The Christmas Fair Killer | book review

The Christmas Fair Killer is the latest addition to Amy Patricia Meade’s Tish Tarragon Mysteries. Filled with delicious recipe ideas and an abundance of new, interesting characters, I thought it was fun way to celebrate Christmas in July.

The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade

Title: The Christmas Fair Killer
Author: Amy Patricia Meade
Series: A Tish Tarragon Mystery #3
First Published: August 4, 2020
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via NetGalley

*** Thank you to the publisher, Severn House Publishers, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon has pulled out all the stops for her booth at the Hobson Glen Holiday Fair, theming her appetising offerings around the festive performances by the Williamsburg Theatre Group. But when Tish meets the cast, she is surprised by the hostility between members of the allegedly close-knit troupe, centred around their star actress, the beautiful, talented yet mysterious ingenue, Jenny Inkpen.

Determined to spread some Christmas cheer, Tish volunteers to deliver breakfast to the eight actors, but is horrified to discover Jenny dead in her trailer the next morning. As Tish attempts to find out more about the group’s leading lady, she soon uncovers lies, jealousy and a series of shocking secrets. Can Tish expose a cold-blooded killer before the fair is over?

It’s Christmas in July!

The Christmas Fair Killer by Amy Patricia Meade Ok, so technically, this book doesn’t come out until August, but because I had an advanced copy, I got to read it in July. Those who know me know that I am not a fan of celebrating “out of season” – why do people rush the calendar so much? So I’m not much for ‘Christmas in July’, but I was excited to get my hands on this book. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series (click to read my reviews of Cookin’ the Books and The Garden Club Murder) so was looking forward to catching up with Tish, Jules, Mary Jo and the rest of the gang.

This book ads a whole new cast of characters with the Williamsburg Theatre Group – a group of actors who put on a wide range of plays. They seem to be close-knit, but there are cracks in the group, which only get worse when one of their own is murdered. It was interesting to see Tish and her friends interacting with this new group. It made for a lot of characters to keep track of but their personalities are so distinct and the author does a wonderful job of writing them so that I was never confused about the characters nor did I ever really lose track of what was happening.

Because of the large number of new faces, Tish’s friends are mostly relegated to the background in this book in order to make room for the acting troupe. Jules still manages to squeeze his way into the investigation, but Mary Jo (who continues to go through major personal changes in her personal life) doesn’t factor into the sleuthing at all. I miss this trio – one of the things I absolutely loved about the first book was Jules and Mary Jo doing their own investigating. Tish’s boyfriend Schuyler is also mostly in the background for this book, but does make a few big gestures as he tries to move his romance with Tish to the next level.

I did like the fact that Tish worked a lot more closely with Sheriff Clemson Reade in this story and enjoyed Tish and Clemson’s interactions with each other.

An edgier cozy mystery

For those that are used to light, humourous cozy mysteries, keep in mind that this series has a bit of an edge to it. Some of the topics that come up may be considered a bit harsh, although it is handled very sensitively and there is still enough humour and lightness in the story to keep it firmly in the cozy mystery camp.

*Trigger warning and a small spoiler* This book deals with sexual abuse of underage girls. There is nothing graphic included, but it is part of a character’s backstory and does come up during the investigation. I only mention this in case that is a trigger for anyone.

Tish Tarragon always dishes up some great recipe names

One of the things I do look most forward to whenever Amy Patricia Meade releases a new book is the dishes that Tish creates. Her literary catering company comes up with the most delicious creations and they always have the most creative names. For example, some of the on-the-go meals that Tish delivers to the actors include: ‘The Ham-elet’ (a basic cheese omelet with ham), ‘The Belinda (the “Good ‘wich)’ (an egg-white omelet with avocado, kale, and sautéed shitake mushrooms on spelt bread) and ‘The Bun Also Rises’ (a large cinnamon bun). I love the names and always get so hungry reading the descriptions.

While my favourite of the series is still the first book, Cookin’ the Books, this latest instalment is still a great read. It develops some of the characters more and moves some storylines along, especially those involving Tish, Mary Jo and Clemson Reade. Their stories change quite a bit during this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with them.