Dressed for Success... Turned out for Murder by Donna Mumma Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: Dressed for Success… Turned out for Murder (A Women of Wynton’s Mystery Series Book 3)

Author: Donna Mumma

Genre: Detective Mystery

Release Date: November 2026

Mary Jo’s Dreams for Her Family Are Murdered

Mid-century glam meets murder mayhem in a series of cozy mysteries at Wynton’s Department Store.

It is Mother’s Day of 1957 in Levi City, Florida, and Mary Jo Johnson is supposed to be celebrating her return to fulltime homemaker after her time spent working at Wynton’s Department Store. But her entire world turns upside down when her husband, Kenny, is accused of murdering his boss at the local hardware store he was planning to purchase. Mary Jo—along with her friends (and fellow Wynton’s employees) Audrey, Vivien, and Gigi—must come together to find the truth about what really happened. . .before all hopes for the Johnsons’ future vanish forever.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is an entertaining cozy mystery for those who like historical fiction. Mumma pays particular attention to the fashions and similar details of the era, such as prejudice and segregation issues. I remember those clothing styles referenced and the social customs of the time. I also remember pasting S & H Green Stamps into the booklets for later redemption. I like how the women working at Wynton's come together to solve a murder and help one of their own. The murder itself is a bit complex and requires lots of work to identify the villain. The result was a surprise to me. This is a good novel for older readers who remember the era and for younger ones who would to be introduced to an era gone by.

The novel immediately enters into the lives of the women working at Wynton's. That might be a bit confusing to new readers so I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series to receive the full enjoyment of this one.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the earlier books in the series: The Women of Wynton's and First Comes Marriage...Then Comes Murder.

About the Author

Donna Mumma perfected storytelling in her first-grade classroom, spinning tales exciting enough to settle a roomful of antsy six-year-olds. She is an award-winning author who loves to blend history, mystery, and a dash of hope in stories that explore ordinary people who learn extraordinary life lessons. Donna is an active member of Word Weavers International, serving as president for the Tampa chapter as well as a mentor for chapters around the country. She was recognized as the Word Weavers traditional groups president and mentor of the year in 2022. She also serves as a line editor and contributor for Inskpirationsonline.com, a site featuring devotions written for writers by writers. An avid believer in education, Donna earned her M. Ed in elementary education and writes educational blogs and articles to assist teachers overseas for the International School Project. A native Floridian, she loves sharing life with her husband and her energetic collie, Duke.

More from Donna

What would you do if your family, your home, and your dreams were stolen away by an ugly and horrible act? How would you find the strength to keep going?

This is the dilemma Mary Jo Johnson faces in the next book of The Women of Wynton’s mystery series, Dressed for Success… Turned out for Murder. One day, life seemed to be promising that her dream of going back to being a full-time housewife and mother was within reach. But the very next morning, she’s escorted from Wynton’s Department Store in the back of Mr. Wynton’s Cadillac and taken to the police station. When she arrives, she’s told her husband Kenny has been arrested for the murder of his boss, the owner of the local hardware store.

And in that moment, Mary Jo’s life takes a path meant more for nightmares than dreams.

It’s enough to make a girl wilt under the pressure. She has the weight of supporting her family fully on her tired shoulders. Her domineering mother tries to take over her household and turn her children against their father. Kenny is unable to recall what happened and all evidence points only to him. Mary Jo is running short on hope and long on worries over saving her family or her dreams.

When life seems determined to snag every pair of pantyhose you own, sometimes the only way to get through is to pray for help and gather your friends around you.

Once again, the women of Wynton’s band together to dig for the truth. But Audrey, Vivien, and Gigi aren’t without their own troubles, complicating their efforts to help Mary Jo.

Vivien bears the brunt of complaints from Levy City’s leaders who are unhappy with her employee Immogene’s controversial community project. Audrey must dodge unwanted attention from Wynton’s newest buyer for men’s clothing while planning the store’s annual Fourth of July picnic. Gigi has been tasked with mentoring a young lady new to Wynton’s whose only interest in life seems to be chasing boys.

Helping Mary Jo discover what happened at the hardware store that fateful morning leads the ladies down unexpected paths. They never bet their search would land them in the middle of feuds, nefarious activities exposing the darker side of Levy City, or the knowledge that danger was living right next door.

