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Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries #3
A Wee Christmas Homicide
'Tis the season to be jolly, but in Moosetookalook, Maine, Christmas cheer is in short supply due to a snowless winter that's keeping skiers and shoppers at a distance. Fortunately, Liss MacCrimmon of the Scottish Emporium has a plan…
Liss’s brainstorm focuses on Tiny Teddies, the new “hot” toy of the season. Every store across the country is out of stock—except a few wee establishments in good ol' Moosetookalook. It's easy enough to drum up approval for the idea of luring consumers to town and keeping them there with a stockingful of New England holiday charm. Liss’s real challenge lies in contending with bickering businesspeople and—once America learns of Moosetookalook's Tiny Teddy cache—doggedly determined shopaholics.
The first sign of something amiss occurs when the last Tiny Teddy is summarily executed: shot through the heart in the display window of greedy toy store owner Gavin Thorne. But the Teddy's demise is just a precursor to the eerily similar murder of Gavin himself...
The two men in Liss’s life want her far from the case, but she can't help feeling guilty for starting the fur frenzy that seems to have led to Gavin's death. Besides, how can she ignore the lengthy list of suspects, not the least of whom include Gavin's vindictive ex-wife, an unscrupulous selectman, a ski shop owner with an axe to grind, and a rabid toy collector packing heat in her purse..?
Now, with the Twelve (or, in Scots terms, the Daft) Days of Christmas rapidly approaching, Liss has a plate full of things worse than haggis to contend with, starting with a stockroom packed with poultry (don't ask), and ending with a killer who'd like to see Liss's goose well and fully cooked...
Liss’s brainstorm focuses on Tiny Teddies, the new “hot” toy of the season. Every store across the country is out of stock—except a few wee establishments in good ol' Moosetookalook. It's easy enough to drum up approval for the idea of luring consumers to town and keeping them there with a stockingful of New England holiday charm. Liss’s real challenge lies in contending with bickering businesspeople and—once America learns of Moosetookalook's Tiny Teddy cache—doggedly determined shopaholics.
The first sign of something amiss occurs when the last Tiny Teddy is summarily executed: shot through the heart in the display window of greedy toy store owner Gavin Thorne. But the Teddy's demise is just a precursor to the eerily similar murder of Gavin himself...
The two men in Liss’s life want her far from the case, but she can't help feeling guilty for starting the fur frenzy that seems to have led to Gavin's death. Besides, how can she ignore the lengthy list of suspects, not the least of whom include Gavin's vindictive ex-wife, an unscrupulous selectman, a ski shop owner with an axe to grind, and a rabid toy collector packing heat in her purse..?
Now, with the Twelve (or, in Scots terms, the Daft) Days of Christmas rapidly approaching, Liss has a plate full of things worse than haggis to contend with, starting with a stockroom packed with poultry (don't ask), and ending with a killer who'd like to see Liss's goose well and fully cooked...
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2009
179 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Kaitlyn Dunnett
20 books353 followersKaitlyn Dunnett is a pseudonym used by Kathy Lynn Emerson, author of the Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries, the Face Down Mysteries featuring Susanna Appleton, 16th century gentlewoman, herbalist, and sleuth, the Diana Spaulding 1888 Quartet, and the award-winning How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, plus an assortment of other books.
As Kaitlyn she writes the Liss MacCrimmon series set in Moosetookalook, Maine and the Deadly Edits series set in rural Sullivan County, New York.
She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and other professional organizations and blogs regularly with Maine Crime Writers.
As Kaitlyn she writes the Liss MacCrimmon series set in Moosetookalook, Maine and the Deadly Edits series set in rural Sullivan County, New York.
She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and other professional organizations and blogs regularly with Maine Crime Writers.
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July 17, 2018Awful. Note to authors: you can lampshade the "amateur detectives always end up in TSTL territory" thing by having your character read mystery novels and laugh at TSTL characters, but that consciousness doesn't make your own character not TSTL. Or TSTNBLUFVVOTL (Too Stupid To Not Be Locked Up For Various Violations Of The Law). Unfortunately, Liss is not brought to task for her crimes. Oh my gosh, the flippant breaking and entering, the righteousness, the pointing a loaded gun at someone in order to get answers from them (moments after freaking out because said someone was carrying a loaded gun)... I wanted to like the small business owner aspect of this, but oh gosh, it was awful, poorly written, and predictable (I mean, the actual murderer was obvious because unnecessary details were dropped by them, very often, and very unsubtly), and I wanted someone to run Liss over with a snowmobile.
My favorite character was the kitten. She was adorable.
My favorite character was the kitten. She was adorable.
December 6, 2017
I have read one of the later books in this series and found it slightly more enjoyable. In this book, the main character, Liss MacCrimmon, is completely unlikable. She's selfish, thoughtless, endangers others with her own reckless actions, and doesn't care if what she's doing is illegal (such as breaking into someone's house or threatening someone with a loaded gun). Other characters plead with her not to get involved, or to be more careful, and she only ignores them. Throughout the book, people ask Liss why she has to investigate, she has no explanation. It would have been better not to point out that there is no reason for Liss to get involved rather than to pretend the question has been covered. I wasn't invested in the mystery and I was hoping for more cozy Christmas details. The Scottish angle is interesting and the only time Liss is a compelling character is when she's reflecting on how her injury ended her dance career.
February 13, 2016
When the Tiny Teddies craze hits Maine, murder and mayhem ensue. When the owner of a toy store ends up dead, Liss MacCrimmon of the Scottish Emporium tries to solve the murder herself.
Here are a couple things I disliked:
1. The constant use of TSTL. I actually had to look it up because I had no clue what it meant. For those who haven't read the other books, it would have been nice to have a little context around the abbreviation so we would know what it meant.
