Review: A Cold Christmas

Susan Wren is Chief of Police in Hampstead, Kansas. Caley James, organist in the Lutheran church, slumps over while playing for choir practice. She has a high fever. Dr. Baylis Cunningham determines she has the flu. Chief Susan helps her home. Caley has three children – Zach, Adam and Bonnie. Zach is old enough to watch the Littles as Susan calls the younger two.

Caley’s furnace quits in the dead of winter. Tim Holiday comes to repair it. Caley almost doesn’t let him in as he’s creepy. But, he gets the furnace working. Later he has to come back because the blower won’t turn off and now the house is too hot. Caley has sent the three children with her mother-in-law Ettie Trowbridge. Her ex-Mat shows up. What else could go wrong.

Well, Tim Holiday is later found dead with his head and arms in her furnace. He actually died of a gun shot wound.

Her neighbor across the street, Pauline Frankens, told Chief Susan that she saw Tim Holiday coming and going from Caley’s house probably five or six times. Caley had told Susan he was only there twice.

This book is small-town life in all it’s glory. Ida Ruth from the Lutheran church was trying to get Caley fired as she didn’t think a divorced worman should be playing the organ.

Chief Susan starts investigating Tim’s murder. More deaths begin to happen. Some appear to possibly be accidents, but Susan begins to wonder what is going on.

I like this series and really like Chief Susan. She is unsure of whether she should stay in Hampstead or go back to San Francisco. Her husband of four weeks died some time ago and Susan is still trying to put her life together.

The dispatcher Hazel and officer Luke Demarco play big roles in the police department in this book because most everyone else is out with the flu.

The author has done a fabulous job setting up the story as well as the setting and characters. I am looking forward to reading many more books in this series.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Book Review: A Cold Christmas