Winter

The first fall of snow can be fatal… A year has passed since DI James Walker cracked his biggest case yet, and he’s hoping for peace and quiet this festive season. But across the fells, a local farmer returns home on Christmas Eve to find footsteps in the fresh snow that lead down to his unused basement – and no footsteps leading away. Days later, his body is found, alongside those of his wife and daughter. Without a neighbour for miles, there are no witnesses and little evidence. And the crime scene has strange echoes of another terrible murder committed at the farmhouse, twenty years earlier… James knows that to catch this killer, he needs to solve a case that has long since gone cold… Perfect for fans of smash-hit TV series Whitehouse Farm, Simon McCleave’s The Snowdonia Killings and Catherine Cooper’s The Chalet. Readers love The Killer in the Snow: ‘I loved this book! It is dark, gritty and thrilling … It is fast-paced and has you hooked from the first few pages. I devoured this book in two sittings.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Dang! Now this was one heck of a story! If you want suspense, thrills and chills, then this is your book!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A chilling page turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘WOW! This book had me hooked from the first page, I didn’t want to put it down and this was one of the twistiest and most complicated murder cases I’ve ever read about.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another fantastic book from Alex Pine!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book and enjoyed every minute of it. There were so many twists, turns and surprises on just about every page.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘DI James Walker is fast becoming a favourite of mine along with Alex Pine being one of my top authors.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb… DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey. But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow. As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next…. Can James stop the killer before they strike again? The first in a new series, Alex Pine has written a dark, atmospheric crime novel, set in a snowed-in Cumbrian village, for fans of Val McDermid, Ross Greenwood and LJ Ross.

Pre\-order the next gripping thriller from Alex Pine! This Winter, a brutal killer strikes again in a small village. DCI James Walker is on the case. But will he find the killer before they strike again? Praise for Alex ‘HELP! I am addicted to this series! Unputdownable’ NetGalley reviewer ‘Alex Pine has done it again! Another excellent crime thriller… I was hooked from the first page. Read it – you won’t be disappointed’ NetGalley reviewer ‘Absolutely gripping… I was on the edge of my seat’ NetGalley reviewer

Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe. My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real\-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self\-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong. So here I am, backstage at the show of world\-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection. THE MAGICIAN THE ASSISTANT THE EXECUTIVE THE HYPNOTIST THE IDENTICAL TWIN THE COUNSELLOR THE TECH My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas. If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it. After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?

Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. In their four years of dating, she never doubted that she wouldn’t end up with his grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger. Sure, she had to change a few things about herself to fit that mold, like dying her hair, dressing more conservatively, and finding golf enjoyable (honestly the most difficult of the changes), but she was sure that at the end of it all, it would be worth it. That is, until he leaves her crying outside her apartment wearing a Halloween costume, having broken it off with her because she’s just not serious enough. She was just fun, he tells her - and now that Richard has becoming a partner at his law firm in his sights, he needs to focus on work. So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss. Abbie starts dating the founding partner of Richard’s law firm, Damien Martinez, with one thing in mind: convincing him to invite her to the huge annual Christmas party as his date. But when the relationship starts to become something more than casual dating and Abbie sees that the tough New York lawyer has a soft side, will she be able to follow through with her plan of deceit? Tis the Season for Revenge is a contemporary, grumpy sunshine, age-gap, Christmas romance. It is a full-length romance with a Happily Ever After that features sexually explicit material and profanity. This book is intended for 18+

It's beginning to look a lot like... Murder. It's Christmastime, and farmer Lucy Resnick is living the life she's always dreamed of. When she's not selling her jams, soaps, and mistletoe bundles at the Buttercup Christmas Market, she's enjoying cozy evenings by the fire with her knitting group—or her handsome veterinarian boyfriend Tobias Brandt. But less than a week before Christmas, a pall falls over the festive atmosphere when local man Randy Stone turns up with a knife in his back... and a sprig of mistletoe in his hair. Local sheriff Rooster Kocurek, never the brightest bulb on the string, is convinced it's an open-and-shut case—murder by jealous wife—but Lucy suspects otherwise. She soon discovers that Randy's life was more tangled than last year's Christmas lights... and that unless she wraps up the case fast, there might be more than one funeral this holiday season.

