REVIEW: The Christmas Riddle

The Christmas Riddle
Author: Susan Sleeman

Maggie Watson and her kitty Snickers return in The Christmas Riddle, the 3rd book in the Antique Shop Mysteries cozy series. A long time resident of Somerset Harbor has died. Adele Kessler used to host parties that were the talk of the town....but became a recluse later in life, allowing her 300+ year old home fall into disrepair. Maggie buys a beautiful vase at the estate sale without realizing something is hidden inside. A strange bejeweled key and an urgent note scrawled in haste by an unknown person have Maggie wondering what might be hiding in the old Kessler house. Family secrets? Murder?

The Antique Shop Mysteries series is sold by subscription by Annie's Attic. The books are hardback, attractive and nice quality. There are more than 16 books in the series, written by various authors. The books are relatively short (200 pages or so), quick reads. I like Maggie Watson as a main character. She's rebuilding her life after the loss of her husband and her daughter going to college. The background theme of an antique shop makes for a nice cozy series.

The plot in this book developed at a nice pace and had plenty of suspense throughout. There was a nice even blend of background theme and murder mystery. All in all, a nice cozy reading experience. This series is a great palate cleanser between my usual thriller and horror selections. Sometimes I just need a burst of cuteness and light between heavy reads. I'm thankful for the library patron that donated her books to our local library!