2. The author tries too hard with the "amateur detective" bit. It just seemed disingenuous.
3. The book is all over the place with ideas, conclusions, and the murder doesn't take place until about 7 chapters in! It doesn't grab you from the get-go.
Here are a few things I did like:
1. I can appreciate the author's love for all things Scottish. I also have a love for Scottish things, and could relate.
2. While it didn't scream Christmas, the subtle nuances made it seem "Christmasy".
3. It was a nice light read. Nothing heavy.
Would I read it again? If the mood caught me.
Here are a couple things I disliked:
1. The constant use of TSTL. I actually had to look it up because I had no clue what it meant. For those who haven't read the other books, it would have been nice to have a little context around the abbreviation so we would know what it meant.
2. The author tries too hard with the "amateur detective" bit. It just seemed disingenuous.
3. The book is all over the place with ideas, conclusions, and the murder doesn't take place until about 7 chapters in! It doesn't grab you from the get-go.
Here are a few things I did like:
1. I can appreciate the author's love for all things Scottish. I also have a love for Scottish things, and could relate.
2. While it didn't scream Christmas, the subtle nuances made it seem "Christmasy".
3. It was a nice light read. Nothing heavy.
Would I read it again? If the mood caught me.
March 19, 2015
Not my cup of tea.
However,
I give the author full points for having tension between a couple because of her job as police officer. However, this is the second time I have tried to read it and I just can't get into very much. I do give it another credit nod for the friendship between the central characters.
I think its the romantic sub-plot that irks me, and at times it is a little too cute for me.
However,
I give the author full points for having tension between a couple because of her job as police officer. However, this is the second time I have tried to read it and I just can't get into very much. I do give it another credit nod for the friendship between the central characters.
I think its the romantic sub-plot that irks me, and at times it is a little too cute for me.
December 22, 2016
The mystery part of the book is okay although it is one of those where everyone is a suspect and then the real perpetrator is discovered when they try to kill the "detective". This is never my favorite type of resolution. The real issue, for me with this book however, is the character of Liss MacCrimmon. She is constantly promising her friends (both cops and civilians) that she won't get involved and then of course she gets very involved. Why do they even continue to deal with her?
March 11, 2020
Well, the ending was quite climatic, but could not tamp down my disappointment that this “Scottish Mystery” was not set in Scotland, nor with a bona fide lass as the main character. But the “note” pages at the end helped a bit with the yearning.
July 28, 2018
This was Book Three of my "research" rereads in preparation for writing Book Thirteen. I've always liked this one a lot, although the title isn't one of my favorites. I won't address various criticisms readers have leveled at the characters and story except to say that the whole TSTL thing (heroine being "too stupid to live" for doing something dangerously dumb in the course of the story) was set up to be a running gag. The book, after all, is a light, hopefully humorous cozy mystery, not a dark and deeply serious crime novel. The first mention of TSTL, early on, comes complete with an explanation of what the initials stand for. Liss mentions how much she dislikes this particular plot device in Gothic novels. Having said that, OF COURSE she has to do something totally foolish herself somewhere in the story.
May 25, 2017
Hey Guys! I'm reviewing A Wee Christmas Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett today. It's the third book in the Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series.
Moosetookalook is in trouble this holiday season with the newly renovated hotel about to go under due to lack of guests, and the rest of the town square in the red since the snow hasn't come this year. When the toy store owner Gavin Thorne walks into Liss' shop and asks to buy her tiny teddies for $50 each, she figures something is up. Liss finds a newspaper article about the tiny teddies being the next big toy craze and she hatches a plan to save Moosetookalook from debt. She asks Thorne and Marcia, the consignment shop owner, to advertise that they along with Liss are the only stores left that have tiny teddies. She also decides that they will have a Christmas Pageant based on the 12 days of Christmas/the Scottish Christmas holiday too to bring in people to stay at the hotel. Everyone seems to go along with the plan after a little bit of arm twisting from Liss.
While I truly enjoy this series, I do think there could be a lot of improvement in the books. My main concern with Liss is that she is aware of the damsel in distress trope that many romance and mystery books have, yet she falls into that trap of being a damsel in distress every mystery. It would be funny if she were aware of the trope as she was doing something dangerous, but it's always just randomly in the story she goes: oh I won't be stupid like those women who only wait for men to save them. And then she goes and does something stupid and is saved by a man......
Another thing that made me angry for the second book in the series and this one is that Liss has decided that she cannot be satisfied with dating only one man. She insists upon dating Gordon Tandy and Dan at the same time. How both men are able to keep on with her while knowing that she is two timing them is amazing. What also is supremely odd is that she doesn't go on dates with either of them in both books. While a date could be a boring exposition scene, I feel like it's necessary in this case. I want to know why she feels both of them could be her match, especially when Gordon is like 40 something and she's only 29. Luckily for those who hate Gordon he leaves at the end of this book on a convenient 6 month training trip that finally lets Liss know that she doesn't actually care for him. Which we as readers knew, because she only started dating him after Dan got jealous of her hanging out with another man! WTF! She clearly is not romantically mature.
So the mystery itself starts out with a toy bear being shot through the heart. No one knows how or why. Liss must find out the who, and make sure it doesn't ruin her Christmas Pageant. Then two nights later Thorne is shot through the heart. Is it a coincidence? Was it premeditated with the bear? No one knows, but now stupid Gordon is on scene and here to steal away Dan's confidence and Liss' heart. Oh and her aunt Margaret comes back from spending a whole year in Arizona with her parents. Margaret refuses to let Liss call her "Aunt Mag" anymore, and starts getting on her case about the store. We soon learn that she wants to sell her shares to Liss and go work in the hotel as an event planner. Totally random, and kind of annoying that she was telling Liss how to run the store and then drop the bomb that she's leaving it in Liss' hands. Also Margaret is now dating Sherri Willett's old grouchy father....did anyone see that coming? Not me!
