This week I read two light cozies.

I read A New York Christmas, by Anne Perry.

This mystery features Jemima Pitt, daughter of Thomas and Charlotte. Jemima is hired to accompany Delphinia Cardew, a very wealthy young woman, on her journey across the Atlantic. Jemima and Phinnie are taken in to the Albright home (Phinnie is engaged to marry Brent Albright). But there is concern that Phinnie’s mother, Maria, will reappear and cause a scene at the ‘wedding of the year.’ But the discovery of a woman’s body by Jemima means she is suspected of murdering Phinnie’s mother.

If I were scoring this book, I would assign a B. It includes Perry’s characteristic characterization BUT it is much too short. I felt as if swaths of plot and character reaction were left out.

Enjoyable but not one of Perry’s best.

I also read Mistletoe, Mutts, and Murder by S.A Kazlo.

It is Christmas time and Sam’s parents are arriving for a holiday visit. Her father has always had an antagonistic relationship with Theo Sayers, the man who lives across the street. He blasts Christmas music loudly (to annoy his neighbors?) and his decorations floor the neighborhood with light. When he is found strangled in his snowy front yard Sam’s father, and his best friend are instant suspects. Although Hank, the town’s police chief and Sam’s significant other, tells her not to investigate, she and her cousin Candie, question Theo’s wife Rosa and his boss at the mall. Theo was a mall Santa. As Candie and Sam go forward, they discover quite a few people had reason to murder Theo Sayers.

Very light but a quick fun read, appropriate for the season.