S.F. Baumgartner brings us a tinsel-induced sleuthing mystery in The Candy Cane Secret. This is a Pine Grove Christmas Mystery and centers on Mae Cassidy Reeves. One week before Christmas, the annual market in Pine Grove draws crowds. When a shipment of candy canes is clearly tampered with and includes an envelope addressed to Mae, she starts asking questions. Inside the envelope is a key and a very old photo. And when video footage reveals the profile of someone who should have died twenty-five years ago, Mae launches her own investigation. Someone in Pine Grove is trying to keep a truth buried and will use any means possible. This in itself is a feat of wonder, as nothing stays quiet for long in this small town.

Author S.F. Baumgartner has listened to readers and created a novel specifically about one of the characters from another series. The chapters are the perfect length, driving the pacing forward. The characters are likable and relatable. I found myself enjoying the writer’s style, and it was very easy to get lost between the pages with carolers and Christmas lights. This story is ideal for fans of mystery and sleuthing. Intrigue is created early in the book and drives the plot forward. Like a tightly wrapped present, each layer you open keeps you wanting to go deeper into the mystery. Little pieces of information are revealed, which only create more questions. The Candy Cane Secret is a perfect read for the holidays and will keep your sleuthing senses on high alert.

The Candy Cane Secret (Pine Grove Christmas Mysteries Book 1) by S.F. Baumgartner is a cozy mystery set in the idyllic small town of Pine Grove. Mae Cassidy Reeves is the recognized organizer of Pine Grove’s town events. She is deeply involved in organizing this month’s Christmas market and celebration. When a delivery of boxes of candy canes for the celebrations reveals a hidden envelope addressed to Mae, she discovers an old photograph and a mysterious brass key. With help from her visitor, former Intelligence Officer Cyrus Jagers, Mae begins to unravel the mystery behind the strange delivery. As Christmas nears, the discovery on security footage of a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Mae’s sister-in-law, who disappeared following a serious car accident and who has been presumed dead for some twenty-five years, just deepens the mystery. With Mae’s niece, whom she raised after her sister-in-law’s disappearance, visiting for Christmas, she and Cyrus need to unravel the twisted string of clues and half-truths that may ultimately expose some of Pine Grove’s most powerful and respected citizens.

The Candy Cane Secret is a gentle, cozy, and clean mystery that exposes the lies and secrets that may lie beneath the peaceful surface of any small town. When everyone knows everyone else, it is easy for rumors and innuendo to quickly spread and be treated as facts. Author S.F. Baumgartner has created a cast of main characters with depth and recognizable traits. Mae, as a retired attorney and bookshop owner, is uniquely positioned to know exactly what is happening in her small town and who is doing what to whom. The plot is intricate and extraordinarily well detailed, allowing readers to come up with their own possible solutions throughout the narrative. I appreciated the difficulty of trying to solve a mystery at a time when every participant in the town is busy with Christmas preparations and events from twenty-five years earlier are but a distant memory. For readers who like detailed plots and cozy character development, this is a mystery that will appeal. I did enjoy meeting these varied characters and recommend this read.