Book Review for Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks

 

Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks

Published:  October 6, 2026 by Minotaur Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Christmas, Holiday Mystery

 

Taken from Goodreads:  From the author of The Girl in the Green Dress comes a delightful and captivating novel about a fictional murder mystery at the iconic Macy's parade leading up to the holidays in historic New York City.

New York, 1932. Grace Verlander is the secret beating heart of Macy’s. She’s the “assistant to the assistant to the someone who’s in charge”, the go-to person for keeping everything running smoothly behind-the-scenes at the famous, bustling store.

It’s not every day you get a letter from Santa Claus, but three days before the Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, Grace arrives at work to find a note from the store Santa Claus in her someone has sent him a death threat. Shocked, Grace promises to look into it and speaks to the store detective about the parade’s security, confident that they’ve found a solution that will keep everyone safe. But on the day of the parade, despite all their precautions, a dead body is found in the holiday section of the store.

Using her wits and deep knowledge of the ways of the place, Grace is determined to find the killer and seek justice—not just for the dead man, but to save the reputation of this iconic store from ruin.

Steeped in glittering glamor and nostalgic wonder, this is a remarkable, unpredictable mystery set in the evocative world of one of New York’s most memorable institutions.

 

My Thoughts:  Murder on 34th Street is Christmas, historical fiction, and murder mystery all in one. This might be the first time I have read these genres together in one book and I really enjoyed it. I love the Macy’s Day Parade and that was a big part of this book.

There are twists and turns in this book that I never saw coming. Who would want to murder the Macy’s store Santa? The biggest twist… I had an idea that the book would go there but it was so entertaining getting to that point.

Grace works hard to follow the clues. I liked that she questioned many people but went into the questioning assuming they were innocent. She truly believed in the people she worked with and wanted to see the best in them. She is a glass half full person and someone I could relate to.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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