Liss is convinced that Ernie is the one behind the murder because he offered Liss an extra shipment of bears after she ran out, and she told him she suspected they were either fake or smuggled across the border from Canada. She tries to tell Gordon, but he won't listen. His pride is too much to listen to someone who has solved two previous murders. He instead goes with the ex wife did it. Even though the tiny teddies are missing from the store, so yeah it couldn't have had anything to do with the bears...right. Liss decides to conduct her own investigation and asks the annoying woman from earlier in the week, who we learn is a toy collector, where she was. In the midst of this conversation we learn she is the one who shot the bear through its heart, because Thorne priced it too high. So I guess if she couldn't have it no one else could. She then scrabbles for her gun to attempt to shoot Liss and her aunt so that they don't turn her in for vandalism...I think murder would be a much worse charge crazy lady! And even though she attempted to kill them the woman is let go from the police station! What?
Ernie is still missing, leading Liss to think he's the prime suspect. So she decides to break into his house. And then is almost caught by who she thinks might be the murderer. They take a map that has a circled area on it, she goes to the shady property manager in town to ask who's property it is. Jason says it used to belong to the Thornes. Dun dun dun. Maybe it was the ex wife after all? She is the smuggler! Wait, what? Liss also talks to the mysterious dude who is staying in Dan's father's hotel. He says he was only there to get teddies to sell to other people. Another red herring, but Dan doesn't like Liss snooping and tells her to take care of herself. Liss also briefly questions Marcia about Ernie. Never picking up on the fact that Marcia was friends with the Thornes, so perhaps she knew about their property too?
In the end the mystery is solved by an outing on a snowmobile, Gordon getting shot in the head sort of, and the murderer running into a tree on their snowmobile and breaking their neck. No real investigation work was done yet again. However I give it props for doing more questioning of suspects than before. And for Liss to make a little bit of connections here and there. Yet I wish she would be able to solve the cases without accidentally stumbling upon the murderer.
Things that bothered me:
-Liss discounts Marcia from the beginning, even though she says everyone is a suspect.
-Aunt Margaret is a royal bitch to Liss when she gets home, even though they are bffs.
-Sherri tells Liss everything about the investigation even under direct orders not to.
-Dan takes a sideline in this thing.
-Gordon seems to be winning, only to be magically taken out by a convenient training course.
-There are three red herring characters, but only 1 of them does anything interesting enough to suspect them.
Now for the big spoiler:
Marcia is the killer..say what? Yeah. She apparently killed Thorne after he found out she was using his old property to smuggle teddy bears across. She was using Ernie to broker a deal to Liss and Thorne, but Thorne figured out that Marcia got them from Canada, somehow. Then wanted to blackmail her into giving him money. Although he never found out she was actually smuggling people too. She helped people who were Canadians with green cards, that got stuck in Canada while their families were in America. Go figure..
I'd give this a 3/5 or a 7.5/10. There was less troubles in this one, but still enough to make me go, wtf at the end when the culprit was revealed.
Moosetookalook is in trouble this holiday season with the newly renovated hotel about to go under due to lack of guests, and the rest of the town square in the red since the snow hasn't come this year. When the toy store owner Gavin Thorne walks into Liss' shop and asks to buy her tiny teddies for $50 each, she figures something is up. Liss finds a newspaper article about the tiny teddies being the next big toy craze and she hatches a plan to save Moosetookalook from debt. She asks Thorne and Marcia, the consignment shop owner, to advertise that they along with Liss are the only stores left that have tiny teddies. She also decides that they will have a Christmas Pageant based on the 12 days of Christmas/the Scottish Christmas holiday too to bring in people to stay at the hotel. Everyone seems to go along with the plan after a little bit of arm twisting from Liss.
While I truly enjoy this series, I do think there could be a lot of improvement in the books. My main concern with Liss is that she is aware of the damsel in distress trope that many romance and mystery books have, yet she falls into that trap of being a damsel in distress every mystery. It would be funny if she were aware of the trope as she was doing something dangerous, but it's always just randomly in the story she goes: oh I won't be stupid like those women who only wait for men to save them. And then she goes and does something stupid and is saved by a man......
Another thing that made me angry for the second book in the series and this one is that Liss has decided that she cannot be satisfied with dating only one man. She insists upon dating Gordon Tandy and Dan at the same time. How both men are able to keep on with her while knowing that she is two timing them is amazing. What also is supremely odd is that she doesn't go on dates with either of them in both books. While a date could be a boring exposition scene, I feel like it's necessary in this case. I want to know why she feels both of them could be her match, especially when Gordon is like 40 something and she's only 29. Luckily for those who hate Gordon he leaves at the end of this book on a convenient 6 month training trip that finally lets Liss know that she doesn't actually care for him. Which we as readers knew, because she only started dating him after Dan got jealous of her hanging out with another man! WTF! She clearly is not romantically mature.
So the mystery itself starts out with a toy bear being shot through the heart. No one knows how or why. Liss must find out the who, and make sure it doesn't ruin her Christmas Pageant. Then two nights later Thorne is shot through the heart. Is it a coincidence? Was it premeditated with the bear? No one knows, but now stupid Gordon is on scene and here to steal away Dan's confidence and Liss' heart. Oh and her aunt Margaret comes back from spending a whole year in Arizona with her parents. Margaret refuses to let Liss call her "Aunt Mag" anymore, and starts getting on her case about the store. We soon learn that she wants to sell her shares to Liss and go work in the hotel as an event planner. Totally random, and kind of annoying that she was telling Liss how to run the store and then drop the bomb that she's leaving it in Liss' hands. Also Margaret is now dating Sherri Willett's old grouchy father....did anyone see that coming? Not me!
