Download or read book Murder After Christmas written by Rupert Latimer and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[Murder After Christmas] supplies cheerfully calculating relatives, decorously brutal dialogue, and a fiendishly intricate set of Chinese boxes before the surprising reveal...no, they don't make them like this anymore."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "A war's on and a murder has been committed—and we sit here talking nonsense about almond whirls and mince pies!" Good old Uncle Willie—known for an insatiable sweet tooth and being an epic pain in the rear—has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. As luck would have it, he's found dead in the snow, in a Santa suit on Boxing Day. It seems as though someone may have poisoned his chocolate...or was it the mince pie? As the police flock to the house, Willie's descendants, past lovers and distant relatives are drawn into a perplexing investigation to find out how the old man met his fate, and who stands to gain by such an unseasonable crime. First published in 1944, Murder After Christmas is a lively riot of murder, holiday desserts, and misdirection, cleverly twisting the tropes of Golden Age detective fiction to create a pacey, light-hearted package admirably suited for the holiday season. Featuring an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger Award-winning author and series editor Martin Edwards.

Download or read book A Christmas Candy Killing written by Christina Romeril and published by Crooked Lane Books. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Their chocolates are to die for—but things aren’t so sweet when a real killer comes to town, in this debut mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs. Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead discovers Jane's body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby. The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two suspects: Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects—townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane. When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year—and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.

Download or read book A Christmas Carol Murder written by Heather Redmond and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this clever reimagining of Charles Dickens’s life, he and fiancée Kate Hogarth must solve the murder of an old miser, just before Christmas . . . London, December 1835: Charles and Kate are out with friends and family for a chilly night of caroling and good cheer. But their blood truly runs cold when their singing is interrupted by a body plummeting from an upper window of a house. They soon learn the dead man, his neck strangely wrapped in chains, is Jacob Harley, the business partner of the resident of the house, an unpleasant codger who owns a counting house, one Emmanuel Screws. Ever the journalist, Charles dedicates himself to discovering who's behind the diabolical defenestration. But before he can investigate further, Harley's corpse is stolen. Following that, Charles is visited in his quarters by what appears to be Harley's ghost—or is it merely Charles’s overwrought imagination? He continues to suspect Emmanuel, the same penurious penny pincher who denied his father a loan years ago, but Kate insists the old man is too weak to heave a body out a window. Their mutual affection and admiration can accommodate a difference of opinion, but matters are complicated by the unexpected arrival of an infant orphan. Charles must find the child a home while solving a murder, to ensure that the next one in chains is the guilty party . . . Praise for the Dickens of a Crime Mysteries! “Mystery fans and history buffs alike should cheer.” —KirkusSTARRED Review “Sharp, incisive, and delightfully twisty. I’m sure I won't be the only reader exclaiming, ‘What the Dickens?!’” —Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author. “As easy to read as one of Mr. Dickens’ actual novels and as entertaining.” —New York Journal of Books “Fans of Anne Perry will love this one.” —Dianne Freeman, award–winning author

Download or read book Murder for Christmas written by Thomas Godfrey and published by Mysterious Press. This book was released on 1988-12-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A holiday anthology for mystery fans highlights the works of such well-known favorites as Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, Stanely Ellin, and Ellery Queen. Reissue.

Download or read book White Christmas Bloody Christmas written by M. Bruce Jones and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Holiday in Death written by J. D. Robb and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1998-06-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lieutenant Eve Dallas tails a serial killer who has a passion for the "Twelve Days of Christmas" in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series. No one likes to be alone during the holidays. For New York's most posh dating service, Personally Yours, it is the season to bring lonely hearts together. But Lieutenant Eve Dallas, on the trail of a ritualistic serial killer who likes to dress up as Santa Claus, has made a disturbing discovery: all of the victims have been traced to Personally Yours. As the murders continue, Eve enters into an elite world of people searching for their one true love. A world where the power of love leads men and women into the ultimate act of betrayal...

Download or read book The 19th Christmas written by James Patterson and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2019-10-07 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this #1 New York Times bestseller, the Women's Murder Club gets ready for a quiet Christmas—until a mysterious killer decides to terrorize the city. As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women's Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner's office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco. Then a fearsome criminal known only as "Loman" seizes control of the headlines. Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the Women's Murder Club. Avoiding tragedy is the only holiday miracle they seek.

Download or read book The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries written by Otto Penzler and published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Edgar Award-winning editor collects sixty of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories—from Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy, to Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain. • “Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays." —The Washington Post This collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you’re in the mood for--suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural—can be found in these pages. FEATURING: - Unscrupulous Santas - Crimes of Christmases Past and Present - Festive felonies - Deadly puddings - Misdemeanors under the mistletoe - Christmas cases for classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, and Nero Wolfe.

Download or read book A No l Killing written by M. L. Longworth and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-11-12 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christmastime in the south of France is as beautiful as ever, but when a shady local businessman drops dead in the middle of the festivities, Verlaque and Bonnet must solve the case while keeping the holiday spirit alive. Provençal Mystery Series #8 Watch the series! Murder in Provence is now on Britbox. 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. The list of suspects, Verlaque and Bonnet quickly discover, almost fills the church itself, from the visiting vendors at the Christmas fair to the victim’s unhappy wife and his disgruntled business partner. In A Noël Killing, with the help of an ever-watchful young woman named France, the pair must solve the murder while the spirit of the season attempts to warm Verlaque’s stubborn heart. “Full of gourmet meals, silky wines, and sumptuous homes, these cozy mysteries transport you to the south of France . . . Perfect for the gourmands or Francophiles in your life.” —Slate

Download or read book Altered Egos written by Bill Kitson and published by Robert Hale. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DI Mike Nash investigates a suspicious house fire, the bizarre murder of a young drug addict and the disappearance of a scientist's daughter. When animal right activists lay siege to a laboratory that is later destroyed, Nash and his colleagues are almost overwhelmed by the upsurge in violence.

Download or read book I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus written by Jack Pachuta and published by . This book was released on 2014-04-07 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THIS EXCLUSIVE MURDER MYSTERY PARTY KIT WILL WORK FOR GROUPS OF SIX TO 50. You WON'T NEED to copy anything. Simply take apart this 8.5" X 11" book and you'll have what you need to orchestrate the mystery. Those who aren't suspects help investigate the case. Can you solve the case called "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus"? Here's the scenario: It's Christmas time again and the toy department at Lacy's is selling more merchandise than its chief competitor, Tidewater's Toys. The main reason for this explosion of sales is Elmer Ellsworth, Lacy's holiday Santa Claus. Before Elmer was hired for last year's Christmas season, Lacy's toy receipts were so bad that the store was ready to stop selling toys altogether. Now, business is booming because Elmer makes Santa come alive to young and old alike. In a daily holiday ritual, kids hug Santa and mothers give him kisses as photos are taken for Christmas albums. But, in the midst of parents and children lined up to tell the jolly old elf all about their wish lists, Elmer stands up, utters a faint "ho, ho, ho," and falls to the floor in front of his chair. He is dead. Someone has done in the department store Santa before he could grant everyone's wishes. The suspects . . . Yul Tidewater-The owner of Tidewater's Toys. Elmer used to work for Yul until they had an argument and Elmer took his talents to Lacy's. Tidewater's sales took an immediate dip. Mary Mostly-Christmas tree lot owner and the mother of five. Last year, Elmer promised that Santa would bring her brood everything it asked for. When the presents didn't materialize, Mary's Christmas turned chilly. Kip Ringle-the former Santa at Lacy's. When Kip was replaced by Elmer last year, Kip got a job as the Santa at Kimble's Department Store, directly across the street from Lacy's. Ginger Redman-Seamstress and costume maker. She supplies all of the stores in the city with Christmas costumes for Santa and the elves. Elmer asked for some unusual alterations to his Santa suit. Mick Flashburg-the photographer at Lacy's. During the Christmas season, he takes photos of children sitting with Santa and sells the photos to proud parents. Holly Hall-Elmer's high school sweetheart. He left her standing at the altar on Christmas eve many years ago. She's never forgotten how he destroyed the holiday season for her. ------------------------------------------------- This complete Murder Mystery Party Kit from Mysteries on the Net contains everything you need to host your own event at home or in a large facility. YOU WON'T NEED TO COPY ANYTHING for a party of up to 50 people. The kit includes: - Complete instructions on how to run your party, - Facilitator instructions, - 6 suspect roles and role player instructions, - 16 invitations to your party, - 12 copies of "The Metro Spotlight" newspaper, - 14 copies of a letter from the Police Chief, - 24 individual clues, - 8 copies of the answer sheets to be completed by your investigative teams, - And, of course, the solution to the case. You'll need to take apart the kit to prepare the material for your party, and everything will be right there at your fingertips. Your friends and colleagues will enjoy the challenge of solving a murder mystery that will be talked about for years to come.

Download or read book A Cajun Christmas Killing written by Ellen Byron and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols and pots of gumbo. Except this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she's identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he's found stabbed to death at Maggie's workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.

Download or read book The Murder Before Christmas written by Michele Pw (Pariza Wacek) and published by . This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you've got a problem, Charlie Kingsley probably has a tea that'll help make it right. EXCEPT when it comes to love. She does NOT do love potions. Not even for Courtney, her pregnant new client who showed up three weeks before Christmas seeking a love potion because her husband was cheating on her. So, Courtney asked about poison, instead. She said she was joking. That's what happens between wives and husbands. They get angry and talk about killing each other. They don't really mean it. It seems to make sense ... until Courtney's husband turns up dead on Christmas Eve. He was poisoned, of course. And who is the number one suspect? Courtney. Of course. But did she actually do it? Or is she being set up? It's up to Charlie to sort through all the twists and turns in a case that gets more complicated the deeper she digs. Meet Charlie. Better known as "Aunt Charlie" from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. Each book is a complete story and can be read as a standalone.

Download or read book Murder at Christmas written by Various and published by Profile Books. This book was released on 2019-11-07 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christmas is a season of overindulgence. For most of us, that means an extra mince pie, a second helping of turkey, or perhaps a third glass of mulled wine. But for some, the festive season is a time to settle old scores, dispatch new enemies and indulge ... in murder. Here, ten masters of the genre serve up mystery and mayhem aplenty. From a dowager's missing jewels to a festive dinner gone horribly wrong, these classic crime stories will delight, puzzle and satisfy long after the last strands of tinsel have been cleared away.

Download or read book The Christmas Killings written by Stephen C. Grismer and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Christmas Killings: 40 Hours to Justice is published on the 25th anniversary of, arguably, Dayton, Ohio’s most shocking murder spree. The crimes were so horrifying that they captured the attention of the national and international press. Known as “The Christmas Killings,” this series of events became a worldwide news story in the print media and early days of cable news. This true-life crime drama opens Christmas week 1992 in a Dayton, Ohio, a declining major industrial U.S. city. The first murder to come to the attention of the four-man Dayton police homicide squad occurs on the evening of December 24, 1992. The ensuing complex criminal acts, including multiple perpetrators, victims, and locations, span 40 consecutive hours until they are resolved only through the tenacity of the detectives and uniformed officers. The full narrative unfolds through the four-day holiday weekend and then presses onward into the weeks and months that follow. Although the story details the atrocities committed by a local gang of teens — the self-proclaimed “Downtown Posse” — who inflict acts of brutality on unsuspecting members of the local community, The Christmas Killings – is a unique portrayal. It is told from the perspective of four homicide investigators – Sgt. Larry Grossnickle and Detectives Wade Lawson, Tom Lawson, and Doyle Burke – both in the way the murders unfold for them in 1992 and in the way these distinguished officers recall the tragic events. Author Dennis Murphy, himself a former Dayton police homicide detective, wanted “The Christmas Killings” told from the point of view of the investigators – the protagonists. He believed there was no better way to recount these tragic events than to tap into the thoughts and feelings of the men who were called out to investigate the homicides over a holiday weekend when most citizens were otherwise engaged in joyous holiday festivities and oblivious to the danger lurking in their city streets. "--Provided by publisher.

Download or read book Twelve Slays of Christmas written by Jacqueline Frost and published by Crooked Lane Books. This book was released on 2017-10-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime—exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm. When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly’s father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn’t help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him.The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s jolly series debut.

Download or read book Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen written by Vicki Delany and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-11-03 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer in the first Year-Round Christmas mystery. As the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, Merry Wilkinson knows how to decorate homes for the holidays. That’s why she thinks her float in the semi-annual Santa Claus parade is a shoe-in for best in show. But when the tractor pulling Merry’s float is sabotaged, she has to face facts: there’s a Scrooge in Christmas Town. Merry isn’t ready to point fingers, especially with a journalist in town writing a puff piece about Rudolph’s Christmas spirit. But when she stumbles upon the reporter’s body on a late night dog walk—and police suspect he was poisoned by a gingerbread cookie crafted by her best friend, Vicky—Merry will have to put down the jingle bells and figure out who’s really been grinching about town, before Vicky ends up on Santa’s naughty list…