In this crazy season of rushing about buying presents and donning our party apparel, good little mystery writers everywhere look forward to all the holiday cheer, colorful blinking lights, good times with friends, and...murder. That's because along with the frolic and festivities come kung fu fighting the meek-looking granny for the hottest new toy, waiting in long lines to reach irritable sales people, and arguing with dear Cousin Carmine over who gets the last piece of pumpkin pie. It's a mystery writer's paradise! While most people let the anger percolate inside, those who pen mysteries can put it all on paper...and maybe rake in some holiday dough.
Should your thoughts turn to murder this holiday season, don't let your stress get the best of you. Relax, refresh and renew with these holiday-themed murder mysteries:
Anthologies:
Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier and Laura Levine
Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier
Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
The Gift of Murder edited by John M. Floyd
Sugarplums and Scandal by Lori Avocato, Dana Cameron, Mary Daheim, Cait London, Suzanne Macpherson and Kerrelyn Sparks
Dying in a Winter Wonderland edited by Tony Burton
Anne Perry Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Odyssey
A Christmas Promise
A Christmas Beginning
A Christmas Homecoming
A Christmas Secret
Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark Christmas Stories:
He Sees You When You're Sleeping
Silent Night
Deck the Halls
Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea
Dashing Through the Snow
The Christmas Thief
Margaret Maron Christmas Stories:
Rituals of the Season
Christmas Mourning
Christmas Corpus
Kate Kingsbury's Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries:
Herald of Death
Mistletoe and Mayhem
Ringing in Murder
Slay Bells
Shrouds of Holly
No Clue at the Inn
Christmas Beasts:
Silent Night (A Raine Stockton Dog Mystery) by Donna Ball
Six Geese A-Slaying (A Meg Langslow Mystery) by Donna Andrews
Cat Deck the Halls (A Joe Grey Mystery) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Santa Clawed (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery) by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
Holiday Refreshment:
The Christmas Cookie Killer by Livia J. Washburn
Christmas Cookie Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier
A Catered Christmas (A Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford
Sweet Holidays (The Third Samantha Sweet Mystery) by Connie Shelton
Plum Pudding Murder (A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke
Sugar Cookie Murder (A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke
Holiday Grind (A Coffee House Mystery) by Cleo Coyle
The Diva Cooks a Goose (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis
Christmas in the United Kingdom:
A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer
Kissing Christmas Goodbye (An Agatha Raisin Mystery) by M.C. Beaton
A Killer's Christmas in Wales (A Penny Brannigan Mystery) by Elizabeth J. Duncan
Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Holiday Mystery by Agatha Christie
Queene's Christmas (An Elizabeth I Mystery) by Karen Harper
More Holiday Stories:
Shakespeare's Christmas (A Lily Bard Mystery) by Charlaine Harris
Indigo Christmas (A Hilda Johansson Mystery) by Jeanne M. Dams
The Alpine Christmas (An Emma Lord Mystery) by Mary Daheim
Poison to Purge Melancholy (A Pat Montello Mystery) by Elena Santangelo
A Wee Christmas Homicide (A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery) by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Holly and Homicide (A Domestic Bliss Mystery) by Leslie Caine
Christmas is Murder (A Rex Graves Mystery) by C.S. Challinor
Let There Be Murder (A Ministry is Murder Mystery) by Emilie Richards
Murder is a Girl's Best Friend (A Paige Turner Mystery) by Amanda Matetsky
Snow Angel (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
Aunt Dimity's Christmas (An Aunt Dimity Mystery) by Nancy Atherton
Fleece Navidad (A Knitting Mystery) by Maggie Sefton
A Holiday Yarn (A Seaside Knitters Mystery) by Nancy Goldenbaum
And there you have it! Lots of murder mysteries to savor by the fireside on a cold winter night. Enjoy the holidays with friends and family, and don't forget to pamper yourself and read.
Next Friday: WINTER CHILLS, THRILLS AND MURDER