Holiday Cozy

A holiday novella. The Shoemakers and Ferraros plan to spend Christmas in Texas with Larry and Jane Ann's brother and then take a camping trip through the Southwest. But those plans are stopped cold when they hit a rogue ice storm in Missouri and they end up snowbound in a campground. And that's just the beginning.

The best thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. At the same time, sometimes the worst thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. The stories in this collection touch on that and more as Mandy Nichols, Jeff Resnick, and Judi Straub struggle through what's supposed to be the joyous season. One family contemplates murder; another wants to end what they see as a bad relationship, while another can only see their loved one for what she can do for them. Sound familiar? Happy Holidays? puts the Christmas fun into dysfunction!

It’s the holidays, and Libby Marshall and the Mariposa Café have a new neighbor - gallery owner Steve Devereaux. But, as the Mariposa Beach shopkeepers begin decorating their stores for the holidays, there’s a lot more than crystal ornaments with mistletoe to focus on. Mr. Devereaux has a skeleton in his closet...literally. Could it be the remains of a teenage girl who disappeared from the town over 40 years ago? A former prosecutor, Libby finds herself in the middle of yet another murder investigation. And no worries, she’s still involved with super-hot detective Jack Seiler.

Librarian and solver of mysteries, Kit Sorel has a lot on her plate this December. The eccentric but cozy island of Greengage can do that to a person. All Kit wants is to settle into her first holiday season on this quaint English isle - torn away from her past home, family, and old friends - as she is.

Juliet is happy with her life. She is 38, has been divorced for a decade, has a fulfilling career, a good home, and two wonderful children. She learnt a few tough lessons from her marriage, a few tougher ones from her divorce. She has learnt to be independent, and she has made herself happy. But every Christmas, she goes back to Vermont, to her family, for the holidays. Juliet had a privileged childhood, but one without warmth. Her family approved of her marriage. It was a good match.

Skyler discovers her growing reputation as a detective can work against her when she gets strong armed into a murder investigation by a hotel manager wanting to salvage his hotel's reputation. Months have passed since Skyler's last case but another guest drops dead, this time at an enormous gala in New York celebrating an upstart high tech company.

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.

When Mayfair’s newly minted Chamber of Commerce goes off the rails, and decides to build an ice skating rink, a decades-old skeleton is uncovered. The secrets it reveals threaten more than the town’s Christmas plans. Feeling responsible since the let’s-attract-more-tourists idea was hers initially, service dog trainer Marcia Banks is determined to help her police detective boyfriend solve the mystery - whether he wants her help or not. Maybe she can wheedle more out of the townspeople than he can.

Party guests congratulate Charity Basham, owner of Sassy Supplies Crafts & More, on the scariness of her backyard skeleton decoration. Unfortunately, Charity didn't put out any skeleton decorations. With the discovery of a dead body, her Halloween party turns into a nightmare. With her fingerprints (and some white cat fur) are all over the murder weapon, Charity finds herself at the top of the suspect list. Can she clear her name before the dishy Detective Sota arrests her for murder?