Enjoyably Devouring Maya Corrigan's Gingerdead Man
#GingerdeadManbook #MayaCorrigan #cozymystery #bookreview
Val is a café manager who solves murders with her grandfather in Chesapeake Bay. As they take part in the Dickens of a Holiday festival, they both witness Santa Claus keel over when he takes a bite of a gingerdead man cookie given by a mysterious person dressed as the Ghost of Christmas Present. And now Val and granddad can’t help but help investigate who poisoned Santa.
Last year I read the advanced reader's copy for Maya Corrigan's Crypt Suzette and it renewed my love for cozy mysteries. And so, when I heard about the latest in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series that came out, it was hard to not read it right away. As the title suggests, this takes place near Christmas and I wanted to save it for this festive month. This time I read Gingerdead Man with some friends, which made it so much more enjoyable in theorizing who the suspect was. For once I was able to correctly conclude who the killer was! However, the red herrings in this book were so well developed that it kept me second guessing myself. The puns and adorable names also added to the charm of the book and was one that earned a perfect score from me.
Book Description
When Santa is sleighed by a poison gingerbread cookie at a holiday party, Val Deniston's reputation is on the line . . .
This holiday season Bayport, Maryland, is a dead ringer for Victorian London. Val and her grandfather are taking part in the Dickens of a Holiday festival. Val is hosting a private tea party serving the festival's costumed volunteers, who range from Dickens divas like Madame Defarge and Miss Havisham to Ebenezer Scrooge and old St. Nick himself.
But one costumed reveler may have gotten the holidays mixed up. The winner of the creepiest outfit, robed in black with a gift bag covering the head--okay, Ghost of Christmas Present, Val gets it--hands out gingerbread men with white icing skeleton bones. This year's sour Santa has none of the big fellow's mirth but plenty of his appetite, and it's no secret Santa loves cookies. But when the man in red turns blue, Val and Granddad have a cookie-cutter killer to catch before the New Year . . .