BLUE CHRISTMAS
Mary Kay Andrews
HarperCollins
Fiction
ISBN-10: 0060837349
ISBN-13: 9780060837341
208 pages

• Read an Excerpt

Opening one of Mary Kay Andrews's books is like being invited to a Southern dinner. The pages are welcoming, oozing Savannah hospitality. The characters are charming hosts, keeping the reader engaged and entertained. And the plots are always nothing less than appetizing.

Make that Southern dinner a holiday spread, and who could ask for anything more?

In BLUE CHRISTMAS, Andrews brings back one of her favorite belles, Weezie Foley, from SAVANNAH BLUES and SAVANNAH BREEZE, along with her best friend BeBe Loudermilk.

Determined to win the historic downtown decorating contest, antique dealer Weezie sets about to outdo the dapper duo across the street who recently moved in and opened a competitive shop. A wonderful find at an auction --- a box of Christmas decorations --- supplies Weezie with both fond memories of Christmases past and a bounty of holiday ornaments to do not only her store window but also the entire shop. Among the antique lights and ornaments is a true find --- a blue Christmas tree pin --- perfect for wearing to her uncle's first party of the season. But unfortunately it is reminiscent of a pin once owned by the mother of her boyfriend Daniel and therefore a catalyst for lots of bad memories for him.

Despite Daniel's foul mood and the blatant competition from the neighborhood newcomers, Weezie is optimistic about the holiday and her chances of winning the coveted decorating crown. However, when strange things begin to happen around the shop --- misplaced store items, finding someone asleep in her front window, the disappearance and reappearance of her dog --- she is all the more determined to get to the bottom of all the oddities and the mystery while maintaining her optimism at all costs.

Weezie's best friend BeBe, her recently outed uncle, her oddball parents, her recalcitrant boyfriend, the flamboyant storeowners and even her beloved dog are all quirky characters who lend tremendous flavor to the story. The mysterious happenings are like hor d'oeuvres, with the people of Andrews's stories as the reliable, enjoyable (and yes, filling!) main courses.

Why Andrews didn't serve up a story set at Christmas-time before now is beyond me, but her latest offering is well worth the wait.

   --- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara

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