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Holly Winter Mystery #1-4
Holly Winter Mysteries
Getting snowed in with six private detectives in a remote house in Scotland is actually the stuff of Holly’s daydreams. An enthusiastic amateur sleuth herself, she is thrilled to have won the chance to attend the annual meeting of the best private detectives in the country.
But before they even have a chance to start dinner, one detective is found dead with a knife in his chest and the killings have only just begun.
Holly and the professional private detectives are trapped in Horn Hill House and everyone knows… there is a murderer in their midst!
Will Holly solve the case before her own time runs out?
Four winter cozy mysteries perfect for reading by the fire! From mass murder, to uncovering the secrets of ancient civilisations, there's never a dull moment in this cozy mystery series.
Books:
Snowed In With Death
A Fatal Frost
Murder Beneath The Mistletoe
Winter's Last Victim
But before they even have a chance to start dinner, one detective is found dead with a knife in his chest and the killings have only just begun.
Holly and the professional private detectives are trapped in Horn Hill House and everyone knows… there is a murderer in their midst!
Will Holly solve the case before her own time runs out?
Four winter cozy mysteries perfect for reading by the fire! From mass murder, to uncovering the secrets of ancient civilisations, there's never a dull moment in this cozy mystery series.
Books:
Snowed In With Death
A Fatal Frost
Murder Beneath The Mistletoe
Winter's Last Victim
- GenresCozyMysteryCozy Mystery
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2017
506 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Loren
98 books126 followersRuby Loren was born and raised in East Sussex, England. She writes cozy mysteries, paranormal mysteries, and stories about rockstars. Her books are designed to take you away to a little slice of a different world, often set in a rural corner of South East England. Full of ideas, she is always busy writing her next bestseller!
Ruby is the author of the Madigan Amos cozy mysteries, a funny, twisty series that stars zookeeper, Madigan Amos, and is set in Sussex. She has many other cozy mystery series under her belt, including the Blooming series, the Emily Haversson Mysteries, the Hayley Argent Mysteries, and the Holly Winter Mysteries, all set in England.
The themes of her books range from cunning, twisty plots, to slightly silly, humorous mysteries, designed to make you laugh. Her books are perfect for readers, who love to get a know a character, and like to look on the lighter side of life.
Ruby still lives near Brighton, in East Sussex, with her fox-fighting, bird-murdering cat, Jasper. When she’s not writing, she’s travelling the world with her musical duo, Rumours, playing electric guitar and singing lead vocals.
To find out more about Ruby and pick up 3 free books, visit her website: www.rubyloren.com
Ruby is the author of the Madigan Amos cozy mysteries, a funny, twisty series that stars zookeeper, Madigan Amos, and is set in Sussex. She has many other cozy mystery series under her belt, including the Blooming series, the Emily Haversson Mysteries, the Hayley Argent Mysteries, and the Holly Winter Mysteries, all set in England.
The themes of her books range from cunning, twisty plots, to slightly silly, humorous mysteries, designed to make you laugh. Her books are perfect for readers, who love to get a know a character, and like to look on the lighter side of life.
Ruby still lives near Brighton, in East Sussex, with her fox-fighting, bird-murdering cat, Jasper. When she’s not writing, she’s travelling the world with her musical duo, Rumours, playing electric guitar and singing lead vocals.
To find out more about Ruby and pick up 3 free books, visit her website: www.rubyloren.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 31, 2017
Wow. Getting snowed in with six detectives in Scotland in a remote section is something Holly has dreamed about. Unfortunately one detective is killed and Holly gets to play amateur sleuth. Loved it. Received a free box set.
January 7, 2018
An amazing 4 book set that keeps you turning pages and wanting more!
