That Just Happened!

Higgins Clark, Mary & Carol Higgins Clark. Dashing Through the Snow.  Simon & Schuster/Scribner (2008).

In the picturesque village of Branscombe, New Hampshire, the townsfolk are all pitching in to prepare for the first (and many hope annual) Festival of Joy. The night before the festival begins, a group of employees at the local market learn that they have won $160 million in the lottery. One of their co-workers, Duncan, decided at the last minute, on the advice of a pair of crooks masquerading as financial advisers, not to play. Then he goes missing. A second winning lottery ticket was purchased in the next town, but the winner hasn’t come forward. Could Duncan have secretly bought it?

The Clarks’ endearing heroes — Alvirah Meehan, the amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly — have arrived in Branscombe for the festival. They are just the people to find out what is amiss. As they dig beneath the surface, they find that life in Branscombe is not as tranquil as it appears. So much for an old-fashioned weekend in the country. This fast-paced holiday caper will keep you dashing through the pages!

 Dust Jacket

I loved this book.  Five golden rings out of five!  Five Christmas stars out of five!  (Did I mention I loved this book?)  I was skeptical at first because I am not a fan of Carol Higgins Clark’s books (although I do like Mary’s) and I was worried that it would follow a similar template to one she uses for her other books, however, I needn’t have worried. 

This writing duo managed to create a novel that is funny, mysterious and suspenseful (if not a bit predictable).  I was pretty much hooked after the first chapter.  The characters are so colourful and well-written.  I did not miss out on anything not having read some of the other books the characters appeared in, Mary and Carol Higgins Clark did not take anything for granted.  They fully outlined the character’s pasts and how they all came to be friends.  I literally laughed out loud at some parts and giggled at others.  I was definitely in the mood for a quick-read, light-hearted novel and this one fit the bill. I would highly recommend it.

I read this toward my 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge.  See my list of books here.