Three novellas in bestselling cozy mystery series all involving yule logs and set in the Christmas season are told in the Yule Log Murder.
The Yule Log Murder is part of the Lucy Stone series. An assistant on a movie shoot is killed while transporting a yule log. It includes the recipe for the yule log at the end of the story.
In Death by Yule Log, the obnoxious boyfriend of the daughter of Hayley Powell is suspected of bludgeoning someone to death with a frozen yule log. The recipes included sound yummy. They are:
- Mom’s Christmas Morning Cocktail
- Dustin’s Christmas Morning Cinnamon Muffins
- Gemma’s Hot Chocolate
- Mom’s Special Hot Chocolate (adds vodka and peppermint schnapps to Gemma’s recipe above)
- Randy’s Crock-Pot Mulled Wine
- Hayley’s Christmas Yule Log
Logged On tells the story of elderly Mrs. St. Onge, whose complicated Buche de Noel (yule log in French), is suspected of poisoning multiple people in the town. This tale is part of the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It includes the recipe for the Buche de Noel plus a warning by the author to find a professional baker to make the complicated recipe. The author helpfully includes an easy recipe for Jewel Brooch Cookies for those of us that are not professional bakers.
While I enjoyed all three stories, Logged On was my favorite because of its unusual plot. I liked it so much that I am beginning to read the Maine Clambake mysteries beginning with Steamed Open to be published on December 18, 2018. Many people read cozy food mysteries for the recipes. The recipes in Death by Yule Log are much more likely to appear on my Christmas table. Lucy Stone is one of my favorite characters. I feel like I am growing up (or old?) with her family and friends.
The Yule Log Murder is an excellent way to get into the Christmas spirit. Despite all the tales using a yule log, each one had an entirely different spin on the plot. It is recommended to cozy readers looking for a few light evening reads. 3.5 stars!
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.