The first book in the series, Snowed in with Death, begins with Holly Winter a Private detective wannabe who won a contest that gave her the ability to hob nob with some of the most famous case solving Private detectives at yearly meeting in Scotland. braving the snow fall, she makes it to Horn Hill House and is introduced to the most egocentric detectives. With each detective trying to outdo the other with their case solving abilities, we have murder after murder with Holly trying to figure out what is happening and will she be murdered too? With crazy red-herrings and so many twists and turns, Holly Winter a Private detective wannabe won a contest that gave her the ability to hob nob with some of the most famous case solving Private detectives at yearly meeting in Scotland. braving the snow fall, she makes it to Horn Hill House and is introduced to the most egocentric detectives. With each detective trying to outdo the other with their case solving abilities, we have murder after murder with Holly trying to figure out what is happening and will she be murdered too? With crazy red-herrings and so many twists and turns, and loads of laugh out loud humor, you will be surprised at the ending!
Book #2 A Fatal Frost, finds Holly opening her own detective agency with a partner, Rob Frost, one of the detectives you meet in the first book, while playing piano at events to supplement her detecive agency income. She is hired to play piano at a Christmas dinner meeting of the Amateur Archeological Society where the person cooking the dinner is found murdered. It seems the killer likes history repeating itself and Holly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation once again. Also enter Rob Frost, her partner and the apparent jealous conflict between the head of the Archaelogical Society, George, who Holly took a liking to and her partner. An edge of your seat read that has you guessing to the very end!
Book #3 Murder Beneath the Mistletoe, the third book in the series get even crazier and is definitely an edge of your seat read. The ending is definitely not what you would ever expect! The story at the end reminded me of a crazy Kathy Bates movie! I had to read this in one sitting because I had no idea where it would lead, but once again we find Holly in the middle of it. It is a good follow-up story to book 2 since you find Holly and George together at a Christmas party for his company!
Book #4 Winter's Last Victim has her partner, Rob who has been looking and digging for something important all of his life asking Holly to come to him because he is in deserate need of her help. Since her crush from books two and three is moving away from her town of Little Wemly for good, helping Rob is just what the doctor ordered to get back into the swing of things. When she and Rob get picked up by the government and nearly killed by a crime gang, they realize that what Rob is looking for is far more important than at first thought. This storyline complete with kidnapping, murder, government secrecy, a crime lord and shoot-outs keeps you turning pages faster and faster! A fast paced read that works well in this four book set! I received an ARC but the opinions expressed here are stricly my own.
The first book in the series, Snowed in with Death, begins with Holly Winter a Private detective wannabe who won a contest that gave her the ability to hob nob with some of the most famous case solving Private detectives at yearly meeting in Scotland. braving the snow fall, she makes it to Horn Hill House and is introduced to the most egocentric detectives. With each detective trying to outdo the other with their case solving abilities, we have murder after murder with Holly trying to figure out what is happening and will she be murdered too? With crazy red-herrings and so many twists and turns, Holly Winter a Private detective wannabe won a contest that gave her the ability to hob nob with some of the most famous case solving Private detectives at yearly meeting in Scotland. braving the snow fall, she makes it to Horn Hill House and is introduced to the most egocentric detectives. With each detective trying to outdo the other with their case solving abilities, we have murder after murder with Holly trying to figure out what is happening and will she be murdered too? With crazy red-herrings and so many twists and turns, and loads of laugh out loud humor, you will be surprised at the ending!
Book #2 A Fatal Frost, finds Holly opening her own detective agency with a partner, Rob Frost, one of the detectives you meet in the first book, while playing piano at events to supplement her detecive agency income. She is hired to play piano at a Christmas dinner meeting of the Amateur Archeological Society where the person cooking the dinner is found murdered. It seems the killer likes history repeating itself and Holly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation once again. Also enter Rob Frost, her partner and the apparent jealous conflict between the head of the Archaelogical Society, George, who Holly took a liking to and her partner. An edge of your seat read that has you guessing to the very end!
