I adore this book and have found a new author to follow. I chose this book because it’s a cozy mystery, my favorite genre, and it had a Christmas theme, but I didn’t know I was in for such a treat. I love the Canadian setting and Anna is a fabulous main character, accompanied by her best friend Lucy, who is quite distinctive. The writing has a lot of humor throughout, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had never heard of Nanaimo bars before, but I definitely want to try them now! The mystery was quite good and it was fun to try to solve it alongside Anna. I would love it if this is the beginning of a series featuring Anna solving local mysteries. The writing was really top-notch and I can’t recommend this cute book enough. I was provided an arc, which I really appreciated, but these opinions are my own.3 s Delphia Von Heeder 1,168 24

The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Cozy is book 1 in A Ms Maple Christmas Cozy by Jo-Ann Carson. I totally enjoy Christmas stories.. I actually began listening to Christmas music October 1st.. I didn't know that a Nanaimo Bar is an actual chocolate dessert that is famous in Canada. Plus, the chocolate bar can be deadly, but mostly with poison! I think that the characters are interesting and I loved Anna's poodle, Winston. This cozy is short but a mighty good read. If you are in the mood for holiday mystery and romance, The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Cozy is an enjoyable read. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.3 s Susan67 18

So I had never heard of a Nanaimo Bar and now I know! This was a quick and easy read. I received the ARC thru BookSirens and found the characters fun and fiesty and the story moved along at a rapid pace. It begins with a baking contest of the famed Nanaimo Bar but is cut short when one of the bakers winds up dead! The main character is Anna a retired nurse who enjoys time with her girlfriends, her dog and is looking for a man. There is humor to be found in her relationships with her friends and fellow townsfolk but Anna is rather naive and I felt the story could have been a bit more developed. When the dead baker is discovered I couldn’t see why everyone immediately jumped to murder for example. Maybe she just had a stroke and face planted in her pastry?! And although this is supposed to be a holiday cozy, there isn’t much decking the halls or fa la las! I did enjoy the ending however and felt it was the best part of the story with a bit of tension and drama thrown in! For a quick little read it was a fun story and there are recipes for the bars at the end. Sweet!arc-books3 s Wanda Siesicki468 3

Anna thinks that she has met the love of her life, Jean Claude. He convinces Anna that he is ready to take their relationship to the next level, and asks for $5,000 until his bank corrects their error. Anna and two of her friends are taking a baking class to bake Nanaimo bars. The winner of the best bar gets $500 and an interview in a magazine. But before they can finish, Anna finds her neighbor, Sally, dead with her head in the mixer bowl.
Anna searches for Sally's killer while dreaming of how Jean Claude is going to propose. Is Jean Claude who she really think he is or has she been a victim of a con artist.
Read this easy to read story with some delightful characters.

I volunteered a honest review because I was given an ARC copy of this book.2 s Ink604 11

The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Mystery is a delightful Christmas cozy that serves well as a foundation for further series development.

The characters are endearing, funny and have great interactions. It's a quick read and despite it being a novella, it did leave me wanting a little more 'fleshing out' of the narrative.

The storyline was well structured and full of gentle humour. I found the sentence structure a little choppy at times bit this is just due to my personal preference

All in all, a fun, quick read and very enjoyable

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.1 Kim Barnes160 1 follower

Nanaimo bars

This was a wonderful murder mystery. It was a quick read with great characters. It was a different book from the author who normally leads us into a world of magic. I do look forward to reading book 2 in this series.1 Marianne5,901 69

A fun-to-read cozy mystery.. Smart and sassy mature ladies.. Humor and a touch of danger..1 Dave Measner203 5

A bake off killing.
A quick Christmas time mystery with a mostly mature character base, Anna Maple is a retired nurse on the hunt for a husband, or at least a solid companion. Her friends aren't convinced Jean Chabot is the one she needs and they convince her to enter a baking competion, featuring Nanaimo cake. When they return from a break to find Sally Evans face down in her custard the search is on for a killer. The consultant helping the police is Anna's ex and former spy Ollie carver. Lots of suspects and no end of people who didn't care for Sally the gossip monger and secret holder mean a complicated investigation. An enjoyable read and I look forward to the sequel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.1 Christie916 8

Being from Canada, I love Nanaimo bars. However, I make mine with walnuts instead of almonds. I will definitely have to try it with almonds this Christmas. I loved this book. Anna is an amazing character who might be a little gullible. It's a great cozy mystery that you can read very quickly. I look forward to reading more books by Jo-Ann Carson.1 Kathy Koester41 2

A delightful read! I love Holiday cozy mysteries and this was a great first story for this author. I hope she intends to write more about this character.

Anna Maple is an older woman looking for love. She thinks she has found the perfect man, even though her beloved dog, Winston, keeps trying to tell her he doesn't him. Put in the mix a murder of the village busy body, a contest over the world famous Nanaimo Bar, and a previous love interest. You can see that Anna has her hands full.

It was a perfect quick read and humorous mystery. I enjoyed where the story took place and the new characters Jo Ann Carson introduces us to. If you cozy mysteries, read this one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
1 J Young1,900 10 Read

No cookies for you!

Anna Maple and Jean Claude have been dating for a while and she is sure he is going to propose any day now. She hopes it’s soon because she isn’t getting any younger and her last relationship with Oliver ended badly. When the proposal doesn't happen she decides to entice him with his favorite cookie – Nanaimo Bars. Enrolling in the Christmas baking workshop should guarantee a successful batch but her plan is foiled when one of the other attendees is found dead in the kitchen. As she looks over the body, Anna’s nursing skills tell her it was murder.