Liss is convinced that Ernie is the one behind the murder because he offered Liss an extra shipment of bears after she ran out, and she told him she suspected they were either fake or smuggled across the border from Canada. She tries to tell Gordon, but he won't listen. His pride is too much to listen to someone who has solved two previous murders. He instead goes with the ex wife did it. Even though the tiny teddies are missing from the store, so yeah it couldn't have had anything to do with the bears...right. Liss decides to conduct her own investigation and asks the annoying woman from earlier in the week, who we learn is a toy collector, where she was. In the midst of this conversation we learn she is the one who shot the bear through its heart, because Thorne priced it too high. So I guess if she couldn't have it no one else could. She then scrabbles for her gun to attempt to shoot Liss and her aunt so that they don't turn her in for vandalism...I think murder would be a much worse charge crazy lady! And even though she attempted to kill them the woman is let go from the police station! What?
Ernie is still missing, leading Liss to think he's the prime suspect. So she decides to break into his house. And then is almost caught by who she thinks might be the murderer. They take a map that has a circled area on it, she goes to the shady property manager in town to ask who's property it is. Jason says it used to belong to the Thornes. Dun dun dun. Maybe it was the ex wife after all? She is the smuggler! Wait, what? Liss also talks to the mysterious dude who is staying in Dan's father's hotel. He says he was only there to get teddies to sell to other people. Another red herring, but Dan doesn't like Liss snooping and tells her to take care of herself. Liss also briefly questions Marcia about Ernie. Never picking up on the fact that Marcia was friends with the Thornes, so perhaps she knew about their property too?
In the end the mystery is solved by an outing on a snowmobile, Gordon getting shot in the head sort of, and the murderer running into a tree on their snowmobile and breaking their neck. No real investigation work was done yet again. However I give it props for doing more questioning of suspects than before. And for Liss to make a little bit of connections here and there. Yet I wish she would be able to solve the cases without accidentally stumbling upon the murderer.
Things that bothered me:
-Liss discounts Marcia from the beginning, even though she says everyone is a suspect.
-Aunt Margaret is a royal bitch to Liss when she gets home, even though they are bffs.
-Sherri tells Liss everything about the investigation even under direct orders not to.
-Dan takes a sideline in this thing.
-Gordon seems to be winning, only to be magically taken out by a convenient training course.
-There are three red herring characters, but only 1 of them does anything interesting enough to suspect them.
Now for the big spoiler:
Marcia is the killer..say what? Yeah. She apparently killed Thorne after he found out she was using his old property to smuggle teddy bears across. She was using Ernie to broker a deal to Liss and Thorne, but Thorne figured out that Marcia got them from Canada, somehow. Then wanted to blackmail her into giving him money. Although he never found out she was actually smuggling people too. She helped people who were Canadians with green cards, that got stuck in Canada while their families were in America. Go figure..
I'd give this a 3/5 or a 7.5/10. There was less troubles in this one, but still enough to make me go, wtf at the end when the culprit was revealed.
September 11, 2016
Another great book in the series
I've become a huge fan of this series and every book I read just gets better.
In this book, Christmas is coming and Liss is busy preparing for the 12 Days of Christmas pageant.
It's during this time that a hot commodity is making the merchants of Moosetookalook a bit frantic. It seems that Tiny Teddies are all the rage and some local merchants will do anything to get them, even murder.
Enjoy the holidays with all the Moosetookalook residents, you will be glad you did.
I've become a huge fan of this series and every book I read just gets better.
In this book, Christmas is coming and Liss is busy preparing for the 12 Days of Christmas pageant.
It's during this time that a hot commodity is making the merchants of Moosetookalook a bit frantic. It seems that Tiny Teddies are all the rage and some local merchants will do anything to get them, even murder.
Enjoy the holidays with all the Moosetookalook residents, you will be glad you did.
December 24, 2009
The cover says that it will keep you guessing until the end, that's because all the way through the narrator tells you not to suspect that person. A bit wordy at times. A good light book between the Jody Picoult's.
March 19, 2016
It was a cute story (with a bit of a stress on the troubles of illegal aliens). I thought at times that Liss might be acting like one of the too stupid to live heroines she complains about. To her credit, Liss began to wonder if she was acting that way, too.
August 25, 2021
More of the same. It took 70 pages for the murder to happen and I figured out who did it well before the end. The clues were too obvious. I'm glad I'm done with this series.
June 1, 2021
Wonderful listening 🔰
Due to eye issues and damage Alexa reads to me.
Another will written romantic thriller mystery in the Liss MacCrimmon Series book three with interesting characters. The story line is fast moving with lots of twist and turns leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading 📚 2021 🏡🏰🐱😉
Due to eye issues and damage Alexa reads to me.
Another will written romantic thriller mystery in the Liss MacCrimmon Series book three with interesting characters. The story line is fast moving with lots of twist and turns leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading 📚 2021 🏡🏰🐱😉
November 29, 2025
DO NOT read this series if you don't like your heroine to be self-centered, egotistical, and annoying.
I read the first two books in this series and only read this third one to see if the main character, Liss, continued to be so vapid. The first book was fine and it made sense that she would want to find the killer since she was a suspect. I also liked the potential romance between her and hometown boy, Dan.
Spoilers ahead:
The second book showed a side of Liss I did not like. She thought nothing of going around dating/kissing two guys at the same time and was very manipulative of one of them. I started to wonder if this was her true personality or just how she acted because her dance friends (who also seemed kind of shallow) were around.