Book #3 Murder Beneath the Mistletoe, the third book in the series get even crazier and is definitely an edge of your seat read. The ending is definitely not what you would ever expect! The story at the end reminded me of a crazy Kathy Bates movie! I had to read this in one sitting because I had no idea where it would lead, but once again we find Holly in the middle of it. It is a good follow-up story to book 2 since you find Holly and George together at a Christmas party for his company!
Book #4 Winter's Last Victim has her partner, Rob who has been looking and digging for something important all of his life asking Holly to come to him because he is in deserate need of her help. Since her crush from books two and three is moving away from her town of Little Wemly for good, helping Rob is just what the doctor ordered to get back into the swing of things. When she and Rob get picked up by the government and nearly killed by a crime gang, they realize that what Rob is looking for is far more important than at first thought. This storyline complete with kidnapping, murder, government secrecy, a crime lord and shoot-outs keeps you turning pages faster and faster! A fast paced read that works well in this four book set! I received an ARC but the opinions expressed here are stricly my own.
July 15, 2018
Blooming #1 - A quick, fun read with bits of suspense. Armed with self-doubt in the beginning, the main character uses integrity, determination and hard work to succeed and becomes an outstanding young woman while changing the life of the people around her. This book is filled with humor and suspense. The author did a good job with this book; still needs editing. But this recent work is vastly superior over her earlier writings. Like the main character, she persevered, too. 5*
Holly Winters books 1-4 5* Ms. Loren re-edited this series.
Snowed In With Death #1 - Just so silly, it's funny. A humorous whodunit filled with the egos of six private detectives and a young female amateur sleuth. Even with the disdainful PIs present, the young woman shows them up. Just perfect for a few minutes of humor filled relaxation. 5*
A Fatal Frost #2 - Two stories in one. This book picks up where Snowed In With Death stops. The perfect breakfast opens the story! Another well written, quick murder mystery with our two characters from SIWD. The plot was interesting and kept the reader's attention; great for a lunch break or a few moments of relaxation. I contacted the author to review her books after reading the ones I had in my Amazon library. 5*
Murder Beneath the Mistletoe #3 - An interesting story, a little more substantial than the first two books in this series. The characters are interesting, although one disappears without really knowing what's up with him. The ending is kinda cool, which of course is where the next book picks up. 5*
Winter's Last Victim #4 - Picks up where Murder Beneath the Mistletoe stopped. These four stories are related in more than one way. Interesting plot, the same good and bad character types and a new member to Holly's "gang". Plenty of humor, along with a couple of surprises. 5*
Holly Winters books 1-4 end
The Lavender of Larch Hall - A quick, easy read. A well written suspense with a touch of romance and humor. Just perfect for a few minutes with a cuppa. 5*
Holly Winters books 1-4 5* Ms. Loren re-edited this series.
Snowed In With Death #1 - Just so silly, it's funny. A humorous whodunit filled with the egos of six private detectives and a young female amateur sleuth. Even with the disdainful PIs present, the young woman shows them up. Just perfect for a few minutes of humor filled relaxation. 5*
A Fatal Frost #2 - Two stories in one. This book picks up where Snowed In With Death stops. The perfect breakfast opens the story! Another well written, quick murder mystery with our two characters from SIWD. The plot was interesting and kept the reader's attention; great for a lunch break or a few moments of relaxation. I contacted the author to review her books after reading the ones I had in my Amazon library. 5*
Murder Beneath the Mistletoe #3 - An interesting story, a little more substantial than the first two books in this series. The characters are interesting, although one disappears without really knowing what's up with him. The ending is kinda cool, which of course is where the next book picks up. 5*
Winter's Last Victim #4 - Picks up where Murder Beneath the Mistletoe stopped. These four stories are related in more than one way. Interesting plot, the same good and bad character types and a new member to Holly's "gang". Plenty of humor, along with a couple of surprises. 5*
Holly Winters books 1-4 end
The Lavender of Larch Hall - A quick, easy read. A well written suspense with a touch of romance and humor. Just perfect for a few minutes with a cuppa. 5*
January 8, 2018
This is a four books bundle, and the perfect way to fall in love with Ruby Loren's writing.
