Holiday Mystery

Since Father Tibor Kasparian escaped the Soviet Union, he has done his best to keep his philosophy to himself - not out of fear, but because he knows that few people could stomach an honest account of life under Stalinism. When he gets an invitation to spend a semester teaching philosophy at Independence College, Kasparian hesitates, but his friend Gregor Demarkian, a former FBI investigator, convinces him to accept. They will both wish he had decided to stay away.

Stephen Fox may be a moron, but he may also be America's next president. The dimwitted legislator is just smart enough to know when to smile for the camera. But two women stand in the way of his campaign: his mistress and his wife, who has never recovered from the death of their daughter, a pain she manages by devoting herself to fundraising for children with Down syndrome.

It’s the week before Christmas, and Abby and Lacy are on a mission—find the one toy Lacy’s youngest wants more than anything. But when Toyland’s long-awaited shipment arrives without the elusive gift, the pair jump into a high-stakes holiday scavenger hunt where the coveted toy is part of the prize package. What begins as merry fun quickly turns chaotic as half the parents in town seem to be chasing the same hard-to-find treasure… and some will do anything to win.

This Christmas, the stalker is far too close. Photographer Ivy Frost lives for capturing the perfect portrait—until her Secret Santa starts obsessively capturing her. It begins with a letter, then escalates to emails, texts, and more. She’s lonely but these unsettling messages prove she’s never truly alone. The stalker, fixated on the perfect life they never had, knows intimate details about Ivy’s past and stays uncomfortably close to her present. As the messages grow darker, Ivy’s paranoia spirals.

The Red Hat Society has officially sanctioned a trio of novels about love, relationships, and happiness over the age of 50. Cafe owners Mia McAfee and Leanne Chilton try to help a runaway teenager, but when Sheriff Cade Sloane shows an interest in the widowed Mia, will she trust him with the...

For all its merriment, Christmas can also bring melancholy-and in Magic Springs, Idaho, Mia finds that the season has brought her an unhappy ghost who's pulling poltergeist-style pranks to get her attention. When she demands an explanation, the ghost just sends a message: Ask Mary Alice-that is, Mia's beloved Grans, who's been training her to develop her witchy talents. If anyone can figure this out, it's Grans . . . even if she still hasn't managed to free Mia's cat from a previous spell that she cast.

A secret lies behind every door… The Dordogne, 1936 Amid tangled gardens and crumbling walls, Chateau Rousseau guards its secrets well. Pushing open its faded door, Thirza Caruthers arrives to care for her great-aunt. She's made a promise – unaware of what awaits. As the skies darken above...

GYM. TAN. MERMAN. Welcome to the Jersey Shore, where the men are hot, the sun is sizzling, and the boardwalk’s seen it all…until now. After years of living on the Shore, Hannah Bell is sure two things are true: The family B&B is her future. Men like Xander—mysterious, charming, and...

Happy Valley meets The Woman in Cabin 10 in this dark, page-turning thriller from debut author Elle Blair! A murder at sea. One detective. No backup. DI Rachel Harlow is off duty and stuck aboard a cruise ship with her twin teenagers and uptight parents. Determined to distract herself from the...

“Tenderhearted and filled with sweeping magical adventures, These Kindred Hearts vividly captures the beauty of love, promising thrills, hope, and happily ever afters. From first kisses to second chances, every story in this anthology is a must read for romance readers of all ages. Truly...

Hunting down a terrorist plot isn’t exactly Becky Salazar’s idea of a happy holiday. But duty calls, and if there’s one thing she is committed to, it’s using her exceptional language and analytical skills to stop insurgents and save lives. This time the unknown threat isn’t in the Middle East or a major city but centered on the tiny town of Rosman, North Carolina—and that peculiarity may be the scariest piece of the whole puzzle.

Sammy and her friends are startled when they interrupt what seems to be an attempted murder on Halloween. While trick-or-treating at a spooky old, house, they find the door open, and inside a man is tied to a chair while a fire rages on the floor. A robbery? But what valuable could be missing from the home of a reclusive old man?

The Silly Season has arrived in Cape Discovery! Tessa Wakefield’s a softie and can’t say no to acting as one of Santa’s elves in the annual holiday parade. But when the jolly guest of honor topples off his sleigh and kicks the bucket on the town’s main street, all of Santa’s little helpers come under suspicion. Tessa’s determined not to trade her Santa hat for her sleuthing one. But even the loudest Christmas carols can’t drown out the hum of local gossip or dampen Tessa’s curious spirit, and she finds herself tangled in a murder investigation.

“Delightful, energetic. . . . Trigiani is a seemingly effortless storyteller.” — Boston Globe Award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker Adriana Trigiani returns with Brava, Valentine, continuing the heartwarming and hilarious story of Valentine Roncalli, her...

Attorney Thad Raker is a man who believes in Santa Claus. And for good reason. He’s won two trials for defendants who said they worked for Santa Claus, and he saved Christmas both times. But when Raker is hired 11 years later to defend the toy company that made the most popular Christmas present in 50 years - the Reindeer Hoverboard - he becomes entangled in the greatest threat to Christmas yet.

Ah, the pleasures of Christmas: the hanging of lights, the traditional feasts, the gathering of families, and...a bit of murder, conspiracy, and theft. The holiday season seems to inspire the imagination of the best mystery writers, and their talents shine here in these delightful tales of Yuletide crime. In this busiest of seasons, seize a few hours to enjoy a sleigh—or slay—full of mysterious treasures, served with the finest of flair.

December 25 is right around the corner. The last thing Charlie expects is to gain several new additions to his family. Charlie finds a box on his doorstep with five kittens inside and a note begging him to keep them safe. With Diesel's help, Charlie welcomes the tiny felines into the Harris household just as his neighbor Gerry decides it is time to throw a lavish holiday party. Determined to make her mark on Athena, Gerry instead winds up dead at her very own party.

USA Today best-selling author William W. Johnstone built a reputation for crafting unmatched stories of true Western courage - a tradition J. A. Johnstone now continues. In A Rocky Mountain Christmas, Matt Jensen’s scenic trip on the Denver railway is derailed when an avalanche strikes the train. Far from an accident, its cause is a reckless band of outlaws out to free their leader. Surrounded and outgunned in a driving snowstorm, Matt must lead to safety a ragtag group of survivors that includes a senator’s sick daughter and a beautiful woman with a dark past.

Just before Christmas, Nikki Thomas lost her childhood friend, Katherine, when they were 10 years old. The case rocked the neighborhood of Willow Creek in 1988. Kat's mother was convicted of her murder, but no body was ever found. Now, 12 years later, Nikki's memory goes back to her childhood when her mother gives her some old Christmas ornaments. Her mind starts racing, wondering if Kat's mother really murdered her.

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.