So, I read the third book to see if she would come to her senses, but she doesn't-she only gets worse. She is more manipulative, plays the field with the two guys who like her (although she says she would draw the line at sleeping with two men at the same time!). When one of her friends says she is kind, I was like "Seriously!" Liss is very self-centered, egotistical, and annoying. She also doesn't seem to do much work even though she's the sole employee. She keeps poking her nose into an investigation which has nothing to do with her no matter how many times friends and police tell her to stop. There is even an inner monologue where she considers why she is "investigating." It was as if the author realized how TSTL (too stupid to live) Liss is, so she has to address it. Of course, Liss has no explanation and even wonders if there's something wrong with her (ya think?). In the end, she almost gets one of her suitors killed due to her manipulation.
That's why I will no longer be reading any more in this series. I did want to see if dense Dan (one of her suitors) stayed with her, so I read through the description of each book in the series. Saved me a lot of reading time.
Also, I noticed the author reviewed her own book and gave it 5 stars, so I can see why she doesn't have a problem with her character being egotistical. She also talked about Liss contemplating her TSTL status and said that of course, Liss had to act TSTL. Really!? You really want a heroine that stupid?
I read the first two books in this series and only read this third one to see if the main character, Liss, continued to be so vapid. The first book was fine and it made sense that she would want to find the killer since she was a suspect. I also liked the potential romance between her and hometown boy, Dan.
Spoilers ahead:
The second book showed a side of Liss I did not like. She thought nothing of going around dating/kissing two guys at the same time and was very manipulative of one of them. I started to wonder if this was her true personality or just how she acted because her dance friends (who also seemed kind of shallow) were around.
So, I read the third book to see if she would come to her senses, but she doesn't-she only gets worse. She is more manipulative, plays the field with the two guys who like her (although she says she would draw the line at sleeping with two men at the same time!). When one of her friends says she is kind, I was like "Seriously!" Liss is very self-centered, egotistical, and annoying. She also doesn't seem to do much work even though she's the sole employee. She keeps poking her nose into an investigation which has nothing to do with her no matter how many times friends and police tell her to stop. There is even an inner monologue where she considers why she is "investigating." It was as if the author realized how TSTL (too stupid to live) Liss is, so she has to address it. Of course, Liss has no explanation and even wonders if there's something wrong with her (ya think?). In the end, she almost gets one of her suitors killed due to her manipulation.
That's why I will no longer be reading any more in this series. I did want to see if dense Dan (one of her suitors) stayed with her, so I read through the description of each book in the series. Saved me a lot of reading time.
Also, I noticed the author reviewed her own book and gave it 5 stars, so I can see why she doesn't have a problem with her character being egotistical. She also talked about Liss contemplating her TSTL status and said that of course, Liss had to act TSTL. Really!? You really want a heroine that stupid?
December 28, 2015
I am officially done with this series. This book was like torture to finish [though the end was good]. I do not like it when the femme fatale has TWO men to pick from [one of my HUGE pet peeve's from the Hannah Swenson series] and the wishy-washyness just about drives me up the freaking wall.
And Liss' aunt's "transformation" was so very unbelievable as well.
Meh.
Done I tell you. D O N E.
Ugh.
July 30, 2011
This is the first book I read of this series and I really enjoyed it! I plan on reading the rest of them as well. It was a nice holiday read and has great characters and an exciting ending. I would definitely recommend it!
July 31, 2011
This is the first book I read of this series and I really enjoyed it! I plan on reading the rest of them as well. It was a nice holiday read and has great characters and an exciting ending. I would definitely recommend it!
June 6, 2012
A bit amateurish and a light read, but it held my interest and was a well laid out mystery. It did get to the point where I thought if I read "Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium" one more time, I would scream; the Scottish angle is very contrived.
April 19, 2020
Tired of bait and switch that this is a Scottish book. Saying 'tartan' a couple of times doesn't make this a Scottish or Scottish-like book. Characters are trite and uninteresting. Another exceedingly stupid protagonist.
February 25, 2010
I can't give this any stars at all because I didn't read much beyond the second chapter. I am "finished" with this series. I really liked book 1, marginally liked book 2 and am so done with book 3.
March 23, 2016
Tiny teddies are all the rage! Are they a cause for murder? And all during the Christmas season!
September 22, 2014
Great cozie mystery. Fun series.
April 6, 2015
Typical cozy mystery. Enjoyable without expending too much brainpower.
July 9, 2023
Definitely liking this series.... On to the next
'Tis the season to be jolly, but in Moosetookalook, Maine, Christmas cheer is in short supply due to a snowless winter that's keeping skiers and shoppers at a distance. Fortunately, Liss MacCrimmon of the Scottish Emporium has a plan…
Liss’s brainstorm focuses on Tiny Teddies, the new “hot” toy of the season. Every store across the country is out of stock—except a few wee establishments in good ol' Moosetookalook. It's easy enough to drum up approval for the idea of luring consumers to town and keeping them there with a stockingful of New England holiday charm. Liss’s real challenge lies in contending with bickering businesspeople and—once America learns of Moosetookalook's Tiny Teddy cache—doggedly determined shopaholics.
The first sign of something amiss occurs when the last Tiny Teddy is summarily executed: shot through the heart in the display window of greedy toy store owner Gavin Thorne. But the Teddy's demise is just a precursor to the eerily similar murder of Gavin himself...
The two men in Liss’s life want her far from the case, but she can't help feeling guilty for starting the fur frenzy that seems to have led to Gavin's death. Besides, how can she ignore the lengthy list of suspects, not the least of whom include Gavin's vindictive ex-wife, an unscrupulous selectman, a ski shop owner with an axe to grind, and a rabid toy collector packing heat in her purse..?
Now, with the Twelve (or, in Scots terms, the Daft) Days of Christmas rapidly approaching, Liss has a plate full of things worse than haggis to contend with, starting with a stockroom packed with poultry (don't ask), and ending with a killer who'd like to see Liss's goose well and fully cooked...
