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Cat Marsala Mystery #6
HARD CHRISTMAS: A Cat Marsala Mystery
Journalist-turned-sleuth Cat Marsala finds dirty dealings on hte DeGraaf Christmas tree farm. Could the family closet be rife with skeletons? When a fresh corpse turns up, Cat's sure of it. HC: Macmillan.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Barbara D'Amato
45 books27 followersAka Malacai Black
Barbara D'Amato has had a checkered career, working in the distant past as an assistant surgical orderly, carpenter for stage magic illusions, assistant tiger handler, stage manager, researcher for attorneys in criminal cases, and recently sometimes teaching mystery writing to Chicago police officers.
"Writing is the greatest job of all," D'Amato says. "I get to hang around with cops, go ask people questions about their jobs that I would be too chicken to ask without a reason, and walk around Chicago looking for good murder locales. Best of all, I get to read mystery and suspense novels and call it keeping up with the field."
She was the 1999-2000 president of Mystery Writers of America. D'Amato is also a past president of Sisters in Crime International.
D'Amato is a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher. Her research on the Dr. John Branion murder case formed the basis for a segment on "Unsolved Mysteries," and she appeared on the program. Her musical comedies, The Magic Man and children's musical The Magic of Young Houdini, written with husband Anthony D'Amato, played in Chicago and London. Their Prohibition-era musical comedy RSVP Broadway, which played in Chicago in 1980, was named an "event of particular interest" by Chicago magazine. A native of Michigan, she has been a resident of Chicago for many years.
Barbara D'Amato has had a checkered career, working in the distant past as an assistant surgical orderly, carpenter for stage magic illusions, assistant tiger handler, stage manager, researcher for attorneys in criminal cases, and recently sometimes teaching mystery writing to Chicago police officers.
"Writing is the greatest job of all," D'Amato says. "I get to hang around with cops, go ask people questions about their jobs that I would be too chicken to ask without a reason, and walk around Chicago looking for good murder locales. Best of all, I get to read mystery and suspense novels and call it keeping up with the field."
She was the 1999-2000 president of Mystery Writers of America. D'Amato is also a past president of Sisters in Crime International.
D'Amato is a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher. Her research on the Dr. John Branion murder case formed the basis for a segment on "Unsolved Mysteries," and she appeared on the program. Her musical comedies, The Magic Man and children's musical The Magic of Young Houdini, written with husband Anthony D'Amato, played in Chicago and London. Their Prohibition-era musical comedy RSVP Broadway, which played in Chicago in 1980, was named an "event of particular interest" by Chicago magazine. A native of Michigan, she has been a resident of Chicago for many years.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 30, 2023
The female journalist turned amateur detective, Cat, was a likeable enough 1990s woman. The story was set in a wonderful place, that I know well, near Holland Michigan. Cat visits a Christmas tree farm there so she can write an article about Christmas tree farming. She learns a lot about the business and so do we. She also learns lot about the family of Christmas tree farmers that hosts her. More than she bargained for. While the story is laid out perfectly for a cozy mystery (if you like reading about grizzly murders) and the characters are each interesting in their own way. The story, however, was almost too forced into the mold. I found it odd that Cat disliked the county sheriff's office so and wondered why she discounted their ability. No evidence for that in the book. But she was sure the crime wouldn't be solved without her intervention. The fact that the police allowed her to be bait for catching the murderer could indicate the police were indeed incompetent, but that was well into the story. Cat's reasoning that led her to the murderer was incomplete. She later described the murderer as a certain type of personality, but there was no evidence of that earlier in the book. I enjoyed reading the book, except for the grisley descriptions of the victim's death, but it felt as those all the mechanics of the cozy mystery were there but the heart wasn't freely expressed in the writing.
January 2, 2026
I have not read the other books featuring the main character Cat, a reporter. But it wasn't necessary to have read them to enjoy this book. It was a nice mystery set at Thanksgiving (despite the title).
Some quotes I liked:
"Keep the car full and the bladder empty, because you don't know when you'll get another chance."
"Chain saws to the DeGraafs were what my laptop is to me."
"You never know how you appear to another person."
"Don't cry is one of the stupidest things you can tell anybody. And selfish, too. People say it so that they won't have to deal with tears."
"If you plan to go on living on the same plot of land, you care for it differently." "You treat the earth differently. It's a member of the family."
And then there is this thought/question at the end: "I'm reflecting on which is more important--do we owe our parents more because they raised us, or do we owe our children more because we are responsible for their existence and they are the next generation, the future?"
