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Review |
Excerpt
Hardcover
HarperCollins ISBN: 0060837349 It's the week before Christmas, and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to garnish her shop for the Savannah historical district decorating contest, which she intends to win. Weezie is ready to shoot herself with her glue gun by the time she's done, but the results are stunning. She's certainly one-upped the owners of the trendy shop around the corner, but suddenly things start to go missing from her display, and there seems to be a mysterious midnight visitor to her shop. Still, Weezie has high hopes for the holiday—maybe in the form of an engagement ring from her chef boyfriend. But Daniel, always moody at the holidays, seems more distant than usual. Throw in Weezie's decidedly odd family, a 1950s Christmas-tree pin, and even a little help from the King himself (Elvis, that is), and maybe there will be a pocketful of miracles for Weezie this Christmas Eve. 
Mary Kay Andrews, a former journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is the New York Times bestselling author of SAVANNAH BREEZE, HISSY FIT, LITTLE BITTY LIES , and SAVANNAH BLUES. She lives in Atlanta.
Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com. 
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 
"Wine," I said. That's what I'll give Daniel. I got a flyer in the mail today. From Trader Bob. He bought out this old guy's wine cellar. And he's selling all the wine bottles. Tomorrow morning! You know what a wine snob Daniel is. I'll run over there first thing tomorrow and buy him the best bottle of wine I can find."
"You don't know diddly about wine," BeBe said. "No," I said, hugging her again. "But you do." I picked BeBe up at her place at eight the next morning. It really was beginning to feel like Christmas. She walked unsteadily to the truck, and wobbled a little as she slid into the front seat, clutching a huge mug of coffee in one hand and a rolled-up magazine in the other. "Not feeling well?" I asked, pulling away from the curb. She shot me the look. "Do you know how much wine we put away last night?" "A lot?" "Three bottles. And I think I took care of more than my share. I don't think I can stand to look at another bottle of wine again. Ever." I took a sip of my own coffee. "So. I've given it some thought, and here's what I've come up with. If the prices are decent, I'd like to buy two really good bottles of wine. A bottle of red-you know how much Daniel likes red wine-and a bottle of really good champagne." "Champagne!" She moaned. "Oh, God. The only thing worse than a wine hangover is a champagne hangover." "Forget hangover. Concentrate on helping me find Daniel a great Christmas present." "Red. Is that the best you can do?" "The one thing I do know is the vintage." "Yes?" "Nineteen seventy," I said. "It's got to be a bottle from 1970." "Impossible," she said flatly. "Why?" "There is no spectacular red wine from 1970. Pick another year, please." "That's the year he was born. It's the year I was born. It's got to be a 1970 vintage. Surely not everything from that year is awful?" "She yawned. "Well, it's certainly not 1961-the birth year of the fabulously drinkable Chateau Latour-and the amazing Harry Sorrentino." "What? Everything made that year sucks?" "I didn't say they all suck. What I mean is, it wasn't a truly spectacular year, for the most part. Don't get your panties in a wad. I'm sure we'll find something drinkable at your little auction." Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com. |
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