books.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
A murder has been committed in the little town of Geneva, who would want to murder an old lady? Mac and Millie are on the case. Mac very enthusiastic... Millie not so much but still doing all she can.
Mac, a retired cop who is now a writer. I liked him, though I wasn't a fan of how he just forced himself into things. I get that he wants to solve the mystery, that he wants to find out who killed this kind lady, but at times I just felt he went a tad too far. Breaking into someone's house is just a big no no for me. But I also found it sweet that he would do so much for someone he only met like 3 weeks ago (at least I believe that was mentioned). I liked that he was a writer, though I would have loved to see what he was writing about a bit more, I know he has a writing block, but I am curious about the story.
Then there is Millie, a girl who looks normal... but has something special. I loved how she tried to help Mac, while also telling him that he shouldn't do the things he does. She tries to reign him in a bit as she knows how hyper he gets when he finds something new and shiny. I liked this girl.
Mac and Millie's relationship was sweet and cute, though I have to say they often felt more like brother/sister rather than a couple.
The town was magical and I am glad we got to meet the town in Christmas season. I definitely wanted to step into the story at times as the author did do a great job at describing the town. I wanted to visit. For real.
The mystery was exciting and fun and I loved finding clues and helping out Mac/Millie with the whodunnit. There are plenty of twists and turns as they get deeper into the mystery.
One thing I had was that it felt like I should have read some other series with these characters before reading this one. Mac and Millie have their pasts and while we do learn about them, throughout the book I just had a niggling feeling that I missed something. Especially when the twist about Millie came about. The next day (I read this one while I couldn't sleep) I checked the author but couldn't find any books featuring the characters separately. So that was a bit weird.
The twist about Millie and what she was, it felt a bit odd that we would go from normal murder mystery to fantasy and it did pull me from the story just a little bit. In the end I guess I also like it, it does fit with the feeling of the story if I look at it now.
All in all, this was a fun book with a delightful mystery and great characters. I do definitely want to read more of this series and I am planning on getting the next books.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 15, 2019
kindle unlimited, foray into cozy type story, got a bit confused but happens to me a bit since the stroke, set the pc to read it to me and was lots better, withholding full judgement until second, always get a bit confused with new characters, my issue not his.
5 of 5 so far, plus 0.5, seems mix of urban fantasy and history, one of the few writers try to keep up with these days, in The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller Series Books 1-3: The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Collection #1 (Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers 0.5–2 omnibus), no idea why it says book 3 for book 4 on goodreads
Phantom of the Catacombs: A Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller (Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Book 5)
The Castle: A Bud Hutchins Thriller
(Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers #4)
The Ancient Order
The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller (#1)
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2)
(Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers 0.5)
The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller Series Books 1-3: The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Collection #1
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Secret Snowball (The Tannenbaum Tailors #1)
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints (The Tannenbaum Tailors #2)
The Christmas Collection: The Tannenbaum Tailors series with Bonus Content (The Tannenbaum Tailors #1–2 omnibus)
The Tailors Collection: Best Young Adult Fantasy Series -- The Tailors Collection WITH the 3 below
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Secret Snowball
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
Tannenbaum Tailors {single and various sets}
The Secret Snowball
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Christmas Collection: The Tannenbaum Tailors series with Bonus Content (The Tannenbaum Tailors Collection)
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
The Tailors Collection: Best Young Adult Fantasy Series WITH the 3 below
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Secret Snowball
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
JB Michaels Action Thriller Collection THE SECRET SNOWBALL - THE BRETHREN OF THE SAINTS - THE ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL: A BUD HUTCHINS THRILLER
5 of 5 so far, plus 0.5, seems mix of urban fantasy and history, one of the few writers try to keep up with these days, in The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller Series Books 1-3: The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Collection #1 (Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers 0.5–2 omnibus), no idea why it says book 3 for book 4 on goodreads
Phantom of the Catacombs: A Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller (Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Book 5)
The Castle: A Bud Hutchins Thriller
(Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers #4)
The Ancient Order
The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller (#1)
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2)
(Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers 0.5)
The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thriller Series Books 1-3: The Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers Collection #1
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Secret Snowball (The Tannenbaum Tailors #1)
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints (The Tannenbaum Tailors #2)
The Christmas Collection: The Tannenbaum Tailors series with Bonus Content (The Tannenbaum Tailors #1–2 omnibus)
The Tailors Collection: Best Young Adult Fantasy Series -- The Tailors Collection WITH the 3 below
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Secret Snowball
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
Tannenbaum Tailors {single and various sets}
The Secret Snowball
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Christmas Collection: The Tannenbaum Tailors series with Bonus Content (The Tannenbaum Tailors Collection)
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
The Tailors Collection: Best Young Adult Fantasy Series WITH the 3 below
The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints
The Secret Snowball
A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight
JB Michaels Action Thriller Collection THE SECRET SNOWBALL - THE BRETHREN OF THE SAINTS - THE ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL: A BUD HUTCHINS THRILLER
November 12, 2019
Reviewed By:
Jack Magnus
Review Rating:
5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review! Get your free 5-star seal!
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
The Christmas Walk Caper: A Mac and Millie Mystery is a holiday-themed sleuth mystery novel written by J.B. Michaels. Though his days as a beat cop on the streets of Chicago were now over, due to his injuries received during an act of heroism that saved the Chicago Marathon and its runners, Mac O’Malley still had a nose for sleuthing and for mysteries to solve. Not willing to be sidelined, he had turned down the offer of a desk job in the precinct in favor of a publishing contract for a true-life memoir. When the owner of a cafe is found dead, supposedly from a heart attack, Mac is drawn into the mystery.
J.B. Michaels’ The Christmas Walk Caper is a fast-paced and thought-provoking novel that introduces Mac O’Malley, a retired hero cop, and Millie, his girlfriend and partner in detecting crime. Watching as these two harness their deducting skills to get to the bottom of what Mac is convinced is a murder is grand fun. Michaels’ characters are authentic and credible, and Mac and Millie are likable to boot. The author sprinkles in plenty of red herrings for armchair sleuths to consider as they enjoy the holiday cheer that so deftly conveys a seasonal warmth to the story and try to help Mac and Millie get justice for Patricia. I had a marvelous time reading this book and am looking forward to Mac and Millie’s future investigations. The Christmas Walk Caper: A Mac and Millie Mystery is a thinking person’s sleuth murder story that also celebrates the holidays, and it’s most highly recommended.
Jack Magnus
Review Rating:
5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review! Get your free 5-star seal!
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
The Christmas Walk Caper: A Mac and Millie Mystery is a holiday-themed sleuth mystery novel written by J.B. Michaels. Though his days as a beat cop on the streets of Chicago were now over, due to his injuries received during an act of heroism that saved the Chicago Marathon and its runners, Mac O’Malley still had a nose for sleuthing and for mysteries to solve. Not willing to be sidelined, he had turned down the offer of a desk job in the precinct in favor of a publishing contract for a true-life memoir. When the owner of a cafe is found dead, supposedly from a heart attack, Mac is drawn into the mystery.
J.B. Michaels’ The Christmas Walk Caper is a fast-paced and thought-provoking novel that introduces Mac O’Malley, a retired hero cop, and Millie, his girlfriend and partner in detecting crime. Watching as these two harness their deducting skills to get to the bottom of what Mac is convinced is a murder is grand fun. Michaels’ characters are authentic and credible, and Mac and Millie are likable to boot. The author sprinkles in plenty of red herrings for armchair sleuths to consider as they enjoy the holiday cheer that so deftly conveys a seasonal warmth to the story and try to help Mac and Millie get justice for Patricia. I had a marvelous time reading this book and am looking forward to Mac and Millie’s future investigations. The Christmas Walk Caper: A Mac and Millie Mystery is a thinking person’s sleuth murder story that also celebrates the holidays, and it’s most highly recommended.
November 21, 2021
Mac is a retired hero police officer and is looking for something to do instead of writing his memoir. He overhears a conversation and decides to investigate why the owner of The Tiny Wanderer did not show up to work on the most important day of the year. Mac is certain it was a homicide, but his brother (who happens to be on the local police force) does not feel the same way. The mayor just wants the incident swept under the rug; he wants nothing to ruin the big Christmas Walk. Once it comes out that it was murder, Mac receives some unconventional help from his girlfriend Millie. I absolutely loved this twist to this story!
Sometimes you just need a quick cozy mystery set at Christmas time. The Christmas Walk Caper is set in downtown Geneva, Illinois, which sounds like the perfect place to be during the holiday season. Throw in a murder and a little magic and you have all the makings of an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the main characters and look forward to checking out more books in the series.
