Mistletoe and Murder is a novella in the Kate Hamilton series by Connie Berry. The author refers to it as book 4.5 in the series since it’s a novella. I enjoyed the story and the return to familiar characters. So, I’ll save my complaint for the end of the review.

Kate and Detective Inspector Tom Mallory are getting married in just five days, on Christmas Eve. Kate’s landlady, Vivian, has the next five days scheduled as if was a military action. There are precise times for meeting with the organist, tasting cake, and picking people up at the airport. But, Vivian didn’t realize Kate would tempt fate stating everything would be “absolutely perfect”.

Kate’s trying to work at Ivor Tweedy’s Cabinet of Curiosities shop in between wedding preparations. When Sheila Parker comes in with a coin collection to be appraised, she has all kinds of stories about the man she’s marring after meeting him online, his nephew who is a banker, and the gold coin given to her great-great-grandmother by Queen Victoria. That coin interests Ivor and Kate, but a break-in at Sheila’s home and her subsequent disappearance worry Kate, and she starts to miss wedding events. And, Tom is in the middle of a case involving money laundering, one he hopes to wrap up before Christmas Eve.

Needless to say, everything spirals out of control until Kate and Tom aren’t sure they’re going to be alive to make it to their wedding. It’s a fast-paced story that brings together all the people readers have grown to appreciate in this series.

And, that’s my problem with Mistletoe and Murder. I know more and more authors are writing novellas and selling them online. I have no problem with that. But, this story, the long-awaited wedding one, is only available on Kindle at the time I’m writing this review. Maybe that will change. That means library patrons won’t be able to read about the wedding. My sister, a big fan of the series, won’t read about it. Maybe readers won’t care. But, if I hadn’t read this online, I know I’d be disappointed to pick up book five and find that Kate and Tom’s wedding was over. Just my personal complaint. If you have a Kindle, and want to read book 4.5, check it out.

Connie Berry’s website is https://connieberry.com/

Mistletoe and Murder by Connie Berry. Crooked Lane Books, 2023. Kindle only.


FTC Full Disclosure – I was approved for a galley through NetGalley.