Sleigh Bell Tower

Braxton Campus Mysteries #8

by James J. Cudney

When Bell Towers decides to build their newest boutique hotel in Wharton County, Braxton establishes a hospitality program as part of their university expansion. Despite the Ingram and Lynch family ties to prominent citizens, a dispute over the proposed landsite pits citizens against each other. One takes matters into their own hands and slays the hotel magnate during the campus holiday party. As the list of suspects increases, long-lost family members are anxious to keep their secrets from being revealed, complicating Sheriff Montague's ability to determine the murderer’s true motive. Even Kellan's forced to cast doubt on his friends and colleagues when it becomes obvious someone he knows committed the ultimate crime.

April and Kellan are also celebrating their first Christmas and Hanukkah together, exchanging gifts based on the classic Twelve Days of Christmas song. While they trim the tree, light the menorah, and experience all the traditional holiday festivities with the kids, Nana D delivers her sarcastic brand of humor and endlessly tortures the town. Among Eleanor's surprise news, Augie's new girlfriend, and Myriam's hilarious demands, Kellan's dealing with unexpected holiday drama. The poor guy simply wants to spend the merry season with his family before he's forced to trek to Scotland to fulfill his promise to the late Constance Garibaldi. What kind of quest has the psychic sent him on now?

Genres: Christmas, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2021

About the author

James is my given name; most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in Connecticut, but I've traveled all across the US and various parts of the world. After college, I accepted roles working in technology, program management, and business operations in the retail, sports, entertainment, and media industries. Although I enjoy my career, I began to focus on other passions in 2016: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is 'Watching Glass Shatter,' a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor, and romance. From there, I've written other family dramas and an eight-book mystery series. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

I'm an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, I have ~1800 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice, and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have segments where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real and show how I live every day.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/20 is release day for this book! Since this is my own book, I'm not going to write a review. I'm using this space to let you know when there are discounts or marketing promotions, as well as share some thoughts on how the book came to be.

Praise:
★★★★★ – “I appreciated the heartwarming holiday scenes as the story wound down and with a hint at what’s next in store for Kellan, I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for the next release!”
★★★★★ – “Nana D. is still my favourite. She is sassy, hilarious and unrepentant, but you know she is coming from a place of love.”
★★★★★ – “Another hit in this amazing mystery series! I say this with each book, but it really is like coming home!”
★★★★★ – “The author has once again perfected the right amount of laughter, suspicious characters and family love!”

Sleigh Bell Tower is my twelfth novel, also the eighth in the Braxton Campus Mysteries series. The series follows typical cozies in that it doesn't contain graphic violence, sexual content, or vulgar language; however, I've turned the genre upside down by focusing on a young male protagonist who is a single father and relies on his wit, connections, and intelligence to solve crimes, all while he's teaching, working at film company, and trying to keep his eccentric nana under control.

To buy this book, please visit Amazon where it's available for purchase as a Kindle, physical paperback, large print, an audio book. If you're not convinced yet, check out the blog tour for this book where you can see each blogger's posts with author Q&A, special features, videos, and future release information. You can visit my author page for more details. Thank you for considering my work.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trees For Topping, Bottles Popping, And ...Bodies Dropping?!