It's Christmastime on Dewberry Farm, and homesteader Lucy Resnick is busy bundling mistletoe bunches and cedar swags for the Buttercup Christmas Market when a neighbor's houseguest keels over right next to her peach orchard. Was it a stray bullet from a hunter that took him out? Or did a guest at the fancy ranch next door decide to scratch somebody off his or her Christmas list? It's up to Lucy to unwrap the mystery… before the holiday killer strikes again.

The perfect Christmas gift for armchair detectives – Richard Osman meets Murdle. It is a time-honoured tradition that in the shadowy nights before Christmas, people gather together by the flicker of candlelight to play parlour games and, later, to share the dark and twisted tales of Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie and more. Now, there’s a new storyteller in town, bringing you twelve new festive tales – but this time, with a twist. At the end of each story, you will receive another clue – but can you solve the mystery in time for Christmas? These twelve puzzling whodunnits will test even the most seasoned of sleuths and serve as fascinating reading for the whole family.

'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Introduction and Afterword by Joe Wheeler To bitter, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas is just another day. But all that changes when the ghost of his long-dead business partner appears, warning Scrooge to change his ways before it's too late. Part of the Focus on the Family Great Stories collection, this abridged edition features an in-depth introduction and discussion questions by Joe Wheeler to provide greater understanding for today's reader. "A Christmas Carol" captures the heart of the holidays like no other novel.

From the author of the viral TikTok sensation, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes the only spicy grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom you need this year! Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good. Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates. After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing. Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it. But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questionning why she refused help in the first place.. The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls with a HEA guaranteed! Tropes: • grumpy x sunshine • small town • forced proximity • one bed

The gloriously festive sequel to readers' favourite and Sunday Times bestselling novel Happiness for Beginners SPEND THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR AT HOPE FARM . . . Christmas is fast approaching at the new Hope Farm. Owner Molly Baker has been convinced to organise an open day to raise some much-needed funds ahead of the New Year, but the nativity tableau is proving challenging. With anti-social sheep, awkward alpacas and a seriously sequined Santa Claus to assemble, Molly is feeling overwhelmed, and in desperate need of some Christmas spirit . . . Despite the chaos of the farm getting in the way of her event planning, Molly is looking forward to spending the holidays with Shelby and Lucas, hopeful that a happy family Christmas is exactly what they need to draw them all together. But while she is busy making plans on the farm, Shelby, it seems, has ideas of his own. As the nativity draws near, the team are working hard to pull off a spectacular festive fete - and make sure the animals and humans remain on their best behaviour. Will this Christmas be merry and bright, or is there more than one surprise in store for Hope Farm? A must-read festive tale from the queen of fun-filled and life-affirming fiction, Christmas for Beginners is the PERFECT winter treat!

It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect—you solve it. Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic. Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation. With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.

A heart-warming, feel-good festive romance about six estranged friends and lovers who find themselves reunited on a four-day train ride during the most magical time of year. Six passengers When six ex-friends are invited to a winter wedding in Canada, the last thing they want is a reunion. But bride-to-be Bryn is desperate, so much so that she's offering to pay for their travel. But there's a surprise in Bryn hasn't booked them flights, instead she's bought non-refundable tickets for the cross-Canada Christmas train. Four days Four days trapped together in a cozy train cabin, travelling through snow-topped mountains, frozen lakes and glistening Christmas trees, over the most magical time of the year. It's a trip like no other and Bryn hopes it will end their feud just in time for the wedding. One last chance at love… But tensions on board are fraught. Cali and Luke are each other's One Who Got Away, Joss and Joe are the ultimate sibling rivals, and Sara is stuck with the people who always left her out. Not to mention Ember, Bryn's ex, who wasn't even invited and is on her way to crash the wedding. Then a snowstorm hits and stops them—literally—in their tracks. Will they make it to the wedding? And will it be together? Set across a breathtaking winter wonderland and filled with cozy hot chocolates and a will-they-won't-they second-chance romance, this is the perfect festive treat for fans of Sarah Morgan. second-chance romance forced proximity will-they-won’t they holiday romance one who got away

It's not sleigh bells that are ringing this Christmas. 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. He is planning a deadly surprise for Christmas morning. And he has commissioned dozens of criminal colleagues to take actions that will mask his plans. All that Lindsay and the SFPD can figure out is that Loman's greed—for riches, for bloodshed, for attention—is limitless. 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.

A sparkling Christmas light display ends in a deadly shock when a body is discovered beneath the twinkling decorations. Can an injured community cop illuminate the truth before the celebratory lights blow a festive fuse? On medical leave, Sergeant Keya Varma channels her dedication and passion into creating mince pies and seasonal delights for her buzzing café. But her holiday cheer is challenged when a Christmas lights enthusiast is found dead amidst his dazzling display. With the police station in turmoil, this dedicated detective puts aside her medical leave to untangle the mysterious death. But when another tragedy strikes, the stakes rise like the star on a Christmas tree. Are these incidents merely accidents, or is there more beneath the tinsel? As her café bustles with joyful chatter and her feelings for the charming crime scene technician deepen, can Keya solve the case before the church bells ring on Christmas morning? Enjoy the warmth of the season as Keya Varma serves up delectable holiday treats at her Waterwheel Café while bringing peace to the picturesque Cotswolds. If you love clever sleuths, a vibrant cast of characters, and a sprinkle of romance, you'll be captivated by Victoria Tait’s enchanting Christmas mystery. Indulge in a festive whodunit and grab your copy of Hot Chocolate and A Festive Fatality today!

A small\-town Christmas novella by the New York Times bestselling author of LAKEFRONT BILLIONAIRES series that will make you want to pack your bags and spend the holiday in Lake Wisteria. Catalina Playing the part of my sister’s maid of honor is easy even if she’s marrying my ex. But playing nice with the best man? An impossible task given our history. Sure, Luke Darling may be suspiciously kind, incredibly handsome, and stubborn to a fault, but regardless of how hard he tries to make me see otherwise, I’m not interested. It’s on me to remind him that he’s my ex\-boyfriend’s best friend. And the one I’m secretly starting to wish I met first. Luke My job as the best man is a simple one, except for one minor issue. I’ve spent so much time avoiding my best friend’s ex that I didn’t consider what could happen if I started craving Catalina Martinez’s company instead. She is only in Lake Wisteria for the winter wedding, but her January departure date won’t stop me from pursuing her. Getting her to date me would be nothing short of a Christmas miracle, but I’m determined to make her mine. ‘Tis the season to fall in love…even if I’m the only one taking the risk. My December Darling is a 50,000 word, Christmas\-themed romance between a grumpy maid of honor and an outgoing best man who chases after what he wants.

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf She thought she was alone… True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace. As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

It started with a letter. It ended with a love story. Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger—a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life. Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye. Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again? A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page.

Twelve clues. Twelve keys. Twelve days of Christmas. But how many will die before Twelfth Night? The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for—deeds to the house itself—but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams. Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer. Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared. Including additional scavenger hunts for the reader, this clever murder mystery is the perfect gift for fans of classic mysteries, festive Christmas books, and armchair detective work.

‘Tis the season for gold, frankincense and murder… It’s winter in the small town of Dewstow, and Margery is preparing for her first Christmas as Summerview school’s kitchen manager. She’s supported by her wife, Clementine, and is trying to stay focused on the task at hand. The pair are determined to stay out of the way of the Christmas concert planning that has gripped the rest of the staff. However, they are caught in the crossfire when the stage lights collapse at the first practice, killing Mrs Large, the music teacher. Mrs Smith, the Head of Drama, is the prime suspect and is desperate for the Dinner Lady Detectives to clear her name. Mrs Smith is convinced that it’s sabotage by her rival, Mrs Blossom, the drama teacher at Ittonvale Secondary, but there’s evidence that points to her own misdeeds. Can Margery and Clementine trust their friend? And when things start to heat up in the kitchen, will they make it out in time?

