Cosy crime stories are frequently set around Christmastime.
Maybe the tensions arise from the pressure to find gifts or
to provide elaborate meals or relatives gathering who might
be apart the rest of the year. YULETIDE HOMICIDE is set in
Edendale, Illinois, as a Wiccan practising lady decides to
celebrate Yuletide, her version of the holiday. Keli
Milanni, a lawyer, is aware that other Wiccans live in town,
but she prefers to be solitary rather than join a coven.
Keli has a boyfriend called Wes, who works as a
photographer, but an old flame Mick arrives unexpectedly in
town. Ice is on the ground and carol singers prepare for the
festival. Keli doesn't want to get involved with Mick
again, but it would be rude to ignore him at social events.
Luckily Wes doesn't seem the jealous type. But a call from
Mick one night leads to Keli discovering a dead man in a
hotel lobby -- concealed under a Christmas tree.
As Keli's law firm had been looking into some matters for
the deceased, Keli has an opportunity to investigate his
letters, investments, and possible blackmail issues. The
police are not sure if a murder was involved yet, but a
blackmailer would not want his victim dead. Then Keli finds
her house has been broken into and vandalised, meaning there
was definitely more going on than met the eye. She tells her
boss at the firm, but he just thinks she has an overactive
imagination.
A few times during the intricate tale our harried heroine
has to settle herself down, breathe deeply and think
clearly. Some people might use meditation techniques and
indeed this is what Keli does, with added accoutrements like
a feather and candle. She does some chanting and invokes her
earth goddess for guidance. So if you are not sure about
reading a Wiccan
Wheel Mystery series, don't worry, this one at least
shows more vegan eating and meditation than casting spells
or dancing in the woods. I found it harmless but I
understand the theme might not be to everyone's taste. If
you prefer you can just concentrate on the story of bad
decisions, false friends, and too many boyfriends. Because
even lawyers don't get everything right. Try YULETIDE
HOMICIDE by Jennifer David Hesse for an interesting and
diverse look at the winter festival -- and a time for crime.
It’s Christmas in Edindale, Illinois, and family law
attorney Keli Milanni is preparing to celebrate the Wiccan
holiday Yuletide, a celebration of rebirth. But this
Yuletide someone else is focused on dying…
After years of practicing in secret, Keli has come out as a
Wiccan to her boyfriend, and she feels like this Yuletide
she’s the one who’s being reborn. But the Solstice is the
longest night of the year, and Keli is about to stumble on a
mystery so dangerous, she’ll be lucky to make it to morning.
Paired with her unbearably stuffy colleague Crenshaw
Davenport III, Keli goes undercover at a real estate company
owned by mayoral candidate Edgar Harrison. An old friend of
Keli’s boss, Harrison, is being blackmailed, and it’s up to
her to find the culprit. But the morning after the company
holiday party, Harrison is found dead underneath the hotel
Christmas tree. The police rule the death an accident, but
Keli knows better—and she’ll risk her own rebirth to nab a
missing killer.
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