Part of Bookstore Cafe Mystery, book 12
First published 2023
Krissy Hancock serves seasonal peppermint cappuccinos at her Pine Hills bookstore cafe as Christmas approaches. Her relationship with Officer Paul Dalton deepens while holiday shoppers fill the town. Local critics voice anger about Christmas commercialization and attack businesses for losing the holiday's spiritual core. A shop owner who charges excessive prices dies after someone delivers him a puzzling gift. Krissy hopes to maintain Pine Hills' festive spirit, particularly since her father plans to visit with his girlfriend. The killer strikes at additional merchants across town. Krissy races to identify the murderer before friends or family members join the victim list. The investigation threatens both the town's holiday celebrations and the people Krissy cares about most.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, cozy-mystery, holiday
Vibes: community-focused, cozy, fast-paced, festive, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, romance-subplot, small-town-setting
Setting: Pine Hills, Ohio
Period: Christmas
320 pages · Paperback · Kensington
Content warnings: death, murder