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

I love sassy older women and France, so this book hit the mark and then some! This is one that I may add to my seasonal rotation a holiday theme.

This was a pretty cute fast-paced and cozy mystery. I was hoping it would be slightly more Christmas-y given the title and cover rather than just occurring during the season. I also wanted a bit more character development and detail, but this may have been an oversight on my part by not reading the author’s other Provence mysteries involving Rose’s granddaughter first. Also, what is the deal with Karl and why won’t he tell anyone his name?!

Annie is getting older and has time to think of the death of her fiancé. She was so in love but she was the maid and he was the favored child. Now she wants to know why he died. She asks Rose to help her. Together they hunt down clues and find suspects.

The cover is fun and expected more holiday in the book. Christmas was more a timestamp and not really a major part of the story. A nice story.

DNF 50%

I am actually quite sad I can't get into this book! I'm a big cozy mystery fan and this sounded great! As my first Christmas read of the season it wasn't very Christmas-y and it was just a very boring read. I didn't care about any of the characters, I didn't feel invested in the story, and I just couldn't go on anymore.

That's not too say it isn't good for someone else, just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone. :)

Review will be on blog Dec 5

The 12 Suspects of Christmas by Ana T. Drew is a delightful and entertaining holiday-themed mystery that is guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. This lighthearted whodunit is filled with quirky characters, clever plot twists, and a healthy dose of humor that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

The story revolves around Julia Blake, a private investigator who finds herself spending Christmas in the idyllic town of Mistletoe-on-Sea. She soon discovers that a murder has occurred, and with twelve eccentric suspects all with motives, it's up to Julia to gather clues and unravel the mystery. Drew's writing style is engaging and flows smoothly, allowing readers to become fully immersed in the world she has created.

One of the strengths of The 12 Suspects of Christmas is the colorful cast of characters. Each suspect is wonderfully developed, with their own unique quirks and personalities. From the grumpy old lady who believes she's Santa Claus to the mysterious magician with a bag full of tricks, Drew has created a captivating ensemble that adds depth and entertainment to the story. The interactions between the characters are witty and often humorous, making them all the more memorable.

Another aspect that shines in this book is the clever and intricate plot. Drew crafts a puzzle-like mystery that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. The clues are cleverly sprinkled throughout the narrative, allowing readers to play detective alongside Julia. Every chapter reveals new tidbits of information and unexpected twists that heighten the suspense and keep you eagerly turning pages.

The holiday setting adds a charming and whimsical touch to the story. Mistletoe-on-Sea is beautifully described, with its cozy little shops, festive decorations, and the excitement of the Christmas season in the air. The author successfully creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that enhances the reading experience and adds an extra layer of enjoyment.

While The 12 Suspects of Christmas is undeniably a fun and engaging read, there were a few moments when the pacing seemed to slow down slightly, which prevented me from giving it a full five-star rating. However, this minor issue didn't significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

The 12 Suspects of Christmas is a delightful holiday-themed mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end. Ana T. Drew's knack for creating charming characters, weaving clever plot twists, and incorporating humor make this a highly enjoyable read. If you're looking for a lighthearted and entertaining mystery to curl up with during the holiday season, this book is the perfect choice.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa, snuggle under a cozy blanket, and get ready to embark on a merry adventure through the puzzling case of The 12 Suspects of Christmas.

This was one of those books that I picked up based on the cover. What I got versus what I thought I was getting based on the cover were two very different things. I did however really like this book. It was more serious than I thought it would be but it was still a very entertaining read. If this ends up being a series I would definitely read the additional books.

In theory this book should have been a great cozy read but I couldn't get in to it and feel there were a number of problems.

The main characters Rose and Annie were two dimensional so it was hard to care about them. Add to that they didn't care for each other didn't help. The second problem I found was that there were so many characters which either had little relevance to the story or were done and dusted within a chapter or too. For example we were introduced to Zac, Rose's granddaughter Cat's boyfriend. He was a cryptologist and disappeared after he was introduced. Why? This also didn't feel like a Christmas book, despite a couple of chapters shoehorned in where they were celebrating Christmas for one page, and decorating gingerbread (maybe).

I got to 80% of the book and realised I didn't care enough to finish it despite investing time in getting that far.

The Twelve Suspects of Christmas was a light murder mystery. I say light because it wasn't my usual intense thriller.

In 1960 and 1961, Annie and René were in love. They kept their love a secret because she was a maid in his wealthy family's home. As soon as he was done with school, they planned to be married. René ended up dead with his wrists slit. His roommate ended up dead too and René was accused of his murder. It was said that he committed suicide out of guilt. Annie didn't believe he committed suicide, she believed he was murdered. So she enlisted her grandson's fiancée's grandmother, Rose, to assist her in her quest.