Agatha Christie meets Gill Sims in this Christmas murder mystery with a world-weary heroine, for whom getting rid of an unexpected dead body is just another thing to add to the bloody to do list… And you thought burning the turkey was the worst that could happen…​ Christmas is all about lists. To do lists. Shopping lists. Lists to bloody Santa. And doesn’t Anna Johnson know it. Waking up on Christmas Eve after the annual Johnson party, she's hungover, exhausted and really sick and tired of Christmas already. All she wants is to tick the last things off her endless list and sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine. ​ But apparently that’s not going to happen any time soon because now her list looks like ​ 1\. Wrap the presents​ 2\. Peel the potatoes ​ 3\. Stuff the turkey​ 4\. Solve the murder of Santa A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she has time for right now, but with police officers who could double as the Chuckle Brothers and a husband and two kids intent on watching Christmas films, it looks like it’s up to her to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before her in-laws arrive. Happy bloody Christmas indeed.​ –––––––––- 'A brilliantly written, hilarious whodunnit. Smart and very, very funny. Don't read on public transport, you'll laugh so hard people will think you're a lunatic.' IAN MOORE ‘This book is so funny, I’m quite annoyed I didn’t write it!' GILL SIMS 'A compulsive Christmas cake binge of a read – terrific! So piercingly funny, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or wince. A murder mystery brew that beats egg-nog hands down!' J.M. HALL ‘I adored this festive and funny cracker full of glittering one-liners and wit. It’s the perfect Christmas present for that best friend who would definitely help you hide a body!' CHRISSIE MANBY 'Chock-full of proper jokes!' ABIGAIL BURDESS

Discover the gorgeous new festive read from Helen Rolfe, perfect for fans of Shari Low, Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley. Care assistant Sophie loves the holidays, and nothing makes her feel more festive than helping 82-year-old resident Bea keep in touch with her old friend Greta. In their Christmas letters, the women update each other on their lives – Bea’s in the quiet residential home in London, Greta’s in the heart of Vienna and the grand Wynter Hotel. But everything changes when Bea passes away before Sophie’s had a chance to post this year’s letter. Devastated, Sophie struggles to imagine this Christmas without her dear friend. But then Sophie finds one last note from Bea – and this time, it’s not addressed to Greta. It’s to Sophie, telling her to go to Austria. Which is how Sophie finds herself in Vienna at Christmas, with the snow falling, and an important delivery to make… But when Sophie reaches the Wynter Hotel, there are surprises in store, and before she returns to England, her life will have changed in ways she could never have imagined…

A feel-good, holiday-themed romantic comedy about identical twins who switch lives in the days leading up to Christmas—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze and Josie Silver's One Day in December. All they want for Christmas is a different life. When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over. With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

The Langfords are a perfectly happy family. Louisa and Kip, happily married for nearly forty years, have raised their children and are now just settling into a new phase of life where they’ll have more time for themselves. Everything seems perfect. But then, one Boxing Day after a lovely family Christmas, Kip tells Louisa that their marriage is over. It’s not something Louisa saw coming. And what he tells her next is even more he’s fallen in love with their son’s ex-girlfriend, Zoe, the woman who broke Angus’ heart. So just like that, Louisa’s marriage is over… and her new life can begin. A gorgeous, gossipy family drama of a couple navigating a divorce, a woman on a journey of self-discovery, and an older man getting his just deserts.

A sister looking for answers. A brother with secrets to hide... Three days before Christmas, I travel to Midwinter Manor in Norfolk through a worsening snowstorm to meet Daniel, the brother I never knew existed. He has reluctantly granted me an hour of his precious time. The welcome I receive is frosty. Daniel is cold, intimidating and unfriendly, while his wife, Rose, is polite, but tense. From the moment I step through the door of this imposing manor house, I sense I’m not welcome. When I go to leave, the snowy blizzard prevents me. Then there’s a power cut and I can’t let anyone know where I am. I realise I am trapped. Something feels wrong in this house. The way Daniel and Rose speak in whispers behind closed doors suggests something’s amiss. As cracks start to form in their stories, I wonder what it is they are hiding. Midwinter Manor is a house full of secrets, and some of them are dangerously deadly.

