Cocoa Curses by Erin Johnson

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cocoa Curses

by Erin Johnson

Series: Winter Witches of Holiday Haven #5
Series Rating:
on November 11, 2020
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Holiday Mystery
Pages: 143
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Solstice Spirits , Mistletoe Mojo

Hardworking witch, Rudie Hollybrook, adores her quaint town of Holiday Haven, located near Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole, but can’t help feeling like an outsider. Not only does she have the unique ability to see ghosts, but she also runs the Hollybrook Funeral Home with her sisters. In a town where the holiday cheer is turned up to eleven all year round, Rudie’s slightly eerie abilities make her feel like a misfit.

While volunteering at the Christmas Market days before the big celebration, Rudie witnesses a tragedy. One of the volunteer club’s chairwomen is murdered by poisonous hot cocoa, sending the charming town reeling.

When Rudie’s tasked by the dead woman’s ghost to find her killer, she teams up with her crush at the local paper to do some sleuthing. Together, they uncover embezzlement, bribery and an illegal potions ring, all with ties to the murdered woman. Could it be the rebellious teenage granddaughter with a less-than-stellar taste in men? Or maybe the town doctor with a mysterious past? Rudie’s investigation even leads her to suspect her nemesis, the bully with a history of getting what she wants--no matter the cost.

With the countdown to Christmas nearly at an end, and the restless spirit threatening to haunt her holiday, Rudie races to catch the cocoa killer and make her beloved town safe again.

Will Rudie unmask the culprit and prove she’s a vital member of this charming Christmas town? Or will a murderer roam free and ruin Christmas for all of Holiday Haven?

Cocoa Curses by Erin Johnson is a cute holiday paranormal cozy mystery set in an adorable holiday town. Literally, it’s near the North Pole.

Can Rudie Hollybrook keep a ghost at bay and solve the murder before Christmas day?

Rudie Hollybrook

We follow Rudie Hollybrook as she is trying to solve a mystery and trying to keep Hayley, her nemesis, from hating her even more. Rudie is our point-of-view character, and I loved her from the beginning. She is such a great person to follow and to see her be with her crush. Holiday Haven is such a cute town, and most of the people that Rudie runs into while working at the town are pretty cool. The only person who isn’t is Hayley, and the whole reason why she doesn’t like Rudie is petty. As a person, Rudie is definitely a people pleaser and wants to try her best at fitting into the town but doesn’t think that anyone there likes her. Her growth in the novel is fantastic, and I liked every minute of it.

The Mystery

Rudie Hollybrook is tasked by the recently deceased Phillipa Lightstep, co-chairwoman of Santa’s Little Helpers, to put her killer behind bars. A big task to do without any hints from the deceased on where to start. Okay, let alone with what she wanted Rudie to tell her only granddaughter Noelle the next day. So, Rudie sets off to figure it out. I loved how she goes about interviewing some people, especially with her crush, who happens to be a newspaper reporter. I thought I knew who did it, but I didn’t get the why until later on.

Five Stars

Cocoa Curses by Erin Johnson is such a fun read that will have you laughing out loud at some of the zany parts of it. One of the many things that I like about Ms. Johnson’s books is that the characters always have such funny sayings. Like in this one, there were many “Dear Santa” and some others that I’m forgetting about, but they are super cute. I am giving it five stars and recommending it to anyone that loves reading holiday paranormal cozy mysteries.

Other Books in Series

 

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Cocoa Curses by Erin Johnson.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2020 Cloak and Dagger Challenge
• 2020 Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge
• 2020 Cruisin' Thru The Cozies Reading Challenge
• 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge
• 2020 New Release Challenge
• 2020 Supernatural Creatures Reading Challenge

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