1. Snowed In With Death (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 1): You get to know Holly and her wonderfully weird sense of humour. An amateur sleuth, she wins an invitation to a detective's convention in an isolated house in Scotland with other six 'real' detectives and, in a very Dame Christie manner, one by one all of them are being killed. Well paced and with a surprising ending, this is a great way to get to know Holly Winters.
2. A Fatal Frost (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 2): Again, Holly stumbles across a dead body. This time while she's hired to play piano in an Archeological get-together. By now Holly owns her own detective's agency and, of course, she goes investigating the murder. Interesting and with various twist and turns, this is a fantastic second story of the series.
3. Murder Beneath The Mistletoe (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 3): Another hilarious and twisted plot with an unexpected ending, Holly Winter keeps growing as a character and you'll find yourself loving her with the kind of love you have for the crazy, but well-intentioned :D
4. Winter's Last Victim (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 4): Here, Holly's partner in her detective's agency ask for her help. But they are picked up by the government, and almost killed by a gang and things are way more complicated than what they seemed at the beginning. Another fast-paced and great story :D
1. Snowed In With Death (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 1): You get to know Holly and her wonderfully weird sense of humour. An amateur sleuth, she wins an invitation to a detective's convention in an isolated house in Scotland with other six 'real' detectives and, in a very Dame Christie manner, one by one all of them are being killed. Well paced and with a surprising ending, this is a great way to get to know Holly Winters.
2. A Fatal Frost (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 2): Again, Holly stumbles across a dead body. This time while she's hired to play piano in an Archeological get-together. By now Holly owns her own detective's agency and, of course, she goes investigating the murder. Interesting and with various twist and turns, this is a fantastic second story of the series.
3. Murder Beneath The Mistletoe (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 3): Another hilarious and twisted plot with an unexpected ending, Holly Winter keeps growing as a character and you'll find yourself loving her with the kind of love you have for the crazy, but well-intentioned :D
4. Winter's Last Victim (Holly Winter Cozy Mystery Series Book 4): Here, Holly's partner in her detective's agency ask for her help. But they are picked up by the government, and almost killed by a gang and things are way more complicated than what they seemed at the beginning. Another fast-paced and great story :D
February 8, 2018
Picked up Ruby Loren's Holly Winter's Mysteries Books 1-4 for my weekend entertainment.
The characters are likeable and the books build upon what occured in the previous book much like how a person would fall asleep at the end of one day and awaken to the beginning of the next day. I like this method of transitioning from one book to the next. The continuity in the story presented in this way keeps the reader's interest resulting with a hard to put down boxed set!
The books can be purchased as stand alone reads but due the the transition style employed by the author I would recommend purchasing the boxed set formaximum enjoyment.
My individual ratings for these books are as follows:
Snowed In With Death (4 stars), A Fatal Frost (3 stars), Murder Beneath The Mistletoe (3 stars) and Winter's Last Victim (4 stars)
The characters are likeable and the books build upon what occured in the previous book much like how a person would fall asleep at the end of one day and awaken to the beginning of the next day. I like this method of transitioning from one book to the next. The continuity in the story presented in this way keeps the reader's interest resulting with a hard to put down boxed set!
The books can be purchased as stand alone reads but due the the transition style employed by the author I would recommend purchasing the boxed set formaximum enjoyment.
My individual ratings for these books are as follows:
Snowed In With Death (4 stars), A Fatal Frost (3 stars), Murder Beneath The Mistletoe (3 stars) and Winter's Last Victim (4 stars)
January 17, 2018
Snowed in With Death my ninth read from author Ruby Loren and the first in a new series. I read this book in one sitting, yeah it is that good!.
A Fatal Frost My tenth read from author Ruby Loren and the second in The Holly Winters Mystery series, the first was so good I had to go right out & get the second and read it.