A new holiday enemies\-to\-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn. Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot. But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not. As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win. Over Cole's dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump's heart has grown three sizes this season and he's fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title. But the competition isn't the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee's fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they're attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…

PRAISE FOR HAPPY BLOODY 'An outrageously funny, festive romp which is as utterly wonderful as it is (Christmas) crackers!' MIKE GAYLEWhen Anna decides to take her family away for Christmas to avoid a repeat of the 'dead man in the larder' debacle, she finds herself plunged into another festive fiasco when a body turns up in the library of their supposedly 'idyllic' rural retreat. With a dubious double booking, an unexpected snowstorm, secret tunnels and the mysterious Mrs Haddock to contend with, can Anna and her unlikely allies save Christmas or will this holiday be their last?

Perfect for fans of The White Lotus, Knives Out and anyone who’s ever wanted to strangle someone over Christmas lunch.All Olivia wanted was one last miserable Christmas with her husband’s awful family before moving to Australia. She didn’t expect a murder. Or another. Or another. Now the snow has cut them off and she’s stuck in a crumbling country house, with ten increasingly deranged relatives and the rising suspicion that someone is picking them off one by one. As the bodies pile up and the festive façade starts to crack, Olivia must survive the season, clear her name and uncover the killer – Or, at the very least, get through lunch without anyone else choking on a sprout. Sharp, smart and deliciously twisted, this is Christmas with all the cold cuts, warm lies and at least one suspicious pudding.

New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family's Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village's grim history. Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma's aloof and handsome brother. But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she'd ever imagined? Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.

PRE-ORDER YOUR CHRISTMAS CRIME THRILLER FOR 2023 NOW! It's the most deadly time of the year... The festive season is in full swing - parties, mistletoe and Christmas crackers abound. In a hotel bar, a woman approaches you. Her party dress glitters with sequins. What you don't know is that your life is now in her hands - and now that you've met, there's only one thing that will determine whether you live or die. Are you a good person? Are you really? . . . A cracking Christmas crime thriller for the festive season - perfect for fans of C.L. Taylor, Mark Edwards and Alex Pine.

I am missing. Held captive by a blue-eyed stranger. To mark the twelve days of Christmas, he gives me a gift every day, each more horrible than the last. The twelfth day is getting closer. After that, there'll be no more Christmas cheer for me. No mince pies, no carols. No way out. But I have a secret. No-one has guessed it. Will you?

'A cracking read. The perfect Christmas gift for crime fans' C. L. Taylor, author of The Lie 'A quirky, cleverly plotted crime story' Sunday Mirror 'A festive cracker of a crime novel' Cass Green, author of In a Cottage in a Wood 'Dark and satisfying, it is a fine antidote to Christmas cheer' Daily Mail \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ It looks like a regular advent calendar. Until DC Becky Greene starts opening doors . . . and discovers a crime scene behind almost every one. The police hope it's a prank. Because if it isn't, a murderer has just surfaced - someone who's been killing for twenty years . But why now? And why has he sent it to this police station? As the country relaxes into festive cheer, Greene and DS Eddie Carmine must race against time to catch the killer. Because there are four doors left, and four murders will fill them . . . It's shaping up to be a deadly little Christmas. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\* Goodreads reviewers are raving about this gripping festive thriller! 'A deeply twisted, festive murder, thriller, mystery with a good psychological twist to it.' 'Christmas books are normally romances so I enjoyed The Deaths of December for the anti Christmas twist.' 'The perfect festive read for those who like to be curled up in front of the fire with the lights down low ready to be thrilled and chilled in equal measure'

