Mistletoe Mystery

Have yourself a mysterious little Christmas with fifteen whodunits from New York Times–bestselling authors Sharyn McCrumb, Mary Higgins Clark, and more! Peace on Earth isn’t everyone’s cup of tea in Charlotte MacLeod’s “A Cozy for Christmas.” Peter Lovesey’s “The Haunted Crescent” delivers a holiday ghost story with a twist. A training session for department-store Santas turns up Saint Nicks who are anything but angels in Isaac Asimov’s “Ho, Ho, Ho.” Marcia Muller’s “Silent Night” finds a tough private investigator searching San Francisco’s Tenderloin district—and discovering something unexpected. A long-married couple’s ship finally comes in—only to spring a mysterious leak—in Mary Higgins Clark’s “That’s the Ticket.” Scottish superstition catches up with a cat burglar in Sharyn McCrumb’s “A Wee Doch and Doris.” These and many more stories will keep you turning pages and gathering evidence of yuletide mayhem. So when holiday shopping brings out your inner Grinch, hunker down with a hot toddy—and leave the murder to the experts. This festive collection includes stories by Charlotte MacLeod, Peter Lovesey, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Eric Wright, John Lutz, Howard Engel, Mary Higgins Clark, Bill Pronzini, Sharyn McCrumb, Henry Slesar, Edward D. Hoch, Aaron Elkins, Susan Dunlap, Isaac Asimov, and Marcia Muller.

Introducing a sleuth that“mothers everywhere will identify with”—first in the long-running series from the New York Times bestselling author(Publishers Weekly). As if baking holiday cookies, knitting a sweater for her husband’s gift, and making her daughter’s angel costume for the church pageant weren’t enough things for Lucy Stone’s busy Christmas schedule, she’s also working nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. But when she discovers Sam Miller, its very wealthy founder, dead in his car from an apparent suicide, the sleuth in her knows something just doesn’t smell right. Taking time out from her hectic holiday life to find out what really happened, Lucy’s investigation leads to a backlog of secrets as long as Santa’s Christmas Eve route. She is convinced that someone murdered Sam Miller. But who and why? With each harrowing twist she uncovers in this bizarre case, another shocking revelation is exposed. Now, as Christmas draws near and Lucy gets dangerously closer to the truth, she’s about to receive a present from Santa she didn’t ask for—a killer who won’t be satisfied until everyone on his shopping list is dead, including Lucy herself . . . Praise for the Lucy Stone Mystery series “A solid mystery.”—San Francisco Chronicle “A surprising and intelligently constructed plot.”—Cape Cod Times “Lucy Stone is an endearing sleuth.”—Dorothy Cannell “Leslie Meier has created a town I’d like to live in and a sleuth I’d love to meet.”—Jill Churchill

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE DOESN'T PROVE THE IDENTITY OF CRAFTY THIEVES! Nancy's friend Bess has been hired by Special Effects, a River Heights company, to decorate Albemarle's department store for the holidays. When Bess discovers that her friend Ali Marie is now working at the store, she's thrilled -- the two of them can have lunch and try on clothes for fun! But when some dresses are swiped, Ali is accused of stealing, and the party's over. Sure of her friend's innocence, Bess calls in Nancy to help find the real thief. With all the suspects and misleading clues, Nancy and her friends are running in circles -- and the holiday shopping rush isn't helping! Can they figure out the identity of a clothes-hungry kleptomaniac before the holiday season turns sour?

'A sparkling and witty crime debut with a female protagonist to challenge Miss Marple' LIN ANDERSON, Award winning Scottish crime author A twisty seasonal crime mystery novel perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, LJ Ross, Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders! _______________ Euphemia is writing for her daughter! It's Christmas tide and Euphemia is again working for Bertram at his ill-fated estate in the Fens, White Orchards. Bertram's sudden desire for a big Christmas house party creates a huge task for Euphemia and one in which her normally excellent staff are reluctant to take part. As she struggles with her responsibilities Euphemia learns that White Orchards is built on the site of Hadwell House, a manor that suffered a terrible fate one Christmas Eve. As Christmas draws closer, people start behaving strangely, Euphemia is having nightmares and there is a palpable sense in the air that something is very wrong. Forming an unlikely alliance with Bertram's step-sister Richenda, Euphemia tries to prevent disaster befalling the entire household and faces her most terrifying mystery as she sets herself against seeming supernatural forces. _______________ Readers LOVE Caroline Dunford's compelling crime novels! 'One of the best book series I have ever read. The author's style of writing keeps your interest from cover to cover' ***** Reader review 'This is a short, fun Christmas mystery... I am excited to read more' ***** Reader review 'Yet another good story from Caroline Dunford' ***** Reader review 'Very good delivery and interesting' ***** Reader review

As a group of apparently unconnected guests arrive for a Christmas party and a corpse is discovered in the snow, it's down to Lord Edgington to solve "The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall" and outwit the killer before his goose is cooked.

A holiday love story about two people who must learn to write their lives -- and their books -- with passion and vulnerability. Back cover.

“As entertaining as ever.” —The Horn Book Hazel and Daisy trade mistletoe for a murder investigation and set out to save the day (Christmas Day that is!) in this fabulously festive fifth novel of the Wells & Wong Mystery series. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the Christmas holidays in snowy Cambridge. Hazel is looking forward to a calm vacation among the beautiful spires, cozy libraries, and inviting tea-rooms. But there is danger lurking in the dark stairwells of ancient Maudlin College and two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident—until the Detective Society looks a little closer, and realizes a murder has taken place. Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage if they’re going to find the killer before Christmas dinner.

After her friend and co-worker, Ali Marie, is wrongly accused of stealing dresses from Albemarle's department store, which they are working to decorate for the holidays, Bess asks Nancy to help find the real thief.