Mistletoe Mojo

Winter Witches of Holiday Haven #15

by Erin Johnson

Can Rudie's graveyard wedding go off without a hitch while there's a Christmas thief on the loose in Holiday Haven?

Hard-working witch, Rudie Hollybrook, is facing a snowstorm of duties, from planning her cemetery wedding and directing the family funeral home, to chairing the local volunteer group.

All while the mysterious Christmas Thief is burglarizing local businesses.

So the last thing she needs, is to stumble upon a dead body, days before her Yuletide wedding to the love of her life. And when the murdered man's ghost charges her with a last message for his wife, Rudie adds another task to her never-ending to-do list: catch the murderous thief before they ruin Christmas for the whole town.

But the pressures mount with wedding demands from cranky distant relatives, a last-minute funeral to plan, and an increasingly bold thief, who's now targeting a run-down orphanage.

Can Rudie pull off the wedding of her dreams and save Christmas for quaint Holiday Haven? Or will the thief steal not only the holiday joy, but also another life?

Mistletoe Mojo is a clean, cozy mystery and the stand-alone third book, following Cocoa Curses and Solstice Spirits. These books can be read along with, or separate from, the other books in the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series, and in any order.

Genres: Paranormal, Christmas, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy, Romance

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2021

About the author

A native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh.

In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way I’m eating up cozy mysteries is delightful

4.5 ⭐️

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 15. This one is with Rudie and her sisters Vix and Donna that own the funeral home. Archer and Rudie are getting married. Hayley is a great friend nowadays after Rudie made her see things differently in another book in this series. The orphanage was in ruins because of some people that ran it. And someone was trying to give the kids a lovely Christmas which they stole from stores to let them be happy. There was a murder and Rudie saw the man ghost. He told her that they seemed familiar whoever was stealing presents and someone hit him over the head from behind. Well I've read all 15 books in this series. They are fun reads.

[Melike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun and quick read! I plan to continue with the rest of the series.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is impossible not to fall in love with holiday haven. I love the characters in these books and love that we get to know them a little better each time we visit. With a mystery to solve, a murder and a wedding to plan its all going on.
Rudie and Archer are a lovely pair and I was really excited to read about their festive wedding. I have to say it made me a bit emotional .
I have to admit I love hayley too, she had grown so much and developed into a great character.
With so much happening this instalment really kept me glued to the pages.
So much festive fun and sleuthing.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this final book about Rudie Hollybrook,Ms. Johnson has written a perplexing mystery mixed with magic and romance. There's a thief in Holiday Haven and then a murder at the orphanage. A few deft twists, Rudie finally succumbs to the stress and has a meltdown quietly and her sense of what is right pushes her to solve the murder. A enjoyable read and an HEA for Rudie and Archer.

[Kathy O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, we find ourselves back in Holiday Haven. Rudie, who along with her two sisters, runs the local funeral home. She is planning her wedding to Archer, who runs the local newspaper. She also belongs to a group that raises money for local charities. The charity this year is Tiny Tim’s Orphanage. Rudie is asked to deliver the check personally and immediately to the headmaster. In the meantime, Archer is looking into a rash of burglaries of stores and Rudie’s rich friend, Haley’s house. When they arrive at the orphanage, they notice two sets of strange footprints. When they get inside, they discover a dead body. Once again, Rudie cannot leave a mystery alone and while planning her wedding, she does what she can to solve the mystery. Can she figure out who is doing the robberies? Can she figure out if the thief is also the murderer? Can she do it all and still have the wedding of her dreams? You will have to read this book yourself and find out along the way like I did. You won’t be sorry you did!!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's almost Christmas and Rudie is way too busy in Holiday Haven. She's just co-chaired a huge Fundraiser for the local Tiny Tim's Orphanage; there's a Christmas thief in town robbing the stores; and, her wedding to Archer is in a few days on the Yule holiday. As if that's not enough, after the Santa's Little Helper's Party recognizing the volunteers, Rudie is asked to deliver the record-breaking money envelope to the orphanage Headmaster. Unfortunately, when she and her friends enter the orphanage, they find a murder victim! Rudie is quite the sleuth and tries to figure out why there was a murder at the orphanage and who was responsible. Her sisters are trying to get her to focus on the wedding but Rudie is determined to solve the case. Can she solve the murder, figure out who the thief is, and, get married on time? This is the third book by Erin Johnson in the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series which has books by several different authors all revolving around different characters that live in the Haven. I'm a fan of Erin's books and if you haven't read her other series, I think you would enjoy them too.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Mistletoe Mojo by Erin Johnson is all about Rudie and Archer's wedding! It was an adorable read.
Who is the Christmas Thief? And why would they kill someone?
Rudie Hollybrook
Rudie Hollybrook is getting married to the love of her life in Archer, and it's just so cute that they are getting married on Yule. She is still a fantastic businesswoman who wants to have a beautiful wedding at the location she and Archer want. Rudie is working at her charity that is helping out an orphanage. I love everything about Rudie throughout this whole story. However, she tries to please everyone while not wanting to please them but doesn't know how to say no. Not only that, but I do like how she decided to find out who killed the victim. Rudie is a force to be reckoned with once she sets her mind on something, whether it be for her wedding or solving a murder.
The Mystery
The mystery that Rudie stumbles into is at the orphanage. One of the wardens was making his rounds to make sure all the kids were asleep and ended up getting killed. Of course, Rudie and one of her sisters find the body. I have to say that I fell for the red herring, but I also had another suspect in the back of my mind the whole time. That other suspect happened to be it. I was surprised at the motive for the other suspect, though, and I hope the orphans get better-taken care of this time around.
Five Stars
Mistletoe Mojo by Erin Johnson is a cute Christmas-themed holiday book that has not only a mystery but a wedding on Yule which also happens to be Christmas. Ms. Johnson did a fabulous job on this book and had me guessing from the moment the dead body was found to the killer revealing themself. I am giving this book five stars and recommending it to all you cozy paranormal holiday mystery lovers out there. I love coming back to Holiday Haven. It is such a fantastic place.


The Winter Witches of Holiday Haven Series

 
This series is also available on KindleUnlimted



Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Mistletoe Mojo by Erin Johnson.

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!



Victim/Toe Tag: Anders St. Snow

Beachcomber Weapons: Knife

Beachcomber Crime Scene: Home

Detectives: Rudie Hollybrook

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Kim Loomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudie and Archer are finally going to get married at Christmas in this book and it leds us through trying to put the wedding together and wanting to have it at the funeral home. There is also a Christmas Thief that hits many of the stories in town and also the orphanage where the presents are stolen, or so it appears. The town is overflowing with all the relatives that have come for the wedding and Rudie is so busy with wedding plans, try to solve a murder, figuring out what is going on at the orphanage that she wonders if she will make the wedding. This book had me both laughing and crying and it was also a wonderful Christmas story as well. I literally couldn't put this book down and read it in one go all night of course. I have enjoyed all of the Christmas stories in this series and I don't want to rush time, but I look forward to seeing what happens in next year's book as well.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to be back in Holiday Haven and what is better than a Wedding at Christmas!

Rudie and Archer are getting married!! Rudie is running around with all the details for the wedding and trying to solve not only a mystery of stolen toys but a murder!

The author does such a wonderful job of creating such a great setting in Holiday Haven.
I love the characters and her ability to seamlessly incorporate two different mysteries and a wedding!!!1

I laughed so much, it was so fun that Rudie wanted to have the wedding at the funeral home that her and her sisters run, and there were relatives everywhere.

I really LOVED this holiday book . So well done!!!

[Marcie Rostosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. Ms. Johnson has done it again, hats off. Rudie has to plan a wedding and solves a mystery at the same time. That is something I wish I could do. Rudie and her sisters run a funeral home and that is where her wedding is going to be and at first no one believes her. There is a thief that they dub The Christmas Thief who goes around robbing business. That is the mystery Rudie has to solve and she has to solve a murder too. My favorite characters are Rudie and her fox familiar. I highly recommend this book. But if you do want to find out what happens and how she solves it, get the book. Thank you

[Margery]

Winter Haven is a magical winter wonderland. Even murder and crime turns into something wonderful. The best wedding I have reading any book, I broke out the tissues! This is a book that IS a must read.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Johnson has done it again with this fun cozy mystery with some romance thrown in. Rudie and Archer's wedding is just rays away but will it get derailed due to a ghost, a murder, or Christmas thief....or maybe all three? Read this book by one of my favorite cozy authors to find out. "Winter Witches of Holiday Haven" became one of my favorite series from the very first book. And, I'm looking forward to reading more of them as they are released.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read. It was predictable in all the right ways that gave off many warm and fuzzy vibes, but the intrigue and mystery kept me invested and turning each page.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun Christmas Paranormal Cozy Mystery from Erin Johnson. Our lead Rudie is making the final plans for her dream wedding to Archer, but will murder and mayhem interfere? A Christmas Thief is on the prowl, distant relatives are visiting, a dead man's ghost appears, what more can happen in the days leading up to her Yule wedding?

Loved it.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudie and her sisters run the local funeral home. It is their family legacy so why shouldn't Rudie have her wedding to Archer at Christmas in the funeral home? Rudie helped run the fundraiser for the local Orphanage as well as planning her wedding, thanks to her sisters' help. The sheriff arrives at the fundraiser and tells Hayley one of the wealthiest girls in town, who used to be Rudie's nemesis, but has since mellowed out and Archer that Hayley's home was robbed. Archer left with the sheriff and Hayley since he has been looking into the Christmas thief for the paper. Rudie was asked to drop off the fundraiser check to the orphanage before she goes home, so with her sisters she goes there and finds not only were the children's Christmas gifts were gone, but there was a dead body there. Will this put a damper in the wedding plans? Will the ghost of a the dead man give Rudie any clues since she feels she has to look into the murder, will she be able to deal with her crotchety aunt who arrived for the wedding.
With only a couple of days until the wedding, Rudie's sisters keep trying to get Rudie to focus more on the wedding plans and leave the murder to the sheriff, but she won't since we know Rudie and her kind personality can't just put a murder aside. Is everything tied together somehow? But how? Who is the Christmas Thief? Is he also a murderer? This is a fun cozy mystery with some laughs and twists and turns. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal cozy mysteries with great characters and I love her Familiar! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Nina Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Christmas is in the air! In fairness, it always is in Holiday Haven, but still, it’s extra special around now!
The mystery: who killed the caretaker, Anders St. Snow? He wasn’t necessarily unliked but he also didn’t inspire any great sense of friendship either. It’s not easy right off the bat to figure out a motive. However, with only a couple of suspects, it’s not too hard to get a strong idea of the guilty party. What we have to really get to the bottom of is why and how was it pulled off?
There’s another side mystery of the holiday thief who's been burglarising businesses around Holiday Haven. Is this thief connected to the murder? Or is it someone completely unrelated?
The big reveal is cute and fitting!
The wedding: Aww, a Christmas wedding for Rudie and Archer! Oh my goodness, who would think a funeral home would make for a beautiful setting?! Hahaha. But when that funeral home is the former childhood home of the protagonist and her sisters work some decorating magic (literally and figuratively) you'll be dazzled by the beautiful descriptions.
The characters: How lovely it was to catch up with some favourites in this series. Rudie's family, including honorary 'Dad' figure, Red, are as delightful as ever. We even get a charming scene where Red helps Rudie deal with some of her heightened pre-wedding jitters. And Hayley seems well and truly on the way to mending her Scrooge-y ways, and was quite a delight to read this go around.
I did enjoy how we also got to see Rudie confront her shyness. It's not overplayed, but there is some definite growth and showcasing of how difficult it is for some of us to speak up and give vent to our emotions.
Overall, this book (and the whole series) is a wonderful addition to any cozy reader's Christmas collection. Enjoy with a hot cocoa!

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back to Holiday Haven. Rudie is getting married! She and Archer are tying the knot at the funeral home Rudie owns and operates with her sisters, Donna and Vix. As she’s planning the wedding, Rudie is also chairing a volunteer group, collecting money to aid the local orphanage. Just days before the wedding, while dropping of the orphanage donations, Rudy and several family members and friends, come across a murder scene.

Rudie is a fun, caring, and interesting character. She’s not perfect but continues to try and embrace who she is and her abilities. I love the relationship Rudie has with her sisters Donna and Vix. When Archer enters the scene, Rudie lights up and I enjoyed her interactions with him.

I really enjoyed this paranormal cozy mystery and found the setting and characters to be interesting and exciting. I was completely engaged in the story. There were some twists and turns in the quest to catch the killer. There are multiple threads woven through Mistletoe Mojo that keep the story fresh and interesting. The book was fast paced and easy to follow. I have yet to read an unlikable book by Erin Johnson. Her paranormal cozies are fun, include quirky but loveable characters, and an intriguing mystery.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful holiday cozy mystery. This is the third in the Erin Johnson portion of the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series. I enjoy Rudie Hollybrook, her sisters and friends.
Rudie is planning her wedding which is just a few days away. During a holiday charity event, her friend Haley is approached by the police about a break in at her home. Halley is concerned with the welfare of her employees who may have been present during the break in.

After the event, she is asked to drop of the charitable contributions to the orphanage. From the get go nothing seems right about this. They come across a dead body and of course everyone in the orphanage was asleep.

Unfortunately, it was obvious to me who the killer(s) were. The interactions of all the family members were great. Holiday Haven has a great sense of community. Was so happy to see the killers caught and the rest of the holidays went flawlessly.
Were the break ins and murder related – I won’t tell.

I recommend this standalone story if you are looking for an uplifting holiday book.
I was given an advanced copy and am not required to leave a positive review.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudie is gearing up for her Christmas wedding to the love of her life Archer, but when she is asked to drop off a cheque at the local orphanage after a fundraiser, she stumbles across a body and can’t stop herself from investigating.
Who would steal presents from the orphans and why are the empty packages buried in the nearby woods? Rudie also has to try to keep her wedding plans from being derailed by well-meaning friends and family, and the guest list grows ever bigger as neither the bride or groom can bring themselves to say no to those wanting a last minute invitation.
More confusion arises as more businesses are hit by thefts and Rudie’s frenemy Hayley is also a victim – but who would break into the orphanage to LEAVE gifts – someone with a guilty conscience or just a kind-hearted person who wants to be anonymous?
The suspect list grows and is no closer to being solved as the wedding ceremony begins. When the penny drops will Archer forgive her for running out of her own reception!

[Susan Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic story with a mystery and wedding, really enjoyed this story and read it in one setting. I think this is the best one out of the group. I love this setting and I really want to go to this little town and meet all the characters. Erin has managed to bring it to life and I love learning more about the sisters and there life and love the love story. The story is about Rudie getting married to Archer but accidentally finding a murdered man at an orphanage while dropping off a cheque and then trying to find the murder while balancing her wedding, relatives and finding a thief all at the same time. She agains manages it just in time. Erin has made the story interesting and I love her aunty and Archers grandad they are so funny and show age shouldn't hinder you. Definitely recommend and enjoy a peaceful couple of hours. Especially to put you in the mood for Christmas with all the cocoa everyone drinks. Read and enjoy.

[Sabetha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wedding in a graveyard? Sign me up!

Rudie and Archer sure know how to throw a party. :P

I adore the attention to detail throughout Erin's books in this series. They hit all the Christmas themed markers without beating you over the head with it. As with all her writing, many of her side characters also have a growth arc, which I adore. Not to mention Rudie's progress in this book, I love the strides she is taken to better understand helping verse self care.

The complexity of the mystery is great, Erin does a good job at keeping me guessing all the way until the end, when everything falls into place with the last few pieces of the puzzle.

I'm not one for strong romance plots, but even I have to admit I got teary eyed when Rudie and Archer spoke to her parents. Such a perfect ending to an adventure of a wedding. I look forward to more adventures with Rudie and her hilarious family and friends.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story by Erin Johnson and I hope she keeps writing them in this world! This continues with Rudie's and Archer's wedding, but never fear there is a murder afoot to be solved. Rudie is juggling many things, her job, her wedding planning, volunteering and wondering about the local robberies at Christmas. She and her family set off to the orphanage to take care of some business, but instead stumble upon a body. She gets little help from the ghosts this time, so how is she going to get everything done and solve a murder, too? A darling story with a slight dusting of old Christmas stories sprinkled in. I have to say the whole wedding brought tears to my eyes. It almost made want to get married at the holidays and I hate snow.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone's stealing from all the businesses in Holiday Haven. Then the night of the Santa's Little Helper's Christmas party that things change. First Hayley's home is burglarized, and then the strange request for the charity's donation check be delivered after the event, regardless of the time. It's when Rudie's delivering that check to the orphanage, that things go up a notch. Now there's the mystery of the stolen items and a murder to solve. On top of that Rudie's wedding to Asher is just a few days away.

As the clues to this mystery unfold, we get to see more kindness from Hayley, the chaos before a wedding, and plenty of surprises. This is the perfect end yet beginning for Rudie and Asher.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending to the series.

💖 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚 Genre: Paranormal cozy mystery 

💕 Positives:
* One of the mini themes of this story is being yourself and not caring what other people think. I loved that. It's very tough to do, but freeing once you do it. 

* Perfect mystery with plenty of twists and turns. 

* Loved Rudie's wedding. The place was surprising but sweet at the same time. 

* Hailey redeems herself in a very generous way. Such a sweet ending. 

🚫 Negatives: None. 

⚡Content Warning: None. 

🌟 Overall, I loved this book! The mystery was easy to solve, but had plenty of twists. Rudie's wedding was beautiful and surprising. Lastly, the ending was beyond heartwarming. Loved Hailey's solution to the problem and how Rudie exposed the criminals. It's pretty bittersweet though that this is the last book in the series. While everything is tied up nicely, I still wish there were more to this series.  

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable murder mystery. With Rudie and Archer's wedding right around the corner the last thing they need was a not only a series of burglaries which included her new friend Haley's places but a murder as well. The ghost of the caretaker seemed to hint two people were involved in his murder plus leaving a sizeable fortune to his ex-wife. Something just doesn't see right at the children's home will Rudie be able to find the killer and this burglar before her wedding or will the stress of everything become too much.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

The mystery in this one was not as interesting to me as in the others, but I still just enjoyed the easy reading of this story. I liked the wedding bit quite a bit and even shed a tear! I also like the Harry Potter-esque world (owl mail, etc). However, some of the plot was a bit iffy in this one, especially with regard to the orphans. I mean, how exactly are there 30 orphans in this small town? And how did no one notice that they were living in squalor? But nevermind, I am not taking it too seriously. I enjoyed the read regardless.

[Alison Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author's writing. She pulls you right into the story from the very beginning and you never lose interest throughout. The characters are all great. I don't know how Rudie didn't have a complete meltdown with everything that was going on with investigating murder, mystery, theft as well as wedding prep but Archer and her family help make the wedding spectacular. You just can't help but feel happy with this bit of Christmas magic.

[Aimee Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Rudie and Archer are getting married, they decided to have it her family business. Rudie and Archer are pulled in the murder and the person that is stealing .
Rudie will have to plan for a funeral and tried to married while figuring out what is going on in this town.

There so many moments in this book, you will enjoy your time for the final time in Holiday Haven. I recommend reading this and all the other books.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful mystery. I loved all the different aspects of the story. I had my suspicions about who killed Mr. St. Snow and I was right. I did not figure out the Christmas Thief. The wedding sounded absolutely fantastic, delightful, and beautiful. I would have loved to witness it! This town, Holiday Haven, and the characters are engaging and the world is marvelous! I had fun reading this book and look forward to more stories in this unique town!