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The Twelve Suspects of Christmas
Grannies, gangsters, murders—and a rollicking journey across France!
It’s January 4, 1961, and Marseilles housemaid Annie Malian is in love. It’s also the day her fiancé René takes his life under peculiar circumstances.
Many decades later, an old Christmas postcard addressed to Annie arrives, and all her doubts come flooding back.
At 84, there’s no time to waste!
Annie enlists the help of Rose Tassy, an eccentric retired teacher and amateur sleuth.
Thus begins an unforgettable journey from Provence to a quaint village in Picardie and then on to the sparkling Riviera, with a detour through wintry Paris.
Amid yuletide festivities, Annie and Rose navigate perilous terrain. Their list of suspects quickly grows. Was it Rene’s older brother? Maybe the ex-gangster turned chicken farmer? The powerful Monegasque tycoon?
Stumped, Rose begins to question her detective mettle when a new death compounds the plot…
This Christmas, will Annie receive the overdue truth as a gift?
Shortlisted for the Harper Collins Poche - Le Parisien 2024 Prize (French edition), "The Twelve Suspects of Christmas" will keep you guessing, laughing and turning pages!
It’s January 4, 1961, and Marseilles housemaid Annie Malian is in love. It’s also the day her fiancé René takes his life under peculiar circumstances.
Many decades later, an old Christmas postcard addressed to Annie arrives, and all her doubts come flooding back.
At 84, there’s no time to waste!
Annie enlists the help of Rose Tassy, an eccentric retired teacher and amateur sleuth.
Thus begins an unforgettable journey from Provence to a quaint village in Picardie and then on to the sparkling Riviera, with a detour through wintry Paris.
Amid yuletide festivities, Annie and Rose navigate perilous terrain. Their list of suspects quickly grows. Was it Rene’s older brother? Maybe the ex-gangster turned chicken farmer? The powerful Monegasque tycoon?
Stumped, Rose begins to question her detective mettle when a new death compounds the plot…
This Christmas, will Annie receive the overdue truth as a gift?
Shortlisted for the Harper Collins Poche - Le Parisien 2024 Prize (French edition), "The Twelve Suspects of Christmas" will keep you guessing, laughing and turning pages!
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2023
About the author
Ana T. Drew
28 books253 followersChanticleer Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards First Place winner, Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc.
When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.
>>> Sign up for her monthly newsletter to be notified when her next mystery comes out and get a free novella and a cookbook!
When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.
>>> Sign up for her monthly newsletter to be notified when her next mystery comes out and get a free novella and a cookbook!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
November 19, 2023
In a Nutshell: Expected better because of that cute cover and premise. But both the mystery and the holiday vibes were disappointing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
Bookish Yays:
🎄 At just about 250 pages, this is a very quick read.
🎄 The various French locations are explored really well. From the fictional town of Beldoc to the actual places in Provence, the setting works nicely for the story. There are also some excellent trivia about France scattered throughout the story.
🎄 The flashbacks seem accurate to the time, with the inclusion of several actual events and political developments from France in the early 1960s.
🎄 Annie is of Armenian origin, so from her point of view, we get a few glimpses of Armenian culture.
🎄 That cover is adorable!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🍃 The “mystery” is a lot more complicated than I expected it to be. While I like its scope, I am not sure if I like the resolution. It seems farfetched and overly coincidental. (Do note that I am not a huge cosy mystery fan. I grabbed this more for the old ladies on the cover and the potential Christmas vibes than for the mystery itself.)
🍃 There are several indirect references to Christmas. The story is set around the holiday time, so there are mentions of trees and decorations and the like. I liked the inclusion of the Orthodox Christmas details, thanks to Annie’s heritage. But the story never feels ‘Christmassy’. The festival feels like it is in the background than a main part of the story. Considering the cover and the title, this is a big disappointment.
🍃 The lead pair of Annie and Rose are quite the opposite of each other, despite their closeness in age. Annie is prudish and old-fashioned and in a weaker physical state, while Rose is overly fit for her age and a free spirit at heart. I love how the story didn’t make the two senior citizens similar in behaviour simply because of their age. However, all this should have led to an interesting study of contrasts. But both of them are so judgemental and self-centred that I found it hard to connect with either. Rose is also an ageist, which makes her annoying. Moreover, there is simply no connection between the two of them, nothing to explain how they developed their friendship, if any, over the period of the investigation.
Bookish Nays:
🍂 I am not a fan of flashbacks being written in the present tense while the contemporary timeline is also in the present tense. It is so confusing!
🍂 There are way too many characters in the book! I was a bit prepared for this keeping the title in mind, but it still didn’t help. Worse, the characters, except for the lead pair and a couple other secondary characters, are not developed well. It’s quantity over quality, unfortunately. I meant to count if there were actually twelve suspects as promised by the title, but I lost track (and interest) after a while.
🍂 The story feels more like a drama than a cosy mystery. Many scenes aren’t related to the investigation at all, which itself is too meandering to sustain interest. I also couldn’t buy the idea that an honest policeman would reveal insider details of an official murder investigation to a private detective not working on that case just because the detective is his relative.
🍂 The Goodreads blurb reveals too much. I hate it when blurbs go beyond the initial 15-20% of the book. This one goes almost till the 80% mark.
🍂 I am sorry, I know this isn’t the book’s fault per se. But I am never going to enjoy any reference to the ridiculous concept of “doga”. It is culturally offensive to us Indians! Stop using that stupid word!
Overall, I expected a cute Christmassy cosy with two senior citizens handling the investigation, but the book turned out to be a generic drama with minor shades of gangland crime. If it had delivered either on the mystery or on the holiday feels, I would have still rated it higher. Sadly, it didn’t work for me on both counts.
Mine appears to be an outlier review as of now. So please go through the other opinions before you take a call on this indie work. This book supposedly stands alone within the Julie Cavallo Investigates Series, which I haven’t read and therefore don’t know if my experience was affected by the lack of familiarity with the characters.
2 stars.
My thanks to author Ana T. Drew and BookSirens for the DRC of “The Twelve Suspects of Christmas”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
This book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
In January 1961, Annie’s fiancé Rene, who was on the radar of the police for a heinous crime, killed himself. Now, six decades later, eighty-four-year-old Annie has discovered an old postcard addressed to her, which makes her question the past. She decides to take the help of Rose, an eccentric “doga” teacher and amateur private eye who has been in her mid-sixties for a few years now, to dig into the events of the 1960s and discover what happened to her first love. This begins a journey spanning various locations and persons in France.
The story comes to us in the third person perspectives of Annie and Rose.
Bookish Yays:
🎄 At just about 250 pages, this is a very quick read.
🎄 The various French locations are explored really well. From the fictional town of Beldoc to the actual places in Provence, the setting works nicely for the story. There are also some excellent trivia about France scattered throughout the story.
🎄 The flashbacks seem accurate to the time, with the inclusion of several actual events and political developments from France in the early 1960s.
🎄 Annie is of Armenian origin, so from her point of view, we get a few glimpses of Armenian culture.
🎄 That cover is adorable!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🍃 The “mystery” is a lot more complicated than I expected it to be. While I like its scope, I am not sure if I like the resolution. It seems farfetched and overly coincidental. (Do note that I am not a huge cosy mystery fan. I grabbed this more for the old ladies on the cover and the potential Christmas vibes than for the mystery itself.)
🍃 There are several indirect references to Christmas. The story is set around the holiday time, so there are mentions of trees and decorations and the like. I liked the inclusion of the Orthodox Christmas details, thanks to Annie’s heritage. But the story never feels ‘Christmassy’. The festival feels like it is in the background than a main part of the story. Considering the cover and the title, this is a big disappointment.
🍃 The lead pair of Annie and Rose are quite the opposite of each other, despite their closeness in age. Annie is prudish and old-fashioned and in a weaker physical state, while Rose is overly fit for her age and a free spirit at heart. I love how the story didn’t make the two senior citizens similar in behaviour simply because of their age. However, all this should have led to an interesting study of contrasts. But both of them are so judgemental and self-centred that I found it hard to connect with either. Rose is also an ageist, which makes her annoying. Moreover, there is simply no connection between the two of them, nothing to explain how they developed their friendship, if any, over the period of the investigation.
Bookish Nays:
🍂 I am not a fan of flashbacks being written in the present tense while the contemporary timeline is also in the present tense. It is so confusing!
🍂 There are way too many characters in the book! I was a bit prepared for this keeping the title in mind, but it still didn’t help. Worse, the characters, except for the lead pair and a couple other secondary characters, are not developed well. It’s quantity over quality, unfortunately. I meant to count if there were actually twelve suspects as promised by the title, but I lost track (and interest) after a while.
🍂 The story feels more like a drama than a cosy mystery. Many scenes aren’t related to the investigation at all, which itself is too meandering to sustain interest. I also couldn’t buy the idea that an honest policeman would reveal insider details of an official murder investigation to a private detective not working on that case just because the detective is his relative.
🍂 The Goodreads blurb reveals too much. I hate it when blurbs go beyond the initial 15-20% of the book. This one goes almost till the 80% mark.
🍂 I am sorry, I know this isn’t the book’s fault per se. But I am never going to enjoy any reference to the ridiculous concept of “doga”. It is culturally offensive to us Indians! Stop using that stupid word!
Overall, I expected a cute Christmassy cosy with two senior citizens handling the investigation, but the book turned out to be a generic drama with minor shades of gangland crime. If it had delivered either on the mystery or on the holiday feels, I would have still rated it higher. Sadly, it didn’t work for me on both counts.
Mine appears to be an outlier review as of now. So please go through the other opinions before you take a call on this indie work. This book supposedly stands alone within the Julie Cavallo Investigates Series, which I haven’t read and therefore don’t know if my experience was affected by the lack of familiarity with the characters.
2 stars.
My thanks to author Ana T. Drew and BookSirens for the DRC of “The Twelve Suspects of Christmas”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
This book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
November 18, 2023
This cozy mystery is about two senior women from France who team up to solve a murder /suicide cold case from 1961. Annie Mallian is 84 but she still grieves the loss of her first love, René Chantome. He was the main suspect for the murder of his college roommate, Gregorie Lacaze. Days later René had been found dead in his bath tub with his wrists slashed. A note was found that said “Sorry”. Annie has never believed that René killed his roommate or that he killed himself. It just wasn’t his character. Now all these years later she seeks help from sleuth Rose Tassy to dig up old clues and clear Rene’s name from these murder charges. Rose and Annie aren’t really friends but together they tackle this cold case to prove Rene’s innocence. Although the odds are stacked against these two amateur sleuths they are determined to find out what really happened all those years ago.
Although I enjoyed this mystery I didn’t completely get drawn into
the story. The mystery was solved eighty percent into the book but then after that I seemed to lose interest. The very ending shed light on what the law inspectors had found out about the murders. Readers do get to see how the French celebrate Christmas.
Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and women’s fiction about Paris will like this book.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are entirely my own.
#TheTwelveSuspectsofChristmas #NetGalley
Although I enjoyed this mystery I didn’t completely get drawn into
the story. The mystery was solved eighty percent into the book but then after that I seemed to lose interest. The very ending shed light on what the law inspectors had found out about the murders. Readers do get to see how the French celebrate Christmas.
Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and women’s fiction about Paris will like this book.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are entirely my own.
#TheTwelveSuspectsofChristmas #NetGalley
January 8, 2024
Happy to have found this for one of my December reads. . . .a short trip to France with this Provence cozy mystery. The Provence mysteries are set in a fictional village of Beldoc, and usually feature a curious detective heroine named Julie Cavallo. This particular book goes back a few generations, and has Julie's current beau's granny (Annie) needing help tracking down history on her old beau. . .and Julie isn't available to help, but happens to have a grandmother who has detective skills herself! That would be Rose, who does yoga with dogs (yup. Doga. It's a really a thing. Google it.)
From here the story travels all over the French countryside, ins and outs, tasty treats abound, and true to the title, twelve suspects are found in the search for an answers to Annie's questions about her beau, Rene, and in their poking around more murders are found. It's a twisty-turny tale tied up with Christmas ribbons and topped with french pastries. A fun read for the season - the most demanding part is keeping track of who's who!! Otherwise, an enjoyable holiday romp in France!
*A sincere thank you to Ana T. Drew, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheTwelveSuspectsofChristmas #NetGalley
From here the story travels all over the French countryside, ins and outs, tasty treats abound, and true to the title, twelve suspects are found in the search for an answers to Annie's questions about her beau, Rene, and in their poking around more murders are found. It's a twisty-turny tale tied up with Christmas ribbons and topped with french pastries. A fun read for the season - the most demanding part is keeping track of who's who!! Otherwise, an enjoyable holiday romp in France!
*A sincere thank you to Ana T. Drew, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheTwelveSuspectsofChristmas #NetGalley
November 5, 2023
I decided to read this as the Christmas season is coming quickly and it sounded fun! I would rate it at 3.5 stars.
A few things I liked:
The two main characters, Annie and Rose are senior citizens. Annie is older at 84 and plagued with aches and pains, using a cane and definitely slowing down. Her mind however is quite sharp tho she is rather prim and proper! Rose is several years younger and prides herself on how well she has kept herself up. Rose is active, does yoga and other activities and appears younger than her actual years. She is studying to be a PI. These two team up to solve a decades old mystery surrounding the death of Annie’s fiancé. It’s nice to see a mystery solved by mature ladies!
The setting is in France and I enjoyed reading about the different places Annie and Rose travelled while working on the case and some of the Christmas traditions in that part of the world.
The mystery was quite interesting and held my attention but I did find it convoluted at times. There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle and lots of names and minor characters to keep up with.
I enjoyed the recap Annie and Rose gave at the end because as I said there were lots of moving parts.
I also loved how Annie gets the chance to show she may be old but she’s not dead when the situation calls for it! Won’t spoil it for you here!
I would have liked to see a bit more “Christmas” in this holiday cozy but overall it was a quick and enjoyable read.
I received this advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A few things I liked:
The two main characters, Annie and Rose are senior citizens. Annie is older at 84 and plagued with aches and pains, using a cane and definitely slowing down. Her mind however is quite sharp tho she is rather prim and proper! Rose is several years younger and prides herself on how well she has kept herself up. Rose is active, does yoga and other activities and appears younger than her actual years. She is studying to be a PI. These two team up to solve a decades old mystery surrounding the death of Annie’s fiancé. It’s nice to see a mystery solved by mature ladies!
The setting is in France and I enjoyed reading about the different places Annie and Rose travelled while working on the case and some of the Christmas traditions in that part of the world.
The mystery was quite interesting and held my attention but I did find it convoluted at times. There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle and lots of names and minor characters to keep up with.
I enjoyed the recap Annie and Rose gave at the end because as I said there were lots of moving parts.
I also loved how Annie gets the chance to show she may be old but she’s not dead when the situation calls for it! Won’t spoil it for you here!
I would have liked to see a bit more “Christmas” in this holiday cozy but overall it was a quick and enjoyable read.
I received this advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 19, 2023
Provence, France.
At 84, Annie Malian has only one item on her bucket list. Annie needs to uncover the truth about the 1961 murder of Grégoire Lacaze. The accused was Annie's fiancé, René Chantome. Rose Tassy, a retired teacher, is studying to become a licensed private detective. Rose agrees to help Annie, and their investigation begins.
At times, the unlikely pair have a clash of personalities, constantly apologizing to each other, with conversations sometimes becoming as comical as they are serious. As the investigation takes Rose and Annie and sometimes Rose by herself to different locations in France by rail and car during the Christmas season, the story is an armchair traveler's delight.
I enjoyed the author's storytelling, a blend of creativity, facts, real and fictional locales, and historical figures. I encourage readers to read The Author's Note to learn the factual and historical aspects intermingled throughout the book.
At 84, Annie Malian has only one item on her bucket list. Annie needs to uncover the truth about the 1961 murder of Grégoire Lacaze. The accused was Annie's fiancé, René Chantome. Rose Tassy, a retired teacher, is studying to become a licensed private detective. Rose agrees to help Annie, and their investigation begins.
At times, the unlikely pair have a clash of personalities, constantly apologizing to each other, with conversations sometimes becoming as comical as they are serious. As the investigation takes Rose and Annie and sometimes Rose by herself to different locations in France by rail and car during the Christmas season, the story is an armchair traveler's delight.
I enjoyed the author's storytelling, a blend of creativity, facts, real and fictional locales, and historical figures. I encourage readers to read The Author's Note to learn the factual and historical aspects intermingled throughout the book.
October 22, 2023
I absolutely love a good cozy mystery and I love a good holiday story. This was the perfect combination of both. I was not so heavy on the Christmas aspect that it took away from the rest of the story, which I really appreciated.
In 1961, Annie’s fiancé was accused of killing his roommate and then himself, but Annie never believed the story. She reaches out to Rose, an aspiring private investigator and doga (that’s yoga with dogs) instructor, to help her investigate the very cold case.
Set in France, the atmosphere was incredible. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself pulling up a map to visualize all of the places in the story. I was also a great insight into French culture, which was a really nice bonus.
This was not only a very fun mystery, but also an incredibly heartwarming story. I absolutely loved all of the characters. It is a spin-off of another series that I have not read, but now I will absolutely be adding those to my TBR.
Thank you NetGalley and the published for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
In 1961, Annie’s fiancé was accused of killing his roommate and then himself, but Annie never believed the story. She reaches out to Rose, an aspiring private investigator and doga (that’s yoga with dogs) instructor, to help her investigate the very cold case.
Set in France, the atmosphere was incredible. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself pulling up a map to visualize all of the places in the story. I was also a great insight into French culture, which was a really nice bonus.
This was not only a very fun mystery, but also an incredibly heartwarming story. I absolutely loved all of the characters. It is a spin-off of another series that I have not read, but now I will absolutely be adding those to my TBR.
Thank you NetGalley and the published for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
December 24, 2023
What a fun cozy mystery! I enjoyed the characters immensely! I wish I had people like that I was close to in real life. There was humor and heartwarming moments throughout the story. If you're looking for a holiday mystery that is easy and a joy to read, this book (and any in the series!) is an excellent choice!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
December 3, 2023
Glad this one was free with my Kindle unlimited membership. An unsolved murder suicide investigated by 2 older women that took too many turns and twists and was hard to follow. I was not crazy how it was written in third person, very awkward reading
October 20, 2023
This is a charming historical fiction cozy murder mystery set in France that was a joy to read. I wish it would be made into a series like Only Murders In the Building. It has the past and present blended seamlessly together coming to a satisfying conclusion. Rose and Annie are past retirement at an age they should be enjoying life and what is more enjoyable than solving crime? With so many twists and turns it was difficult to put this book down.
November 12, 2023
This is a delightful Christmas cozy mystery set in France, and I was excited to see that it’s actually part of a series featuring Julie, one of the main characters from this book. Annie is the other main character in this book and the two make quite a pair as they investigate an incident from Annie’s past, when she was young and engaged and her fiancé inexplicably “killed himself,” which Annie has never believed. I adore the French setting and these two women together are a hoot, despite the somewhat sad subject matter of their investigation. The writing is excellent and I would love to read more by this author. I can definitely recommend this book; I was provided a copy of the book, which I really appreciate, but these opinions are my own.
November 13, 2023
Emotional and funny must read
This who done it is slow to start. But when you keep reading you become enthralled in the decades old cold case. You follow along with two elderly sleuths on the trail of finding out the truth behind the death of a fiancé to one of them. You will travel all over France and read about history and beautiful places. The final out come will surprise you. You will not want to stop reading until you find out the truth of who done it.
This who done it is slow to start. But when you keep reading you become enthralled in the decades old cold case. You follow along with two elderly sleuths on the trail of finding out the truth behind the death of a fiancé to one of them. You will travel all over France and read about history and beautiful places. The final out come will surprise you. You will not want to stop reading until you find out the truth of who done it.
November 11, 2023
Great and fun, good plot
Excellent and imaginative plot. Loved it. The same sense of humour found in the Julie Cavallo series is in this story, thanks!
Gabriel's grandmother is a great character, of course already met Rose who is quirky and loads of fun. Glad Julie and Gabriel played a small role, love those two. Thanks for an entertaining read.
Excellent and imaginative plot. Loved it. The same sense of humour found in the Julie Cavallo series is in this story, thanks!
Gabriel's grandmother is a great character, of course already met Rose who is quirky and loads of fun. Glad Julie and Gabriel played a small role, love those two. Thanks for an entertaining read.
October 25, 2023
I read a ton of cozy mysteries and have loved most of them, but the one's I enjoy the most are those with senior citizens as the amateur sleuths. "The Twelve Suspects of Christmas" by Ana T. Drew fit that bill perfectly. When senior citizen Annie receives new information on the decade's old death of her beloved which has now become a cold case, she's determined to get to the truth. The death described as an accident could now really be proven to be murder, as she's always expected and it's up to her to get to the bottom of things.
First, she asks soon to be licensed private investigator Rose for her help, as Rose has skills Annie can't even dream of and the two head out to finally solve this mystery. It isn't going to be easy and some of the people they're going to need to talk with come from unscrupulous, to say the least backgrounds. The two will talk to wealthy business owners and even the mob! But they soon realize an underground political group with a large following may be behind the whole thing.
This was a fun book to read. It was humorous at times and very serious at others. Nothing's better than putting a senior into a situation that only the golden years of knowledge, life and experience, plus a sharp tongue is warranted. Annie and Rose are sleuthing partner gold! Since I myself am now a senior I absolutely love books that showcase just how much the world needs our life experiences and, in this book, both Annie and Rose accomplish more with their senior tongues than most sleuths ever would. Something about when the elderly talk people listen really gets to me. It's a great book and hopefully will become a series with these two women. Happy Reading!
First, she asks soon to be licensed private investigator Rose for her help, as Rose has skills Annie can't even dream of and the two head out to finally solve this mystery. It isn't going to be easy and some of the people they're going to need to talk with come from unscrupulous, to say the least backgrounds. The two will talk to wealthy business owners and even the mob! But they soon realize an underground political group with a large following may be behind the whole thing.
This was a fun book to read. It was humorous at times and very serious at others. Nothing's better than putting a senior into a situation that only the golden years of knowledge, life and experience, plus a sharp tongue is warranted. Annie and Rose are sleuthing partner gold! Since I myself am now a senior I absolutely love books that showcase just how much the world needs our life experiences and, in this book, both Annie and Rose accomplish more with their senior tongues than most sleuths ever would. Something about when the elderly talk people listen really gets to me. It's a great book and hopefully will become a series with these two women. Happy Reading!
November 13, 2023
This book was ADORABLE. Seriously so heartwarming and brought me a lot of smiles. It is not filled with a ton of Christmas but that was okay with me. It was well sprinkled in there. ALSO, I loved the baking references as well. You can tell the author is passionate about it and has a lot of knowledge on this. Was just a super fun addition to the story.
November 4, 2023
Ana T. Drew has a way of writing that leaves you wanting more. This story takes place in France with two older ladies who want to solve an unsolved mystery from their past. Can they stay safe and solve the mystery? This is a great book to cozy up to by the fire.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 28, 2023
As always, wonderful characters and a beautiful ending! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as well as all the books from this author. She pulls you in from the start. I absolutely will read more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 9, 2023
The Twelve Suspects of Christmas is set in the world of the Julie Cavallo Investigates series by Ana T. Drew. Julie Cavallo is busy baking her famous pastries after all it is Christmas time so Annie Malian asks Rose Tassy, an eccentric retired teacher and amateur sleuth to look into a cold case for her.
Many years ago Annie’s fiancé René took his own life. Annie has never believed that René took his own life. Annie thinks he was murdered but all the evidence points to suicide. Annie has not been able to rest and wants the truth.
Rose and Annie set out on a long perilous journey to solve a crime that happened many years ago. Their journey could become dangerous for both of them putting their lives in jeopardy.
What if the person that killed Annie’s fiancé if indeed he was murdered is still out there and will do anything to stop the truth from coming out? What could this mean for Annie and Rose?
The suspect's list is piling up. The dangers are lurking around every corner. Ghosts are looking over their shoulder at every turn. Can Annie and Rose find out who was responsible for Annie’s fiancé's death? Or will Annie and Rose end up like René?
The suspense will keep you hanging on every word until the last page is read. Oh, but will it let you go even then? Or will it stay with you for many Christmas’s to come?
I highly recommend you grab a copy of The Twelve Suspects of Christmas today!
Many years ago Annie’s fiancé René took his own life. Annie has never believed that René took his own life. Annie thinks he was murdered but all the evidence points to suicide. Annie has not been able to rest and wants the truth.
Rose and Annie set out on a long perilous journey to solve a crime that happened many years ago. Their journey could become dangerous for both of them putting their lives in jeopardy.
What if the person that killed Annie’s fiancé if indeed he was murdered is still out there and will do anything to stop the truth from coming out? What could this mean for Annie and Rose?
The suspect's list is piling up. The dangers are lurking around every corner. Ghosts are looking over their shoulder at every turn. Can Annie and Rose find out who was responsible for Annie’s fiancé's death? Or will Annie and Rose end up like René?
The suspense will keep you hanging on every word until the last page is read. Oh, but will it let you go even then? Or will it stay with you for many Christmas’s to come?
I highly recommend you grab a copy of The Twelve Suspects of Christmas today!
October 17, 2023
The Twelve Suspects of Christmas is a Province Cozy Mysteries by Ana T Drew. 2 grannies plus a decades old death equal a wonderfully fun cozy. 84 year old Annie wants to prove her former fiance, Rene, did not commit suicide. Annie and Rose stir up tons of problems when looking into Rene's death. I find that this mystery is excellent with terrific characters and a very good story. I hope there are more stories with Annie and Rose. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
November 14, 2023
The Twelve Suspects of Christmas by Ana T. Drew follows the adventures of Annie and Rose, senior sleuths, as they try to crack a 50 year old cold case. Despite their differences in outlook and physical ability, they track clues all over France to discover if Annie’s fiancé took his own life all those years ago after being accused of murder.
The setting was cozy with some holiday feasts and family gatherings, and there were some amusing interviews with suspects and family members. However, there were a lot of characters between suspects, the dead fiance’s family, and Rose’s and Annie’s families. There is just enough focus on them to think that you should keep track of them, but not enough for any character development, so it became a little confusing. It did make for a fairly complicated mystery with plenty of red herrings and twists.
Rose and Annie become good friends over the course of the story, which is expected given the cover, but I am not sure how. They are very different from each other, they have completely different outlooks on life, and both are pretty opinionated and self-involved. There was some softening towards each other but it’s not really clear why. Their partnership just didn’t come together for me.
I did enjoy the final takedown at the end, but overall, this just wasn’t my favorite. It might have been a better fit if I had read this author’s series with Rose’s niece; the characters and style may have been more familiar.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. The review is my own.
2.5 stars
The setting was cozy with some holiday feasts and family gatherings, and there were some amusing interviews with suspects and family members. However, there were a lot of characters between suspects, the dead fiance’s family, and Rose’s and Annie’s families. There is just enough focus on them to think that you should keep track of them, but not enough for any character development, so it became a little confusing. It did make for a fairly complicated mystery with plenty of red herrings and twists.
Rose and Annie become good friends over the course of the story, which is expected given the cover, but I am not sure how. They are very different from each other, they have completely different outlooks on life, and both are pretty opinionated and self-involved. There was some softening towards each other but it’s not really clear why. Their partnership just didn’t come together for me.
I did enjoy the final takedown at the end, but overall, this just wasn’t my favorite. It might have been a better fit if I had read this author’s series with Rose’s niece; the characters and style may have been more familiar.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. The review is my own.
2.5 stars
November 18, 2023
This was not the cosy little Christmas mystery I expected from the cover. In fact, I felt there was very little Christmas in the book, and only a couple of cosy scenes. I found the mystery dragged on and then was solved in about two sentences at around 85%. There was too many people involved, lots of travelling, and it was all a bit confusing with convenient little elements. Flashbacks were also included in present tense and that could get confusing too, and I'm glad other reviews picked up on this. I also didn't really like anyone - early on it states "It took Annie months to come to terms with her youngest grandson’s homosexuality, which she’d learned about last Christmas. She isn’t ready for more disruption in her life just yet." alongside a few other bigoted remarks that just felt completely unnecessary and added nothing to the book except me hating the main characters. Unfortunately this wasn't the kind of book I wanted from the cover and premise, but it was a quick read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
November 15, 2023
A romp through France. A slow romp…more of a saunter really. Solve a cold case. Solve a modern crime. Beat a villain over the head with your cane. Teach “dogma” classes. Become a licensed P.I. Drink A LOT of tea. Find a friendship you never thought could happen.
I loved these old ladies. Their spunk. Their intuitiveness. Their perseverance. Who wouldn’t want to solve a crime with them? One accepting of her “old age” limitations. The other fighting “old age” tooth and nail. Both finding something is the other that enriches their lives.
Crimes solved. Friendship solidified. It’s a happily-ever-after ending that included the mob, grandchildren, convertible sports car, an old lover, and again, A LOT of tea.
This is the second of three novels I chose to kick start my holiday season.
More thoughts on books and stuff at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
I loved these old ladies. Their spunk. Their intuitiveness. Their perseverance. Who wouldn’t want to solve a crime with them? One accepting of her “old age” limitations. The other fighting “old age” tooth and nail. Both finding something is the other that enriches their lives.
Crimes solved. Friendship solidified. It’s a happily-ever-after ending that included the mob, grandchildren, convertible sports car, an old lover, and again, A LOT of tea.
