My Musing ~ A Christmas Peril by J. A. Hennrikus

A Christmas Peril by J. A. Hennrikus is the first book in the NEW “Theater Cop” mystery series. Publisher: Midnight Ink, September 2017

Sully Must Get Her Childhood Friend Off the Naughty List Before They’re Both Scrooged

When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company.

For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crime and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director. But when her childhood friend is suspected of killing his father, no one is looking for another culprit. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a murderer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband arrives on the scene to play lawyer and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.

This is a great introduction to a new series where we learn all about Sully and her circle of friends. Sully is an ex-cop, current theater manager who have to use her old skills to begin an investigation in order to clear her cousin, who is the prime suspect. The fresh new drama was staged seamlessly with a comfortable tone and a nice pacing that made it an easy and enjoyable read. This finely tuned mystery had plenty of suspects and clues scattered throughout and some surprising twists and turns that enhanced how well this multi-plot story was told. The author did a great job in presenting a likable tale that had me wanting more. Boasting a great cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a perfect backdrop, this was a delightfully entertaining debut series and welcome addition to the cozy genre.