Scan barcode
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
A Christmas Peril by J.A. Hennrikus is the first story in A Theater Cop Mystery series. Edwina “Sully” Sullivan has been the general manager of the Cliffside Theater Company in Trevorton, Massachusetts for the last five years since leaving the force (and her ex-husband). Sully is busy with preparations for their annual performance of A Christmas Carol, but she is taking time out to attend the funeral of Peter Whitehall. Peter’s son, Eric is a friend and Sully is tending the event for him. When Eric ends up arrested for Peter’s murder, Sully puts her detecting skills to work finding the real killer. Sully has her hands full with keeping the budget on track for A Christmas Carol, replacing an actor, dealing with Patrick King who cannot remember his lines and has a drinking problem (along with a huge ego), and finding Peter’s killer.
When I started reading A Christmas Peril, I went back to check that this was the first book. I felt like I was plopped down in the middle of a series. The book is very confusing in the beginning. It felt like the book was written out of order (with the beginning in the middle and the middle at the beginning). The pace of the story is a little too slow for my liking and it felt dated (like it was written for a different time-period). The book lacked flow and smooth transitions. Many of the same details are repeated frequently (after I while I could recite them by rote). Sully became fixated on murder (obsessed). Too much of the book is focused on conjecture and hearsay (Sully going over the same details). I solved the crime at Peter’s funeral (it should not be that easy). There are a couple of possible love interests for Sully in the story. I could have done with less “flirting” and a more interesting/engaging mystery. At the end of the story, there are dangling threads (it felt unfinished) and it was convoluted. The Christmas aspect was very light (almost non-existent). A Christmas Peril would have benefited from more editing/rewriting.
When I started reading A Christmas Peril, I went back to check that this was the first book. I felt like I was plopped down in the middle of a series. The book is very confusing in the beginning. It felt like the book was written out of order (with the beginning in the middle and the middle at the beginning). The pace of the story is a little too slow for my liking and it felt dated (like it was written for a different time-period). The book lacked flow and smooth transitions. Many of the same details are repeated frequently (after I while I could recite them by rote). Sully became fixated on murder (obsessed). Too much of the book is focused on conjecture and hearsay (Sully going over the same details). I solved the crime at Peter’s funeral (it should not be that easy). There are a couple of possible love interests for Sully in the story. I could have done with less “flirting” and a more interesting/engaging mystery. At the end of the story, there are dangling threads (it felt unfinished) and it was convoluted. The Christmas aspect was very light (almost non-existent). A Christmas Peril would have benefited from more editing/rewriting.
katreader's review against another edition
4.0
A CHRISTMAS PERIL by J.A. Hennrikus
The First Theater Cop Mystery
Sully Sullivan may have given up her badge, but she retains her police smarts as her worlds collide.
After leaving the police force and her cheating husband, Sully returned to her hometown to become the general manager of the Cliffside Theater Company. But when well to do Peter Whitehall, a once friend of the family, is murdered his family request Sully look into things. To cure her curiosity and save her good friend, who happens to be the son of the victim as well as the primary suspect, Sully agrees. She finds herself sorting out a dysfunctional family and business while also trying to keep a disastrous production of A Christmas Carol on track. Add the return of her ex-husband, serving as lawyer to the family, and a former fling in to save the show, and Sully must use all of her police training and theater know how to solve the mystery before she becomes the ghost of Christmas future!
J.A. Hennrikus hits all the right marks in her first Theater Cop Mystery. Sully Sullivan is a tough protagonist with enough issues to make her endearing. While she doesn't carry a badge, Sully still has the heart and mind of a cop. She straddles more than one world, but is able to work well in both. Drama is heightened when two former loves come on the scene. Working with her ex-husband on the murder and a former fling in the theater, Sully has her hands, and heart, full.
The worlds of theater and law enforcement may appear incongruous at first, but they truly aren't as I, a former police officer with a degree in theatre, can attest! A CHRISTMAS PERIL is an intricately plotted mystery with fascinating characters. I look forward to the next act!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The First Theater Cop Mystery
Sully Sullivan may have given up her badge, but she retains her police smarts as her worlds collide.
After leaving the police force and her cheating husband, Sully returned to her hometown to become the general manager of the Cliffside Theater Company. But when well to do Peter Whitehall, a once friend of the family, is murdered his family request Sully look into things. To cure her curiosity and save her good friend, who happens to be the son of the victim as well as the primary suspect, Sully agrees. She finds herself sorting out a dysfunctional family and business while also trying to keep a disastrous production of A Christmas Carol on track. Add the return of her ex-husband, serving as lawyer to the family, and a former fling in to save the show, and Sully must use all of her police training and theater know how to solve the mystery before she becomes the ghost of Christmas future!
J.A. Hennrikus hits all the right marks in her first Theater Cop Mystery. Sully Sullivan is a tough protagonist with enough issues to make her endearing. While she doesn't carry a badge, Sully still has the heart and mind of a cop. She straddles more than one world, but is able to work well in both. Drama is heightened when two former loves come on the scene. Working with her ex-husband on the murder and a former fling in the theater, Sully has her hands, and heart, full.
The worlds of theater and law enforcement may appear incongruous at first, but they truly aren't as I, a former police officer with a degree in theatre, can attest! A CHRISTMAS PERIL is an intricately plotted mystery with fascinating characters. I look forward to the next act!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
tracey_stewart's review against another edition
4.0
I had a feeling I was going to like this when the main character talks about "the traditional pantyhose dance". I love that.
The feeling was enhanced by the fact that a secondary character suddenly popped up who had my exact name – just first as last and vice versa (and my first name spelled "wrong"). I have never seen that before. It was also fun when that character, Stewart, engaged in a Shakespeare quote battle with another fellow named Patrick; Patrick and Stewart and Shakespeare all in the same sentence is just fun.
"…Something darted out—probably a coyote … "
"Probably a dog."
"Whose story is this? Anyway, I veered to avoid the werewolf…"
I'm often very hard on cozy mysteries, but this has all the essential ingredients, blended to excellent effect. The main character has a good and solid foundation for involving herself in any mysteries that come her way: she was a cop. And I loved the fact that the reason her cop-hood is in the past tense is that she was basically … encouraged very strongly to resign, as I recall. She wasn't a model police officer, nor a model wife or daughter or friend or overall human being – but her faults and failings never make her obnoxious. She's not sympathetic, on the whole – but she is interesting, and often funny, and her self-awareness makes her a really good protagonist.
It's not a perfect story. But it's more than enjoyable enough that it doesn't matter. I've said it before, and as long as I keep reading cozy mysteries I'm sure I'll say it again: the plot is possibly the least important part of a cozy. If an author can sell me on a three-dimensional, five-sensate (is that a thing? It should be) setting, on well-rounded characters I'm happy to spend a few hours with and will look forward to meeting again, and on sharp and clever writing that is not over-reliant on puns – then I honestly don't much care whodunit or why. Don't get me wrong – there had better be an at least halfway decent plot – but if the rest of it has lulled me into a state of complacency, I'm much less likely to complain about anything else.
And the writing here is sharp and clever. "Leftover summer detriment, suntan lotion and gardening hats" – what a great, concise snapshot. It was good enough to overcome multiple issues with editing which I sincerely hope aren't going unnoticed by people who can fix them. Y'know, it worries me a little that the Netgalley emails often remind us "don't worry! This is an ARC! All those little grammar and spelling and punctuation things you people love to nitpick about will be fixed before the book's published!" Well, I hope so. I wouldn't want to see something about "breeching confidentiality" in the finished book, or about something peaking instead of peeking. Or pronoun abuse. Or apostrophe abuse. Et cetera.
Because this was a really fun book. And for once I look forward to reading a lot more.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
The feeling was enhanced by the fact that a secondary character suddenly popped up who had my exact name – just first as last and vice versa (and my first name spelled "wrong"). I have never seen that before. It was also fun when that character, Stewart, engaged in a Shakespeare quote battle with another fellow named Patrick; Patrick and Stewart and Shakespeare all in the same sentence is just fun.
"…Something darted out—probably a coyote … "
"Probably a dog."
"Whose story is this? Anyway, I veered to avoid the werewolf…"
I'm often very hard on cozy mysteries, but this has all the essential ingredients, blended to excellent effect. The main character has a good and solid foundation for involving herself in any mysteries that come her way: she was a cop. And I loved the fact that the reason her cop-hood is in the past tense is that she was basically … encouraged very strongly to resign, as I recall. She wasn't a model police officer, nor a model wife or daughter or friend or overall human being – but her faults and failings never make her obnoxious. She's not sympathetic, on the whole – but she is interesting, and often funny, and her self-awareness makes her a really good protagonist.