'Tis the season to be jolly, but in Moosetookalook, Maine, Christmas cheer is in short supply due to a snowless winter that's keeping skiers and shoppers at a distance. Fortunately, Liss MacCrimmon of the Scottish Emporium has a plan…
Liss’s brainstorm focuses on Tiny Teddies, the new “hot” toy of the season. Every store across the country is out of stock—except a few wee establishments in good ol' Moosetookalook. It's easy enough to drum up approval for the idea of luring consumers to town and keeping them there with a stockingful of New England holiday charm. Liss’s real challenge lies in contending with bickering businesspeople and—once America learns of Moosetookalook's Tiny Teddy cache—doggedly determined shopaholics.
The first sign of something amiss occurs when the last Tiny Teddy is summarily executed: shot through the heart in the display window of greedy toy store owner Gavin Thorne. But the Teddy's demise is just a precursor to the eerily similar murder of Gavin himself...
The two men in Liss’s life want her far from the case, but she can't help feeling guilty for starting the fur frenzy that seems to have led to Gavin's death. Besides, how can she ignore the lengthy list of suspects, not the least of whom include Gavin's vindictive ex-wife, an unscrupulous selectman, a ski shop owner with an axe to grind, and a rabid toy collector packing heat in her purse..?
Now, with the Twelve (or, in Scots terms, the Daft) Days of Christmas rapidly approaching, Liss has a plate full of things worse than haggis to contend with, starting with a stockroom packed with poultry (don't ask), and ending with a killer who'd like to see Liss's goose well and fully cooked...
January 16, 2019
After Scone Cold Dead, I was generally expecting this book to follow in its wake of being a fun read, but not as good as the first book. I'm happy to report that I was wrong and that I found this book far more enjoyable than the last, and just about on par with the first, with a little extra approval for the ambiance in the story.
I love the base concept: finding out that you have items that are now considered rare and must have for Christmas and using business smarts to help your small town that is suffering around from no snow, so no tourists. I found it intriguing, and interweaving the 12 days of Christmas with price gouging, ethics, and murder made it all the more better. Definitely a bounce back from the rather weak feeling motivations/situation in the last book. I also liked that we are getting to see more of Liss' character and her attempting to improve her flaws. Not that she is particularly successful, but it is realistic that she wouldn't be, and the important people in her life react appropriately to it and get angry with her.
I will say, although I hadn't put together whodunnit in the previous two books, I was really at a loss in this book and didn't have any clue at all. I'm not sure if that is from not getting enough information in the book, or from Liss' point of view that had a lack of information from the police this time, and her jumping to conclusions all over the place. Still enjoyable, but I wish that I could have had a few ideas as to who I think could have plausibly done it this time, even if I hadn't settled on one.
I love the base concept: finding out that you have items that are now considered rare and must have for Christmas and using business smarts to help your small town that is suffering around from no snow, so no tourists. I found it intriguing, and interweaving the 12 days of Christmas with price gouging, ethics, and murder made it all the more better. Definitely a bounce back from the rather weak feeling motivations/situation in the last book. I also liked that we are getting to see more of Liss' character and her attempting to improve her flaws. Not that she is particularly successful, but it is realistic that she wouldn't be, and the important people in her life react appropriately to it and get angry with her.
I will say, although I hadn't put together whodunnit in the previous two books, I was really at a loss in this book and didn't have any clue at all. I'm not sure if that is from not getting enough information in the book, or from Liss' point of view that had a lack of information from the police this time, and her jumping to conclusions all over the place. Still enjoyable, but I wish that I could have had a few ideas as to who I think could have plausibly done it this time, even if I hadn't settled on one.
November 5, 2020
Still trying to decide if I like Liss or loathe her. She dangles two men and expects them to woo her or jump when she snaps her fingers ... interferes in police business time and time again, knowing she puts herself in danger by doing so ... and treats the business her aunt began as something to do when she doesn't have something else "better" to do (ie. interfering is police business). It's a wonder the business hasn't gone belly up at this point and neighbors in Moosetookalook don't turn in the other direction when they see her coming with a gleam in her eye. Granted, she often finds angles the investigations don't uncover but seems dead set on solving everything herself instead of leaving it to the professionals or providing them with the information she finds. This theme in cozies is beginning to feel a bit overdone to me. My like/dislike for Liss aside, the story was intriguing in that it took place during the holidays and had crazy buyers trying to grab as many Tiny Teddies as they can find. Competition - price gouging - murder and mayhem all add up to a good story. I never did figure out the killer before things got revealed but that surprise was yet one more thing to like about this book.
April 9, 2016
Well, this is book three of the Liss MaCrimmon Mystery Series. I’ve read quite a few of them, not in order but that doesn’t really matter. Each book fills you in what you need to know.
Liss MaCrimmon was in a dancer in a Scottish dance company. She destroyed her knee and had to leave the company and move back to her home town of Moosetookalook, Maine. Liss ends up working in her aunt’s store, the Scottish Emporium and starts dating her high school friend, Dan Ruskin. Sheri, Liss’ best friend, happens to be a police officer in Moosetookalook as is Sherri’s soon to be husband, Pete. It helps when you have two friends who work in the police department. That’s all the background you need to know for every book in the series.
Okay, in “A Wee Christmas Homicide” Christmas is just around the bend and there aren’t many tourists visiting Moosetookalook. The economy is slow and there’s no snow in the area for skiers and the store owners are suffering.
The latest craze in the toy industry is Tiny Teddies. Think the Cabbage Patch Doll craze back in the 80’s. Well, Tiny Teddies have been sold out all over the country except in Moosetookalook, Maine. It’s the only place where the toy can be found and Liss has a plan to get the Teddy lovers to her town. She makes big plans for a Christmas Pageant that will last 12 days. Each day will be represented by the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Liss makes sure all of the US knows that Moosetookalook is the only place that has the toys. Soon people come flocking in for the Teddies and to see the Pageant – well, mostly for the Teddies.
