The most complete collection of Yuletide whodunits ever assembled • The Edgar Award-winning editor collects sixty of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories—from Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy to Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain. “Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays." —The Washington Post This collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you’re in the mood for--suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural—can be found in these pages. FEATURING: • Unscrupulous Santas • Crimes of Christmases Past and Present • Festive felonies • Deadly puddings • Misdemeanors under the mistletoe • Christmas cases for classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, and Nero Wolfe.

All three books in Robert Muccigrosso's 'Dick Dewitt Mysteries', now available in one volume. If you prefer your detective to be intelligent and classy, this book is not for you. But if you like crime noir fiction that features a bumbling, politically incorrect gumshoe, you'll like this collection! The Black Llama Caper: It's the Great Depression, and private eye Dick "Dimwit" DeWitt badly needs a new case. He gets more than he bargained for after encountering the notorious Black Llama and his gang. Murder and mayhem follow, as DeWitt tries to solve the case - and keep himself alive. The Hollywood Starlet Caper: A Tinseltown starlet needs help: she has become involved with a fast-talking, lecherous movie agent and a corrupt cop. She needs an intelligent, tough-as-nails guy to protect her, but settles for DeWitt, who's loyalties walk both sides of the proverbial street. Dick is determined to get the job done, and with the help of some friends and a LOT of luck, he just might succeed. The Spycatcher Caper: Known for his bumbling ways as a private eye, Dick DeWitt finds himself inducted into the U.S Army during WW2. The military sends him to the West Coast to uncover spies, fifth columnists, and saboteurs. What poor DeWitt doesn't know is that while he is looking for the enemy, the enemy is looking for him.

The First Three Full-Length Books in a Bestselling, Award-Winning Mystery Series DEAD WOOD (John Rockne Mystery #1) In the exclusive enclave of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a woman who builds custom guitars is murdered. A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman’s father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer. DEAD WOOD is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up. HARD ROCK (John Rockne Mystery #2) Private Investigator John Rockne is determined to find out who is responsible for the brutal murder of a young man in Grosse Pointe. A contract killer known only as The Spook wants to keep the truth buried forever. Rockne quickly uncovers a series of dark secrets with ties to his own tortured past. HARD ROCK is a thrilling conclusion to the bestselling crime novel DEAD WOOD. COLD JADE (John Rockne Mystery #3) Once a cop in the well-to-do Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, John Rockne was dismissed from the force after making a tragic mistake that resulted in the brutal murder of a young man. Now working as a private investigator, John is hired by a man whose daughter is missing and he soon discovers the young woman was living a secret life under the name Jade. John quickly realizes the world Jade had entered was a dangerous one filled with thieves, drugs, pimps and murderers. He has no idea if he can find her…and bring her out alive. “Dan Ames' writing reminds me of the great thriller writers -- lean, mean, no nonsense prose that gets straight to the point and keeps you turning those pages.” --Robert Gregory Browne, author of Down Among the Dead Men "As gritty as the Detroit streets where it's set, DEAD WOOD grabs you early on and doesn't let go. As fine a debut as you'll come across this year, maybe any year." --Tom Schreck, author of Out Cold, A Duffy Dombrowski Mystery

Arrested for murder, Hannah really has her work cut out this time... Blackberry Pie Murder is a deliciously cosy whodunnit featuring super-sleuth Hannah Swensen from acclaimed author Joanne Fluke. Packed full of delicious recipes and perfect for fans of M. C. Beaton and H. Y. Hanna. 'Witty... tempting recipes at the end of most chapters, including one for fresh blackberry cookies, will appeal to anyone who loves to bake' - Publishers Weekly It's been a sleepy summer in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and that means Hannah Swensen can finally focus on running her much-loved bakery... or can she? With her mother's wedding a month away, she is up to her eyes deciding whether to use buttercream or fondant for the wedding cake. When Hannah accidentally hits a stranger while driving down her Cookie Truck a country road, she finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. An autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in blackberry pie stains, would have died even without the hit. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of the deceased - before getting herself to the church on time... What readers are saying about the Hannah Swensen mysteries: 'What more could you want from a cosy crime novel?' 'These books are an equal mix of charm and mystery' 'A homely series that harks back to the novels of Agatha Christie'