Come along with Mary Jo, Gigi, Audrey, and Vivien to see if these ladies can pull a solution to the crime out of their fashionable hats in time to save their dear friend’s dream.

Because sometimes, a girl’s job is murder.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 15

Lights in a Dark World, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, November 17

Texas Book-aholic, November 18

Guild Master, November 19 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 21

Fiction Book Lover, November 22 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 23

Vicky Sluiter, November 24

Holly’s Book Corner, November 24

The Bookish Ledger, November 25 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, November 26 (Guest Review from Donna)

The Quiet Bookmark, November 27 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift Card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/HQaVl/dressed-for-success-turned-out-for-murder-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Come Closer by Dr Galit Atlas

About the Book:

What is the secret of emotional intimacy? How can understanding our childhood experiences give us the insights we need to be close to others in a truly satisfying, longer-lasting, and more meaningful way?

In Come Closer, Galit Atlas invites us inside the private lives of her patients—and into her own—to offer new, life-changing answers to these important questions. Atlas has identified six child archetypes—the frightened child, the melancholic child, the ashamed child, the invisible child, the guilty child, and the chosen child—and in these pages, she shows how each childhood wound plays out in our adult relationships.

In remarkably compelling and dramatic stories of both therapist and patient, Atlas illustrates how the child within us drives our love lives, forming patterns we repeat without awareness. Each narrative will have you on the edge of your seat, living the mystery alongside Atlas and her patients, uncovering roots, drawing parallels, and reaching insights and revelations, just as they do.

My Review:

Understanding why we react as we do can be puzzling at times. Atlas's patient stories and personal experiences help explain much. I appreciate that the writing is not so technical that readers who do not know the field can still understand and learn from this book. One may want to confine the insights to one archetype, but even that limitation is insightful. This is a good book for those ready to do inner child work to understand adult thoughts and behaviors.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

A Threat at the Feast by JPC Allen Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: A Threat at the Feast (A Rae Riley Mysteries Book)

Author: JPC Allen

Genre: YA cozy mystery

Release Date: November 15

How can you trust when you don’t understand?

In November, amateur sleuth Rae Riley can be thankful for many things but not the media attention brought by a couple of recent cases she and her dad, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski solved in rural Marlin County, Ohio. When the publicity also brings the estranged grandfather and mother of her sort-of boyfriend, Deputy Chris Kincaid, he wants nothing to do with his family. Chris says his actress mother and movie director grandfather have only come to bask in the publicity from the high-profile cases.

But Rae notices that his grandfather carries a gun and seems afraid when a producer and his son, superhero movie star Talon Moore arrive in the county.

When Chris’s grandfather is found murdered outside the library where Rae works, and someone attacks Rae’s friend Devon and searches the library, Chris becomes the main suspect for Chief of Police Simcox. Rae and Mal race to bring Chris home for Thanksgiving before he’s prosecuted for first-degree murder.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is a good cozy mystery for readers of around high school age. It explores many issues, such as dating evangelism, trusting God when bad things keep happening and trying to understand why God would allow such things to happen. There is much revolving around family and what it means to be part of one. There is also an exploration of justice and the responsibility of law enforcement to be impartial.

Much of the novel centers around characters and the relationships between them stemming from past events. The novel moves quickly into family drama and readers might be a bit lost if the previous novels have not been read. There is a very strong faith message included, centered around trusting God in troubling circumstances. It is a good novel for those who likes ones centered on relationships. There is a discussion guide included so this would make a good book for a youth reading group.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the previous novels in this series: A Shadow on the Snow, A Storm of Doubts, and A Riddle in the Lonesome October.

About the Author

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo, and she’s been tracking down mysteries ever since. She’s a Selah-finalist at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in both short story and YA categories for her YA series, Rae Riley Mysteries. Her first Rae Riley novel, A Shadow on the Snow, won first place in the ACFW KidLit contest for YA fiction. A Storm of Doubts, her second novel, came in second in both the KidLit and Selah contests.

She writes novels for teens who are looking for a different kind of Christian fiction, stories that combine the mysteries of faith with real-world mysteries and dangers, stories that ask tough questions that a tougher God can always handle.

JPC Allen loves to teach about writing and has led writing workshops online and at in-person events. In her workshops, she encourages writers to discover the adventure of writing on their own terms. Coming from a long line of Mountaineers, she’s a life-long Buckeye and sets all her mysteries in fictional Marlin County Ohio.