Thank you to Lola’s Blog Tours for sending me this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sometimes you just need a quick cozy mystery set at Christmas time. The Christmas Walk Caper is set in downtown Geneva, Illinois, which sounds like the perfect place to be during the holiday season. Throw in a murder and a little magic and you have all the makings of an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the main characters and look forward to checking out more books in the series.
Thank you to Lola’s Blog Tours for sending me this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 10, 2019
The Christmas Walk Caper is Book 1 in the Mac And Millie Mysteries by JB Michaels. This is a story well worth reading. JB Michaels has created a wonderful tale for the holidays. It is a well written cozy mystery involving the murder of an elderly woman on the day of the Christmas Walk. Our characters are well developed and interesting. Mac, a retired cop, believes there has been foul play and jumps right in to solve the crime and enlists the help of Millie, his new girlfriend, and her mother. I loved the characters and thoroughly enjoyed this caper and am pleased to highly recommend it. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary and honest review.
November 3, 2019
This story was fast-paced and never a dull moment. Although Mac is a "former" cop, who is supposed to be writing about his heroism, he can't get seem to get started. When the opportunity arises to solve a crime, he gets involved and drags Millie, his new girlfriend into it as well. Millie and her mother are very instrumental in helping him solve the case. Without giving too much away, I have to admit I did not see that coming. The truth comes out at the end. I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the humorous moments along the way. I received an ARC, to read and voluntarily review.
November 4, 2019
Christmas is supposed to be the time for miracles, BUT...
When a beloved cafe/retail mansion owner was found dead, a disabled former Chicago Cop had his suspicions. With the help of his girlfriend, the two launched their own investigation trying to find what had really happened. To quote Sherlock Holmes, now "the game is afoot!" And then the weird things begin to happen.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. However, I would have bought it anyway because it was a hoot!!
When a beloved cafe/retail mansion owner was found dead, a disabled former Chicago Cop had his suspicions. With the help of his girlfriend, the two launched their own investigation trying to find what had really happened. To quote Sherlock Holmes, now "the game is afoot!" And then the weird things begin to happen.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. However, I would have bought it anyway because it was a hoot!!
January 21, 2020
An introduction to a new series.
Max is a disabled retired policemen Millie is a loan officer and find the dead body of the owner of a restaurant. Thus begins a hilarious mystery as they try to find the murderer. Mac is falling in love with Millie but there are some important secrets of her family he will need to know first. I wish it was February so I could read the next installment. Highly recommended.
Max is a disabled retired policemen Millie is a loan officer and find the dead body of the owner of a restaurant. Thus begins a hilarious mystery as they try to find the murderer. Mac is falling in love with Millie but there are some important secrets of her family he will need to know first. I wish it was February so I could read the next installment. Highly recommended.
December 13, 2019
I was very delightfully surprised at the additional element that appeared later in the story, which really won it over for me. This is first of a series, a smooth cosy mystery starring an injured former Chicago P. D. Detective, and his new love interest, a banker, and is set in the charming community of Geneva, Illinois.
November 9, 2019
Great team work!
I loved this book! Mac and Millie are a great team together. With his intuitiveness and her unique abilities they are the Holmes and Watson of Geneva! Lots of laughs and surprises.
I loved this book! Mac and Millie are a great team together. With his intuitiveness and her unique abilities they are the Holmes and Watson of Geneva! Lots of laughs and surprises.
January 3, 2025
Geneva is really the star of this little confection, and as a longtime former resident of that charming town I found this caper as appealing as a dipped apple from Graham's Chocolate. Mac is a retired police officer who finds himself in the middle of a local murder and pursues the case with the help of his girlfriend Millie. There is a MAJOR reveal two-thirds of the way through the story, but give it a chance and see if this might be your cup of tea.
November 23, 2019
Enjoyable YA mystery!
A quick, fun, mystery with interesting characters, set at Christmastime in Geneva, Illinois, with a touch of magic that only J.B. Michaels knows how to mix into a story.
A quick, fun, mystery with interesting characters, set at Christmastime in Geneva, Illinois, with a touch of magic that only J.B. Michaels knows how to mix into a story.
January 25, 2022
Gift from the kids since it's set in their hometown. Witchcraft involved. Cozy novella.
December 16, 2019
Mac, a former cop, was under a deadline with his publisher. He was trying to put something on paper as preparations for the Christmas Walk was underway. Suddenly, a resident turns up dead in her home. Was it a heart attack?
Along with his companion, Millie, Mac sets off on an investigation, which was not always easy to follow. There were a few too many characters for my liking, and I wasn’t that engaged with the case.
Overall, this was a decent holiday mystery.
Along with his companion, Millie, Mac sets off on an investigation, which was not always easy to follow. There were a few too many characters for my liking, and I wasn’t that engaged with the case.
Overall, this was a decent holiday mystery.
January 3, 2020
I wasn't sure if I would like this book, as although I do love cozy mysteries, I'd never read one with a male as the main character, nor am I generally all that keen on Christmas stories. But! I was actually very pleasantly surprised. This was a really fun and sweet read: there was romance, and capering and a mystery! From the bit that says "A Mac and Millie Mystery," I'm fathoming that this is the first in a series and I for one, really want to know what happens to Mac and Millie next. So bottom line, if you want to read something that has a bit guess work and who dunnit to it, but don't want to read gory serial killer details-this is a good one for you.
December 25, 2020
Picked this up as I was looking for something fun and light and Christmassy. Well, it's set at Christmas, but the plot was thin, the writing was mediocre, and it wasn't really very interesting. Characters were fairly flat and didn't really behave the way I'd have expected based on the brief descriptions given in the blurb. Plus, while I expected it to be short, I did not expect it to end at 75% of the file. Not even sure what the rest was since I closed it and deleted it at that point. Kind of a waste, really, for me.
October 25, 2020
I was prepared to enjoy this book as I love mysteries and the usual interplay between a male detective (or police officer) and his current love interest. It was going well until the twist of the woman being a witch. At that point, I lost interest in the story and only finished it because I felt I should.
March 13, 2020
Cozy with lots of characters — plot is interesting. A “fill-up read” (when you wanna fill up your time until the next good read comes along).
November 17, 2021
The Christmas Walk Caper features Mac O’Malley, a retired Chicago cop, who is attempting to write a memoir of his last big case. When Mac learns that Patricia, the owner of The Tiny Wanderer, has been found dead in her home on the morning of the annual Christmas Walk, his cop instincts are telling him she didn’t just die of old age. If the local cops, including his brother Vince, don’t agree, maybe he and his girlfriend, Millie, can do some investigating on their own.
The small town at Christmas setting was charming. The Christmas Walk sounds like an event I’d love to participate in, touring people’s decorated homes. For a novella, the mystery was well-done. We had a couple of suspects and clues but not so many that the conclusion felt rushed.
I liked Mac, although he was pretty quick to discount the abilities of the local police. I found the fact that he started investigating as a way to put of trying to write his book amusing. Millie was sweet and smart and very efficient, maybe a little bland compared to Mac. And then – spoiler – at about 50%, we find out she’s a witch. Now I’m all for magic in cozy mysteries, but I want to know in advance. I want it mentioned in the blurb. Mac can find out halfway through like he does, but I want more of a hint than “a trick or two up her sleeve.” I found it a bit annoying. That being said, I did like how Millie and her mom used their magic to help catch the bad guys in the end.
The Christmas Walk Caper was enjoyable and I do love Christmas novellas. I just wish authors who are going to throw in magic or talking animals or whatever would put it in the blurb. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t still read the book, I would, I just like to know what to expect.
The small town at Christmas setting was charming. The Christmas Walk sounds like an event I’d love to participate in, touring people’s decorated homes. For a novella, the mystery was well-done. We had a couple of suspects and clues but not so many that the conclusion felt rushed.
I liked Mac, although he was pretty quick to discount the abilities of the local police. I found the fact that he started investigating as a way to put of trying to write his book amusing. Millie was sweet and smart and very efficient, maybe a little bland compared to Mac. And then – spoiler – at about 50%, we find out she’s a witch. Now I’m all for magic in cozy mysteries, but I want to know in advance. I want it mentioned in the blurb. Mac can find out halfway through like he does, but I want more of a hint than “a trick or two up her sleeve.” I found it a bit annoying. That being said, I did like how Millie and her mom used their magic to help catch the bad guys in the end.
The Christmas Walk Caper was enjoyable and I do love Christmas novellas. I just wish authors who are going to throw in magic or talking animals or whatever would put it in the blurb. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t still read the book, I would, I just like to know what to expect.