From the author of the popular A to Z Mysteries comes a story of magical mayhem featuring the younger siblings of the A to Z Mysteries kids! May is for Magic... In the fifth book of the Calendar Mysteries - an early chapter book mystery series - twins Bradly and Brian are celebrating Mother's Day by treating their mom to a hypnotist's show. But when the Pinto family gets home from the show, the twins' mom starts acting strange. She splashes in the bathtub for hours, she leaves corn kernels all over - she even quacks! Bradley thinks his mom has been hypnotized into believing she's a duck! Can Bradley and Brian, with help from their friends Lucy and Nate, turn their mom back into their mom? Parents, teachers, and librarians agree that these highly collectible chapter books are perfect for emerging readers and any kid who loves mysteries!

Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Jana DeLeon, Elise Sax’s wickedly funny Matchmaker Mysteries series proves that the road to love comes with a few dead ends. The Books 5-7 Boxed Set is a page-turning beach read and a small town mystery romance and includes the books From Fear to Eternity, West Side Gory, and Scareplane. "Elise Sax will win your heart."--New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis * "Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out."—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig * “Elise Sax belongs on every bookshelf.”—New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster * "With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse" --RT Book Reviews * "Fans of laugh-out-loud romantic suspense will enjoy this new author as she joins the ranks of Janet Evanovich."--Booklist, on An Affair to Dismember From Fear to Eternity: * It’s still up in the air whether Gladie really has her psychic grandmother’s “gift,” but she’s determined to finally give matchmaking her best shot. She’s also determined to give her new relationship with hottie Police Chief Spencer Bolton a shot…that is, if she can find him. * Despite her good intentions, Gladie is being sued by a matchmaking client, but even with bankruptcy around the corner, that’s not her biggest problem. There seems to be a rash of dead senior citizens popping up at the tea shop owner’s family home. Gladie is recruited to find the murderer, but this time she may have met her match—and if she’s not careful, it could be her last. * West Side Gory: * Life is going great for Gladie Burger. She’s having lots of sex with her hottie boyfriend, Chief of Police Spencer Bolton, she’s settled into her matchmaking career, she’s got a new car, and it’s been over two weeks since she’s stumbled on a dead body. It seems like she’s finally got her life on track, since she moved in with her psychic grandmother to help her with her matchmaking business. * But when a stomach ache proves to be more serious, she finds herself in West Side Hospital, preparing for surgery. Befriending the woman in the next bed in her hospital room, she becomes distressed when the woman vanishes. Alerting the hospital staff, they tell her that the woman never existed. Has Gladie lost her mind, or is something more sinister happening at West Side Hospital? * Scareplane: * Gladie is nervous about her upcoming vacation with hottie police chief Spencer Bolton. She’s never flown before, and she’s not looking forward to the experience. Her fear is heightened when a plane crashes into the house across the street. But there’s little time to think about it because their town is hosting a law enforcement conference, where Southern California’s finest are coming to discuss law and order. Everything is going to plan. Spencer is hailed as a great police chief, and Gladie is fixing up half of the town…until one of the guests—a famous police czar—drops dead. Now everyone is a suspect, and Gladie is being prevented from investigating the death by the new police detective on the force…a hottie female cop who thinks Gladie is enemy #1 and Spencer is marriage material.

Fergus Hume's "British Mysteries - Fergus Hume Collection: 21 Thriller Novels in One Volume" presents a captivating assortment of 21 thrilling novels that delve into the depths of mystery and intrigue. Hume's literary style combines elements of classic detective fiction with a keen sense of suspense, making each story a compelling page-turner for fans of the genre. Set in various British locales, these mysteries offer readers a glimpse into the societal norms and values of the time, providing a rich cultural backdrop for the investigations that unfold within the pages. Hume's skillful storytelling and complex characters add depth to each narrative, ensuring that readers will be kept guessing until the very end. This collection serves as a valuable contribution to the detective fiction genre, showcasing Hume's talent for crafting intricate plots and memorable characters. With a meticulous attention to detail and a talent for building tension, Fergus Hume's collection is a must-read for anyone seeking a gripping mystery novel that will leave them enthralled from start to finish.