Ah, Christmas time in Wharton County, home of Braxton University and an eclectic bunch of neighbors. Friends and Foes, Winners and Losers, Hobos and Boozers, I feel like coming home every new book I open in this continuing series! The author has created a place we can All belong to for a little while, as people grow, change, and new comers arrive. Kellan Airwick is now dating the Sheriff, helpful as he has a unique characteristic of coming upon a dead body now and then! So many times that the University is sending him away to teach next semester to, hopefully, decrease the body count. His amazing Nana D. is Mayor, a witty side kick and always ready to cause some trouble, and we find so many little problems as everyone tries to have a smashing Christmas Holiday.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, living in Wharton County for a moment, searching for clues with Kellan to find who murdered a man, laughing at Nana D's antics and loving the extended family who keep us all on our toes! Another intriguing look into Braxton Campus life and the people who keep everything going!!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 8th book in the Braxton Campus Mysteries series by James J. Cudney and I enjoyed it as much as or more than the previous books in the series. This is a series that builds upon the previous books in the series, so if you are a person who enjoys reading a complete series, then it is best to read them in order. If you are someone who dips in and out of a series, you can read this as a standalone book. Now, about the story. Kellan is happily moving on with his life. April and her brother have moved in with Kellan, his daughter and nephew. He is getting along better with his boss at the college and Christmas is coming. This year this blended group is learning about each other's customs and celebrations as April and Augie are Jewish so celebrate Hanukkah. While the celebrations are gearing up, something is causing problems in Wharton County. A hotel conglomerate wants to build a large hotel on the lake and it will dwarf the Inn belonging to friends of Kellan and his family. There has been some shenanigans involving the zoning of the property. The family selling the property is in trouble and there are a lot of people who are upset with the owner of the company. When he ends up dead at the Braxton College Winter Gala, there is no shortage of suspects.

James J. Cudney has a way to hook you from the first page and keep it thhat way until you close the book. I love the characters in the book and have enjoyed seeing them grow and develop. Now, Kellan is an amazing MC, who is smart, trustworthy, honest and caring, but Nana D. is still my favourite. She is sassy, hilarious and unrepentant, but you know she is coming from a place of love. April has also become a favourite character, a long way from how I felt about her in the beginning of the series, especially now that she trusts Kellan's instincts so much more. This was a well-written and plotted mystery, with several suspects, lots of red herrings (or should I say blue anchovies), and a few twists that kept me guessing right to the end. The final twist had my jaw dropping and I love the set up for the next book. I love everything about Christmas, so I enjoyed all the festive activities, descriptions and customs. It was well described and an integral part of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this story and am already looking forward to the next book when Kellan heads off to Scotland.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series a lot. It’s a quick read, I like the characters and the predicaments that they get themselves into. The stories are a nice break from the heavier books that I read. I did have a bit of a problem at the beginning of the book with the interaction between the main character Kellan and his grandmother. There’s a fine line between sarcasm and being rude and obnoxious. I thought that Nana D was obnoxious at first. Glad that it was toned down throughout the book. I also thought that the story was very convoluted! A bit hard to follow at times, but overall another good entry to the series.

[Candace Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit in this amazing mystery series! I say this with each book, but it really is like coming home! I loved being in Kellan’s head and seeing what he had to fact this time! And the Christmas theme was perfect! My favorite lady was back! Nana D! She is probably one of the best sidekicks ever created. I seriously would still love a prequel on her! Excellent writing, twists, and dialogue! Anddddd I need the next book now!

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

SLEIGH BELL TOWERS: MURDER AT THE CAMPUS HOLIDAY GALA, the eighth book in the Braxton Campus Mysteries by James J. Cudney, is the first I’ve read in the series but certainly won’t be the last. With a detailed and complex plot, I was pulled in from the very start. While there are a lot of characters throughout the story, the author has thoughtfully included a list of characters at the very start which makes it easy for reference if needed. I was delighted to find that instead of the usual twenty-something female protagonist, this series features single dad, Professor Kellan Ayrwick. As an amateur sleuth he’s intelligent and quite methodical as he susses out clues on who might have committed murder during the college campus holiday gala. I love how he’s dating the local sheriff, April, who provides tidbits of information to aid in his investigation, and visa versa. Together with Kellan’s young daughter, they make up a blended family that includes Kellan’s young cousin and April’s younger brother. Rounding out the core cast of familial characters is Kellan’s grandmother, Nana D, who steals each scene she inhabits! She’s feisty and witty and is also the mayor of the town. I appreciate the tight bond between the family members and Mr. Cudney has done an admirable job in giving them individual personalities and quirks to make them more relatable.