All they want for Christmas is you . . .'This should be on every crime reader’s Christmas wish list’ CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of We Begin at the End \THIS WINTER'S MOST CHILLING KINDLE TOP 20 BESTSELLER\ \* In the picturesque village of Kibblesworth, DI Tom Stonem is dreaming of a quiet Christmas alone. But in the shadow of the Angel of the North, a body lies waiting. The dead man is posed with a child’s Christmas list in his pocket, and the first mysterious item – 1. No angel – is crossed off. When a second body is found – a woman, stabbed in the abdomen after her work Christmas do – Stonem is convinced there’s a grim connection between the crime scenes and the seemingly innocent list. 2. Red partee dress. Could this be a murderer’s twisted code? As a blizzard rages in the Tyne & Wear countryside, the body count is snowballing. Can Stonem stop the killer before they get everyone on their Christmas list? An anti-cosy Christmas crime novel for fans of The Killer in the Snow and One by One. \* ‘A brilliant premise and a very clever ending – I would dash through the snow to buy this!’ SUSI HOLLIDAY, bestselling author of The Hike ‘As twisty as the tangled ball of Christmas tree lights in your attic' CALLUM McSORLEY, award-winning author of Squeaky Clean ‘Completely fooled me … I am in awe of Chris Frost's plotting skills. Loved it' JO CALLAGHAN, author of In the Blink of an Eye ‘A fiendishly clever mystery guaranteed to give you the chills this Christmas!’ LESLEY KARA, bestselling author of The Rumour ‘Absolutely loved The Killer's Christmas List … Written with the precision of a scalpel yet emotionally layered’ LOUISE SWANSON, author of End of Story

Eighteen festive stories of murder and mystery in the grand tradition of Christmas crime fiction, from the masters of the genre. Including the New York Times bestselling [J.T. Ellison](https://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=J.T.%20Ellison "J.T. Ellison"), USA Today bestseller [Sam Carrington](https://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=Sam%20Carrington "Sam Carrington"), Sunday Times bestseller [C.L. Taylor](https://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=C.L.%20Taylor "C.L. Taylor"), and many more... The award-winning [Marie O’Regan](https://www.goodreads.com:443/search/search?q=Marie O’Regan "Marie O’Regan") and [Paul Kane](https://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=Paul%20Kane "Paul Kane") invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed and award-winning writers in tribute to classic, British period crime stories. From locked room mysteries on Christmas eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these thirteen original seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn. So, unwrap the presents, pour a mug of mulled wine and follow the bloodstained footprints through the freshly fallen snow as winter descends and darkness lurks in the shadows. Introduction | Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane How to Commit Murder in a Bookshop | C. L. Taylor Christmas Yet To Come | Helen Fields What She Left Me | Tina Baker The Red Angel | Russ Thomas O Murder Night | J. T. Ellison Christmas Lights | David Bell The Midnight Mass Murderer | Alexandra Benedict The Wrong Party | Claire McGowan Upon a Midnight Clear | Tom Mead Last Christmas | Fiona Cummins The Naughty List | Sam Carrington Indian Winter | Vaseem Khan Postmarked Murder | Susi Holliday Frostbite | Samantha Hayes A Deadly Gift | Angela Clarke Secret Santa | Liz Mistry Marley’s Ghost | Sarah Hilary Icarus | Belinda Bauer

What happens when there’s no room at the inn and you and your potentially demonic cat become roommates with your grumpy one\-night stand? Part\-time adult film actress/one\-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel. That was six months ago. Fast forward to a looming deadline, an uninspired Sunny has returned to the source of her inspiration in Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her fever dream of a movie pitch was based. Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife’s death, Isaac’s record label is done waiting for new music. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow\-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace? But after their best friends’ wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he’ll hardly see her or her unhinged cat. But when the two discover they’re both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse. And with these two opposites under one roof, there’s no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script…right?

Instead of presents this Christmas, a true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case… Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She’s the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It’s an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties. Harley Granger has a gift for seeing things that others miss. He wasn’t much of a novelist, but his work as a true crime author and podcaster has earned him fame and wealth—and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Still, visiting Little Valley to be closer to his dying father has caused him to look into a case that many people think is closed—and some want reopened. And he has a lot of questions about the night Stephanie Cramer was killed, Ainsley and Sam Wallace disappeared, and Madeline Martin was left for dead, bleeding out on a riverbank. Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young college dropout named Lolly. Five young women missing in the same area in a decade. Are they connected? Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was there some else there that night? Someone who is still satisfying his dark appetites? As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger return to a past they both hoped was dead—to find the missing Lolly and to answer questions that have haunted them both, discovering that the truth is more terrible and much closer to home than they think. Coupling a picturesque, cozy setting with a deeply unsettling suspenseful plot, Christmas Presents is a chilling seasonal novella that can be enjoyed all year long.

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a festive short romance about old flames and mistaken identities. After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood. To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting. Nola writes back to her new pen pal—who, unbeknownst to Nola, is none other than Caleb. When Caleb gets a response hand delivered by the mailman, he’s intrigued by the mystery sender. A friendly correspondence develops—and quickly turns flirtatious. Although Nola and Caleb claim they can’t stand each other, they can’t deny the simmering attraction that brought them together in the first place. Can these nameless pen pals write their own love story—or will they be too caught up with the ghosts of their Christmases past to find a future together?

Pre-order the next instalment in this cosy romantic series with a magical twist! Snow is falling and festive lights are twinkling in beautiful Rowan Vale, the Cotswold living history village, where tourists mingle unknowingly with the ghosts of Christmas past... When Clara first arrived in Rowan Vale to visit her new boyfriend, Jack, she had no idea her life was about to change forever. Now, fifteen years later, she’s struggling to cope with hormonal changes and three boisterous sons. After being a stay-at-home mum for years, Clara has an opportunity to start a new business and maybe find herself again. But when fate intervenes, all her hopes seem shattered, and as she and Jack struggle to cope with their new reality their relationship has never been more precarious. Meanwhile at Harling Hall, tensions are rising between resident ghosts, Agnes and Aubrey. With the village hosting a Dickensian-themed market for Christmas, Victorian gentleman Aubrey is desperate to visit, but Agnes is adamant they mustn’t – and he’s increasingly tired of her insistence they stay away from the village. Surely a little walk around the Christmas market wouldn’t hurt, would it? While Aubrey prepares to defy his 'wife', Clara’s secret is about to be revealed. When she first arrived in Rowan Vale, she wasn’t entirely honest with Jack, and as the years passed it seemed too late to come clean. But now she doesn’t have a choice… With both marriages already under strain, do they stand the ghost of a chance to survive? The Christmas spirit has its work cut out, this festive season... Fans of Heidi Swain, Lucy Jane Wood and the BBC series Ghosts will love this heart-warming, festive story. Praise for Sharon Booth's Ghosts of Rowan Vale 'Wonderfully warm and romantic - with a magical twist!' Jessica Redland 'Oh. My. Ghosts. This book was EVERYTHING! If you love found family, a bit of ghostly mischief, and a touch of romance, you NEED this in your life.' 5-star Reader Review 'An entertaining story with a fabulous cast of characters that I know you will fall in love with!' 5-star Reader Review 'A truly heartwarming read that offers a gentle escape into a world of love, family, and a touch of the extraordinary.' 5-star Reader Review 'This is a must read, best new 2025 romantic cosy mystery fantasy series, that will charm your heart and make you laugh and feel great! Loved it immensely and cannot rave enough about it' 5-star Reader Review

Holiday magic helps two oblivious neighbors discover just how close they are in bestselling author Rosie Danan’s cheerful short story about big comedy, small tragedies, and the gifts found in between. When stand-up comedian Piper has a panic attack outside the club, it’s not funny. But Scott, a handsome ER doctor from the crowd, gives her something to smile about as he calms her down. Turns out they’re neighbors—they just don’t know it yet. When Christmas Eve presents an opportunity for them to get even closer, Scott and Piper realize they share much more than just a wall. Rosie Danan’s All Wrapped Up in You is part of Home Sweet Holidays, a cookie-sweet collection of holiday romances sure to bring color to your cheeks. Read or listen to each story in a single heart-fluttering sitting. And to fully immerse yourself in the charm of the season, don’t miss a special message from each of our holiday heroes!

A spicy new holiday rom-com from small town romance author, Liberty Stowe. This Christmas brings a Grumpy X Sunshine with sugar and spice—but not everyone’s nice. From the author of Steady Now, comes The Holiday Mixtape, this year’s hottest Christmas romance between a misfit ad exec, a handsome small-town basketball coach—and the vintage cassette tape bringing them together. Everyone has a favorite Christmas song... Is it fate when it plays at just the right moment? When a failed pitch at her Chicago ad agency leads an idealistic dreamer to the perfect Christmas town, Erika with a K stumbles on a holiday mixtape at a flea market that guides her path straight to the town’s most eligible bachelor. But does he want to be eligible? And is Blitzen, Kentucky a Christmas town? Erika’s campaign for an old-fashioned Christmas hinges on help from the bachelor basketball coach slash Volunteer Fire Department's assistant chief in need of a new firetruck, and he’s not happy about it. “Do you realize how much time you just obligated me to? If Erika pulls this off, she’ll have done something unheard of. She landed here the first week of December and she’s going to save the town in one month? That’s not a Christmas miracle. It’s a fairytale.” Two strangers. One raise enough money for a firetruck through an Old Fashioned Blitzen Christmas festival... an endeavor that will join them at the hip throughout the holiday. “Get in my truck before I pick you up and put you in it.” “You’re being a dick.” “You’re being a brat. Get in the f\\\*ing truck.” “I will not.” It takes a lot to make Kourt fumble on the court, but this Christmas, the unexpected visit from Josephine Amherst’s great niece proves a lot more than he bargained for. The Holiday Mixtape is a bickering, bantering, fun-filled journey of self-discovery for both Erika and Kourt, with emotional depth and enough sexual tension to melt the snow. What if, and just because it’s Christmas, track three on the holiday mixtape sealed their fate before Erika even pressed play?

Eighteen passengers. Seven stops. One killer. In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. With the train stuck in snow in the middle of nowhere, a killer stalks its carriages, picking off passengers one by one. Those who sleep on the sleeper train may never wake again. Can former Met detective Roz Parker find the killer before they kill again? All aboard for . . . Murder on the Christmas Express

It’s been a busy year for Alice Carroll, with her Curiosity Shop opening for business, and not one but two murders shaking things up in her quaint Cotswold village. She’s looking forward to her first countryside Christmas, complete with traditional Christmas Fair and Santa Run. But her hopes for innocent festive fun are thwarted when one of the Santa Runners steals something from her mum's knitting stall. His festive outfit makes him hard to spot, until he's found fatally injured outside the village hall with the stolen item. Despite what the police say, Alice suspects there's more to his murder than meets the eye. She's determined to solve the mystery - including why, once more, a stranger thought something from her Curiosity Shop was worth killing for. With the help of her charming neighbour Robert Praed, can Alice find the killer before the bells ring out this Christmas?

The world’s greatest detective, Hercule Poirot – legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice – puts his little grey cells to work solving a baffling Christmas mystery. CAN HERCULE POIROT SOLVE A BAFFLING MURDER MYSTERY IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS? It’s 19 December 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. Catchpool’s mother, the irrepressible Cynthia, insists that Poirot stays in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can all be together for the festive period while Poirot solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why. Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else – someone utterly ruthless – also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot . . .

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she's not the only person looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry. Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all. There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.

When FBI Special Agent Winter Black enters a luxurious Montana cabin two days before Christmas, she’s excited because all the people she loves will be joining her soon. Her joy is dashed when an unexpected blizzard hits the area, leaving her stranded and without any means of communication. And she’s not alone. Instead of her friends and family arriving, a momma cat shows up at the cabin’s door, begging for help. Braving the snow, Winter finds more than just the feline’s litter. She finds a dead body. With nowhere to run and thrust into a game of psychological warfare by a killer she can’t see, Winter’s hope for a bright and shiny Christmas turns into a fight for her life. Winter’s Black Christmas, a special Winter Black Christmas Mystery by Mary Stone, is a reminder that both dreams and nightmares come from the same place...your mind. Scroll up to grab your copy today!

Pathologist Toni Day and her husband, Hal, are mystified when she starts receiving grisly Christmas cards depicting murders, each accompanied by a twisted verse from The Twelve Days of Christmas, and she and her partners are suddenly inundated with autopsies on the corresponding bodies. The victims are members of a jury that convicted Toni’s old boyfriend Robbie of kidnapping and sent him to prison. Robbie is now out on parole and is presumably systematically killing off the jury that put him there, but the true identity of the Jury Killer becomes unclear when another parolee, a pretty female police detective, and a newspaper reporter with an icepick get involved. To complicate matters further, Toni’s parents are visiting for Christmas. Toni teams up with her stepfather Nigel, a retired Scotland Yard chief inspector, to interpret clues and assist the police in a race against time to catch the killer or killers before they wipe out the entire jury and then come after Toni and Hal.