Christmas Detective

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, have started a new Christmas tradition. Their local pet store has a Christmas tree, where instead of ornaments there are wishes from those in need. One poignant wish leads Andy to a child named Danny, whose selfless plea strikes a chord. Danny asked Santa for a coat for his mother, a sweater for his dachshund, Murphy, and for the safe return of his missing father.

In the dark, wintry highlands of Lochdubh, Scotland, where the local Calvinist element resists the secular trimmings of Christmas, the spirit of old Saint Nick is about as welcome as a flat tire on a deserted road. Nor is crime taking a holiday, as Constable Hamish Macbeth soon finds himself protecting an unhappy girl, unlocking the secrets of a frightened old woman, and retrieving some stolen holiday goods. Now the lanky lawman must use all his Highland charm and detective skills to make things right.

Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin star in these four gems. In "The Christmas Party", Wolfe condescends to uncharacteristic theatrics, which aren't enough to clear him from suspicion of murder. The "Easter Parade" tempts Wolfe to commit larceny for an orchid. "A Fourth of July Picnic" has Wolfe scheduled for to appear as an orator. But his day in the sun is rained out by murder. The last selection, "Murder Is No Joke", is a whodunit in a couturier's salon, where a murderer is dressed to kill and kill again.

Professor Claire Lane interrupted by a sudden telephone call to help in a murder investigation leaves the tranquility of Edinburgh for the country lanes of Oxford. Lord of the Realm, Inspector Ralph McGinnis is puzzled. Unlike his colleague Miss Lane is adamant this is a copycat murder. Last seen in the seventeenth century by an overzealous Venetian statesman. A well-known Australian financier is dead. Propped up in the Nativity scene outside the church. The vicar is acting strangely, could he have been persuaded to preach peace and good will during this festive season, or will Claire work ...

Lights, Camera, Poltergeist. A Hollywood dream becomes a nightmare. Called to a movie set, Red investigates a haunting that threatens to turn a Christmas flick into a slasher film. Allied with a soulmancer, she has to save the Hollywood A-Listers from a phantom that wants souls instead of autographs. Busting ghosts is easier than laying her own personal demons to rest. With a paralyzed mentor, a sexy vampire playing hard to get, and petrifying anxiety about her own mysterious origins, Red is struggling to find the holiday spirit. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame in Los Angeles, ...

Uncle Willie has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead the morning after Christmas day, dressed in his Santa Claus costume, seemingly poisoned by his favourite chocolates. Or was there something sinister in the mince pies? If so, was it the ones stashed in his room or those sent to him mysteriously by post? More importantly, since his will was recently redrafted, who stands to gain by this unseasonable crime?

Ghost saw somebody killing Santa Claus. Underneath the mistletoe last night… FREE on Kindle Unlimited! Dashing, debonair paranormal investigator Rick Rowling usually spends the holidays at luxurious resorts, with women falling at his feet. What would make him trade champagne toasts and caviar dreams for a Yuletide dinner in Queens with the family of his ravishing assistant Mandy, the only woman who seems immune to his charms? Turns out the single witness to the murder of Santa Claus is a lovelorn ghost who wants a date with Rick in exchange for information on the suspect. A romantic romp ...

It’s Christmas Eve in New Chapel, Indiana. But this night will be anything but silent in a brand new Flower Shop Mystery Novella from New York Times bestselling author of Moss Hysteria and Yews With Caution. After being hired to deliver poinsettias to Churchill’s department store in downtown New Chapel, feisty flower shop owner Abby Knight finds herself mixed up in the disappearance of everyone’s favorite Santa Claus, Mr. Churchill himself. Promising Churchill’s daughter that the legendary Christmas Eve celebration will not go on without her father, Abby must recruit her whole staff...

Police Officer Brooke Patterson is dedicated to her calling to help others, despite having to deal with the difficulties of being female in a male-dominated profession. To help her de-stress from her job, Brooke's friends talk her into taking a vacation the weekend before Christmas. The trio head to Clear Mountain Resort to ski, spend time at the spa, and relax. When they arrive and their suite isn't ready, the front desk clerk suggests they go on a sleigh ride-a new feature of the resort. Little does Brooke know, the last-minute activity will change her life forever. After a difficult ...