Even though I started the book so late in the series, the standalone murder mystery in this book was complete and there’s enough backstory to pique my interest in reading the proceeding books. That said, there is a separate mystery thread running through the course of the books that makes me suggest starting at the beginning of the series is preferable. With a touch of paranormal (in the form of the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future), the plot kept me on my toes as I followed along with Kellan’s investigation. There were suspects galore which kept me guessing as I tracked the trail of clues but in the end, I was completely surprised by the reveal. Mr. Cudney does an admirable job in throwing in twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and wanting to come back to read more in this series. I appreciated the heartwarming holiday scenes as the story wound down and with a hint at what’s next in store for Kellan, I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for the next release!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved all of Cudney's books--especially those in the Braxton Campus series--and this one is probably my favorite so far! First of all, it's set in Christmas season so it makes the reader look forward to the holidays even though the pandemic still looms! Main character Kellan and girlfriend, April are thrown for a loop when a dispute over the landsite to build a new boutique hotel ends with the magnate being killed at the yearly campus holiday party.
If you've read this series from the beginning like I have, you will feel like Kellan's family is your own--especially Nana D. whose sarcasm and witty banter always has me laughing out loud! I still keep a list of characters as there are many new (and old returning) and Cudney always plots an intricate and twisted storyline so you have no idea who the killer is (and many red herrings as well)! So don't even waste time trying to figure it out...just enjoy the humor and the wittiness...and hope Cudney is already plotting the next one which will find Kellan in Scotland. What's not to love!

[Didi Oviatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kellan Airwick is a character with many solved murder mysteries under his belt. And, even though his boss is sending him to Scotland soon -partially in hopes that with with his bad luck gone people will stop attacking one another on or around campus - things still manage to get out of hand around the holidays prior to his trip. Fortunately, Kellan has very keen sleuth skills, and pared with April his girlfriend/sheriff there's is nothing that can go unsolved in Wharton county.
As with all the previous Braxton Campus cozy mysteries, Nana D is my favorite character. She's a classy, sassy ol' broad with a bunch of wit and grit. She's Kellan's Nana but she's also the Mayor of Wharton county, and in the case of Sleigh Bell Tower she's got quite the mess to work out by means of shotty old paperwork that was passed through the Mayors desk before she was sworn in.
A wealthy family with some ties to Braxton have decided to build a hotel as a part of their booming chain next to the lake in Wharton County. However, the ownership of the land it's intended to be built on isn't quite clear. The plot maps don't exactly line up, and it appears at one point there had been some altering of the land records. Two different families, the Ingrams and the Lynchs, are tied into this land. So, when Porter, the Hotel Magnete moves his family to Braxton and proceeds to move forward on his building plans, tragedy strikes! He's brutally murdered during a Christmas Gala, and his body is found by none other than Kellan himself.
There are so many direction that fingers can be pointed... finding the proper one is next to impossible. As always James J. Cudney is the master at weaving the clues so very intricately, in a way that its unfolded to perfection. There are shocks and twists and I never in a million years would have guessed who the actual killer was! I loved everything about this book. There is the perfect amount of holiday spirit, the cozy mystery was on point, and everything molded together so well. No stones were left unturned, and no suspect left un-prodded.
What I loved most about the book though, was the family togetherness and love during the holiday spirit. The character building of the Braxton Campus mysteries all tie in so well together. A broad spectrum of characters is no easy feat, yet here we are in Wharton county and I feel like every family member is my own. 5 stars AGAIN for another Wharton county win, and just in time for Christmas!!

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kellan Ayrwick has solved many murder mysteries but this is his first for me. In this madcap tale he is going to Scotland after Christmas; his boss, Myriam Castle has asked him to lecture on American filmmaking there for a term, also hoping that if he is elsewhere there will be no more murders in and around Wharton's Braxton Univerity Campus. Kellan is a professor and his girlfriend, April is Wharton County Sheriff. Myriam is in charge of the preparations for the Braxton campus Christmas holiday gala but is let down at the last minute so Kellan helps out. Kellan's heavily pregnant sister, Eleanor and her hubby, the owners of Pick-Me-Up Diner, are in charge of the catering for the event and Jocelyn, Braxton's head cook is making some of Kellan's favourite treats - sleigh bell cookies - for him to savour later. Jocelyn leaves the sleigh bell cookies in a locked room for Kellan, but when he goes for them he finds a dead body.