Some quotes I liked:
"Keep the car full and the bladder empty, because you don't know when you'll get another chance."
"Chain saws to the DeGraafs were what my laptop is to me."
"You never know how you appear to another person."
"Don't cry is one of the stupidest things you can tell anybody. And selfish, too. People say it so that they won't have to deal with tears."
"If you plan to go on living on the same plot of land, you care for it differently." "You treat the earth differently. It's a member of the family."
And then there is this thought/question at the end: "I'm reflecting on which is more important--do we owe our parents more because they raised us, or do we owe our children more because we are responsible for their existence and they are the next generation, the future?"
February 5, 2015
Hard Christmas, A Cat Marsala Mystery
by Barbara D'Amato
There's something very satisfying about reuniting with an old friend, and that's how it feels when a reader rediscovers an author/series once enjoyed. It's been a long time since I read any books in this relative short series, the titles of which all start with Hard (her website lists only 9 books in the series, with the latest being published in 2001). I'd forgotten how much I loved the character and the writer's style, so now I'll be searching for other books in the series. I found only a couple for Kindle, so will probably be looking for some paperback editions, new or used, whatever I can find.
Cat Marsala is a freelance journalist with an unerring capacity for falling into mysterious goings on. In this, the 6th book in the series, she is traveling from her home in Chicago to Holland Michigan, to spend a long weekend with a family who owns a Christmas tree farm. It's Thanksgiving Day. Cat will arrive after the family has had their traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner, but before they head out to the field to harvest trees to be sold at Christmas tree lots across the country. The farm has been in the DeGraaf family for generations, since Hendrick DeGraff came to America from Holland (the country) in 1847. The family now consists of Gran, the wife of the grandfather of the family who died earlier in the year, Aunt Clara, a sister of the grandfather (Henry DeGraaf), Henry's sons Hank and John, Henry's daughter Marie, Hank's wife Jennifer and their sons, Cal, Don and Dan, and John's daughter Nell.
The storyline develops from the death of Henry in the Spring of the year Cat comes to visit. As Gran is older, the prospect of the farm passing to the three children looms large in everyone's mind. Because of Inheritance Tax rules, and the increase in property values, Henry had planned to have the farm placed into a conservator status, which, by placing restrictions on the use of the land, would decrease the market value and thereby, reduce the amount of tax due on the property when it passed to his children. He did not get that accomplished prior to his death. The family was divided on whether this was a good idea, as the conservator status would also make the property difficult, if not impossible, for the children to sell.
The night after Cat arrives (Friday/Sat), Nell wakes up her father and Nell because the motorcycle belonging to the family's crew leader, Luis, is still in the driveway. It's 3 a.m. and Nell is worried that there is something wrong. John and Cat explore and find that something is wrong -- Luis is dead and it was no accident.
From there the family and Cat are plunged deep into a tangled web of intrigue. Given the method of Luis' death, it is doubtful that someone came onto the property to kill him, so the pool of suspects is highly populated by the family itself.
Cat finds herself deeply involved, if for no other reason than the affection she feels for 13 year old Nell, who has lost her mother (to illness 2 years prior), her beloved grandfather, and now the young crew leader, who was her good friend and confidant. If one of the family is the murderer, what will that do to this young girl who has already lost so much?
Okay, I admit that one of the things I loved about this book was the locale. One of my high school best friend's family had a summer cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan, which is just minutes from Holland. I spent lots of time in the area as a teenager and young adult, so reading about the area felt like traveling back in time.
It's also fun to read novels written prior to what I like to refer to as the tech age. Marsala has a "car phone," not an Iphone. Hard Christmas was published in 1995 and probably written the year before -- just on the cusp of the advent of the mobile phone, and certainly before the appearance of the modern day cell phone. Those old car phones, popular with the self-important, of the 1980s were huge and not particularly efficient. And no computers. No tweets. No Facebook. The difference in how a character communicated in that pre-phone-in-the-pocket era makes for many differences in how situations develop and play out.
D'Amato has a wonderful writing style. Her descriptions make the reader not only see the images in his/her mind, but smell the smells and hear the sounds described. For example, at page 229 (market paperback)is this description of one of the family meals:
"Sunday dinner was a large farm-style meal at four o'clock. We gathered around the big dining room table, with a white cloth and blue-and-white cloth napkins, as the dusk thickened outdoors, the yellow light deepening from pale tea to the color of maple syrup...
There was a huge beef roast, easily ten pounds...There was a gravy boat the size of a small canoe, full of rich brown sauce, about fifteen punds of mashed potatoes, hot slaw, peas, and rolls."
