Christmas Holiday Cozy Mystery

The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes. Of course, there’s also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list?

1929, December: Snow is falling, and Miss Clara Vale is wrapped up against the cold as she braves the icy streets of Newcastle in her latest investigation. When a young actress from the touring pantomime of Cinderella arrives at her door, Clara isn't sure what to make of her request. Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in their production, has mysteriously vanished. Could Clara help track her down? But a few days into Clara's search, Sybil's body is pulled from an icy river, and Clara finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery.

The cast of Donna Andrews’ New York Times best-selling Meg Langslow mystery series is back for an unforgettable holiday story in The Twelve Jays of Christmas.

An astronomer, an astrologer, and a cult leader walk into a hotel… And the next thing you know, everyone is a murder suspect— even the hotel owner’s dog. Join Arizona rural hotel owner Eve as she tries to make sense of a New Year’s Eve cliffside stargazing campout gone wrong. The new year begins with the mysterious disappearance of not one, but two of Eve’s guests. When one is found in bizarre circumstances, it creates more questions than answers and fuels the flame of confusion. When the other missing guest is found dead, the uncertain cause of events requires the assistance of ...

Ava planned the perfect Coeur d’Alene Resort vacation only to have it interrupted by a boss who kept calling, a jewelry heist the police blamed on her, a detective who kept asking her questions, a long-lost sister who showed up out of the blue, and a sometimes-overbearing mother. Ava’s only hope is that everything works out before she has to go back home in the heartwarming Christmas mystery.

Mildred Kilgore and Earlynne Biddle are planning to open a bakery on the square - if they can come up with the right recipes. Charlie Dickens faces two of the biggest puzzles of his career as an investigative reporter, and one of them involves his wife. Cute little Cupcake's talent as a singer and dancer makes her a tempting target for an unscrupulous exploiter. Lizzy must enlist the Dahlias to protect her while she herself is confronted by a romantic puzzle. And Sheriff Norris is forced to reopen a puzzling mystery that the town thought was solved.

Christmas Eve, 1925. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to attend an exclusive ball at London’s glamorous Mayfair Hotel. When she steps out into the moonlit courtyard with her little pug Ruby wrapped in her furs, she is thrilled to see a dashing man propose to her best pal under the swirling snowflakes. But instead of squealing ‘yes’, Dotty lets out a terrified scream… Because floating in the fountain, with her long blonde hair rippling in the ice-cold water, is the body of their dear friend Lady Victoria Beaumont.

Who gave a baby away on Christmas Day? DNA tests seemed like perfect gifts for the elderly Perkins sisters. They can settle an old argument with bragging rights going to the winner—that’s the intent, anyway. But when the results arrive, everything changes, including the original question. One sister was born on Christmas Eve eighty-three years ago, but not to the Perkins family. So, who is she? The Nineteenth Gift is a heartwarming story of arguments, lies, and blackmail, and a special gift no one was expecting. This Eastern Shore Mysteries Short Holiday Read features Ellender York.

Lumi Northrop is a powerful guardian of the north - the North Star Reindeer Sanctuary, that is. When Rudolph vanishes the week before Christmas, Lumi is thrust from the peace and quiet of her family's farm, into the magical town of Holiday Haven to help find him. Lumi quickly discovers that Rudolph isn't the only local celebrity who's gone missing. Jack Frost is also MIA, just days before his coronation as the next Frost King.

It's Christmastime at Marlow House Bed and Breakfast, and Danielle has a full house. When a woman, stranded far from home, shows up on the doorstep and begs for a room for the night, how can Danielle tell her the inn is full and turn her away? After all, it's almost Christmas. The woman makes quite an impression on the other guests, especially when she mysteriously disappears. Is it foul play - or something supernatural?

Meg's husband has decided to escalate his one-man show of Dickens's A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production with a large cast including their sons Jamie and Josh as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge and Meg helping as stage manager. When a famous, although slightly over-the-hill, actor comes to town to play the starring role of Scrooge, no one expects that he's bringing a lot of baggage and enemies with him.

Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV's Bailey's Amish Sweets, Bailey King has a lot to be excited about. She's happily engaged to Aiden Brody, newly appointed county sheriff, and her candy factory is finally having its grand opening in Harvest, Ohio—just before Christmas! Bailey is ready to let the sweet celebrations begin. With the help of local community organizer Margot Rawlings, Harvest will have a Candy Land themed Christmas on the village square—featuring Bailey's recently perfected recipe for gingerbread men. When the big day comes, everything is going well—until bitter news arrives.

Inspector Tuffle here, Scotland Yard. Speaking with the retiree seated before me in her Florida home. I have knowledge of a Christmas situation from 1964. Been keeping an envelope in my coat pocket while interrogating Ms. Helen Spencer on her 1960s experiences. It’s time to explore what happened. What exactly was Ms Spencer doing leading up to the Beatles Christmas shows of 1964? Who was the masked man? And why has she offered no information on it? All of London was scared, however she remains tight-lipped. A few things are certain: she was there, she worked with the Beatles… and no one...

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate. This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.

Up in the Air Hope Falls is hosting its first Kite Festival to raise funds for the animal shelter. The festival will bring in funds, tourists and a pair of feuding kite makers, one of whom ends up dead. A little investigation proves that the late Gerhardt Brandt was not a good man and had an impressive list of enemies. Can Chloe find the killer before everyone packs up their kites and heads home? Cooked Books What do prom night, German Chocolate Cake, and organized crime have in common? They're all elements in Chloe Boston's latest case. The FBI needs a baker to keep a mob accountant's ...

It’s Christmas Eve, and Poppy isn’t feeling much of the Christmas spirit. Her mind churning with doubt regarding her recent engagement to Marty, Poppy’s thoughts are a turbulent sea of anxiety and regret. When a stranger walks into Poppy’s shop, introducing herself as Noelle, she tells Poppy she’s looking for a potion called Holiday Cheer. Poppy is surprised because she’s never even heard of it. Almost as soon as Noelle walks into the shop, she disappears again, leaving only the recipe for the potion and a festive candy cane. After brewing the mystery potion, Poppy finds herself...

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.

They wanted a peaceful vacation in a wintry location. But when Santa meets an untimely end, can these intrepid investigators save the season? Chloe Carson is excited for her long-awaited family reunion. But as they gather in a snow-clad village to plan their aging mother’s dream of opening a restaurant, the old lady’s habit of spreading garden gnomes around town leads to a panicked pilgrimage. And the mayhem continues when their visit to the nutcracker museum reveals Kris Kringle has come to an unmerry demise. With a ton of questions and no answers, Chloe and her cunning cocker spaniel ...

For Lucy Stone, the best thing about Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, has always been the annual Cookie Exchange. But the usual generosity and goodwill are missing from this year’s event, which turns out to be a complete disaster. Petty rivalries and feuds that have long been simmering finally come to a boil, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many guests, including Lee Cummings - who accuses Tucker Whitney of stealing her recipe for low-fat, sugar-free cookies. But the icing on the cake is when Tucker is found strangled in her apartment the following morning.

Ever since Thanksgiving, when an engagement ring in a velvet box—and no gift tag—was left behind, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery. But at least this mystery isn't the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex's restaurant—and he's frozen, not fresh. For once, it's not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can't escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn't labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her.