The Fruitcake - A deadly twist on a popular Christmas tradition.
Four friends, one fruitcake, and a ritzy town full of secrets . . . What could go wrong?
When Holly Kelly moves from Miami to the lavish Laguna Palms neighborhood, seeking community and friendship—with her husband and rambunctious triplets in tow—she finds it in spades. She is soon drawn into the intimate lives of almost everyone in their beachfront cul-de-sac, especially her three new ride-or-dies: Gina, Greta, and Chloe.
But when the neighborhood’s holiday fruitcake exchange takes a dark turn, the bodies start piling up. The deaths seem like accidents—at first.
Meanwhile, their upscale suburb on the shores of Hutchinson Island, Florida, is also being plagued by a series of disturbing disappearances. Men vanish, then reappear in the neighborhood . . . but changed. The four friends decide to do some sleuthing of their own, and what they find chills them to the bone.
When it’s Holly’s turn to deliver a fruitcake to the Hudson sisters on Christmas Eve four years later, she hears screaming coming from inside the house . . . many different voices—and they don't sound female. Can they uncover the twisted secrets of Laguna Palms before someone closer to home becomes yet another casualty?
The Fruitcake is a fast-paced thriller that drips with murder, mayhem, and delightful, often delicious Southern hospitality while split narration spins the tale from alternate perspectives. If you enjoyed the TV series Desperate Housewives, you’ll love The Fruitcake—a twisty murder mystery you won’t soon forget.
After the second exchange inadvertently ends in the death of resident Harry’s elderly uncle, finance guru Greta muses “This is the second Christmas Eve death in the past two years. Maybe we should end this fruitcake exchange thing.” Despite those misgivings, the eccentric neighbors continue the tradition, eventually culminating with Holly’s delivery of a Havana fruitcake to the Hudson sisters—though her premonition that something bad will happen proves true (“I don’t trust women who don’t wear makeup” she gripes on her way to deliver the cake). Orr (author of The She Shed) delivers the twisty narrative from multiple perspectives—and timelines—mixing death, disappearance, and captivity into the finished product, and keeps readers guessing until the very last bite.
"In the end, it’s the chaos that leads to the order we seek," the story quotes, and despite some lumps in the batter thanks to the non-linear structure, readers will be pleased with the gripping denouement. Bloodshed, atonement, and suspense tangle together to produce a savory mystery, emboldened by Orr’s sprinkling of neighborhood legends (the land, stolen from the area’s indigenous tribes, is thought to be cursed) on top. It’s obvious Orr relishes page-turning riddles, but the ample reflection on the intergenerational events that shape a person’s life adds a richness to this holiday treat.
Takeaway: Butterfly effect neighborhood murder mystery built on a tasty Christmas tradition.
Comparable Titles: Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train, Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
I received an ARC paperback copy of this book, and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
This book is delicious! I couldn't put it down. It follows Holly Kelly, her husband, and their triplets as they move to the rich Laguna Palms. They move into a cul-de-sac, where the tastes are expensive, gossip is abundant, and death keeps coming knocking.
The neighborhood decides at an HOA meeting to start a fruitcake exchange for the holidays. A different person would cook and bring it to a neighbor each holiday season. The deaths and bad karma surrounding the fruitcakes start from the very 1st one, where a child's toy is accidentally dropped into the cake, causing the recipient to choke.
The deaths keep piling up from there. The husbands disappear, only to just show back up randomly. But, they aren't the same. The women get together, determined to get to the bottom of things.
I loved the relationship with Holly and Gina. Gina is so fun. The ending was not what I expected, not at all....it's good. Please make this into a series Leah!
Four friends, one fruitcake, and a ritzy town full of secrets . . .
What could go wrong?
Leah Orr, #1 Amazon best-selling author of The She Shed, delights with a spine-tingling murder mystery thriller set along the beautiful shores of Hutchinson Island.
When Holly Kelly moves from Miami to the lavish Laguna Palms neighborhood, seeking community and friendship—with her husband and rambunctious triplets in tow—she finds it in spades. She is soon drawn into the intimate lives of almost everyone in their beachfront cul-de-sac, especially her three new ride-or-dies: Gina, Greta, and Chloe.
But when the neighborhood’s holiday fruitcake exchange takes a dark turn, the bodies start piling up. The deaths seem like accidents—at first. Meanwhile, their upscale suburb on the shores of Hutchinson Island, Florida, is also being plagued by a series of disturbing disappearances. Men vanish, then reappear in the neighborhood . . . but changed.
The four friends decide to do some sleuthing of their own, and what they find chills them to the bone. When it’s Holly’s turn to deliver a fruitcake to the Hudson sisters on Christmas Eve four years later, she hears screaming coming from inside the house . . . many different voices—and they don't sound female.
Can they uncover the twisted secrets of Laguna Palms before someone closer to home becomes yet another casualty?
The Fruitcake is a fast-paced thriller that drips with murder, mayhem, and delightful, often delicious Southern hospitality while split narration spins the tale from alternate perspectives. If you enjoyed the TV series Desperate Housewives, you’ll love The Fruitcake—a twisty murder mystery you won’t soon forget.
Leah donates the profits from her books to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Upon learning that her daughter Ashley was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (while still in the womb), Orr knew she wanted to do something special. With some input from her mother and three daughters, it was decided that she'd write books to benefit the (CF) Foundation. The Orr Family has raised over $1,400,000 over the past 21 years to help find a cure.
Leah's mission to help cure Cystic Fibrosis has been featured on ABC’s Health Watch, NBC Today South Florida, ABC Today South Florida, CBS South Florida, CBS This Morning Virginia, NBC the 10! Show Philadelphia, Fox 4 News Morning Blend, The Daily Buzz, and Lifetime TV’s The Balancing Act. She has also been featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, Medical News Today, The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald, and The Sun-Sentinel. Her daughter Ashley was also a recipient of Oprah’s generosity in The Big Give.
Popular books by Leah Orr include children’s books: Messy Tessy and It Wasn’t Me. Her thrillers include: The Executive Suite, The Bartender, The She Shed and The Fruitcake.
Leah was nominated as one of Broward County’s top 100 Outstanding Women. Orr grew up in Boston, MA and is a graduate of the University of Miami.
The Fruitcake is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and wherever books are sold. More information can be found at www.leahorr.com
