Christmas Mystery Short

A woman who lost her husband during the war never expected that she would be spending this Christmas honeymooning. As Jerry and June drive through quaint towns in snowy Vermont, Jerry's ex-wife, locked up in a hospital for the insane, and an escaped murderer from a local prison cast a shadow over their Holiday plans. Before long, June's dreamy Christmas honeymoon becomes a full-blown nightmare.

This is a short story set in the Narcoscape of the Book of Dreams series. It is named "Dreaming of a White Christmas" and was originally printed in the collection A Cozy Christmas. In this brief installment, Nicodemus Smith has her hands full tracking down a lost philanthropist who fancies himself to be Santa Claus. Enjoy the yuletide oddness with Nic and the gang no matter what the season. I'll see you on the dreamside, ---Melanie

In this cozy Christmas story, learn whether Michael and Shay will get a second chance at love under the mistletoe.

The festive season should be a time for generosity and goodwill, but in Glasgow, Leger finds that is not the case. His human companion's attempt to raise funds for a CT scanner for a local hospital has been thwarted by a callous thief who has stolen decorations from her seasonal garden display. Now Leger resolves to mend Annabella's broken heart by finding the thief. With Ginger nursing her newborn kittens, Isabella confusing him with erratic behaviour and Bob more interested in Hugh's discarded slipper than helping solve this mystery, Leger's only clue comes from an unexpected source - a ...

‘Tis the Season… for a Christmas Crime Thriller Short Story. A late-night shootout erupts over stolen cigarettes and leaves a Good Samaritan wondering, “Did I do the right thing?” JoJo is a repeat offender who grew up in foster care. His sister was adopted by a man named Davey, his only connection to family life. When JoJo is released after a short stint in county jail, Davey agrees to pick him up and drive him to a motel near his home. But when JoJo asks to stop for cigarettes, Davey’s in for the fight of his life. JoJo swipes a pack of smokes causing a fast-moving chain of ...

Christmas has come to Marquess House and, with it, an unexpected mystery for Perdita and Piper to solve. Will they be able to help devoted sisters from the past find each other again? The Convent of Llyn Cel Island, 1486 Mother Superior, Sister Non, returns from a family wedding to discover the bones of a saint have been revealed during a storm. As her ecclesiastical superiors make plans for a Holy Shrine to be erected, Sister Non knows she must stop them before her bitter secret is revealed. Present Day, Marquess House, Pembrokeshire Perdita and Piper Rivers are spending their first ...

The Christmas Tree of Tales is a collection of short stories that span the festive season.There are plenty of.carols , snow , fir trees and mystical strangers ,some who are benevelant and Some not so! There are memories of treasured past christmases that come back as a child from 1961 returns in adulthood to his home town.The freezing gales howl around a mystery one Christmas Eve in a snowbound castle in the Mearns in the north of Scotland.Someone is alone with their memories and old carols at Christmas with only the wild sea for company.while mysterious children visit an old woman during ...

I must have missed the "Santa Clause"… When I won an all-inclusive vacation to a luxury mountain resort over the holidays after entering a sweepstakes on the back of my cereal box, I assumed it was Fate announcing it was finally Merri Bianchi’s time to relax and have a little fun. But you know what they say about assumptions.... As it turns out I neglected to read the fine print, aka the "Santa Clause," and now I’m dressed as an Elf working my red-and-white striped stockings off at Santa’s Toyshop to make sure every parent finds the perfect gift for their precious little snowflake ...

It’s beginning to look a lot like arson this Christmas season… The Cat Café is buzzing with excitement this holiday season as they prepare for the Holiday Fur Ball & Silent Auction. As Tinsley and her crew put the finishing touches on the treats and decorations, she can’t help but daydream about the new animal shelter she hopes to build with the money from the auction. The excitement soon fizzles, however, when a fire breaks out at the café with the fur babies inside. Thankfully, they’re rescued by firefighters and all safe and sound. But everyone at the Cat Café is shocked when ...

