Publisher: Clear Creek Publishing
Publication Date: November 1, 2017
Number of Pages: 251
Named Best Mystery Series 2018 Texas Association of Authors
Madison Reynolds can’t wait for Christmas this year. Rebuilding her life as a single mom hasn’t been easy, but after a challenging twelve months, she’s excited about the holidays. She and her twins have settled quite nicely here in The Sisters, renovations on the house are complete, her business is slowly growing, and, best of all, Chief of Police Brash deCordova is in her life. Visions of the perfect Christmas dance in her head.
The tinsel begins to tangle when someone targets the community for a series of ‘Christmas Crimes.’ Homes are broken into and wrapped gifts are stolen from beneath trees. Even vehicles loaded with presents aren’t safe, particularly on a lone stretch of highway. Things like this just don’t happen in Naomi and Juliet. Torn between solving the rash of burglaries and shutting down the gambling ring that’s active in the area again, Brash does the only thing he can: he hires In a Pinch to help with the investigation.
Finding the common link between cases is like finding the bad bulb on a string of lights. Every lead is a short circuit. The frustration mounts when Madison and the Angel Tree she’s involved with fall victim to the crimes. Only the worst kind of Grinch steals from needy children!
Brash has plans of his own for the perfect Christmas. With the help of a new jewelry store, he thinks he’s found just the right gift for Madison, until the Grinch strikes again. This wasn’t the surprise he had in mind.
Ready or not, Christmas is on its way, and time is running out to create the holiday of their dreams. As the house fills with unexpected guests, Madison and the twins honor favorite traditions from the past while creating a few new ones of their own.
Who has time for being kidnapped by men in Santa suits and bad beards?
This is one Christmas that no one in The Sisters will ever forget!
Clueless Gent’s Rating
I love reading a cozy Christmas caper, and this one even exceeded my expectations. If you’re big on comfort food, food for the soul, and stuff like that, you will love this story – and likely this entire series!
There is some type of secret sauce that Becki Willis uses when she cooks up her stories; I can’t put my finger on what it is, but it seems like I just can’t get enough of it. Christmas in The Sisters was my fourth read by this author, and I have yet to be disappointed. She fully engages her reader within the first few pages, and she continues that engagement until the last word on the last page.
The Characters of Christmas in The Sisters
One of the traits of a good writer is to create good characters. The characters in this story are a good example of that trait. Willis created characters that readers can completely identify with. You will either love them directly or hate them indirectly. Regardless, you will definitely care about what happens to them.
This tale has a number of charming protagonists, a group of unknown antagonists, and a few folks that are teetering on the fence. However, each character has a unique backstory, and Willis tells us just enough about the backstories to keep the momentum going forward without stalling. This is especially important in a series: you don’t have to read each story to know what’s going on, yet it’s not boring when Willis briefly mentions events (in the backstories) that happened in prior books.
On a somewhat biased note, I think all of these characters are classically Texan! That’s a good thing. But better than that, they are each a Texas original! (Think no stereotypes.)
The cast is also very diversified! There are young characters, older characters, rich characters, as well as the unsavory types. I can’t remember the last time I came across a cast so perfect for the story to be told.
Technically Speaking
This book was well edited. SPAG errors are few and far between. (I can say the same thing about the other books I’ve read in this series.)
The pacing is very consistent. This is something that Becki Willis does very well! This isn’t edge of your seat pacing (but there are moments…), but it held my interest throughout.
One thing I found interesting was how the story kept going after the climax. Unlike most stories that shut down quickly – where the reader has little idea what happens to the characters – this one satisfies that craving.
Don’t get this book and put it away until November or December. It’s a Christmas story, but it’s enjoyable right now!
If you don’t have it yet – get it! If you already have it – read it!
Becki Willis, best known for her popular The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series and Forgotten Boxes, always dreamed of being an author. In November of ’13, that dream became a reality.
Since that time, she has published numerous books, won first place honors for Best Mystery Series, Best Suspense Fiction, Best Women’s Detective Fiction, and Best Audio Book, won the 2018 RONE Award for Paranormal Fiction, and has introduced her imaginary friends to readers around the world.
An avid history buff, Becki likes to poke around in old places and learn about the past. Other addictions include reading, writing, junking, unraveling a good mystery, and coffee. She loves to travel but believes coming home to her family and her Texas ranch is the best part of any trip. Becki is a member of the Association of Texas Authors, Writer’s League of Texas, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Brazos Writers organization. She attended Texas A&M University and majored in Journalism.
Connect with Becki below. She loves to hear from readers and encourages feedback!
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One thought on “Christmas in The Sisters”
What an excellent review! your enthusiasm for the book and series really shine through — I really need to read up to book 7, where I jumped in. You’ve motivated me.