It's Christmas in Holiday Bay, Maine. Abby Sullivan, the owner of a mansion turned into an inn, is busy checking in guests. Among them is a Santa with a secret, a social worker with an orphan in tow, a new widow, and a scrooge of a travel writer. Ho-Ho-Hmm, what could possibly go wrong?
Wally, the Chechen terrorist whose reputation took a massive hit when Merry’s spy identity was made known, has set himself up on the front lawn of Merry’s second house, the one she uses as her Troop’s clubhouse and the place she hides all her spy weapons and gadgets. The troop was forced to return early from their pool trip due to a few misunderstandings about frogs and sharks, and seeing the stranger, the Girl Scouts have him surrounded.
A last minute invite (really a plea for an invite) to a civil war reenactment seems the perfect learning experience for the Girl Scout troop. Excitement abounds with the idea of immersing themselves into the local history surrounding the 1865 Battle of Idiot Creek (although the real battle and the re-enactment have little in common except for the skunk), clothing themselves in period dress (corsets?), camping and cooking outdoors, and acting the part of the Ladies Auxiliary Aid Society.
In 2019, I reviewed a record 180 entertaining books along with connecting with talented and delightfully friendly authors, including some beta reading. It was a daunting task to choose my annual “Tops” because every book, and a few television shows, have provided me with hours of entertainment and some inspiration…
It seemed oddly familiar to Merry being trapped, secured to a chair with a hood over her head, and then just plain annoying to discover it’s not the Russians or terrorists seeking revenge but some teens engaged in cosplay set to sacrifice her...instead she gets dubbed Bird Lady Protector.
Merry is “wedding” stressed, so much so that when she's told the florist is dead in the front pew, she asks, “Did he drop off the flowers first?” Granted, a bit insensitive, but the wedding IS tomorrow! When the police respond to their 9-1-1 alarm, Merry expects her fiancé/detective to arrive on the scene, but the officer doesn't know where he is, his cell goes right to voicemail, and the CIA-worthy tracking app installed on their phones pings nothing.
We say good-bye to a well-loved series, hello to the Farmer’s Daughter, and celebrate Christmas just a wee bit early. Looking for recipes? Have we got books for you!