This is a fabulous story with a very involved mystery. It took me a while to remember who was who which meant the first two or three chapters were pretty heavy going but it was well worth the perseverance. I enjoyed the company of the outspoken and sassy Nana D though she wasn't my favourite character; Kellan himself was. I loved his relationship with April and the calm and rational way he had of working through problems and coming up with possible solutions and outcomes. Plus, he was such a helpful guy! I had a great time in the pockets of Kellan and April trying to figure out who the murderer was, which I found nigh on impossible. There were so many people who had a viable motive for committing the dastardly deed. James J. Cudney revealed some masterful skill at intricate clue weaving as the story gradually unfolded, without any parts being forced or overly convenient. The Christmassy parts were interesting and well done too. The family togetherness during the holiday was lovely, there was plenty of festive spirit around and I really liked April and Kellan's Twelve Days of Christmas present giving plan. Simply superb!

Thanks to Great Escapes Book Tours and James J. Cudney for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

[Bernard Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleigh Bell Tower: Murder at the Campus Holiday Gala (Braxton Campus Mysteries #8) by James J. Cudney is an incredible book. When I thought the author said it all in his previous seven books, he surprised us with another cozy mystery delight of a book.

A carefully and finely plotted mystery, Sleigh Bell Tower gives us a small army of interesting characters, a taste and smell of holiday festivities, a dispute over the proposed landsite to build a new boutique hotel, a suspense of a new murder, twists and turns of an exciting amateur sleuthing, pleasant creeps of paranormal, and a lot a lot of humor, family drama and intrigue (my favorite parts).

The most stellar part of the book is again Kellan’s and Nana D’s relationship. I wanted to start my review with quoting some of their dialogue, because already from the first opening lines of Chapter 1, Nana D and Kellan shine in being sassy wisecrackers. But as I flew through the book, pulled by its great promises, I realized that wouldn’t be possible. My review would end up pages and pages long as I would copy-paste all their hilarious thoughts and conversation. Their dialogues are brilliant, cunning, and contagiously funny, almost unreal! Both Kellan and Nana D are utterly charming and strong characters you must love. It hurts your bowels while you laugh at their verbal fights and outwitting. I would like to know if there are real Kellan and Nana D in the author’s life and not only in his imagination because they are more lively, convincing, and tangible than some real people I know.

Thank you, Kellan, and Nana D, for all the laughter, guffaws, and smiles; thank you, Jay, for yet another humorous and adorable hit from the Braxton Campus Mysteries!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

Subscribe to my mailing list.

Follow me on Twitter.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next in the Braxton Campus series. Fall term has just ended and Kellan is celebrating and gearing up for some serious family bonding time, honouring some traditions while also forming new ones before he leaves on his trip. He and April have decided to blend her and his traditions and exchange Hanukkah gifts according to The Twelve Days of Christmas (six each.) The family also attends the Braxton Holiday party and during it Kellan discovers the body of Porter Lynch, a real estate developer who is planning to build a hotel near Crilly Lake. Unfortunately this will negatively impact Kellan’s good friends, the Roarkes. Then there’s the constant presence of Constance’s warning from the previous book foretelling doom for the Ayrwicks. Was Porter really the intended target? And what does Augie’s new girlfriend Gia have to do with all of this?

I very much enjoyed this instalment of the series. My favourite was seeing the creative ways Kellan and April interpreted the lyrics of the song to fit their gifts to their respective days. And who can resist a naughty Mrs. Claus, bell cookies, and having a (delicious-sounding) Peppy Schnappy Blast with Nana D. over lunch?

[Lghiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amateur sleuth and college professor, Kellan Ayrwick, and his girlfriend, Sheriff April Montague, are joined by his daughter Emma, his ward and cousin Ulan, and April’s brother Augie to become a unified household despite the slight disapproval of Kellan’s spunky grandmother Nana D. If you choose to read Sleigh Bell Tower, be prepared for one of the most complicated plots and web of characters you could hope for in a cozy mystery. Perhaps, more importantly, author James J. Cudney never misses a beat. He tosses the reader into a whirlwind of complications, but manages to sort it all out in the end with nary a mistake, an omission, or a crossing of clues. I never would have guessed the culprit.

As always with the Braxton Campus Mysteries, there is a lot of sarcasm and humor. The scene where the extended family drives around looking at Christmas lights is superbly funny; Nana D’s interactions with her grandson unfailingly provide a good time.

Another attraction in this particular book is the way April and Kellan work at combining Jewish and Christian holiday traditions. As a couple, they devise a gifting game of sorts. They work off of the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” alternating the giver and tying each gift into the song. I enjoyed reading what each one devised and how they competed to find the best gifts for each other. I did have to wonder how they found the time and energy to select and purchase these creative gifts while managing their new family, the holidays and this intense murder investigation. It probably could work because Kellan is on a work hiatus between semesters AND they bought a lot of restaurant food!

Cudney sent my head spinning with characters and conflicts for most of the book. Then he delighted me with a conclusion in which Kellan took a page from Agatha Christie’s playbook with great success. The ending has some warm fuzzies that made me smile, and as always, the author concludes with a hook that will surely draw the reader into the next book in the series.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 8th entry in this series Braxton Campus Mystery. It was setdur8mg Christmas evrn reading in March, it was great. Kellan yet again finding himself involved in a mystery alongside his girlfriend Aprip, who happens 6o be the sheriff. Otherwise it was a fun book like the rest of the series. Very fun and entertaining. This series has been great with the characters and setting.

[Janet Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only "issue" with Jay's stories are that they have so many characters it is sometimes hard to follow. But that's just my issue. I still haven't figured out the killer before they are revealed. Hoping that we'll get to learn about the trip Kellan is supposed to take.

[Rae Longest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this immensely. Recommended it to my book club.

[Carol K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good story with interesting characters. I like stories set during the holidays.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 8th book in the Braxton Campus Mysteries series by James J. Cudney and as always it was another hit. While this review is spoiler free it might spoil things that have happened in previous books so if you haven't read them yet you might want to skip this review. I say this every time I write a review for a book in this series but these can be read as standalones, but I highly recommend reading them in order to get the whole story. I've been a beta reader/reviewer for the author pretty much since he started writing but that doesn't affect my opinion. James knows how to pull you in and keep you hooked. I've never been able to guess who the killer is. He makes you suspect so many people and I've never been able to narrow it down to one person. I would make a horrible detective I think. I loved the Christmas theme in this book. It's my favorite time of year and I think James did a great job of weaving together the holiday aspect along with the family time as well as the cozy mystery side. As always Nana D is still my favorite character. She has been my favorite since book 1. I just love her sass. I also love how April who is the Sheriff and Kellans girlfriend seems to trust Kellan more now with cases despite him not actually being a cop. They just work so well together. Now to wait for the next book in the series.

[Mary Deal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family Secrets Exposed

Sleigh Bell Tower by James J Cudney III, was like revisiting family I hadn’t seen for a while. Though I’d read this entire series, I hadn’t read this story due to a personal hiatus. Now, I felt right at home jumping back into the lives of the characters.

Kellan Ayrwick has a knack for stumbling onto dead bodies. He is now deep into a serious relationship with the County Sheriff, April Montague, who wants him to stop meddling in her investigations. But how can Kellan not be involved? He not only stumbles onto the dead bodies – later determined to be murder victims – he’s also quite the sleuth.

Nana D is one of my favorite characters in this series. She and her quick wit are now Mayor. She is innately intelligent but has become even more self-assured and, at times, boisterous as she carries out the duties of her office. But still, I love her sharp tongue.

Cudney builds his characters with strong unique personalities, even the minor characters. He must also have a bit of true-life experience of how investigations are carried out, what questions to ask, and how to piece together the clues. He writes like someone who has had years of experience in investigations.

