A cosy and nostalgic novel, revisiting Christmas' of the past, some memorable, some mysterious, but all delightful. It's entertaining, charming and the perfect way to escape great skies and bad weather while enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, and a roaring fire,

A nice way to get to know the people of Grand Banks, Newfoundland. A series of Christmas essays that make you feel like you are visiting family and friends for the holiday.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own and are unbiased.

This was a cozy, easy read. Not my usual go to but it kept me interested enough that I finished it

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Christmas in Newfoundland is the first book by Mike Martin that I have read. Now that I have finished this novella – I ask myself why? I try and support local authors and I have heard of Mike Martin previously but had never picked up a book of his. Well I am glad that I did.

Christmas in Newfoundland reads as a series of one chapter short stories. Stories of long ago Christmas time in Newfoundland. Both from the perspective of the adult penning the stories and his recollections of when he was a young boy.

I was won over by the chapter where the family travelled around town by bus to see the Christmas lights. I really enjoyed the graphics speckled throughout the book. Very quaint. They were provided by students in the visual arts program from Canterbury High School in Ottawa.

A bit more editing (or review by the publisher) might have added to the professional vibe of the storytelling as sloppy grammar and editing is a pet peeve of mine. While I usually find novella’s unsatisfying I must say that this is not the case this time. I fully enjoyed the story and it has given me an appetite to go and read more books in the Sgt. Wildflower Mystery series.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This is a sweet and touching collection of short stories about Christmas in Newfoundland, past and present. They all illustrate the meaning of Christmas in one way or another and centre around Sergeant Windflower of the Mounties. I can’t help thinking of him as the local Santa Claus.
The cold and wintry settings of the stories contrasts with their warm, rich atmosphere provided by the local community. This is a book to curl up with during the run-up to Christmas, or any time when you want to experience a little bit of Christmas magic.
The author has a very easy and approachable style that’s delightful and rewarding to read. The whole book is gentle and uplifting, and I really enjoyed it.

I really liked this collection of stories. He is an excellent writer and I liked the idea of short stories. They were also evocative of Holidays and really nice themes.
I would highly recommend this book especially at Christmastime.

The visual loveliness of this book made me love it. I could smell the salt air and feel the bitter cold. The shopping,, the drives around town, the love and simplicity. This beautiful nostalgic book is one to be savored page by page. Loved it!

This is basically a series of short stories. Each chapter can be read as a stand alone tale. This is part of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in Canada. Sgt. Windflower is a little older so his memories of St. Johns have buggy rides to church and village wide potluck dinners. As a member of the Mounties he also has some modern stories of saving Christmas with snow mobiles and multi town efforts. I enjoy this series and it was fun seeing some of the regular characters in the Christmas setting. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a lovely book short stories mysteries of life in New found land.A perfect book to curl up with and enjoy the people the place really enjoyed.#netgalley #booksgosocial

“Christmas in Newfoundland” features a series of short stories about Christmas celebrations, mysteries, and adventures set in Newfoundland. This book was a joy to read, since it included likeable characters who were kind to each other and enjoyed their Christmas time together. Although some weather conditions made the going tough, the Canadian Mounted Police came to the rescue in several situations and saved Christmas for their communities. I liked the length of the stories, many of which seemed like reminiscing by the author about his own life. I intend to read more of the Sergeant Windflower stories written by this author.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Christmas in Newfoundland is a lovely book of short stories, featuring the author as a small boy and the character he created, Sergeant Windflower. These stories are perfect for cold nights spent reading by the fire.

I would recommend this title to anyone looking for Christmas stories. It would also make a lovely stocking stuffer.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#ChristmasinNewfoundland#NetGalley

This is a heart-warning, simple read about St.John’s in Newfoundland. The story focuses on the characters of the town, TD community they live in and how weather, namely snow and ice, brings people together.

It reminds me of low-budget Christmas films made for TV, with snowbound people snuggling up in front of a fire and people coming together in challenging times. This is not a criticism - it’s what the book does and that’s fine.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed these stories. It was a quick read and perfect for winding down after a busy day.

A lovely gentle read, painting a picture of Christmases in Newfoundland back in the fifties and sixties, juxtaposed with stories set in modern times. The stories are self-contained, although the policeman Winston Windflower does appear in all the modern tales. They are well chosen, and are an easy and entertaining read to get you in the mood for real Christmases - with snow, children, and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ottawa Press and Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author brought clear visuals of the holiday season with his easy, charming writing style. It was enjoyable to read traditions and stories from Newfoundland. It would be a .lovely read for anyone not familiar with that part of Canada.

One of my favourite features of this book (one that I've not seen a lot) is the pen drawings in the chapters. They're so very well done and compliment the writing. A lovely visual aide.

Christmas spirit in Newfoundland!

What can I say. Windflower's Christmas stories are as I expected redolent with that Newfoundland spirit of independence, the joy of simple pleasures and communal eccentricities.
Set in both Grand Bank and St. John's I could easily picture the houses and streets described in St. John's, the areas of the town, the snow, the excitement and traditions of Christmas, and the tragedies.
I loved the illustrations provided by the 'young artists from the Visual Arts Program at Canterbury High School in Ottawa.' They aptly depict my memories of the St. John's houses in rows and their colorful exteriors.
I loved the Grand Bank Christmas tales, "where gifts were few and love was plenty. Those were the days when the snow and a homemade sled were sufficient entertainment, the nights were filled with kerosene lamps and laughter, and the twelve days of Christmas were a time for family, friends and roving bands of mummers."
In turn we are treated to Martin's memories of St. John's in the 1960's and Windflower's recollections of events, places, characters around the Grand Bank community.
I was won over by the St. John's moments of shopping in the Arcade, the trip around town by bus to view the lights, the battle in Grand Bank to get Christmas presents delivered in time when the town was snowed in! I was completely turned with the advent of the Christmas present record player and the accompanying vinyls, featuring some of my childhood delights, the "Witch Doctor with a crazy chorus that went “ooo eee, ooh ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang.” Running Bear by Johnny Preston and Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio (I drove my parents crazy singing that off key around the house fully convinced I was to be the next great folk singer. Not!)
Told with love and generosity, I was fully immersed and loving every moment of these literary gems from Martin. And of course to my mind, Windflower should be a Canadian national treasure!

A BooksGoSocial ARC via NetGalley

I started this book after having read an article about the return of the Mummer tradition on Newfoundland.
This book is sweet and make you wish to be there with the lovely cast of characters.
I think it's well written and engrossing, and entertaining read that kept me hooked.
I will keep track of this author because I want to read other works by him.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I received this book for review purposes through NetGalley. All opinions and comments are my own.
This is a delightful combination of mystery story and memoir. The author grew up in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. He tells of Christmas as a child with simplicity and snowy weather, Catholic upbringing and family memories. Between the memories, he writes a cozy mystery with engaging characters and Christmas cheer. This is a fine example of Canadian writing and memories. I recommend this book as a Christmas book to be treasured and enjoyed yearly.

Christmas in Newfoundland by Mike Martin is a charming look into the Christmas traditions in Newfoundland, told in short story form. Several stories captured my interest, but many were hard to get through. Had hoped it would put me in the Christmas spirit, but I struggled to get through it. Hope you enjoy it more!

Christmas in Newfoundland, by Mike Martin was so much more than I expected. My family is from Newfoundland, so I was interested in the topic. But this book took me on more of a journey than I expected.

Very well written and something I would purchase for family members.