Review: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany + Giveaway

November 9, 2015 Review 43 ★★★★

Review: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany + GiveawayRest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany
Series: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery #1
Published by Berkley on November 3rd 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Christmas
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat Rating:half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer…
As the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, Merry Wilkinson knows how to decorate homes for the holidays. That’s why she thinks her float in the semi-annual Santa Claus parade is a shoe-in for best in show. But when the tractor pulling Merry’s float is sabotaged, she has to face facts: there’s a Scrooge in Christmas Town.
Merry isn’t ready to point fingers, especially with a journalist in town writing a puff piece about Rudolph’s Christmas spirit. But when she stumbles upon the reporter’s body on a late night dog walk—and police suspect he was poisoned by a gingerbread cookie crafted by her best friend, Vicky—Merry will have to put down the jingle bells and figure out who’s really been grinching about town, before Vicky ends up on Santa’s naughty list…

2015 ADDICTIVE coverlove MURDERMYSTERY PAGETURNER

If you are looking for a warm cozy with a lot of heart, some Christmas joy and mystery mayhem, look no further! Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany, was everything I lately wanted out of a holiday cozy mystery wrapped up in a package of a new series that holds a lot of promise for the future books. Merry, the main sleuth of this series is absolutely wonderful and delightful. Her devotion to the town and loyalty to her friends is very heart warming and admirable.

“In Rudolph, we lived and breathed Christmas all year long. You might think that would make us hard and cynical when it arrived, but somehow it made me love the real thing all the more.”

It’s Christmas time in Rudolph, New York a self proclaimed Christmas town and while its citizens are preparing for the influx of tourists that happen every time during this particular part of the year - the town it’s running its own festivities starting with a morning parade. Merry’s float ends up coming in last, causing a few glares from the locals since Santa was supposed to be last in line and in no time disqualifies her from winning anything for her float. While people are enjoying cider and free cookies at the after party, the last thing anyone would have suspected was for something deadly to happen in their safe little haven of a town. When a traveling journalist shows up to do a piece on Rudolph for an international media, everyone in town is excited, so when Merry discovers his cold body in the park not too soon after his arrival - her friends Vicky’s cookies might have been the cause of his death. Now Merry must find a way to clear her best friend’s name and solve who is responsible for trying to ruin their little town’s reputation.

Filled with amusing characters, holiday cheer, and mystery, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen is not a cozy to pass up on this season. Merry is a fresh new voice that I have fully found myself invested in and thoroughly engrossed with. I am looking forward to seeing what else she will have in store for us in future books. Vicki Delany handles the mystery with skill and her writing is so wonderful, the book was not only hard to put down, but very easily I found myself lost in that before I knew it, I was done.

Detective Simmonds was a great addition to the story, and I can’t wait to learn more about her. I think she and Merry bounced off each other well and I liked the fact that she seemed to really care about getting to the bottom of this murder unlike the local cop Candy.

Simmons stopped so abruptly that Mattie ran into her. “Are you physically disabled, sir?”
“No,” Russ said, snapping a picture of her.
“Good. Because if you aren’t behind the tape in ten seconds I’ll be taking you in. Got it?”

I couldn’t stand Candy. I think just because you are a cop it does not give you the right to treat people the way she does and she is particularly not fond of Merry and her friends. It was nice seeing her put in her place once or twice through the book. I hope I can eventually learn to understand her issues a bit more, but as of right now I do not condone her actions.

Did I mention I loved the author’s hints of humor here and there spread out through the book?

“If this isn’t Ryan Gosling calling for a date, you’re a dead man,” said a sleepy voice.
“It’s not Ryan, but you need to hear this,” I said.
“Go ahead,” Vicky said with a groan.
“Nigel Pearce, remember him, the English guy from World Journey?”
“Of course I remember him. If you are calling to tell me he wants a date you really are a dead woman, Merry.”

Honestly the only thing that isn’t sitting well with me is the romance in this book because it feels like it’s heading for a triangle. You know me, I love my romance in cozy mysteries, they add a whole new level of excitement. But I can do without a triangle no matter what kind of genre I am reading. But, I also know it can be done quite differently in cozy mysteries, so it will still be interesting to see where this will go.

Seriously can’t wait until the next book in this series and have you seen the cover? It’s adorable.

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43 Responses to “Review: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany + Giveaway”

    • Lily B

      I think the romance will turn out okay, I have seen it done well in cozy mysteries before, but it will def be interesting to watch

      Reply

  4. A Voracious Reader

    Maybe it’s not really a love triangle. It could be a red herring. Or maybe it’s just two people competing for a third and not a true triangle. Anyway, this sounds like something my hubby would like and I’ve been thinking about reading more cozies, so we could share it. :)
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    • Lily B

      humm good point! Maybe it could be, I know it is handled differently in cozy mysteries, so it be interesting to see where the author takes this

      Reply

    • Lily B

      I really liked it, I don’t have many fav this year, but this one stood out for me, besides I was in a real holiday mood..strangly

      Reply

    • Lily B

      I think because this is a cozy the romance in this might actually play out fine :) I’ll have to wait and see for the next one!

      Reply

  14. Jenny @ Supernatural Snark

    “But I can do without a triangle no matter what kind of genre I am reading.”

    AGREED! Usually in cozy mysteries or things like urban fantasy I’m more forgiving than I am in YA or NA though, so hopefully the triangle, if it happens, doesn’t detract from your overall enjoyment Lily!

    Reply

    • Lily B

      I am thinking now that it might not be too bad, since its a cozy and romance not the primary focus, I might not be as disappointed

      Reply

  15. Lola

    Oh this sounds like a fun one! I haven’t read any christmas themed cozy mysteries so far. I’ve heard a few times before of books with the plot where the best friend is the suspect, I think it adds for some extra incentive for the main character to find out who really did it. I like the sound of the christmas cheer and fun characters. Although Candy sounds like an unlikable characetr indeed, maybe her actions will make mroe sense in the next books? And I hope the love triangle will behandled well, I haven’t read a cozy mystery with a love triangle so far, so it would be interesting to see how it’s handled here. Great review!
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    • Lily B

      ha I find this one is a nice cuddly book for the holidays, you know, those rotten days? I liked the characters and its set in Christmas town. Really makes you wanna kind of wish it was real o.o

      Reply

  17. Magen Corrie

    I do love the sound of the voice, and the characters. Not a big fan of murder mysterious or potential for a love triangle. But it does sound really good! Glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply

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