Murder Beneath the Mistletoe My eleventh read from author Ruby Loren and the third in The Holly Winters Mystery series. I read this book in one sitting, yeah it is that good! Enjoyable & well-written, all of Ruby Loren’s writing is.
Another well-written Holly Winters Mystery short. I’ll read more in this series in the future just as soon as I get them.
A Fatal Frost My tenth read from author Ruby Loren and the second in The Holly Winters Mystery series, the first was so good I had to go right out & get the second and read it.
Murder Beneath the Mistletoe My eleventh read from author Ruby Loren and the third in The Holly Winters Mystery series. I read this book in one sitting, yeah it is that good! Enjoyable & well-written, all of Ruby Loren’s writing is.
Another well-written Holly Winters Mystery short. I’ll read more in this series in the future just as soon as I get them.
January 14, 2018
Having read many of her books was looking forward to the box set with an amateur sleuth. An invitation, with 6 others, a snow storm almost keep her from getting there. 1.Guest are turning up dead, wondering if she would be next.. 2.Owning her agency now, when asked to play the piano, she stumbles upon a dead body. Unusual twists to solve.3. Instead of being kissed under mistletoe,it’s murder, her sense of humor really came out in this story. 4.Having a partner in the agency could prove deadly for Holly.
All four of these were a delight to read, light hearted, with her quirky sense of humor.
All four of these were a delight to read, light hearted, with her quirky sense of humor.
October 13, 2019
Thank goodness these stories are short -like really bad screenplays for sitcoms. The mysteries are just so so. The stories are so random and silly they could have been Laurel and Hardy/Abbott and Costello episodes. The heroine is so preoccupied with her bad hair days and boyfriend troubles I'm amazed we are expected to believe she's clever enough to solve crimes! Not greatly, not even good thankfully they were free!
November 4, 2020
The first book, Snowed In with Death, is very intriguing. Reminds me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. A group of detectives, a contest winner and the event planned are snowbound. Then one of the detectives is murdered, Soon another detective is shot.; then another. You know the plot. These characters were well drawn. The plot was twisty even as the number of suspects dwindled. I did not guess the killer. This was a pleasant way to pass a lazy afternoon!
July 30, 2019
Four very short novels in one book. I hope this was a 99-center, because it really isn't all that good. Reasonably well plotted, I guess, but I didn't really like Holly. The stories are fairly cookie-cutter, with her romantic troubles interfering here and there. I finished all four, but it was a struggle.
April 28, 2020
Decent mysteries
This is four books in one. The first mystery is a little hokey, but decent enough. The other three books are better. Holly reminds me of a child, even though she's an adult. It is in British English, but if you're not British, you will still know what's going on. I like Rob, that's all I'm gonna say.
This is four books in one. The first mystery is a little hokey, but decent enough. The other three books are better. Holly reminds me of a child, even though she's an adult. It is in British English, but if you're not British, you will still know what's going on. I like Rob, that's all I'm gonna say.
June 3, 2019
Very Good Read
Holly Frost & sometimes Rob Winter bumble their way through a number of mysteries often just escaping with their lives. Make sure to sign up to Ruby Loren's mail list at the end of the book to receive a free copy of "The First Frost".
Holly Frost & sometimes Rob Winter bumble their way through a number of mysteries often just escaping with their lives. Make sure to sign up to Ruby Loren's mail list at the end of the book to receive a free copy of "The First Frost".
June 25, 2019
I'm sorry, but I just did not enjoy these books. I thought the premise sounded good, otherwise I would not have added them to my reading list but I just could not get into them. Each book was quite short and everything felt too rushed.
August 27, 2019
Lots of fun as a bunch of private detectives plus one piano playing amateur attempt to solve murders.
As always for books by this author, well written and good, if slightly off kilter plots.
Very enjoyable read of each book.
