First, Lisa Unger bestows upon us Christmas Presents—an original novella from The Mysterious Press. A decade ago, in upstate New York, high schooler Madeline Martin—now an indie bookstore owner and caretaker to her father (the former Sheriff)—was the only survivor of serial killer (and teenage crush) Evan Hardy. She’s worked hard to put the past…
From cult classics like Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night to more recent offerings such as Krampus and It’s a Wonderful Knife, the holidays have long been a season for merriment, mischief … and murder. In that fiendish spirit, Brian McAuley—WGA screenwriter, college professor, and author of the nostalgic-yet-timely novel Curse of the Reaper—gifts…
Madeline Martin has worked hard to build a good life for herself in her small rural town. As owner of The Next Chapter Bookstore, she’s capitalized on social media to help keep her store turning a profit. Never mind if that means little time for a social life. She has her best friend Badger and,…
It’s the most wonderful crime(s) of the year! As the holidays come ‘round again, they bring with them an abundance of Christmassy capers, from lighthearted cozies to lingering chillers. Whether you prefer something naughty or something nice, here are a few titles to consider that celebrate family, friends, fur babies . . . and felonies.…
Meg Langslow has a merry mess on her hands, although it wouldn’t be Christmas in the fictional town of Caerphilly, Virginia if all was well. Meg’s brother Rob, the creator/owner of the software company Mutant Wizards, is “doing a rush project” for AcerGen, a Canadian firm that specializes in “forensic genealogy and DNA analysis.” There…
If you love word puzzles, then you are in for such a treat with Alexandra Benedict’s latest novel! On top of being a wonderfully constructed classic manor house mystery, The Christmas Murder Game is filled with challenges for the discerning reader, imbuing the book with loads of extra puzzling fun. I freely admit to spending…
April Claus is very excited to be able to bring her best friend from Oregon, Claire Emerson, up to Santaland to see what her new hometown has to offer in the lead up to Christmas, their most important holiday. Claire originally figured that April had just relocated to a town that really, really cares about…
I think we can all agree that it wouldn’t quite be Christmas without the carols, cocoa, cookies—and crime. Fortunately, Kensington continues to aid and abet our homicidal (reading) habits with a smorgasbord of seasonal stories that meld food, flirtation, and felonies. Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off By Darci Hannah In Darci Hannah’s Michigan-based Murder…
Chapter 1 “This is Terry Banner asking you to remember that you heard it here first.” The red light went off, telling Banner with certainty that he was no longer on the air. He took out his earpiece, removed his microphone, opened his shirt collar, and removed his tie. He hated ties; if the inventor…
Every holiday season, I get bombarded with messages from friends and fans telling me they’re dying to buy me a crime-fiction-related present but aren’t sure what to get such an accomplished author…
