Christmas Mystery Short

The oldest mystery specialty bookstore in the world, The Mysterious Bookshop, has for most of its forty-five-year history commissioned an original short story as a holiday gift for its customers. Written exclusively for the store, the stories were given as a holiday gift to its customers as a thank you for their business, handed out or mailed between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Discover clean and fun best-selling cozy mysteries by Amber Crewes to enjoy! A light cozy-mystery series with an amateur female sleuth, mouth-watering culinary desserts, and 13 gripping murder mysteries!

OVER-THE-TOP INSTA-LOVE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN . . . FOR THE HOLIDAYS! He shows up in a black cape and iron-studded boots that look a hundred years old. He's got a daughter but doesn't know her mother. He doesn't know me either . . . So then why is he looking at me like that? Looking at me like I'm his . . . His Halloween treat. Sweetness and darkness rolled into one. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed HEA. Over-the-top with drama, madness, steam . . . and a few scares! This is insta-love, Annabelle Winters style. WHAT AMAZON AND GOODREADS REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CURVY ...

Rebellious Christmas wreaths. Mysterious welly-dwelling eggs. A plague of irate water fowl. And ten ladies of a certain age who are by no means the least troublesome of Toot Hansell's residents, as far as Detective Inspector Adams is concerned. She's entirely certain her training never covered dealing with the Women's Institute, dragons, or festive magic spills. Not to mention invisible dogs with caffeine dependencies. But Christmas is almost here. Things can't go too wrong. . . can they? Well. It is Toot Hansell.

In this batch of sweet, short murder mysteries, three cooks don’t spoil the broth. New York Times best-selling author Joanne Fluke pens the title story, in which a box of Hannah Swensen’s gingerbread cookies is found near the corpse of her neighbor. Popular co-authors Laura Levine and Leslie Meier offer “The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies” and “Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots”, respectively.

A COSY MURDER MYSTERYONE ROTTEN APPLE SPOILS THE WHOLE BARREL. It's winter in Hertfordshire and the heavy snow falls over the hills. Detective Harris is called out to a body laying in the snow. It was supposed to be a simple case, but with the ever disappearing evidence, can Harris find the victim's killer, because this one is evading the police and will bring Harris face to face with a perpetrator unlike anything she has seen before. A very merry murder is an evocative and atmospheric tale. The perfect novelette to curl up with over a cold, winter's day.

Two short cosy mysteries featuring a young priest in a Sicilian parish—perfect for fans of Chesterton's Father Brown, Jan Karon's Mitford series and the Grantchester mysteries. The Holiday Heist: When young Sicilian Catholic priest Father Roberto finds an envelope full of cash lying on the floor by the church’s nativity scene, he assumes it’s a Christmas donation for his cash-strapped parish. But it turns out that the unexpected windfall isn’t for keeping, and it lands the inexperienced priest in a heap of trouble just at the parish’s busiest time of year—the run-up to Christmas...

Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.

When Santa’s visit to the Gulch is called off due to a bad storm Butterscotch Jones has to step in and save Ricky’s Christmas. While Butterscotch is busy in Manitoba, Miss Henry is in Quebec. She is trying to drum up some Christmas spirit while hunting for a missing lawyer. Nicodemus Smith has her hands full tracking down a lost philanthropist who fancies himself to be Santa Claus, and Jane Blackthorn is going her best to cope with a plum pudding thief who is vexing her first Christmas in merry olde England. While Kenneth Mayhew tries to restore order at the Mayhem Mansion revels, Chloe...

OVER-THE-TOP INSTA-LOVE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN . . . FOR THE HOLIDAYS! My mom just got a new boyfriend and cancelled Thanksgiving because "reasons." So my sweet elderly neighbors invite me over. So far so good, right? Yeah, well, I'm not the only guest at their Thanksgiving table . . . But from the way this mystery guest is staring, I might be the only thing on the menu . . . His menu! Sweetness and darkness rolled into one. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed HEA. Over-the-top with drama, madness, and steam because I just can't help myself. Sorry. This is insta-love, Annabelle Winters...

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 ...

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, ...

Jill and Mrs V are both in big trouble until salvation comes from the most unlikely quarter.

When a local group home for orphaned children goes up in smoke right before the holidays, Tillie Winchester volunteers her family to take in some kids - even though her arch nemesis Margaret Little is dead-set against it. Three boys - all of them with a little attitude - have no idea what to expect from the Winchester household. Tillie is determined to prove the boys are innocent while also finding them a forever home...even if she has to take on a local judge and declare all-out war.

Noelle Carter is looking forward to an uneventful holiday season at the office. But when a secret admirer starts sending her love poems signed, "Your Secret Santa," things take an unexpected turn. As Noelle navigates the mystery and mixed emotions, she's also juggling relationship issues for her best friend Karole. When Noelle suspects Karole's boyfriend is cheating, secrets threaten to ruin the holidays. Add in a hostile boss who seems to be out to get her, and Noelle has her hands full. Will Noelle be able to solve all her problems before Christmas comes? Or will they destroy her holiday ...

A Christmas party is punctuated by a gunshot under a policeman’s watchful eye. A jewel heist is planned amidst the glitz and glamour of Oxford Street’s Christmas shopping. And lost in a snowstorm, a man finds a motive for murder.... This collection of mysteries explores the darker side of the festive season, from unexplained disturbances in the fresh snow to the darkness that lurks beneath the sparkling decorations.

For fans of Hallmark Christmas movies - a light hearted holiday story to get you in the spirit of the season. Jenny King is trying hard to raise enough money for the local children's home. When a confused old man arrives on her doorstep, she welcomes him with open arms. Is Jenny's guest a trickster like her boyfriend suspects, or is he just a lost soul, looking for a warm haven? Curl up with this short cozy read this season and share it with your family and friends. **Candy Canes and Christmas is a light hearted short story set in the town of Pelican Cove. This is a bonus read for fans of ...

Welcome to Frostvale, a picturesque town where holiday cheer meets magical intrigue! Holly Bell, a seasonal witch with a penchant for festive spells, returns home for the holidays expecting gingerbread cookies, sparkling snow, and the warmth of family traditions. But when Frostvale's beloved Santa impersonator, Jolly Jack, is found frozen in a mysterious block of ice, the festive season takes a chilling turn. Armed with her wits, her grimoire, and her mischievous black cat, Onyx, Holly dives into the heart of the town's secrets. Could it be the candy shop owner with a vendetta? Jack’s ...

Snow, Stars - and murder! When Bernie, the star of breakfast show TV Rise & Shine, is murdered in her dressing room, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agents Abi and Jake are sent undercover just before Christmas to catch the killer. With suspects aplenty, the snow building up outside and the holidays fast approaching, they’ve certainly got their work cut out!

Enjoy the holiday season with three festive mysteries set in coastal Maine. This anthology includes "Yule Log Murder" by Leslie Meier, "Death by Yule Log" by Lee Hollis, and "Logged On" by Barbara Ross.