Holiday Crime

Antoine Verlaque, examining magistrate for the beautiful town of Aix-en-Provence, doesn't like Christmas. The decorations appear in the shops far too early, festive tourists swarm the streets, and his beloved Cours Mirabeau is lined with chalets selling what he regards as tacky trinkets. But his wife and partner Marine Bonnet is determined to make this a Christmas they can both enjoy, beginning with the carol sing at the Cathedral Saint Sauveur, a beautiful service in a packed church. Just as the holiday cheer is in full swing, a man is poisoned, sending the community into a tailspin.

Irish Milkshake Murder: In advance of their St. Patrick's Day wedding, Tara and Danny are off to the Aran Islands. The weekend kicks off with the ferry trip, as the passengers enjoy boozy milkshakes on board. Murder Most Irish: As St. Patrick's Day is drawing near, the folks at Hyler's Luncheonette are getting into the holiday spirit with a festive new green milkshake. Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun: To celebrate Spring in Santaland, April Claus's friend, Claire, whips up some minty milkshakes for her bustling ice cream shop, Santaland Scoop.

It’s Christmastime in Brighton, and the city is abuzz about magician Max Mephisto’s star turn in Aladdin. But the holiday cheer is lost on DI Edgar Stephens. He’s investigating the murder of two children, Annie and Mark, who were found in the woods alongside a trail of candy—a horrifying scene eerily reminiscent of “Hansel and Gretel.” Edgar has plenty of leads. Annie, a dark child, wrote gruesome plays based on the Grimms’ fairy tales. Does the key to the case lie in her final script? Or does the macabre staging of the bodies point to the theater and the capricious cast of Aladdin?

Are you a devoted follower of true crime? Are you familiar with the intricate details of notorious crimes and criminals? Have you grown weary of hearing the same familiar stories? Do you seek out chilling and unusual facts that are not part of everyday life? Then you’ll want to dive into Beyond Wicked True Crime Stories: Heinous Holidays! In a season often filled with joy and celebration, a darker truth lurks beneath the surface.

Throughout the years, the ladies of the Sisterhood have delivered their own style of vigilante justice to those who most deserve it. But this Christmas, instead of finding and punishing bad guys, all Maggie Spitzer wants is to bring a little more joy to the world - and especially to a beloved teacher from her past. And as the Sisters unite to find her, they learn that no holiday treat is as fulfilling as giving to others....

When Lena helps her teenage daughter gather sounds for her media studies project, she doesn't expect her boom-microphone to pick up a conversation between her neighbours, the Morgans. And she’s certain they are planning a crime. Her family and friends tell her that she must have misheard. After all, the Morgans are a well-respected, upstanding couple in their early sixties. They’ve never been in trouble with the law. Yet Lena can’t stop thinking about it. Because what if she hasn’t misheard? What if she can prevent something awful happening?

Venice — the city of canals, masks … and murder? Tour guide Lana Hansen is having the time of her life leading a Carnevale-themed trip in Venice, Italy. Her merry group loves exploring the city’s rich artistic and cultural heritage together, as well as sampling the sumptuous cuisine the island city is famous for. Their invitation to a masquerade ball, complete with historical costumes and fancy masks, should be the culmination of a perfect week. Yet when the guest of honor is bludgeoned to death, all eyes are on the partygoers—including Lana and her group! Was it an environmental ...

When the townspeople of Harrogate almost riot over the Christmas décor thievery committed by the chair of the Elf on the Shelf Committee, I know I’m not going to survive the holiday season unless drastic action is taken. Biddy Jefferson turning up dead in my Christmas market stall is not exactly the type of drastic measure I had in mind. With no alibi and a town obsessed with pinning the murder on me, I have to clear my name. This is on top of planning the upcoming holiday ball, dealing with quirky stall owners in the Christmas market, and corralling confused tourists.

Rome—the city of churches, marble, … and murder? For one American tourist, a famous fountain will become her final resting place. Wedding bells are ringing, and Lana Hansen could not be happier! Wanderlust Tours guide Randy Wright and his Italian girlfriend are tying the knot in Tuscany, right after he and Lana finish leading a Christmas-themed tour around Rome. Unfortunately for Randy, his ex-girlfriend is still convinced they are meant to be together. When she shows up at his hotel, they have a nasty fight, and Randy threatens to harm her if she doesn’t leave him be. After her body ...

It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe, eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty, is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit. Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick’s calling card.

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.

On his way home to San Diego, PI Patrick Kincaid takes a detour through San Francisco to check on the wellbeing of a family friend who's mysteriously been unreachable. What he doesn't expect is to be shot at before he can find out why attorney Elle Santana won't ask the police for help in finding a missing girl. Soon, he's on the run from both good guys and bad as he and Elle race to find the witness and take down a sweatshop run by a corrupt businessman with a penchant for violence.

Carrie's best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone. Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available. When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place. Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond

Right before Christmas, Fair Haven is celebrating its annual Ice Fishing Jubilee. When a bad-mannered lawyer is found frozen to death inside his fishing shack, the police soon discover he was really shot. The prime suspect is local ice-fishing legend Jim Campbell, but Maggie thinks he is innocent. The culprit could be the long-suffering wife or the mistress, and soon, Maggie is off doing her own investigating, dragging Joshua along for the ride. As her boss, Joshua couldn’t possibly be romantically interested in her. So why did he hold her so close at the town dance?

It’s bitterly cold in Sunny Cove after the holidays, but nothing could be as icy as the chill that runs down your spine when you hear that your neighbor has come to a grizzly end! Sammy is looking forward to hosting a New Year’s Eve party. She’s spending her free time practicing new dishes for the occasion and researching everyone’s favorite traditions. But when the pipes freeze in her apartment, Sammy’s plans must change quickly. She finds a temporary place to stay with the help of her friends, but a nearby murder puts Sammy on the case once again.

CHRISTMAS MIRACLES ABOUND Lily, LauraLea and the rest of the Artzy Chicks crew are busy preparing for another merry white Christmas at the Massanutten Mountain resort. Their art gallery has taught dozens of glitter classes and served gallons of Mulled Wine to their patrons. Their friend and local medical examiner, Dr. Kenzie Zimbro stops by to shop. Lily and LauraLea invite her to join them for a celebration but she turns them down, and informs them she will be working through the holiday season. The ladies detect a sadness in Kenzie they hadn't noticed before. A few days later, during a ...

This is the 2nd book in the 10-volume TY WARD ACTION/ADVENTURE SERIES. A visiting football team trashes the Abilene, Texas nightclub where Ty works as a bouncer, which results in Ty being laid off for a month while repairs are made to the club. Ty seizes this opportunity to take a vacation and see parts of the western USA. You'll be amazed at how awful a trip can be once you read about the incredible ordeals which arise in TY WARD'S HOLIDAY FROM HELL. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donald W. Desaulniers is a retired Canadian real estate lawyer from Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Always a tall skinny runt ...

Pru Parke takes on the most serious challenge of her life: cooking an entire Christmas feast alone. But she is distracted by a mysterious plant vendor at a local holiday market, who appears and disappears into the night. He seems familiar, and yet... Join Pru and Christopher as they suss out this stranger while Pru contends with cooking a turkey fit for a crowd. Just how many potatoes and sprouts can two people eat?

They’ve turned in their badges. But when their Scottish adventure is dampened by a blackmailer, will they step up and save the day? Joan and Alen Arny can’t wait to trade everyday life for the exotic. And after retiring from their work in the sheriff’s office, they happily fly from their Texas home to the land of kilts and bagpipes. But before they can explore the city, their newest neighbor begs them to quash the scandalous secret that has his tartan in a twist. Without access to any of their usual resources, the Arnys have to wrack their minds for ways to squeeze villain-hunting ...

Christmas at a fairytale German castle turns into a nightmare for Agatha and Eustace… Agatha and Eustace along with their Basset hound, Talleyrand, agree to spend Christmas with their friend Ernst Marlow at the castle of his friend in the middle of Germany’s Teutoburg Forest. They expect a holiday filled with snow-covered landscapes, roaring fires, and festive cheer. But as they arrive at the ancient fortress, they are met with a chilling atmosphere that feels more like a scene from a Grimm’s fairytale than a cozy winter retreat. The castle, steeped in legends of dark forests and ...