As always for books by this author, well written and good, if slightly off kilter plots.
Very enjoyable read of each book.
January 15, 2018
Holly Winter Mysteries. Cute quick easy to read mysteries. Clean reads. Lite/mild romance. No sex. Violence. enjoyed these stories.
July 28, 2019
Fairly well written. But everywhere she went there was death. That was gory. But I guess the author likes that sort of story. Congrats
September 28, 2019
Fun
Nice stories. Not so long and easy to read. Great characters with human failings. Well written, spelled and punctuated. I always like that
Nice stories. Not so long and easy to read. Great characters with human failings. Well written, spelled and punctuated. I always like that
November 6, 2019
Great read
These four stories were wonderful. I wish there were more. I loved how Holly got into trouble and then got herself out again.
These four stories were wonderful. I wish there were more. I loved how Holly got into trouble and then got herself out again.
March 30, 2020
Not Too Bad
Holly is not my favorite Ruby Loren character. She is flighty and a little silly. However, the mysteries she solves are not too bad.
Holly is not my favorite Ruby Loren character. She is flighty and a little silly. However, the mysteries she solves are not too bad.
May 13, 2020
Great series about Holly Winters becoming a private detective. Lots of fun mystery and great characters.
September 2, 2020
Four mysteries that proves that the author has a great grasp on the cozy mystery genre. Highly recommend you try the books either individual or as this ombudsmen edition! You won't be disappointed
November 24, 2020
loved it
November 27, 2020
Ridiculous plots.
August 6, 2019
Good read
These books are easily understood and are a good read you can almost picture the scenes throughout worth a read when you want to unwind
These books are easily understood and are a good read you can almost picture the scenes throughout worth a read when you want to unwind
July 2, 2018
The growth of a female sleuth and her emotions
Great value! Even though I had read the first book it still made sense to buy the set. This follows a amateur detective as she wades through four cases whilst still keeping her day job as a performing piano player. All the cases follow each other and make for a tremendous read. Okay they're not brilliant (certainly not on a par with the author's new works) but for a light easy read they are perfect. Watch as our heroine grows in character and sleuthing ability, how her heart is broken and mended as the books progress.
Great value! Even though I had read the first book it still made sense to buy the set. This follows a amateur detective as she wades through four cases whilst still keeping her day job as a performing piano player. All the cases follow each other and make for a tremendous read. Okay they're not brilliant (certainly not on a par with the author's new works) but for a light easy read they are perfect. Watch as our heroine grows in character and sleuthing ability, how her heart is broken and mended as the books progress.
Read
January 18, 2018I am a big fan of Ruby Loren's latest series the Madigan Amos zoo mysteries, and I found it quite interesting to read something else by her.
This is a set of 4 cosy mysteries about a budding private investigator who keeps finding herself embroiled in murder investigations, and thoroughly annoying the local police inspector! They do involve rather large numbers of homicides, but despite this they are actually quite light-hearted stories, with some definitely chuckle-inducing moments.
I like the character of Holly and the mixed first and third-person narration, Holly's bits are first person and include some amusing self-deprecating comments, usually about her appearance!
This set of books makes a great read, sitting in front of a fire with a mug of something hot on a cold winter's evening, great fun.
I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary advance copy of this box-set, but the review is voluntarily written and based solely on my own opinions.
This is a set of 4 cosy mysteries about a budding private investigator who keeps finding herself embroiled in murder investigations, and thoroughly annoying the local police inspector! They do involve rather large numbers of homicides, but despite this they are actually quite light-hearted stories, with some definitely chuckle-inducing moments.
I like the character of Holly and the mixed first and third-person narration, Holly's bits are first person and include some amusing self-deprecating comments, usually about her appearance!
This set of books makes a great read, sitting in front of a fire with a mug of something hot on a cold winter's evening, great fun.
I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary advance copy of this box-set, but the review is voluntarily written and based solely on my own opinions.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews