Book Review - Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas

One more holiday read that I didn't get reviewed sooner.  Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Mysteries.  This is part of the Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch world and characters, but not officially part of the series because it is a novella.  I have placed it roughly after the second book (Two Wicked Desserts), although I could be wrong.

Author: Lynn Cahoon

Copyright: Oct 2021 (Kensington)

Series: 2.5 in Kitchen Witch Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy paranormal mystery, amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Mia Malone, owner cook school and dinner delivery business 

Setting: Contemporary--Magic Springs, Idaho

Obtained Through: Netgalley for honest review

Book blurb "For all its merriment, Christmas can also bring melancholy—and in Magic Springs, Idaho, Mia finds that the season has brought her an unhappy ghost who’s pulling poltergeist-style pranks to get her attention. When she demands an explanation, the ghost just sends a message: Ask Mary Alice—that is, Mia’s beloved Grans, who’s been training her to develop her witchy talents. If anyone can figure this out, it’s Grans . . . even if she still hasn’t managed to free Mia’s cat from a previous spell that she cast.

The restless spirit turns out to be Magic Spring’s most well-known ghost, Dorothy, who supposedly died peacefully in her sleep. Now Dorothy claims she was murdered, and she wants her killer brought to justice. And she doesn’t have much patience about it, so the pressure is on Mia—with some help from her boyfriend, Trent, and a strangely secretive Grans. There aren’t many dicing-and-chopping days till Christmas—but this year, the most important gift Mia can give is to cheer up this troubled spirit . . ."

This was my first of this series and it stands well on its own as a complete story.  Mia is a powerhouse of energy and drive.  I enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother and boyfriend, Trent. This is a short and light mystery that heavily features the preparations for a big holiday open house for Mia's business. Dorothy's ghost keeps talking about a deadline that she has to get the killer caught by, which provides a little surprise at the end.  This was well rounded even though a novella.  The ghostly elements aren't scary but provide the impetus to investigate.

Rating: Good - A fun quick read