It's short, sweet, and fun to read. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.
1 LizJ.731 1 follower

This is a quick novella set in Canada with an older woman lead-Anna, her love for baking, Jean-Claude and solving murders. The characters are humorous and quirky, the kind I love and the descriptions of setting are amazing, I felt I could really picture it in my head. I enjoy reading Ms. Carson's books and will continue to do so.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.1 Gail154 2

The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Mystery is a novella. It is the perfect length for a quick Christmas read. Anna Marple takes a Christmas baking workshop. And, lo and behold, one of the participants ends up murdered. Sally, the victim, was called meddlesome. Was she killed because of something she overheard? Or is there a random murderer in Nanaimo? Anna decides she is going to solve the mystery. Anna also is in a relationship with Jean Claude. She is certain that he is going to propose to her. I realize the storyline needed this relationship to reach the conclusion but I felt it made Anna seem naive. I enjoyed Anna and her friend Lucy. I think I’ll have to check out the other books in the series to learn more about Ollie too. Again, a good, quick, Christmas story. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving a review voluntarily.1 Laura 1,211 3

This is a fun, entertaining cozy mystery. Anna is an interesting, intriguing, relatable, entertaining characters. The various secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. I found this story captivating from the first word until the last. The writing is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.1 Ulrika Gustafsson146 5

I always enjoy a christmas story! I especially that this one has a slightly older main character looking for love.

Anna is a retired nurse with an active social life, but she longs for a man in her life. Her relationship with police officer Ollie ended badly and now she think that she’s found the one in the debonaire Jean-Claude.

The story also has a chocolate treat as a big character, the Nanaimo bar. There’s even three recipies from the author in the end of the book. Anna a competition to make the best Nanaimo bar, but the competition comes to a brutal end when Annas former neighbour is killed on the set.

There are several interesting characters and a good world building that makes the read enjoyable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Elaine239 7

Previously, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Mujagic's book, The Master of Demise, so I was eager to read this novelette by the same author. While the story is interesting, I didn't feel that the writing was of the same calibre. It's apparent that the author is not a native English speaker, which in and of itself is not a problem, but the writing would have benefitted from more proofing. In many places, there are articles that do not need to be where they are, there are places where past tense would have been more appropriate than the present tense, which was used. The characters were a bit shallow, and Seth, the coworker hosting the holiday party, really needed to be rounded out a lot more. The dialogue between the various characters also needs a bit more sophistication. I don't to give less than great , I know that writing is a labor of love and is a great deal of work, but this story really needs more editing.

I received an ARC from the publisher and BookSirens, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.2 comments Joanne GuidoccioAuthor 14 books398

A long-time fan, I was delighted to learn that Ms. Carson had written a cozy mystery based in the small town of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The first in a series, the novella can be easily read in one sitting. Intrigued from the start, I found myself rooting for Anna Maple as she attempted to revive her culinary skills at a Christmas baking contest, hoping to entice the elusive Jean Claude to propose. Anna’s plans are thwarted by the death of a fellow baker, the town’s most meddlesome citizen. Determined to find the killer, Anna pursues all leads and endangers her life. Despite the high stakes, there are elements of humor sprinkled throughout the well-plotted storyline. And a bonus: three delicious Nanaimo Bar recipes!
Gee672 26

A nice easy short read, with a little romance thrown in. I d the main characters, easy to take to, there was a nice pace to the read and I read it very quickly. I loved the recipes at the end, not realising til then that nanaimo are an actual thing. I did get a bit annoyed with Anna at times, a bit too naive for her age, however, she really redeemed herself at the end. I love this authors work but prefer her normal style of writing. However, I look forward to whatever she does next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.read-for-booksirens Sandy T433

This short cozy murder mystery was entertaining. Anna wants to impress the man she is dating and joins a cooking class to bake Nanaimo bars. When her neighbor is murdered during the class, Anna is on the case to find the culprit. I d Anna's character and felt bad for her when she discovered the truth.
I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Darcy Speed180 6

I love a good cozy mystery, and this one certainly takes the cake (or the bar!). The story moves quickly, the characters are well-developed, and the murderer was a surprise. As well, I love all of the Canadian details and the addition of the recipes. Looking forward to the next Ms. Maple Cozy Mystery!1 Nadine1,816 2

Interesting book!

A good start of a new series. I read lots of Christmas books year-round but most in November and December. And this was good! Fast-paced and enjoyable. The characters were interesting, and I do mean that in a good way. Anna wasn’t always being smart, but hey, I’m not always smart either LOL. Still, at her age, she should know some things better. But enjoyable!2 s Sophie1,654

Fun story with a great Christmas setting. I d Anna and Lucy. They were firstly and very interesting. I d Joann's writing. Her dialog and her chapter titles were really unique.
I received a complimentary copy of this story and I freely left this review.1 Jenny238 7

All this fuss over a local sweet but really it's the characters that drive this story. It was a quick light read despite the murder. I quite enjoyed it and the local as well. I received this ARC from Booksirens and am happy to leave this review Kira192

this is a great book I very much enjoyed this storyline this is a very well written novel a very good book to read

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Jodi Sweet1,488 6

Very good story with a definite message of common sense. I’d love to state what the lesson was, but that would be giving away too much of the story, and it’s a good one! 1 Susan1,047 3

A crazy-good dessert bar, a nice plot, nutty friends, an annoying gossip, and a murderer…mix well and enjoy the results.
2 s Mom2three1,840 12

This is a quick, fun, Christmas, small town, cozy mystery. I loved the characters and the setting, and the mystery was well written. I also really appreciate the yummy recipes at the end of the book. Carol54 1 follower

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