Anyway, the owner of one of the stores that’s selling the bears is murdered. I would want to kill him too for wanting to sell the bears for over $100. Actually, I wouldn’t even consider buying one.
So, the questions are: who killed the store owner and why? Did the murderer want the bears? Was the murderer angry that they toys were so expensive? Or maybe he was killed because he was a creep and not really liked.
Not trusting the police to find the bad guy, Liss decides to investigate herself. Why? Well, that’s what Liss does in this series.
Boyfriend Dan tells her to mind her own business, like that’s ever going to happen. Cops Sherri and Pete tell her to mind her own business and the state investigator, who happens to be Liss’ other boyfriend, tells her not to investigate. But does she listen to them? Hardly, because Liss Knows Best. That’s the thing that sours the series for me.
Every cozy’s protagonist investigates some murder after being told not to but Liss rubs me the wrong way. She’s a little too much of a know-it-all. But I read the books anyway and will continue to read them because the stories are good and I learn a little about the Scottish culture.
“A Wee Christmas Homicide” is a fast moving book that any cozy-lover will enjoy. As for Liss, well, like all the other characters in the series, I just roll my eyes and let her do what she wants because Liss Knows Best.
Merged review:
Well, this is book three of the Liss MaCrimmon Mystery Series. I’ve read quite a few of them, not in order but that doesn’t really matter. Each book fills you in what you need to know.
Liss MaCrimmon was in a dancer in a Scottish dance company. She destroyed her knee and had to leave the company and move back to her home town of Moosetookalook, Maine. Liss ends up working in her aunt’s store, the Scottish Emporium and starts dating her high school friend, Dan Ruskin. Sheri, Liss’ best friend, happens to be a police officer in Moosetookalook as is Sherri’s soon to be husband, Pete. It helps when you have two friends who work in the police department. That’s all the background you need to know for every book in the series.
Okay, in “A Wee Christmas Homicide” Christmas is just around the bend and there aren’t many tourists visiting Moosetookalook. The economy is slow and there’s no snow in the area for skiers and the store owners are suffering.
The latest craze in the toy industry is Tiny Teddies. Think the Cabbage Patch Doll craze back in the 80’s. Well, Tiny Teddies have been sold out all over the country except in Moosetookalook, Maine. It’s the only place where the toy can be found and Liss has a plan to get the Teddy lovers to her town. She makes big plans for a Christmas Pageant that will last 12 days. Each day will be represented by the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Liss makes sure all of the US knows that Moosetookalook is the only place that has the toys. Soon people come flocking in for the Teddies and to see the Pageant – well, mostly for the Teddies.
Anyway, the owner of one of the stores that’s selling the bears is murdered. I would want to kill him too for wanting to sell the bears for over $100. Actually, I wouldn’t even consider buying one.
So, the questions are: who killed the store owner and why? Did the murderer want the bears? Was the murderer angry that they toys were so expensive? Or maybe he was killed because he was a creep and not really liked.
Not trusting the police to find the bad guy, Liss decides to investigate herself. Why? Well, that’s what Liss does in this series.
Boyfriend Dan tells her to mind her own business, like that’s ever going to happen. Cops Sherri and Pete tell her to mind her own business and the state investigator, who happens to be Liss’ other boyfriend, tells her not to investigate. But does she listen to them? Hardly, because Liss Knows Best. That’s the thing that sours the series for me.
Every cozy’s protagonist investigates some murder after being told not to but Liss rubs me the wrong way. She’s a little too much of a know-it-all. But I read the books anyway and will continue to read them because the stories are good and I learn a little about the Scottish culture.
“A Wee Christmas Homicide” is a fast moving book that any cozy-lover will enjoy. As for Liss, well, like all the other characters in the series, I just roll my eyes and let her do what she wants because Liss Knows Best.
Liss MaCrimmon was in a dancer in a Scottish dance company. She destroyed her knee and had to leave the company and move back to her home town of Moosetookalook, Maine. Liss ends up working in her aunt’s store, the Scottish Emporium and starts dating her high school friend, Dan Ruskin. Sheri, Liss’ best friend, happens to be a police officer in Moosetookalook as is Sherri’s soon to be husband, Pete. It helps when you have two friends who work in the police department. That’s all the background you need to know for every book in the series.
Okay, in “A Wee Christmas Homicide” Christmas is just around the bend and there aren’t many tourists visiting Moosetookalook. The economy is slow and there’s no snow in the area for skiers and the store owners are suffering.
The latest craze in the toy industry is Tiny Teddies. Think the Cabbage Patch Doll craze back in the 80’s. Well, Tiny Teddies have been sold out all over the country except in Moosetookalook, Maine. It’s the only place where the toy can be found and Liss has a plan to get the Teddy lovers to her town. She makes big plans for a Christmas Pageant that will last 12 days. Each day will be represented by the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Liss makes sure all of the US knows that Moosetookalook is the only place that has the toys. Soon people come flocking in for the Teddies and to see the Pageant – well, mostly for the Teddies.
Anyway, the owner of one of the stores that’s selling the bears is murdered. I would want to kill him too for wanting to sell the bears for over $100. Actually, I wouldn’t even consider buying one.
So, the questions are: who killed the store owner and why? Did the murderer want the bears? Was the murderer angry that they toys were so expensive? Or maybe he was killed because he was a creep and not really liked.
Not trusting the police to find the bad guy, Liss decides to investigate herself. Why? Well, that’s what Liss does in this series.
Boyfriend Dan tells her to mind her own business, like that’s ever going to happen. Cops Sherri and Pete tell her to mind her own business and the state investigator, who happens to be Liss’ other boyfriend, tells her not to investigate. But does she listen to them? Hardly, because Liss Knows Best. That’s the thing that sours the series for me.