It's not a perfect story. But it's more than enjoyable enough that it doesn't matter. I've said it before, and as long as I keep reading cozy mysteries I'm sure I'll say it again: the plot is possibly the least important part of a cozy. If an author can sell me on a three-dimensional, five-sensate (is that a thing? It should be) setting, on well-rounded characters I'm happy to spend a few hours with and will look forward to meeting again, and on sharp and clever writing that is not over-reliant on puns – then I honestly don't much care whodunit or why. Don't get me wrong – there had better be an at least halfway decent plot – but if the rest of it has lulled me into a state of complacency, I'm much less likely to complain about anything else.
And the writing here is sharp and clever. "Leftover summer detriment, suntan lotion and gardening hats" – what a great, concise snapshot. It was good enough to overcome multiple issues with editing which I sincerely hope aren't going unnoticed by people who can fix them. Y'know, it worries me a little that the Netgalley emails often remind us "don't worry! This is an ARC! All those little grammar and spelling and punctuation things you people love to nitpick about will be fixed before the book's published!" Well, I hope so. I wouldn't want to see something about "breeching confidentiality" in the finished book, or about something peaking instead of peeking. Or pronoun abuse. Or apostrophe abuse. Et cetera.
Because this was a really fun book. And for once I look forward to reading a lot more.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Cute cover. Great representation of the story. Good use of graphics. Not a fan of the title work, but overall it's a well-done cover.
I really rather enjoyed this one. It was slightly festive (wish it had been more Christmasy). It was well written and well paced. The plot was interesting and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. There was an excellent array of secondary characters. Sully was a likable main character. 
There was a smidgen of romance and maybe the beginnings of a love triangle. Which is a bit odd for a cozy mystery, but hey it worked in this instance. What I wasn't a HUGE fan of was the way the book ended. The mystery, of course, was all wrapped up in a nice little bow, but the love triangle part just kind of left us hanging with unanswered questions. Like who is Kate? What about Stewart?? Does Gus want Sully back? Gus was trying to tell Sully something through the entire book, and we never find out what! But honestly, this is a mystery first and foremost, so most people won't be bothered by the lack of romance resolution.
Two thumbs up from yours truly.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
Great characters. Mystery really pulled me in and kept me guessing. I would definitely read more in this series! Not overly Christmas-y -- just the play and some mentions of decorations. I would have enjoyed more seasonal connections.
I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
dorodor's review against another edition
3.0
* I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
However.. I didn't end up reading it because I kept putting it down, I was just bored then got into a reading slump, it wasn't good. Now my actual opinions about the book:
I found it very boring and flat, it didn't have much to it. I think in the case of a murder mystery I shouldn't be more concerned with the romance than the actual murder investigation but I was. I couldn't care for the characters at all, they were all the same to me, which was a bummer. I also found it quite predictable and I'm usually not the kind of person that figures out plot twists in advance, so this must mean something is off here.
I also was expecting more of a Christmasy feel to it, but to me for some reason it read more like an early spring read idk why. Maybe another title and cover art would have been a better choice because the book did not provide that feeling...like at all, so it was a bit misleading. Also, I just felt like it was a bit all over the place.
Now what was going for it? - you may ask seeing I gave it a 3* rating. Actually I was contemplating giving it 2, but decided on 3 because it did have some good things in it. I actually kind of liked the romantic tension between Sally and Gus. (However, I still think it should be an added bonus, not almost the only thing I found good about this book. Maybe next time, she should write romance, just a food for thought.)
The writing style was also good in my opinion, it was easy to read, that's why I could finish this fast once I actually picked it back up.
I'm not saying this book is the worst I've ever read or anything, don't get me wrong. But if you're looking for a good mistery I would definitely recommend going for another book. I personally won't read the rest of the series, I just can't be bothered. I couldn't connect with the characters in this one, found them flat and boring, so what's the point? Anyway, it was a fast and easy read, good for a very boring afternoon.
I found it very boring and flat, it didn't have much to it. I think in the case of a murder mystery I shouldn't be more concerned with the romance than the actual murder investigation but I was. I couldn't care for the characters at all, they were all the same to me, which was a bummer. I also found it quite predictable and I'm usually not the kind of person that figures out plot twists in advance, so this must mean something is off here.
I also was expecting more of a Christmasy feel to it, but to me for some reason it read more like an early spring read idk why. Maybe another title and cover art would have been a better choice because the book did not provide that feeling...like at all, so it was a bit misleading. Also, I just felt like it was a bit all over the place.
Now what was going for it? - you may ask seeing I gave it a 3* rating. Actually I was contemplating giving it 2, but decided on 3 because it did have some good things in it. I actually kind of liked the romantic tension between Sally and Gus. (However, I still think it should be an added bonus, not almost the only thing I found good about this book. Maybe next time, she should write romance, just a food for thought.)
