The Twelve Suspects of Christmas

This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annie had a man she very much loved who committed suicide in 1961. In the contemporary time she receives a post card that sheds light on how he really died.

With a long list of suspects Anne, 84, sets off with her friend and amateur sleuth, Rose. They travel throughout the French countryside and through Paris as they seek answers.

The characters are delightful and I love having older characters as protagonists.

A delightful Christmas mystery with a sense of humor

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.

Two septuagenarian ladies in the South of France want to find out if a suicide from 60 years ago was in fact murder. When Anne and Rose dig deeper they find that another more recent death might be connected to the events back then.
This was the first book by the author that I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The two sleuthing ladies are very entertaining and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. I also enjoyed the setting in the south of France at Christmas and the various interesting supporting characters (what is up with Karl? I wish I knew).

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grannies, gangsters, murders—and a rollicking journey across France!
The Twelve Suspect of Christmas by Ana T. Drew is a fun mystery with elderly protagonists who travel from Provence to the Riviera searching for answers to why Annie's fiancé committed suicide years ago. A very fun read that keeps one's interest until the end.

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.

4 stars

When the case under investigation is some 60 years old, you might be concerned that evidence has been lost, and more to the point that witnesses are no longer around. But that didn't deter Annie and Rose - well, not too much anyway.

Annie has never really got over the death of René, her fiancé 60 years ago, and despite having had a happy marriage and a family, she still senses that his death was not the suicide it was claimed to be. So she "hires" Rose, a PI in training to investigate.

Now, Annie and Rose are polar opposites: Annie suffers with her arthritic knee and Rose (not one to admit to her real age) is a yoga fan, her limbs and mind more supple and adventurous than Annie's. The contrast in their personalities couldn't be more stark, and their different attitudes - both set in their ways - often impact their progress, causing some terse moments between them that puts their ability to solve the case at risk.
Yet, with the help of their families (and shared romance between their offspring) they rub along together well enough to crack the mystery of Renè's death and to prove Annie's instincts right.
The cold case, however, is not as cold as you might expect, with many similarities to present-day political shenanigans that cannot be ignored and which, when seen in conjunction with the past, help to solve the mystery and deliver justice to the past and to the present.
I enjoyed the charming setting in France and the Christmas traditions that occurred as the case unravelled.
An enjoyable read, an off-the-wall sleuthing partnership, and a captivating cosy tale.

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!

This book is a super cute cozy mystery with elderly main characters.
I loved the humor and witty way the main characters solved the mystery.
Solid 4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Thanks to BooksGoSocial, NetGalley, and Ana T. Drew for this advance copy. 84 year old Annie pulls Rose Tassy into helping her clear a very cold case—the 1961 suicide of her fiancé. He had been accused of killing his roommate’s girlfriend and then supposedly took his life. This never set right with Annie but she didn’t have the money or connections to do anything about it. Now she has reached 84, and recently received a postcard that had never been sent from her fiancé and questions about the past have come up to her. Rose, who is studying to be a private investigator takes on the case and soon finds that there are many things that should have been addressed long ago. Now it’s time for the truth to come out—even if it hurts it’s better to know than to continue to live in ignorance about the facts. Very well written and I would definitely recommend it.

Two older women are out to prove that a former finance of Annie’s did not kill his roommate and himself back in 1961. The two Annie and Rose travel to France to try to prove their case and along the way get into some hijinks themselves. A funny quirky story at times but good for a lite read.

This was an easy and fun read! A cozy mystery book all about solving the puzzle of a former lover. Oh, the things you do for love! Perfect not just for Christmas but anytime you want to have Christmas-sy feels. Thank you NetGalley, for approving my request!

Based of factual and fiction happenings and locations, I enjoyed this book a lot. It's quirky and it stands out among the rest. Our protagonist are two elderly women who set off on a trip through France to solve a years old cold case. Amateur sleuth Rose Tassy, and Annie Malian brave the wintry elements after receiving an old Christmas postcard addressed to Annie. Her love interest was said to have committed suicide but did her really? These two, at first can't agree on anything and I can just imagine what the arguing in the car sounded like, but a mutual respect soon settles over the two. So many suspects, so little time, it seems as though this case will stay unsolved with so many suspects but when things start to hear up with the clues there's no telling what will happen. This is my first time reading this author and I'm hoping I'll be able to read more cases with these two in the driver's seat.

Pub Date 20 Oct 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a fun and cute holiday book. Easy read that’s perfect for the holidays, and I always like a good mystery.

This was a lovely read; Annie and Rose, both well into the prime of their lives investigate what really happened to Annie's first love. The 2 ladies are very different, but need to work through their differences to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This was so good. Such a delightful cozy mystery to read. I absolutely loved this! This series is so good. This was a great read and you didn't want to put it down! Loved it!!
I just reviewed The Twelve Suspects of Christmas by Ana T. Drew. #TheTwelveSuspectsofChristmas #NetGalley
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It was very enjoyable to read. I really like cozy mistery books, just when I need to chill and not to think about surrending world.
I need more of that

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. This a really lovely cozy in a lovely setting. A most enjoyable holiday read.

Wow, what a great book! It was so engaging and kept me turning pages until the very end! I highly recommend it to fellow readers!