Every cozy’s protagonist investigates some murder after being told not to but Liss rubs me the wrong way. She’s a little too much of a know-it-all. But I read the books anyway and will continue to read them because the stories are good and I learn a little about the Scottish culture.
“A Wee Christmas Homicide” is a fast moving book that any cozy-lover will enjoy. As for Liss, well, like all the other characters in the series, I just roll my eyes and let her do what she wants because Liss Knows Best.
Merged review:
Well, this is book three of the Liss MaCrimmon Mystery Series. I’ve read quite a few of them, not in order but that doesn’t really matter. Each book fills you in what you need to know.
Liss MaCrimmon was in a dancer in a Scottish dance company. She destroyed her knee and had to leave the company and move back to her home town of Moosetookalook, Maine. Liss ends up working in her aunt’s store, the Scottish Emporium and starts dating her high school friend, Dan Ruskin. Sheri, Liss’ best friend, happens to be a police officer in Moosetookalook as is Sherri’s soon to be husband, Pete. It helps when you have two friends who work in the police department. That’s all the background you need to know for every book in the series.
Okay, in “A Wee Christmas Homicide” Christmas is just around the bend and there aren’t many tourists visiting Moosetookalook. The economy is slow and there’s no snow in the area for skiers and the store owners are suffering.
The latest craze in the toy industry is Tiny Teddies. Think the Cabbage Patch Doll craze back in the 80’s. Well, Tiny Teddies have been sold out all over the country except in Moosetookalook, Maine. It’s the only place where the toy can be found and Liss has a plan to get the Teddy lovers to her town. She makes big plans for a Christmas Pageant that will last 12 days. Each day will be represented by the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Liss makes sure all of the US knows that Moosetookalook is the only place that has the toys. Soon people come flocking in for the Teddies and to see the Pageant – well, mostly for the Teddies.
Anyway, the owner of one of the stores that’s selling the bears is murdered. I would want to kill him too for wanting to sell the bears for over $100. Actually, I wouldn’t even consider buying one.
So, the questions are: who killed the store owner and why? Did the murderer want the bears? Was the murderer angry that they toys were so expensive? Or maybe he was killed because he was a creep and not really liked.
Not trusting the police to find the bad guy, Liss decides to investigate herself. Why? Well, that’s what Liss does in this series.
Boyfriend Dan tells her to mind her own business, like that’s ever going to happen. Cops Sherri and Pete tell her to mind her own business and the state investigator, who happens to be Liss’ other boyfriend, tells her not to investigate. But does she listen to them? Hardly, because Liss Knows Best. That’s the thing that sours the series for me.
Every cozy’s protagonist investigates some murder after being told not to but Liss rubs me the wrong way. She’s a little too much of a know-it-all. But I read the books anyway and will continue to read them because the stories are good and I learn a little about the Scottish culture.
“A Wee Christmas Homicide” is a fast moving book that any cozy-lover will enjoy. As for Liss, well, like all the other characters in the series, I just roll my eyes and let her do what she wants because Liss Knows Best.
January 18, 2022
Will not be looking for other books in the series. The plot was ok but I really don't like the main character. She is not nearly as wonderful as she thinks she is. The entire time she is breaking into (with a key she "found") someone's house - not a friend or relative - wandering through the house, and going through their desk drawers and files, I was wondering how she would like it if someone were doing it to her. And then steals his atlas. Okay, minor, but still.
She lies to (by omission, so it's not really a lie) and uses her friends and potential lovers and then wonders why she cannot have a relationship.
She is a shop owner whose store is open 10am - 5pm but opens when she wants to, closes when she feels like it, and wonders why she is not making much money. And this is during the Christmas shopping season.
Not an entire loss but not for me.
She lies to (by omission, so it's not really a lie) and uses her friends and potential lovers and then wonders why she cannot have a relationship.
She is a shop owner whose store is open 10am - 5pm but opens when she wants to, closes when she feels like it, and wonders why she is not making much money. And this is during the Christmas shopping season.
Not an entire loss but not for me.
January 14, 2024
Christmas sales are looking bleak this season for Liss MacCrimmon part owner with her Aunt Margaret of the Scottish Emporium. Located in Moosetookalook, Maine, this cozy mystery captures your attention immediately... probably because of the town's name! Liss believes the "wanted" toy of the season, Tiny Teddies, will save not only hers but the entire town's Christmas sales. Liss sells her teddies dressed in kilts for a comfortable profit, while the other shop owners in town sell their bears dressed in various outfits for a premium price which encourages the murder, mystery and sleuthing. This fast paced and fun holiday mystery is filled with interesting characters and hilariously, animals including a cat and kitten and all the birds mentioned in the Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". So grab your blanket, cozy chair and warm drink and enjoy!
May 18, 2017
It was pretty good, although the quirky characters tend to take over. Liss seems to operate in a fog where her emotions are concerned and the author is going to have to move her into a relationship sooner rather than later.
Liss is a pretty good business person, although turning the twelve days of Christmas into shopping days until... is just mildly offensive. It was the teddies that attracted people not the pageant. The author handled it pretty well and I enjoyed the difficulties with the poultry. The colly birds were black birds, though, not calling or talking ones but the problems would have been worse if she'd had to deal with crows or ravens. The descriptions of the hotel were great although those pipers would have destroyed the eardrums.
Liss is a pretty good business person, although turning the twelve days of Christmas into shopping days until... is just mildly offensive. It was the teddies that attracted people not the pageant. The author handled it pretty well and I enjoyed the difficulties with the poultry. The colly birds were black birds, though, not calling or talking ones but the problems would have been worse if she'd had to deal with crows or ravens. The descriptions of the hotel were great although those pipers would have destroyed the eardrums.
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