Claire Murray has no idea why handsome, popular Dave Rickerson would want to ask her on a New Year's date. They've never even spoken before and suddenly he's pulling out all the stops to get her to go. Is there something he's not telling her or is this a fairy tale New Year's Eve about to come true? This sweet romantic short story is a companion to Adventures of a New Year's Kiss (a cozy mystery novella featuring Suzie Whitsett). Numerous Funeral Crashing characters appear in it. For more about the order of the books - The Funeral Crashing Mystery Series: #1 - Adventures in Funeral Crashing...

With Christmas just around the corner and the discovery of the Renaissance diamond still fresh in their minds, Robert, Annie, Anton, and Ellie discover that things around Darvil Manor have been mysteriously disappearing. After tracing the culprit to a traveling circus, which set up nearby Devil's Leap, the children investigate, but is there more to the story than initially appears? And what do the mischievous clowns, Hubble and Bubble, have to do with this mystery?

Whilst dining at the Bantrys, Miss Marple is asked to tell a murder mystery. She recounts the time she could tell from a man’s behaviour that he was planning to kill his wife. But at the time of the murder he had a perfect alibi.

Enjoy three stories of romance, mystery, and the magic of Christmas! THE OXFORD STREET COFFEE HOUSE DETECTIVES Two young women and one young man lead unobtrusive lives working at a Victorian coffee house, for the owner Mr. McDougal. But when a famous painting is stolen, they must assume their other identities--for they moonlight as apprentice detectives under the employ of Mycroft Holmes. THE ROOKS OF MISSELTHWAITE - PART 1: IN THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN Lilias Lennox and her sister Evelia have lost everything. Their parents are dead, their brother is serving in India, and now their sole ...

What is a girl who hates Christmas doing driving to the most holiday-themed town in the state? Snowflake Falls was located in the coldest, most northern part of the state. Even in the middle of summer, it was rarely warmer than 70 degrees. But when her elderly aunt calls asking for help to run her shop Jolly Goods, Autumn Winter knew she needed to go.

It was supposed to be a simple day of helping middle-aged Conrado Reyes after a knee replacement. Caela and Robin never suspected what was in store for them, or how Ann Essex, Bill Dancer, Tom Van Pelt, Che-Che Reyes, and the entire Central Bucks policing community would be working to save them. Follow Detective Ann Essex, her associates Bill Dancer and Tom Van Pelt, best friends Suzanne and Che-Che, and investigative daughter Robin and her ever present friend Caela, as they solve murders and piece together the mysteries they encounter.

Sixteen delightful holiday short stories by some of your favorite Soho crime authors! This captivating collection of short mysteries and crime capers - which features New York Times best-selling authors, Crime Writers Association Gold and Diamond Dagger winners, and Edgar Award nominees - contains laughs aplenty, the most hardboiled of holiday noir, and heartwarming reminders of the spirit of the season.

Addie Michaels anticipates a quiet Christmas with her friends. Her only worry is why Danny is suddenly so grumpy lately. But when a fifty year old case involving a missing boy lands on their desks, she's suddenly in a race against time to reunite a sister and brother before they miss their last chance to spend Christmas together. A Christmas novella with the Hidden gang.

Eve is home for the holidays and looking to spend some time with her family. She is from a little town in Michigan and it had been months since she has been home from school in the south. Her first day back, she makes it to a holiday party and finds herself flirting with the man dressed as Santa. She leaves still unsure who the mystery man is, but his eyes were so familiar. If only she could place him. While Eve might not know who the secret Santa is, Marcus knows exactly who she is. He has been friends with her father for many years. He had always had an attraction for the young woman and ...

It's a secret Santa whodunnit! "No doughnuts on Tuesdays!" "No Christmas trees allowed!" When their Grinchy landlord posts a stack of crazy proclamation flyers, it rattles an oddball assortment of residents in an apartment complex. But then on a quiet night in, festive gifts mysteriously appear on doorknobs and doormats-- and the game of Guess Who is afoot. The evening turns into a maze of clues as tenants tally gifts, prowl the halls, chase shadows and even run into a little romance before the surprising culprit is caught. And no, it's not the landlord! Ha-ha This holiday short story is ...

There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter.... It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved Detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers.