Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…)

Last year, towards the end of November 2024, I had just finished Cookies & Chance Mystery Book 14.5: Planes, Candy Canes, and Hearses by Catherine Bruns

My Review: 

This review first appeared in KRL News & Reviews: 

Readers looking for a delightful seasonal treat should read Catherine Bruns’ latest entry in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries: Planes, Candy Canes, and Hearses. This novella is book 14.5 in the series and can be read in one festive sitting. Take a break from the busy to-dos of the season, grab a hot chocolate, and prepare yourself for 72 pages of pure fun.

It’s a snowy Christmas Eve, and Sally Muccio and her best friend Josie are preparing to close the bakery for the holiday. Christmas Eve is extra special for Sally because it’s her daughter Cookie’s second birthday. Sally has to make a quick stop at the airport to pick up her dad, Domenic, who is returning from a business trip. Sally’s car won’t start so Josie offers to give her a ride.

Once the friends arrive at the airport, Sally’s dad is nowhere to be found, despite his plane safely landing and his luggage appearing at baggage claim. To Sally’s dismay, her father isn’t even answering his phone. As the winter weather worsens, Sally and Josie’s worries increase, and those worries certainly aren’t eased by what they learn from folks who have seen her father since his flight landed.

Catherine said in a recent Facebook post, “There’s no murder in this one. Even Sally needs a break once in a while, lol.” While there’s no murder, there is certainly a clever mystery that had me turning the pages quickly and ignoring everything around me. The vivid writing and attention to festive details were just so much fun, and while I had a little bit of a guess as to what was going on, I absolutely adored the journey. I chuckled to myself several times.

The characters are charming in this series, and this short story included all the characters we love. I especially love Grandma Rose and how she mixes up the words in everyday sayings (and how she totally doesn’t care that she does). I love Mike and Sally, and I’m especially fond of Cookie since I too have a Christmas Eve baby.

The holidays are certainly a festive time, but they can also be filled with long to-do lists that keep us busy, busy, busy. Readers needing a break from those to-dos will enjoy this cozy holiday gem. I will most certainly be making the recipe for candy cane cookies that is included in the back.