Sleigh Bell Tower was an exciting read for me to jump back into the series. If you are inclined, start with the first book in the series and work your way through. The characters’ lives all carry forward. The series is quite a good depiction and as interesting as true-life saga, with each story ending with identifying the murder suspect that no one, me especially, saw coming.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost never DNF a book, but this is going to be one that I don't finish. The writing is truly terrible, every depiction literally spelled out and no skill at providing context without saying exactly what something is, usually very poorly. "I emphatically waved goodbye" "(she was) conscientiously removing things from the cabinets", "pungent scent", "delectable smells", "innocuous details", "I'd failed to realize her auspicious connection to my past" (there was nothing auspicious about it, another misuse of a word),"bickering couple", "petite blonde woman", "passionately addressed", "cerulean blue eyes", "she was still my freckle-faced little girl", "an overzealous black-and-tan shiba inu" - I mean, there are ways to tell us less directly than telling us, and using tropes and excessive descriptors, and misusing words with complex meanings. I think what set me over the edge was a sentence describing an environment that "erred on the side of creepy" - which isn't the correct use of this at all. "Err"ing is used to describe an intentional outcome, not a circumstantial one. I really gave it the old college try, finishing 2 chapters, but that's it for me on this one.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual with this series, the book was great. I loved the story and the dynamics of the relationship between Kellan and April. I have to add that I was a bit confused with all the new characters but that might be related more to me and my mental state than the book itself. I knew who the bad guy was but I didn’t get the Hampton clue. I cannot wait to read the next book and find out the story of Constance and how it’s related to Kellan.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another spectacular installment in the Braxton Campus Mystery series! I love the series anyway and this installment did not disappoint at all!! 

The plot was amazing. I totally did NOT see the villain as the villain. James did an amazing job with red herrings and providing plenty of viable suspects to choose from! So many different twists and turns in this plot - it kept me guessing right to the very end! It takes talent in writing to do that. Many authors make it too easy to guess the villain, even seasoned authors. I love it when I'm stumped all the way through! I also loved the side stories of Augie & Gia, April & Kellan's 12 days of Christmas, etc. They add a lot of "flavor" to the story.

I love the characters in this series. Kellan, April, Myriam, Ursula, Augie, Emma, NanaD, Ulan, all of them. They're well-rounded characters. They are funny and insightful and delightful to read about! Sometimes Myriam gets on my nerves with her straight-forward bullish tactics, but she's growing on me. And Kellan's growing more confidence to tell her no so it balances out!

All in all, a great new installment to the series! If you haven't read this series before, you CAN read this as a stand-alone, but family and relationship dynamics would be better if you read from the start of the series, Academic Curveball. However you choose to do it, make sure this series is on your to-be-read list!!

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleigh Bell Tower: Murder at the Campus Holiday Gala (Braxton Campus Mysteries Book 8) penned by James J. Cudney is an extraordinary book. As in his previouswork, the author astounded us with yet another enthralling mystery.

With a meticulously crafted and exquisitely designed mystery, Sleigh Bell Tower brings a compact battalion of captivating characters, a glimpse of holiday merriments, an air of suspense surrounding a fresh murder, exhilarating twists and turns of an amateur sleuthing endeavor, delightful shivers of the paranormal, and copious amounts of humor, familial turmoil, and intrigue.

The most stellar aspect of this book undoubtedly lies within the relationship between Kellan and Nana D. Their conversations are brilliant, cunning, and irresistibly humorous. Both Kellan and Nana D embody sheer charm and possess an indomitable spirit that commands adoration. Their verbal sparring and intellectual triumphs provoke fits of laughter that reverberate deep within.

Highly recommended.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Sleigh Bell Tower, a masterfully crafted cozy mystery that will transport you to the heart of the holiday season. With a captivating plot, a plethora of delightful characters, and witty banter that will keep you chuckling, this book is an absolute must-read for fans of the genre. James J. Cudney's Braxton Campus Mysteries series continues to deliver exceptional storytelling that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment.