Christmas Thriller

Christmas in Ashton Falls is always a magical time of year. The first big snow has arrived, the tree in the town square has been decorated, and the window displays completed. Zoe finds herself knee-deep in holiday shopping and children’s wishes, as she and Zak play host to nine-year-old Scooter Sherwood, and his friend, Alex. Things couldn’t be more perfect - until Zoe finds the body of history teacher Holly Jolly in the Ashton Falls High School Christmas Tree lot, run by best friend Levi Denton, and is pulled into a dangerous holiday investigation.

An abused widow, a dead doctor and a suspicious stranger. Not exactly the stuff of a merry little Christmas; but a parish minister can't really escape the holidays, or can she? Olympia Brown is the interim minister in the exclusive town of Loring by the Sea where a prominent doctor is about to be murdered. Shortly before Christmas, two very different people come to the church seeking refuge. One is the about-to-be widow and her twin daughters. The other, an undocumented man, living in the shadows of polite society. Both need help and sanctuary. Both will become suspects in the murder. Olympia battles history, tradition and the rule of law as she tries to season justice with mercy, seek truth and convince the church elders open their hearts and their doors as easily as they do their wallets.

Kyle Colbert just wants to go home for Christmas. So, why does everyone suddenly want to kill him? Kyle savors his train commute from a hectic Manhattan job to his idyllic, small town. But as he arrives on Christmas Eve, his family tries to kill him. His neighbors and the entire community suddenly want him dead. He can’t flee to the authorities because even the FBI is in a deadly pursuit.

It’s Christmas, and James and Beth are preparing for Harrington’s festive dinner and dance. This year, famous diva Olivia Dupre is singing; a wedding is taking place, and they’re hosting a reunion of PALs - ex-army comrades from the Great War. When Olivia falls ill and claims she’s been poisoned, James puts his sleuthing hat on. But things take a sinister turn when a further attack takes place.

In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy's Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily's turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin. When Merrily goes missing, and her boss discovers he's been robbed, fingers point to Merrily - until she's found dead.

Edna Davies is frantic. Concern for an invalid husband has put her behind and now, with less than a week before Christmas and with family gathering for the first time in years, she hasn't even put up a tree. As a winter storm descends on the town, the owner of a local cat shelter is found dead and Mary Osbourne disappears. Trying to juggle holiday plans with the search for her neighbor, Edna meets a killer and may miss Christmas.

Ed Belmont works in a struggling Midwest mall. It isn’t the ideal place for a job, but he’s doing the best he can. Every day is an uphill battle since Ed dislikes children, holiday decorations, and Christmas music. But what’s a guy to do when he’s Santa Claus? There’s a criminal lurking around town, and he’s dressed as jolly old Saint Nick.

In 1968, a couple of KGB agents in Germany wanted to defect. Too bad for them that the CIA and the US Army wanted no part of this action. A group of US soldiers decided to facilitate these defections without any official coordination. What could possibly go wrong? More things than you can probably imagine.

As Mallory begins to plan a gala for an influential family, one of their employees is poisoned, and it's up to Mallory to solve the crime before time runs out.

Sam Shovel only comes to life for twelve days a year at Christmastime, and this year, he's in time to solve a murder mystery at the North Pole. O. Tannenbaum—the world's largest supplier of Christmas trees—has been murdered, and although Nick and Nora Claus are too busy to solve the mystery, Sam has enough time on his branchy hands to take a stab at it.

In Amish Christmas Mystery, Ettie must unwrap the truth before her daughter gets a one-way ticket to the slammer. This Yuletide, the stakes are high, the snow is deep, and the mystery is as thick as a fruitcake. Warm up to this intriguing cozy mystery that will keep you guessing 'til the last carol is sung!

With Christmas just around the corner, Maddie Mills is happier than she’s been in years. She's enjoying living in her hometown with her two lovable Westies. With her best childhood friend and sister in her life again, and the reopening of her parents’ bakery with her niece, she is excited to see what the future holds. When she is invited to the local Christmas cookie exchange, she puts on her baking hat so she can show off her delicious cookies and meet some of the locals.

Things are finally getting back to normal for the residents of the posh neighborhood where she works after the death of their Homeowner's Associate President. But when Shelby enters Mr. Newmar's garden to hang up some outdoor fairy lights, she finds another body.

A drive-by murder signals the end of a relaxed Christmas. Donna refuses to accept that organized crime is moving into town, but to do so, she must find the murderer. In the meantime, she needs to host a Victorian tea, pin down a certain detective's romantic intentions, keep a boozy Santa sober, deal with a cursed clown doll, and hide a hunky underwear model. It's just another holiday at The Painted Lady Inn.

It’s been a long school year down in sunny Somerset, Florida, and it’s only halfway over. Logan, a teacher, and his freshman son Ulysses are really looking forward to their long Christmas break together, especially after both Adairs nearly died solving the one percent murders earlier in the school year. They are both in need of a nice, relaxing family Christmas break. So they go back to their New England roots, up in Maine. It will be a classic Maine Christmas at Logan’s parents’ new Victorian bed and breakfast on a small island on the Kennebec River.

Madison Reynolds can't wait for Christmas this year. Rebuilding her life as a single mom hasn't been easy, but after a challenging 12 months, she's excited about the holidays. She and her twins have settled quite nicely here in The Sisters, renovations on the house are complete, her business is slowly growing, and, best of all, Chief of Police Brash deCordova is in her life.

Christmas, the happiest time of year. Plum puddings, candy canes, carols by the fireside. But outside, the mist lies deep and still. Frost gnaws at your fingertips. Shadowy forms lurk in the evergreens. It’s the season for ghost stories.

Everybody's looking forward to Christmas, but not Celia.Why? Because she's been making promises all year that she can't seem to keep. Promises to take her young children on a luxurious holiday. Promises to her clients to make them look like a million bucks over the holiday season. She's in for a shock when a client dies at one of the corporate functions she's a part of. The incident seems coincidental, until someone else dies. It seems Celia is the common denominator at both scenes. Celia's blood pressure goes through the roof when she's identified as a person of interest.

The small Christmas obsessed town of Kissing Bridge is thrown into a holiday mystery when the famous Landers ladies' blue ribbon winning cookie recipe is stolen. All of the Christmas Eve Silver Bells cookie contestants are possible suspects. If that isn't worrisome enough, they also have the curse to contend with. Meanwhile, their neighbor has gone Hollywood crazy and is accosting innocent men all over the town with her wanton, unwanted kisses under the mistletoe. It seems as if all may be lost, but miracles and magic occur in Kissing Bridge all the time, so anything can happen....

Kris Kringle had a hell of a Christmas last year. This year isn't shaping up to be any better. The Workshop might have provided the enemy with a piece of jewelry she now wears around her neck. What is the purpose?