More from JPC

The Hardest Book I’ve Ever Written

I knew it was coming, and I dreaded it. Since I write my novels in order, I knew I was slowly closing in on the scenes that twisted my stomach when I thought about them.

Why was I dreading them? Because I was confronting some of my deepest fears.

I’ve always hated being accused of something I didn’t do. In elementary school, if the teacher decided I’d misbehaved, and I hadn’t, there wasn’t a thing I could do. A seven-year-old can’t argue with an adult. Knowing I couldn’t defend myself was a helplessness that has stayed with me my whole life.

I didn’t want to write about the trapped feeling Chris would experience when he was unjustly accused of his grandfather’s murder. I didn’t want to write how helpless Rae felt as she watched someone she loved face prosecution for something he didn’t do.

But I also knew if A Threat at the Feast was going to be a novel worth reading, I had to include those scenes. So as I wrote about Chris’s arrest and arraignment, I let all my feelings pour into Rae. Because my emotions were genuine, ideas and reactions would pop up in my mind as if I was living the ordeal with Rae. Such as when my research uncovered the fact that few jails in Ohio have visitor rooms with plexiglass booths anymore. All visits are either conducted through a video kiosk at the jail or through a video call from the visitor’s home. I had a deep aversion to that fact, and I gave that aversion to Rae.

Despite the emotional grinder I went through to write those scenes, I also knew that such turmoil would make the resolution that much sweeter and deeper, imitating our journey through life. And when a story accurately imitates life, a writer can’t ask for more than that.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 11

Simple Harvest Reads, November 12 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, November 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 14

Guild Master, November 15 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 16

Fiction Book Lover, November 17 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 18

The Bookish Ledger, November 19 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 20

Mary Hake, November 20

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 21 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 22

Blossoms and Blessings, November 23 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, November 24

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, JCP is giving away the grand prize of an Autumn mug, Seasonal loose leaf tea, Loose leaf tea steeper, Handmade bookmarks, Magnets, one signed copy each of A Riddle in the Lonesome October and A Threat at the Feast, and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/tKADs/a-threat-at-the-feast-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

What Happened in Beulah? by Christy Scott Cashman

 

WHAT HAPPENED IN BEULAH

by Christy Scott Cashman

October 19 - November 13, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.

Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown.

When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home.

A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury.

Praise for What Happened in Beluah:

"What Happened in Beluah is a wonderful book—funny, sharp and poignant. It's a story designed for all of us, of all ages, all wisdoms. It points to the necessity of recovery. It's a novel of ghosts present and ghosts past, with alcoholics and dreamers and preachers and small town grifters all coming together in one place—the everywhere of guilt and consequence, the kudzu of our lives."
~ Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Twist

"What Happened in Beulah cannot but remind us of what Hemingway said: ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Here, page after page, Christy Scott Cashman succeeds in making the reader hang onto the story as the drama on Beulah’s seemingly calm surface ruptures like a scene of serene rain that suddenly modulates into a rumbling thunderstorm. I'm sure the book will be a loyal friend to many readers."
~ Patrick Kabanda, author of The Creative Wealth of Nations

My Review:

The first half of the novel is pretty much coming of age. Barrett's parents are divorced and her mother is an alcoholic. Barrett doesn't feel like she fits in at school and struggles for acceptance. And then her best friend is suddenly friends with the newcomer, Lacy. Up to this point the novel seems to be the typical coming of age style. I liked the general exploration of feeling like one does not fit in. There is a twist, however, as later there is the issue of an adult having those same feelings.

Halfway through the novel the atmosphere changes. Lacy is missing and a mystery develops. The novel became more engaging to this mystery lover. I like how Cashman created uncertainty as to what happened to Lacy. There is real concern by Barrett, who hit something with the car while driving the very night of Lacy's disappearance. Barrett faces the possibility she might somehow be responsible for Lacy's demise.

I found this novel held the interest of this senior citizen, even though it is of the young adult genre. The atmosphere of the Tennessee hills in the 1980s is well presented. The youth there are certainly more foul mouthed than where I grew up. It is an entertaining novel of life in the 1980s hills of Tennessee with a little mystery thrown in.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

Book Details:

Genre: YA Mystery, Coming of Age
Published by: She Writes Press
Publication Date: October 20, 2026
Number of Pages: 288 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9798896364801
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | She Writes Press

Read an excerpt:

 

Author Bio:

Christy Scott Cashman is a best-selling and award-winning author with multiple national honors. A writer, actress, and producer, she has decades of storytelling experience across film, literature, and the arts. Christy is the founder of YouthINK, a creative arts foundation empowering young people through imagination and expression, and serves on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Christy divides her time between Boston, Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoys family life with three dogs and four horses.

Catch Up With Christy Scott Cashman:

christycashman.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @cashman.christy
Facebook - @christycashmanauthor

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

Get Tangled Up in a Giveaway

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for What Happened in Beulah by Christy Scott Cashman. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

WHAT HAPPENED IN BEULAH by Christy Scott Cashman | Gift Card

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Return to Home by Kimberly Craft

About the Book:

When the world begins to unravel, where do you run?

For the Calloways, there has always been one answer: home.

Across America, something is going terribly wrong. Supply chains are failing. Civil unrest is spreading. Institutions people once trusted are beginning to fracture. And one by one, the scattered members of the Calloway family realize the safest place left may be the Mississippi ranch where they were raised.

But getting home is only the beginning.

As danger closes in and the country they recognize begins to change around them, old wounds, difficult choices, and buried fears follow them through the gate. And while one member of the family uncovers something far more troubling behind the growing chaos, the Calloways must decide what they're willing to risk to protect the people they love.

My Review:

Craft has an engaging writing style. I like how she was able to create the disturbing national situation through the observations and thoughts of the characters. Parts of society falling apart, strange reactions by people to unusual events, and an underlying unrest are of concern. The members of the Calloway family each have the feeling that something is not right. People were losing confidence in things they used to take for granted. (214) It seemed there was an overarching effort to get people to no longer trust each other.

The Calloway ranch is a haven in the midst of the unrest. People come together and community is formed. The head of the family encourage those who arrive to trust God in the midst of the scary circumstances. Family solidifies as the importance of people over possessions is clear. This is a good novel exploring the importance of family and faith when the world seems to be crumbling. There will be more novels in this series and I will be watching for them.

My rating: 4/5.

About the Author:

Kimberly Craft lives in Mississippi with her husband on TimberlyLane Ranch, where faith, family, and ranch life inspire many of the stories she writes. Surrounded by rolling pastures, cattle, grandchildren, and the everyday blessings of country living, she finds endless inspiration in the values that bring people together. To learn more about her books and future projects, visit https://www.kimberlycraft.com.

Independently Published, 313 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Suspicious Delivery by Terry Overton Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: Suspicious Delivery: Finley Burke Mysteries Book 2

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: May 9, 2026

When an unclaimed express delivery vanishes from Cozy’s Coffee Shop in Sunset Cove, Finley Burke expects a simple explanation. What she gets instead is a mystery stitched together with rare books, resurfacing secrets, and people who aren’t who they claim to be. As Finley follows the trail, she realizes the missing package is connected to a past that refuses to stay buried—and to a crime that may have been planned long before the delivery ever arrived.

Old relationships resurface with new motives, and long-awaited reunions reveal fractures that run deeper than blood. With each clue, Finley edges closer to the truth, closer to danger, and closer to someone determined to keep secrets hidden.

In Sunset Cove, what’s been buried longest often carries the highest price.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is an entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. It is truly a cozy as the characters are senior citizens. No intense action here, just a mystery that needs solving and the senior sleuthing group is on the case. There are many delicious sounding meals as the women get together to figure out strange clues and unusual actions. It is the interesting characters and the commitment they have to each other's well-being that  makes the story so enjoyable. Birdie is particularly vulnerable as an old beau surfaces. It was fun to see how the others supported her. It was also great to see Finley get a rescue dog for a pet. Readers will learn some about the stealing of rare books too.

There is some unfinished business with the car accident from the first novel and one of the women has just been introduced to a long lost relative so I am sure there will be another novel in the series. I like this unusual group of amateur senior sleuths so I'll be watching for it.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, Dockside Secrets.

About the Author

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology.

Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

More from Terry

The setting for this cozy mystery setting is a place called Sunset Cove. About two years ago, I relocated to the actual place! A small cove on Eagle Mountain Lake in Northwest section of Fort Worth Texas.

For more than twenty-years, I lived on the coast of Texas. Moving inland I knew I had to live near water, and Sunset Cove is the perfect place! My house (which is Finley’s lakeside cottage) is next to the cove, woods, and a creek that runs down into the cove.

After a few weeks in this new setting, the characters of Finley Burke, Birdie, Amelia, and Lynn just came into my writer’s mind and the series began!

I happen to live within the city limits of Fort Worth but this tiny patch near the cove is another small world with a handful of neighbors I have come to know. Not only is this setting “off the beaten path,” but we have foxes, alligators, herons, large barred-owls, racoons, armadillos, coyotes, and a host of birds and insects.  Some of these animals make appearances in the plot of the Finley Burke Mysteries,

The main character, Finley Burke, is a retired university psychology professor who specialized in forensic psychology. Following her move to Sunset Cove, she earns the reputation for being an amateur sleuth who can assist police and detectives in solving local crimes. Each of her sidekicks have unique and often quirky personalities and they all contribute to solving the mysteries of Sunset Cove.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 7

Book Looks by Lisa, November 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 9

Lights in a Dark World, November 9

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 10

The Avid Reader, November 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Texas Book-aholic, November 13

For Him and My Family, November 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 16

Vicky Sluiter, November 17

Simple Harvest Reads, November 18 (Guest Review from Donna)

Mary Hake, November 18

Holly’s Book Corner, November 19

Lily’s Corner, November 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terry is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/AvOJc/suspicious-delivery-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Christmas Begins in Genesis by Isaac Whitaker

About the Book:

Why would a Christmas book begin in Genesis?

Because the story of Christmas started long before Bethlehem.

Many children know the manger, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men. But they may still wonder: Why did Jesus need to come at all? What was God doing through all those promises, people, and stories that came before Christmas?

Christmas Begins in Genesis is a 25-day Advent Bible study that helps children ages 8–12 discover the bigger Bible story behind Christmas.

Beginning with God’s good creation, children follow the story through the fall, God’s first promise of rescue, Abraham, Passover, Judah, David, the prophets, and the long wait for the Savior. Then the journey moves into the Christmas story itself and helps children understand not only that Jesus was born, but who He is, why He came, what He came to do, and why His coming is such good news.

The story does not stop at the manger. Children also see how Christmas connects to Jesus’ saving mission, His death and resurrection, and the Christian hope that the risen Jesus will one day return and make all things new.

Each day follows a simple, engaging four-page rhythm designed to help children actually understand what they are reading:

• Open the Bible and read the day’s passage
• Explore important verses through clear, age-appropriate teaching
• Connect biblical truth with a relatable real-life moment
• Discover how the passage fits into The Bigger Christmas Story
• Talk through two meaningful questions together
• Respond through drawing, explaining, choosing, reflecting, reading aloud, or a simple action
• Finish the day with prayer

The book also uses four section memory verses with a gentle introduce-and-recall rhythm, so children can return to a small number of important passages without turning Advent into a memorization test.

Christmas Begins in Genesis was created for families who want something deeper than a simple Christmas countdown, while still being warm, visual, practical, and accessible for children.

Perfect for:

• Family Advent time
• Homeschool Bible study
• Sunday school
• Christian classrooms
• Parent-and-child devotional time

Younger children can work through the book alongside an adult, while older children can read many sections independently and then come together for conversation and prayer.

Twenty-five days. One connected Bible story.

Help your child discover why Christmas does not really begin with the manger.

It begins in Genesis.

My Review:

Children might think of Christmas as a time to receive presents and have only a vague understanding of Jesus' birth. The entire biblical story behind the reason for the birth may be elusive. This book is a good way to help children experience the reason for Christmas. There are colorful illustrations, a Bible portion to read, stories to illustrate the day's biblical truth, a couple of questions to discuss with the child, an activity and a prayer. There are four Bible verses to memorize over the time. There is a QR code to sign up for daily reminder emails with encouragement and readings.

The activity level is good for children ages 8-12 but younger ones could participate with more parent involvement and explanation. The book contains a good explanation of why Jesus came to earth, the need for salvation, and that Jesus is coming again. There are valuable ideas at the end of the book to help answer questions children might have. This is a very well presented advent book I recommend.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Independently published, 115 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookSirens. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)