D'Amato's Cat is a delightful blend of tough journalist and sweet sentimentalist, mixed with a bit of noir detective. Her determination to ferret out the truth, and to insert herself into the police investigation, lands her smack in the middle of the family drama, and a whole lot of danger. The characterizations are true to life. The pacing immaculate. The reader is drawn along, page by page, wanting to get to the end to see how the mystery plays out, while never wanting the story to end.
As usual for novels in the era this was written, the proofing and editing was top notch. Grammar was great, with sentence structure that never left the reader wondering what they'd just read.
The book was a treat of a read -- I'm off to search for more Cat Marsala now.
by Barbara D'Amato
There's something very satisfying about reuniting with an old friend, and that's how it feels when a reader rediscovers an author/series once enjoyed. It's been a long time since I read any books in this relative short series, the titles of which all start with Hard (her website lists only 9 books in the series, with the latest being published in 2001). I'd forgotten how much I loved the character and the writer's style, so now I'll be searching for other books in the series. I found only a couple for Kindle, so will probably be looking for some paperback editions, new or used, whatever I can find.
Cat Marsala is a freelance journalist with an unerring capacity for falling into mysterious goings on. In this, the 6th book in the series, she is traveling from her home in Chicago to Holland Michigan, to spend a long weekend with a family who owns a Christmas tree farm. It's Thanksgiving Day. Cat will arrive after the family has had their traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner, but before they head out to the field to harvest trees to be sold at Christmas tree lots across the country. The farm has been in the DeGraaf family for generations, since Hendrick DeGraff came to America from Holland (the country) in 1847. The family now consists of Gran, the wife of the grandfather of the family who died earlier in the year, Aunt Clara, a sister of the grandfather (Henry DeGraaf), Henry's sons Hank and John, Henry's daughter Marie, Hank's wife Jennifer and their sons, Cal, Don and Dan, and John's daughter Nell.
The storyline develops from the death of Henry in the Spring of the year Cat comes to visit. As Gran is older, the prospect of the farm passing to the three children looms large in everyone's mind. Because of Inheritance Tax rules, and the increase in property values, Henry had planned to have the farm placed into a conservator status, which, by placing restrictions on the use of the land, would decrease the market value and thereby, reduce the amount of tax due on the property when it passed to his children. He did not get that accomplished prior to his death. The family was divided on whether this was a good idea, as the conservator status would also make the property difficult, if not impossible, for the children to sell.
The night after Cat arrives (Friday/Sat), Nell wakes up her father and Nell because the motorcycle belonging to the family's crew leader, Luis, is still in the driveway. It's 3 a.m. and Nell is worried that there is something wrong. John and Cat explore and find that something is wrong -- Luis is dead and it was no accident.
From there the family and Cat are plunged deep into a tangled web of intrigue. Given the method of Luis' death, it is doubtful that someone came onto the property to kill him, so the pool of suspects is highly populated by the family itself.
Cat finds herself deeply involved, if for no other reason than the affection she feels for 13 year old Nell, who has lost her mother (to illness 2 years prior), her beloved grandfather, and now the young crew leader, who was her good friend and confidant. If one of the family is the murderer, what will that do to this young girl who has already lost so much?
Okay, I admit that one of the things I loved about this book was the locale. One of my high school best friend's family had a summer cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan, which is just minutes from Holland. I spent lots of time in the area as a teenager and young adult, so reading about the area felt like traveling back in time.
It's also fun to read novels written prior to what I like to refer to as the tech age. Marsala has a "car phone," not an Iphone. Hard Christmas was published in 1995 and probably written the year before -- just on the cusp of the advent of the mobile phone, and certainly before the appearance of the modern day cell phone. Those old car phones, popular with the self-important, of the 1980s were huge and not particularly efficient. And no computers. No tweets. No Facebook. The difference in how a character communicated in that pre-phone-in-the-pocket era makes for many differences in how situations develop and play out.
D'Amato has a wonderful writing style. Her descriptions make the reader not only see the images in his/her mind, but smell the smells and hear the sounds described. For example, at page 229 (market paperback)is this description of one of the family meals:
"Sunday dinner was a large farm-style meal at four o'clock. We gathered around the big dining room table, with a white cloth and blue-and-white cloth napkins, as the dusk thickened outdoors, the yellow light deepening from pale tea to the color of maple syrup...
There was a huge beef roast, easily ten pounds...There was a gravy boat the size of a small canoe, full of rich brown sauce, about fifteen punds of mashed potatoes, hot slaw, peas, and rolls."
D'Amato's Cat is a delightful blend of tough journalist and sweet sentimentalist, mixed with a bit of noir detective. Her determination to ferret out the truth, and to insert herself into the police investigation, lands her smack in the middle of the family drama, and a whole lot of danger. The characterizations are true to life. The pacing immaculate. The reader is drawn along, page by page, wanting to get to the end to see how the mystery plays out, while never wanting the story to end.
As usual for novels in the era this was written, the proofing and editing was top notch. Grammar was great, with sentence structure that never left the reader wondering what they'd just read.
The book was a treat of a read -- I'm off to search for more Cat Marsala now.
August 8, 2017
Interesting to learn about the Christmas tree industry and it's unique farming style and requirements. Cat, an independent woman with loner tendencies, becomes closely involved with a family tree farm business as she prepares an article about them. The family and their business seem bucolic with a long history tied to their piece of the American Dream. Well, this IS a murder mystery...so...not all is well. One of the murders is pretty grossly unique.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2018
It's a Christmas mystery - so unless it's really bad, I like it already.
As it turned out I loved it. The protagonist is a journalist turned sleuth ...who happens to have an African grey parrot. So they pretty much had me right there.
As it turned out I loved it. The protagonist is a journalist turned sleuth ...who happens to have an African grey parrot. So they pretty much had me right there.
June 8, 2020
Investigative journalist Cat Marsala looks into the financial activities of a Michigan Christmas tree farm. Anthony Award Nominee for Best Novel (1996).
January 9, 2023
The book was engaging enough that I kept with it, but I found it hard to really invest in the characters, and somehow the plot was both dull and convoluted.
January 24, 2013
Hard Christmas by Barbara D'Amato
Cat Marsella researches the Christmas tree industry in Holland, Michigan and stays with a family.
The whole family welcomes her from all the members. Henry DaGraw has recently died due to an accident that could've been avoided.
She loves the youngest Nell and helps her by bringing friendship and just sitting to listen to her troubles. Nell thinks somebody killed her grandfather and told Cat a little about the accident.
Love hearing about trees and that industry as my family comes from the nursery side of the same trees. Also there are letters from the 1800's and the talk of the ice house is a learning experience as I've read many books recently about this same thing.
Others open up to Cat after the farm worker was found dead. They tell her what they know about the man and the last time they had seen him.
Learning about what each of the saws do is good information for pruning or cutting trees and what each of the colorful tags at the tops mean.
There are troubles, money and land rights that are problems to some.
She works with the police to try to trap the killer and tells the police what her plans are....
Cat Marsella researches the Christmas tree industry in Holland, Michigan and stays with a family.
The whole family welcomes her from all the members. Henry DaGraw has recently died due to an accident that could've been avoided.
She loves the youngest Nell and helps her by bringing friendship and just sitting to listen to her troubles. Nell thinks somebody killed her grandfather and told Cat a little about the accident.
Love hearing about trees and that industry as my family comes from the nursery side of the same trees. Also there are letters from the 1800's and the talk of the ice house is a learning experience as I've read many books recently about this same thing.
Others open up to Cat after the farm worker was found dead. They tell her what they know about the man and the last time they had seen him.
Learning about what each of the saws do is good information for pruning or cutting trees and what each of the colorful tags at the tops mean.
There are troubles, money and land rights that are problems to some.
She works with the police to try to trap the killer and tells the police what her plans are....
October 2, 2008
HARD CHRISTMAS - Good
D'Amato, Barbara - 6th in Cat Marsala series
Investigative reporter Cat Marsala visits Michigan to do a human interest feature on Christmas trees and becomes involved in a dark and violent mystery hanging over a troubled farm family.
I liked some of her earlier books better. I like her writing and hope she improves.
D'Amato, Barbara - 6th in Cat Marsala series
Investigative reporter Cat Marsala visits Michigan to do a human interest feature on Christmas trees and becomes involved in a dark and violent mystery hanging over a troubled farm family.
I liked some of her earlier books better. I like her writing and hope she improves.
January 1, 2013
This is an easy read, part of the Cat Marsala mystery series, which I have never read before. Picked this up as part of a library sale; it is a murder mystery set in a Christmas tree farm in Michigan. Liked it well enough, though I didn't really find any of the characters to be super engaging or likeable, but the mysteries were good and not too predictable.
January 2, 2012
Good book. A bit scary when they tell who was the murderer. And it was nice that Nell sent her a present at the end, although she was still mad at her.
September 5, 2016
A fun quick read. Loved that it took place in Michigan. I know that state well :)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews