"DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW," by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, Simon & Schuster/Scribner, 226 pages, $23
The townsfolk of beautiful little Branscombe, N.H., are a bit distracted from what is supposed to be the first of many annual Festivals of Joy.
It seems that a handful of the folks who work at the local market — the very people who have been working slavishly to cater the holiday celebration — have won a $180 million lottery with a shared ticket. And the co-worker who didn't participate this time has gone missing, leading to all sorts of speculation.
This is one of the most charming, fun little holiday mysteries I've ever encountered. And while there are new and interesting characters, like Duncan, who is missing, then found, and his girlfriend, Flower, some old favorite Higgins Clark characters return, as well, including Alvirah Meehan, a former housecleaner who won a lottery herself a few books back and now runs a support group for others so blessed/afflicted.
The characters in "Dashing Through the Snow" are what makes it fun. It has a good plot but nothing extraordinary. The characters, though, are delightful. And it's a book that spans broad reader ages — my 10-year-old daughter and I enjoyed the book equally (but separately), and you can't say that about many stories.
I especially liked the less-likeable people in this book, who are creepy and quirky and fun to loathe.
E-mail: Lois@desnews.com