The writing style was also good in my opinion, it was easy to read, that's why I could finish this fast once I actually picked it back up.
I'm not saying this book is the worst I've ever read or anything, don't get me wrong. But if you're looking for a good mistery I would definitely recommend going for another book. I personally won't read the rest of the series, I just can't be bothered. I couldn't connect with the characters in this one, found them flat and boring, so what's the point? Anyway, it was a fast and easy read, good for a very boring afternoon.
bwilhoite8's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time getting into the story. There was a lot of people involved with the murder being related to family and business. It felt too business for me and less of a cozy than I would have like. I also was hoping for more Christmas. It only had bits and pieces of Christmas mostly related to the play they're working on. This was still a good story just not one of my favorites.
thesassybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Cute cover. Great representation of the story. Good use of graphics. Not a fan of the title work, but overall it's a well-done cover. I really rather enjoyed this one. It was slightly festive (wish it had been more Christmasy). It was well written and well paced. The plot was interesting and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. There was an excellent array of secondary characters. Sully was a likable main character. There was a smidgen of romance and maybe the beginnings of a love triangle. Which is a bit odd for a cozy mystery, but hey it worked in this instance. What I wasn't a HUGE fan of was the way the book ended. The mystery, of course, was all wrapped up in a nice little bow, but the love triangle part just kind of left us hanging with unanswered questions. Like who is Kate? What about Stewart?? Does Gus want Sully back? Gus was trying to tell Sully something through the entire book, and we never find out what! But honestly, this is a mystery first and foremost, so most people won't be bothered by the lack of romance resolution.
Two thumbs up from yours truly.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
4.0
In A Christmas Peril, Sully has her hands full. This year’s Christmas Carol is turning into a disaster and her best friend is arrested for murder. One of the difficult parts of cozy mysteries is having a legitimate reason for the amateur detective to be investigating. Sully, however, is perfect. Yes, she’s currently a theater manager, but she had years of experience as a cop and it’s her best friend who is the chief suspect. she really has no choice but to get involved, and it certainly helps that the family has asked for her assistance. I liked her. She’s funny, loyal, smart, strong, but she’s also learned some lessons along the way. And she only manages to place herself in major danger once.
The dead man was not overly-loved, even by his family, but he was important in the community. The suspect list could have been long, but the only people who could actually have done it had to be in the house – family, servants and a close business partner. I thought I knew who did it, but then there’s a second murder and it gets complicated.
I liked the theater setting and the secondary characters, theater people and the Whitehall family were, for the most part, well-developed. I can see why Sully likes them, even the ones that are a bit tougher to manage. Sully’s ex-husband shows up and they get along well, but are still cautious with each other.
A Christmas Peril is clearly a seasonal mystery, but really there’s not much Christmassy to it, aside from the production of A Christmas Carol as the backdrop. It’s not overly festive, there aren’t decorations and presents. But it is a great start to a series.
The dead man was not overly-loved, even by his family, but he was important in the community. The suspect list could have been long, but the only people who could actually have done it had to be in the house – family, servants and a close business partner. I thought I knew who did it, but then there’s a second murder and it gets complicated.
I liked the theater setting and the secondary characters, theater people and the Whitehall family were, for the most part, well-developed. I can see why Sully likes them, even the ones that are a bit tougher to manage. Sully’s ex-husband shows up and they get along well, but are still cautious with each other.
A Christmas Peril is clearly a seasonal mystery, but really there’s not much Christmassy to it, aside from the production of A Christmas Carol as the backdrop. It’s not overly festive, there aren’t decorations and presents. But it is a great start to a series.
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Before her current job as general manager for a theater company, Edwina "Sully" Sullivan was a police officer. That's the reason her cousins come to her for help when her .... uncle-ish person (her mother and his wife were first cousins). She doesn't want to help at first but then the police arrest her favorite cousin, Eric. Sully decides to step in, even if that does mean working with her former husband who is working as one of the lawyers for the family.
I was surprised to see that this was a new mystery. This felt more like something written in the 90s. It was still enjoyable but just felt a little dated. It was also surprising to me that this was the first book in the series. There were several points were I felt like there was some backstory that had already been told that we just weren't getting to see. The ending was incredibly convoluted but I would still read the next book in this series.
I was surprised to see that this was a new mystery. This felt more like something written in the 90s. It was still enjoyable but just felt a little dated. It was also surprising to me that this was the first book in the series. There were several points were I felt like there was some backstory that had already been told that we just weren't getting to see. The ending was incredibly convoluted but I would still read the next book in this series.
More...