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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Gingerdead Man by Maya Corrigan is the 7th A Five-Ingredient Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I thought Gingerdead Man was well-written with developed characters. Val Deniston keeps busy with managing the Cool Down Café, catering events, spending time with Granddad, and dating Bram Muir. Granddad is always up to something. When not whipping up five ingredient items for his Codger Cook column, he is working on his detective skills. Granddad is a hoot. I liked that he managed to surprise Val with some of the things he did regarding the case. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Dickens of a Holiday Festival with people dressed up in Victorian costumes. It reminded me of German Village where I grew up (instead of Dickens, they do German traditions). The mystery was well-plotted and went nicely with the theme of the book. I especially enjoyed the Christmas killer dressed up as the Ghost of Christmas Present. While I was able to pinpoint the identity of the killer early on, I still enjoyed following the mystery to the end. I could have done with less speculation and there was some repetition of case details. The whodunit had a good reveal and wrap up. I like that the case was wrapped up with a bow. Gingerdead Man was an entertaining and creative cozy mystery with a snockered Santa, a disenchanted Scrooge, killer cookies, contaminated chocolates, and one consumed Christmas killer.
kimdavishb's review against another edition
5.0
GINGERDEAD MAN is the seventh book in the Five-Ingredient Mysteries by Maya Corrigan and is every bit as tasty as the previous books in the series. From the adorable holiday-themed cover to entice a reader, to the Dickens-themed holiday festival, to all the trimmings Christmas has to offer, Ms. Corrigan captured my attention. With vivid scenes described on the pages, I felt like I was there, experiencing the action right alongside the protagonist, Val Deniston. Val is a delightful character and I adore her relationship with her grandfather. Besides being family, they’re also roommates and work together to solve crimes. Granddad is one of my favorite characters in the series. Despite his age, he’s feisty and a go-getter. Not content to sit back and enjoy his golden years, Granddad snagged himself a newspaper column as The Codger Cook, despite not knowing how to cook. He’s also obtained his private investigator’s license and usually volunteers to play Santa for the annual holiday festival. Except that this year he’s been booted out from the Santa position and demoted to playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Despite his bah humbug attitude, Granddad still manages to imbue the role with some humor as he spouts off quotes from A Christmas Carol to fit a variety of situations.
When the new Santa is murdered right in front of Ebenezer Scrooge and Mrs. Clause, who’s more of a vixen than a grandmotherly type, Val and Granddad know they’ll have to sort out the clues. Ms. Corrigan sets the stage for a straightforward murder mystery but then throws in twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Granddad loves to spout off his theories, usually based on Hitchcock films, which added some humor and added to the enjoyment of watching the story unfold. There are clues to keep the sharp-eyed reader on track but, to be honest, this is one of those books I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did! I finished the book with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this charming series!
Granddad’s Codger Cook newspaper column touts his five-ingredient recipes. While he didn’t know much about cooking when he started, Granddad has increased his knowledge and skill instead of relying on Val. As usual, Ms. Corrigan includes several five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book and they all sound fantastic.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When the new Santa is murdered right in front of Ebenezer Scrooge and Mrs. Clause, who’s more of a vixen than a grandmotherly type, Val and Granddad know they’ll have to sort out the clues. Ms. Corrigan sets the stage for a straightforward murder mystery but then throws in twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Granddad loves to spout off his theories, usually based on Hitchcock films, which added some humor and added to the enjoyment of watching the story unfold. There are clues to keep the sharp-eyed reader on track but, to be honest, this is one of those books I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did! I finished the book with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this charming series!
Granddad’s Codger Cook newspaper column touts his five-ingredient recipes. While he didn’t know much about cooking when he started, Granddad has increased his knowledge and skill instead of relying on Val. As usual, Ms. Corrigan includes several five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book and they all sound fantastic.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
lisakimmence3's review against another edition
3.0
This was such a fun cozy holiday mystery to read for the season. I enjoyed it and would like to pick up others in this series.
kayla_dogmom's review against another edition
Didn’t have time to finish before Christmas
krystlekouture's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up. Enjoyed the unique mystery and crime solving duo.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this one. Suitibly festive. A mystery that kept me guessing. Likable character's, and bonus recipes.
mayke's review against another edition
3.0
Cozy murder mystery set around Christmas.
You don't need to read the other books in the series to be able to read this.
Enjoyable Christmas mystery about a murder in a small town. The first and last part of the book felt good and were of a good pace, but the middle part made me struggle. It felt so long and it took me quite some time to get through it.
I loved that it involved a grandpa. Val and her grandpa are a great team of amateur detectives solving crime.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the book in exchange of a review. This did not affect my rating.
You don't need to read the other books in the series to be able to read this.
Enjoyable Christmas mystery about a murder in a small town. The first and last part of the book felt good and were of a good pace, but the middle part made me struggle. It felt so long and it took me quite some time to get through it.
I loved that it involved a grandpa. Val and her grandpa are a great team of amateur detectives solving crime.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the book in exchange of a review. This did not affect my rating.
betcei's review against another edition
3.0
Who murders Santa at a Dickens Festival? In front of 6 other people also? Then the murderer goes on to kill others in the town. Why? Who holds the biggest grudge? A fun cozy to read for the season.
tamsterdam_reads's review against another edition
5.0
When I heard about the latest in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series that came out, it was hard to not read it right away. As the title suggests, this takes place near Christmas & I wanted to save it for this festive month. The red herrings in this book were so well developed that it kept me second guessing myself. I also love Val's character as she is a self-assured woman who asserts herself when she needs to and doesn't take no for an answer. Don, Val's granddad, was his charming self and I loved his outlandish theories that in end the, end was exactly what happened. The puns & adorable names also added to the charm of the book & was one that earned a perfect score from me.