This carefully crafted ebook is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Novels Perris of the Cherry Trees The Middle Temple Murder Dead Men's Money The Talleyrand Maxim The Paradise Mystery The Borough Treasurer The Chestermarke Instinct The Herapath Property The Orange-Yellow Diamond The Root of All Evil In The Mayor's Parlour The Middle of Things Ravensdene Court The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation Scarhaven Keep In the Days of Drake Where Highways Cross Short Stories Paul Campenhaye – Specialist in Criminology The French Maid The Yorkshire Manufacturer The Covent Garden Fruit Shop The Irish Mail The Tobacco-Box Mrs. Duquesne The House on Hardress Head The Champagne Bottle The Settling Day The Magician of Cannon Street Mr. Poskitt's Nightcaps (Stories of a Yorkshire Farmer) The Guardian of High Elms Farm A Stranger in Arcady The Man Who Was Nobody Little Miss Partridge The Marriage of Mr. Jarvis Bread Cast upon the Waters William Henry and the Dairymaid The Spoils to the Victor An Arcadian Courtship The Way of the Comet Brothers in Affliction A Man or a Mouse A Deal in Odd Volumes The Chief Magistrate Other Stories The Ivory God The Other Sense The New Sun The Lighthouse on Shivering Sand Historical Works Mistress Spitfire Baden-Powell of Mafeking Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1933) was an English author, one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age.

This edition includes: The Woman in White is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of "sensation novels". The story is sometimes considered an early example of detective fiction with the hero, Walter Hartright, employing many of the sleuthing techniques of later private detectives. The Moonstone is an epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. Besides creating many of the ground rules of the detective novel, The Moonstone also reflected Collins' enlightened social attitudes in his treatment of the servants in the novel. Armadale is a mystery novel and has a convoluted plot about two distant cousins both named Allan Armadale. The father of one had murdered the father of the other (the two fathers are also named Allan Armadale). The story starts with a deathbed confession by the murderer in the form of a letter to be given to his baby son when he grows up. No Name is a 19th-century novel revolving around the issue of illegitimacy. Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. His best-known works are The Woman in White, No Name, Armadale, and The Moonstone. Content: The Woman in White No Name Armadale The Moonstone The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice The Law and The Lady The Dead Secret Miss or Mrs?

Something Wicked: 560+ Horror Classics, Macabre Tales & Supernatural Mysteries stands as a monumental anthology that maps the evolution of horror and supernatural fiction from its nascent stages to its more refined contemporary forms. Capturing an eclectic mix of styles and narrative voices, this collection underscores the genre's capacity to probe into the darkest corners of human experience and imagination. The anthology showcases a diversity in storytelling, ranging from Gothic tales of the supernatural, psychological thrillers, to cosmic horrors, presenting readers with seminal works that have shaped the genre. The inclusion of renowned pieces by iconic figures allows for a comprehensive overview of the genres thematic preoccupations and stylistic variations, making it an indispensable resource for both aficionados and newcomers to horror literature. The illustrious roster of authors featured within this anthology, including literary giants such as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Mary Shelley, among others, brings together a rich tapestry of cultural and historical contexts. These authors, hailing from diverse backgrounds, have contributed significantly to literary movements such as Romanticism, Victorian Gothic, and the early modernist waves, thereby enriching the anthology with a breadth of perspectives on existential themes of fear, morality, and the supernatural. Their collective work emphasizes the anthologys alignment with significant literary and cultural movements, offering a deeper understanding of the genres evolution and its reflection of societal anxieties and fascinations. Something Wicked invites readers on an unparalleled journey through the annals of horror literature, offering a unique opportunity to indulge in over five hundred tales of terror, mystery, and the macabre. This anthology is not merely a collection of stories; it is a scholarly-curated exploration of horrors multifaceted expressions across time and cultures. Readers are encouraged to delve into this vast compendium, which serves both as an educational tool and as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling in evoking the most profound human emotions. The anthology stands as a testament to horrors capacity to connect readers with the universal fears that resonate through the ages, making it an essential addition to any literary collection.