Customer Reviews

Last Noel (Iris House B & B Mystery)

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This is the first Tess Darcy book that I've read of her series. I have to admit I bought it because of its Christmas theme which turned out to be about putting on a Christmas pageant. The idea that a small-town church would hire someone to run its pageant seemed a little far-fetched but thats where the murder comes in. While reading the book I wondered how the main character can run a bed & breakfast with all the extra-curricular things she is doing. I did enjoy the characters and will probably read the rest of the series to get to know the characters better. I enjoyed Tess & her friends and family and I think you will too.

This was a welcome addition to the Iris House series. My only disappointment was at the very end when I expected one last twist but the characters and plot were executed well.

In the 4th book in the Iris House Mystery series, it is the holiday season, and Tess has relatives staying at Iris House. Tess Darcy, owner of the inn, is excited about the upcoming Christmas season, and has invited her half-siblings to stay with her while her father and step-mother fit in a last minute trip before joining them right before the holiday. Tess is involved in the annual Christmas pageant, and enlists the help of her siblings to keep them occupied during their visit. The pageant is not without controversy, however, as the pastor of the Community Church has decided to hire an out-of-town director. The former volunteer director, Claire, is furious that she has been replaced, and the first rehearsal for the pageant is tense, at best. When the new director, Sherwood Draper, starts making radical changes to the traditional program, everyone involved becomes furious. Harsh words are spoken, and threats are directed toward Draper. And when the new director is found in a compromising position backstage with another member of the church, Lily Brookside, several people have murder on their minds. So, when Draper is found dead, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of suspects, and Tess steps in to help officer-in-charge, Andy Neill, solve this case before the killer steals a merry Christmas from all.

I have enjoyed the other books that I have read in this series, and was mildly disappointed with the pace in this installment. There doesn't seem any lack in the amount of suspects in the case, and there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer. But, I really missed the usual characters of Gertie and Nedra, two of my favorite characters in this series. And the Iris House setting was absent for most of this book, and I missed the cozy atmosphere of both the inn, and my two favorite characters. I hope to see more of them in future installments! Overall, this is a light, cozy read, and I recommend giving this series a try if you enjoy the genre.

The first book in the series is called "Blooming Murder". Enjoy!