Silent Night turns deadly when a killer joins the chorus… When the Golden Ring Carolers arrive at Lena Larsen's Victorian guest house for their holiday retreat, she expects a peaceful week of seasonal songs and festive preparation. Instead, she gets a murder mystery wrapped in red velvet ribbon. The victim? Clara Whitmore, the group's controlling founder and lead soprano, whose talent for discovering secrets was matched only by her skill in wielding them against others. With a growing list of suspects—including a bitter ex-fiancé, an ambitious understudy, and a cousin trapped in ...

Have yourself a scary little Christmas. In the heart of the holiday season, priceless paintings have vanished from a Park Avenue murder scene. Now, dashing French detective Luc Moncrief must become a quick study in the art of the steal - before a cold-blooded killer paints the town red. Merry Christmas, Detective.

Edgar Award-winning editor Otto Penzler collects more than 50 of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories - many of which are difficult or nearly impossible to find anywhere else. From classic Victorian tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Thomas Hardy, to contemporary stories by Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain, this collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant.

When miserly millionaire Barnaby Galen is found dead in his dilapidated mansion, two corpses are on the scene - the murder victim and the murder weapon. Staring into the skeleton face of a horror prop called Granny, Galen dies of fright, leaving only enemies and suspects behind. With echoes of Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Blue Christmas is a witty, heartfelt romantic mystery that will make fans of Emma Jameson's best-selling series want to stand up and cheer.

Mira’s snarky cat, Arnold, finally gets his own story. Told from the point of view of Mira’s trusty cat, Arnold, this short story is about the trials and tribulations of being a cat-dad to three rambunctious kittens during the Christmas holiday. Even more challenging, Arnold’s rivals arrive with Mira’s sister Darla, on Christmas eve. The twin cats are psychic and annoying, forcing Arnold to use every ounce of patience to be a good cat for Christmas. To make matters worse his kittens go missing and he must partner with Darla’s twin menaces to save them. Quickly things go sideways, ...

Enjoy billionaires and heroes as they journey to find love. ★★★★★Bonus—Lawfully Smitten, an all-new Lawkeeper romance and Disaster City Search and Rescue Prequel. Also included are 3 Sweet, Contemporary Christmas Romances. Celebrate the holidays by enjoying award winning and international bestselling author, Jenna Brandt's heartwarming collection. The Billionaire's Birthday Gift: Nate and Stella used to be in love, until Nate picked his career over her. He wants a second chance to prove he's changed but she's not sure she's willing to gamble her heart on the man who broke it. ...

Mike Hunt: A Private Investigator’s Christmas Cases When Christmas cheer collides with crime, Mike Hunt, Private Investigator, is the man to untangle the mess. In this collection of five razor-sharp flash fiction stories, Mike takes on cases as unpredictable as a re-gifted fruitcake and as tangled as holiday lights. With his trademark wit, unmatched deductive prowess, and an uncanny ability to find himself in awkwardly sensual situations, Mike’s holiday caseload is anything but merry and bright. Each year when he offers his Christmas services pro bono, every weirdo and crooked freak in ...

Olive and Jasper have never been closer—except for one thing. Jasper is still reticent about his frequent disappearances from polite society. With the holidays approaching and no paying client on the books, Olive decides to shadow Jasper when he’s unexpectedly called away. Her search brings her to Holly Hill Lodge where an eclectic group has gathered to celebrate an old-fashioned English Christmas. When the butler goes missing, Olive and Jasper must work together to solve the Christmas crime—as well as the secret Jasper hides.

A ski holiday with friends at a mountain resort. What could possibly go wrong? It’s supposed to be the engaged couple’s vacation from sleuthing, instead they are confronted with a murder at the isolated hotel. Aside from their party, the guests are strangers to each other. And the victim was new to the area so who shot him and why? Rumors of a kidnap plot from an eccentric author, a Russian ex-pat pining for the old days of the Empire and a feuding staff add to the confusion of motives. With the help of the local sheriff, they discover a cache of money but then a young woman goes ...

Jane discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide gathering dies in a tragic accident whose circumstances Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane's fellow snowbound guests. With clues scattered amid cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?

The joyful tranquility of a snowbound estate in the Lake District of England is overturned in a moment by a shocking murder. Renowned mathematician and inventor Henry Rathbone - long known to listeners of Perry's bestselling Victorian series featuring William Monk - must put his analytical and creative capacities to the test as he assumes the role of an amateur investigator. In this delightful Christmas tale, he rescues the holiday with a grace that would impress William Monk himself.