The book was about all of the details of their investigation. The murder mysteries I usually read are intense nail biters. This one didn't keep me on the edge of my seat, but I kept reading because I wanted to know what the end result was. The author was a good storyteller and was able to hold my attention until the very end. It wasn't my usual psychological thriller but I was thoroughly entertained. It earned five stars from me.

I just could not get invested in this book. It sounded like a cozy mystery involving older women and that premise interested me. Part of the problem was that the author used a lot of local to the story terminology. I had no idea what most of them meant. The two main women were just not enough to keep the story going. I did finish after skimming through a lot on each page.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book. The description caught my attention immediately and I thought I was in for a fun murder-mystery with some humor thrown in for good measure. I love the idea of an amateur sleuth partnering up with an older main character to dig up the truth. I also love that there is dog yoga mentioned aka Doga! Unfortunately, I was not able to get invested in the characters. I don't know if it is because there wasn't much background about what happened in the past or if I just couldn't appreciate the setting that they were in. It didn’t feel like it moved quick enough for me either. I ended up skimming through to get to the end. I truly appreciate the opportunity to review this book and I plan to try another one from this author!

I had hoped to love this, as the premise seemed enjoyable, but alas, this one just wasn't for me. It was moving too slowly for my liking, and I just didn't get invested in the characters.

Two quirky lovable senior citizens, one 84 and the other a perpetual 65 (well 76 but who’s going to tell). This cozy is set in Provence, but the investigation travels to northern France, Paris, and Marseille.

An offshoot of the Julie Cavallo Investigates series, the grandmothers of the main characters steal the show. Rose is studying to become a PI when Annie enlists her help in discovering what happened to her fiancé 60 years ago.

A postcard from 1961, found and forwarded, stirs up an unsettling old question for Annie. What really happened to her fiancé? She never believed that he committed suicide and she needs to finally find out how he died.

Although there is some tension between the two very different women, they work together to discover what happened to Rene. The trail leads them from Rene’s family to a radical political action party and drug-running mobsters. There are plenty of suspects and in between they enjoy the yuletide season. Of course, there are also lots of pastries cooked up by Julie. A charming Christmas read and even though I hadn’t read the Cavallo series, I had no problem following the story.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and the author for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

DNF at 10%

This book is just not for me. I find the characters to be annoying, narcissistic, and uninteresting. I can't follow them on the rest of their journey.

I echo what others have said about this: it's not a cozy mystery, it's a regular novel with a mystery added on. I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell short for me. It's clearly trying to do an elder female odd couple, but for most of the book, I wondered why the two main characters didn't kill each other. Given the title, I was also expecting more Christmasy bits, but, except for a couple of short sections incidental to the story, these were mostly absent. Finally, I was also annoyed by the parts where the author went on about how "young people" don't do things the right way (a lecture about truth comes to mind).

That said, the mystery is well plotted out and ties up everything well at the end. I think if I were older and liked reading novels better, I would have enjoyed this a lot more.

This is a cosy mystery with a difference. First of all, it is a decades-old "cold case" the main characters want to solve; the story is set in France; the main characters are not your everyday sleuths, but two elderly ladies.
I loved everything about this book. Enjoyed the initial bickerings of the two ladies that later gave way to mutual respect and friendship. I loved them both. All the supporting characters were really interesting as well, as wasthe story itself.
I was happy to see that they managed to solve this old mystery as it gave Annie a closure after all these years.
I really enjoyed this storyand can recommend to everyone who like cosy mysteries and like reading about more mature characters.

I hope to live so long and be so bad ass as Rose and Annie. Specially if I can be a little bit of both. Superb

Decades after the event, Annie gets a postcard from her dead fiance and now she wants to know what really happened back in 1961, she never believed it was suicide. She enlists Rose to help her solve the case. Despite being of similar age the two women are very different. Rose is active and currently working to get her PI license.
A charming story with heart and a dash of Christmas spirit as well (I could have had a bit more of that).
One thing a lot of cozies suffer from are flat characters. The murder drives the story and the people in it are just there for the ride. But not this one, plenty of character right from the start and I like both of the women right away, maybe Annie a little bit more, just a tiny bit. Might not be hundred per cent a cozy, sure they are traveling around to solved an old case but not as much puzzling that you can expect from a cozy. Annie and Rose are nice company from the first page to the last.

Favorite character: Annie
Did I solve it? Nope…

A great cozy mystery, very quirky and at times funny. I read this very quickly as I was enjoying it so much. An unusual book which adds to its charm. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this Christmas mystery. The combined elements of love,loss and mystery made it very enjoyable.