This is the second of three novels I chose to kick start my holiday season.
More thoughts on books and stuff at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
December 31, 2023
Var að vonast eftir meira jólakósí-whodunit-vibe en hún var bara ekki það sem ég átti von á. Hélt mér illa, var ekkert það entertaining og fannst vanta meira skemmtilegt banter milli þessara MC. Plot-ið ekki það intrigueing og ekki murder mysteríu sagan sem fær mann til að vera invested.
November 7, 2023
This author has a series of Provence mysteries in the fictional town of Beldoc. Instead of the usual Julie Cavallo solving murder mysteries, this one is solved by her grandmother, Rose, and her boyfriend’s grandmother, Annie! Annie receives an old Christmas postcard from her secret fiancé’s family that dredges up her old feelings that his suicide was not quite what it seemed. She enlists Rose to help her investigate and they find a dozen potential suspects to investigate that are either pretty old or already dead. Their investigation has them cross-crossing all over France following leads.
While I appreciated the fast paced nature and coziness of this mystery, I did find myself wanting a bit more detail and character development (although I imagine reading more from the series prior would’ve helped with that). I also felt like this book’s title would mean it was slightly more Christmas focused rather than just occurring during the month of December/January. And what is the deal with Karl?
Overall, super cute and fun. Rose and Annie are a hoot!
I received this ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
While I appreciated the fast paced nature and coziness of this mystery, I did find myself wanting a bit more detail and character development (although I imagine reading more from the series prior would’ve helped with that). I also felt like this book’s title would mean it was slightly more Christmas focused rather than just occurring during the month of December/January. And what is the deal with Karl?
Overall, super cute and fun. Rose and Annie are a hoot!
I received this ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
November 8, 2023
The Twelve Suspects of Christmas is a different kind of cozy mystery. It's a cozy mystery involving a cold case.
Annie Malian engages the amateur services of Rose Tassy to look into her fiance's death 60 years previously. With the help of their families, they are able to figure out a past and current mystery.
Rose and Annie couldn't be more opposite. Annie and Rose are in their 80's and 70s, respectively. But Rose is vibrant and active, and Annie is plagued with arthritic knees. Rose is more carefree, and Annie is more buttoned up. This causes some friction between the two. The dynamic between the two is full of tension and misunderstanding as they try to work together to solve the case.
The mystery in this story was interesting. The cold case killer was expected, but the present-day killer was unexpected. I loved the setting of this story, France, and having the holiday element to it definitely add to the atmosphere of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining cozy mystery!
Annie Malian engages the amateur services of Rose Tassy to look into her fiance's death 60 years previously. With the help of their families, they are able to figure out a past and current mystery.
Rose and Annie couldn't be more opposite. Annie and Rose are in their 80's and 70s, respectively. But Rose is vibrant and active, and Annie is plagued with arthritic knees. Rose is more carefree, and Annie is more buttoned up. This causes some friction between the two. The dynamic between the two is full of tension and misunderstanding as they try to work together to solve the case.
The mystery in this story was interesting. The cold case killer was expected, but the present-day killer was unexpected. I loved the setting of this story, France, and having the holiday element to it definitely add to the atmosphere of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining cozy mystery!
November 17, 2023
Pick up this book -you won't regret it!
An intriguing story. Outside my normal reading style, but very compelling to read through to the end. Loved this book.
An intriguing story. Outside my normal reading style, but very compelling to read through to the end. Loved this book.
December 13, 2023
DNF at like 20% lol couldn’t do it
December 18, 2023
The perfect combination of Christmas vibes, murder mystery and cool grandmas!
December 2, 2023
Bon eh bien la sauce n'a pas pris avec moi. L'écriture est plutôt agréable, mais je ne me suis pas attachée aux personnages et je n'ai pas tellement aimé l'intrigue.
December 7, 2023
I was hoping for a cute Christmas cosy mystery but despite the cover and title this just didn’t hit the mark.
The two main characters were a bit too far on the irritating caricature of “old people”, there were too many small side characters and the plot was convoluted.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing and advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The two main characters were a bit too far on the irritating caricature of “old people”, there were too many small side characters and the plot was convoluted.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing and advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2023
DNF. This doesn't seem like much of a Christmas mystery or much of a cozy and the characters are annoying.
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