12 Mysteries of Christmas + Giveaway By Kate Carlisle

JENN McKINLAY: Yay! Yay! Yay! Today, my guest is one of my very favorite writers, my plotting partner, and all around gal pal the one the only...Kate Carlisle! And she has a super fun holiday blog post to share for those of us struggling in the gifting arts. Take it, Kate!

Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of two ongoing series: the Bibliophile Mysteries featuring San Francisco bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright, whose rare book restoration skills uncover old secrets, treachery and murder; and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, featuring Shannon Hammer, a home contractor who discovers not only skeletons in her neighbors' closets, but murder victims, too. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has brought three of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries to life in a series starring Jewel and Colin Ferguson. Watch for Kate's cameo in the second film!

I love a Christmas mystery. I even wrote one—Deck the Hallways. I don't know what it is about the holidays and murder that just seem to go together… Maybe all that Christmas muzak sends people over the edge.

To be truly satisfying, a Christmas mystery needs more than just to be set during the holiday season. It needs to be filled with cozy Christmas elements. The spirit of the season (murder notwithstanding). These 12 Mysteries of Christmas will fill your heart with joy. . . and your stocking with homicide!

Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James

Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are busy decking the halls for the holidays when an unexpected delivery and a shocking murder conspire to shake up the season.

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle (aka, me)

Someone's been slayed! If contractor Shannon Hammer can't nail the real culprit in the St. Nick of time, her dad will wind up in the clink...

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

The holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder—and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case.

How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews

When Meg's family stages a production of A Christmas Carol, the show must go on, even if the famous—though slightly over-the-hill—actor who's come to town to play the starring role of Scrooge has brought a sleigh-load of baggage and enemies with him.

White Colander Crime by Victorian Hamilton

The Heritage Society is re-creating a perfect Victorian Christmas—until good tidings go bad... At the end of a long day of festival fun, food columnist Jaymie Leighton discovers the body of local woman who predicted her own murder.

Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany

In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer.

Wreath between the Lines by Daryl Wood Gerber

The holidays are cookbook shop owner Jenna Hart's favorite time of year, until the friend of a friend is murdered with a Christmas tree star.

Not a Creature Was Purring by Krista Davis

Innkeeper Holly Miller finds it ruff staying cheerful over the holidays when the dead body of a beloved businessman turns up in the pet-friendly town of Wagtail, Virginia.

'Twas the Knife before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

When a body turns up in a larger-than-life candy bowl filled with peppermints on the Mistletoe, Maine town square, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect.

Death with All the Trimmings by Lucy Burdette

The only snow in Key West this Christmas is Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine, who is not getting time off for the holiday…or time off from murder.

A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake

Nothing gets professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton into the Christmas spirit more than the town’s annual Bark the Halls Ball. . . until the founder of a national chain of pet care franchises is found murdered, and Daphne's friend is the prime suspect.

A Holiday Yarn by Sally Goldenbaum

Holiday time is magical in Sea Harbor, as the Seaside Knitters turn winter yarns of deep reds, greens, and golds into gifts. But when murder comes to this small New England town, they must set aside their needles to pursue justice—and restore joy to the season.

Let's have some fun today! Give a little murderous twist to the title or lyric of a Christmas song, turning it into a great title for a Christmas mystery novel. For example: Rudolph, the Red-Handed Culprit. Everyone who plays this little reindeer game with me will be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of Deck the Hallways. (Please note: it's not enough just to post a generic comment. You need to play the game.)

ABOUT DECK THE HALLWAYS

Read chapter one for free at http://katecarlisle.com/deck-the-hallways.php

Someone's been slayed! If contractor Shannon Hammer can't nail the real culprit in the St. Nick of time, her dad will wind up in the clink...

Even at Christmastime, Shannon is more spackle than sparkle, which is why she leaps at the chance to transform a grand old Victorian mansion into ten charming apartments for homeless families. Filled with the spirit of the season, all of Lighthouse Cove turns out to help—including her best friends, a troupe of far-from-angelic Santa Claus impersonators, and her father, Jack.

But their merriment is soon dashed by a heated scuffle between Jack and the miserly president of the bank who's backing the project. When the man is murdered, all eyes are on Jack, and visions of prison time dance in Shannon's head. Now, she needs to pull off a crime-solving miracle, before her father's Christmas goose is cooked...

JENN: What about it, Reds and Readers? Dazzle me! What's your murderous twist to the title or lyric of a Christmas song?