August 27, 2021
Retired and injured police officer, Mac, stumbles upon what his gut says is a murder scene. He enlists the help of his new girlfriend, Millie, as he pursues the killer.
The Christmas Walk Caper is a quick, easy first in series read in the cozy mystery genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the book and the characters, for the most part.
I did wish the characters would have been developed a bit more, but I expect they are as the series continues.
I found some of the writing, particularly the dialogue, a bit stilted and awkward. At times, it bordered on seeming like a a young adult book, but it contained some bad language, so it was clearly meant for adults.
There is a paranormal element to the book which did not bother me as much as some of the other reviewer's mentioned, particularly since this is a fairly common trope within the cozy mystery genre.
I wavered between 3 stars and 4 stars on this book, but decided on 4 stars since it was an enjoyable read for me and I found myself looking forward to returning to the book at the end of my day.
The Christmas Walk Caper is a quick, easy first in series read in the cozy mystery genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the book and the characters, for the most part.
I did wish the characters would have been developed a bit more, but I expect they are as the series continues.
I found some of the writing, particularly the dialogue, a bit stilted and awkward. At times, it bordered on seeming like a a young adult book, but it contained some bad language, so it was clearly meant for adults.
There is a paranormal element to the book which did not bother me as much as some of the other reviewer's mentioned, particularly since this is a fairly common trope within the cozy mystery genre.
I wavered between 3 stars and 4 stars on this book, but decided on 4 stars since it was an enjoyable read for me and I found myself looking forward to returning to the book at the end of my day.
December 20, 2022
The subtitle of this book is “A Mac and Millie Mystery” which is very accurate as the two make a most comical team of investigators. Mac, a retired too-soon cop with a brother who is still a cop, and Millie who desperately needs to get away from her parents and live her own life, join together to solve the murder of a well-known elderly businesswoman. Part of the fun of this story is the frustration they both feel over the Mayor’s attempt to sweep the death under the rug in the interest of city economics and the holidays.
The town is just about to begin the annual Christmas walk in which people purchase tickets to tour decorated homes. The victim has one of the most significant homes on the tour, making it a complicated issue if the Christmas Walk will even take place. Mac and Millie are determined to find the killer and keep Christmas as special as ever. This is a fun, quick read that will tickle your sense of humor and keep you guessing as to who the killer is and why it happened. A perfect mystery for the holiday season.
November 5, 2019
Just in time for the holiday season comes a new light-hearted and heart-warming cozy mystery from the always entertaining JB Michaels. In this first entry of what looks to be a fun and surprising series, murder most foul has raised its head on, of all days, the day of the annual Christmas Walk. At first, the death of a kindly old woman appears to be an unfortunate, but expected, death of an elderly person. But with Mac, a retired hero cop on the case, things are not what they seem. Along with his girlfriend Millie, and her somewhat eccentric family, who have a few surprises of their own, they manage to foil the nefarious evildoers in time to celebrate the wonders of the season. I thoroughly enjoyed this crime-fighting duo and look forward to many more of their capers.
December 19, 2021
Bought "The Swedish Days Swindle" the day of the Christmas Walk in Geneva, IL 2021 because this author was signing his books at The Little Traveler. Turns out, that was book 3 of 4. "The Christmas Walk Caper" is the 1st book in the series. This book is $.99 for the Kindle version. It is a short story that is filled with humor, mystery and plenty of references to Geneva and the annual Christmas Walk. After going to the Christmas Walk for the past 5-6 years now. It was a delight to read this story, having the visuals of all the places he mentioned, even though he changes the actual establishment names ever so slightly. Fun, quick read.
December 15, 2024
This was a skim to finish. At only 118 pages long, I made it just over halfway in the story before I realized I didn’t care about the characters. Even though the author provided an assortment of likable people he gave me no reason to care about them. He was very dry, just-the-facts. I am not one who needs, or usually appreciates, a lot of useless filler. But I do want some personality.
To my amazement, by the end of the story I found it transformed from an almost police procedural to a completely different genre. After discovering that I no longer felt guilty about this being one step above a Did Not Finish.
To my amazement, by the end of the story I found it transformed from an almost police procedural to a completely different genre. After discovering that I no longer felt guilty about this being one step above a Did Not Finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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