Book picks similar to
The Christmas Elf by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson


christmas
mystery-thriller-suspense
stars-5
novella-short

Murder Book Club


S.Y. Robins - 2015
    Carbon Monoxide poisoning might be common, but Susan does not like the coincidence and refuses to believe it is accidental the way the police think it is. Butting heads with Detective Mason, Susan is determined to find out the truth and together with her beloved dog Toby she sets out to find it. Will Susan be able to find out what truly happened, and whether it was murder or an accident, or will the fact that she can’t remember the night herself get in the way of the truth? Will Toby be able to help her, despite the fact that he can’t talk?

Murder At The Fourth: A Forest Pines Mystery


Duncan Whitehead - 2016
    That is until local businessman, Donald Sands, is found murdered on the local golf course. Young and inexperienced Sheriff, Steve Calder, needs help and turns to Jenny to assist him in his investigation. Suddenly Jenny is plunged into a mystery unlike any other she has encountered and faces a multitude of suspects who all have a reason to rejoice the victim's death. It isn’t going to be as easy as Jenny thought, as she tries to find out who killed the most unpopular man in town. A string of mistresses, a jealous husband, a shady realtor as well as a down on his luck store owner, who couldn't repay a debt, are just some of the suspects as the plot thickens, and twists abound. Meanwhile, skeletons from Jenny's past are rattling their unwelcome bones. The truth contorts to a climax that will leave readers breathless.

Criss Cross (Posh Hits)


Caron Allan - 2013
    But when she arrives at the scene, she finds the old woman already dead. Obviously her Hitchcock-Movie-loving best pal, Monica, has carried out the deed for her! Taking the murder-switch idea from the movie Strangers on a Train, Cressida decides the only proper way to show her gratitude is by killing off Monica’s philandering husband and his bimbo girlfriend. After all, Monica of all people should appreciate the idea of swapping murders? That’s what she wants, right? Wrong. Cressida quickly discovers that unfortunately this was not what her friend had in mind, and now Monica is devastated and planning to exact a terrible revenge. Which means their friendship is definitely over. Isn’t it?

Spence in Petal Park


Michael Allen - 1977
     When he is found dead in his driveway three days before Christmas, Detective Superintendent Spence immediately gets to work. Spence believes in method, groundwork, and a proper filing system. In a mobile police unit near the scene of the crime, the investigation is soon under way. And there's plenty to investigate. Parnell's life-style included sharp business practices, an unhealthy interest in the girls at the expensive school behind his house, blackmail and seduction. Interviewing Parnell's neighbours, associates and lovers, Spence soon concludes that plenty of people had cause to hate him. But which of the apparently sensible, ordinary people behind the privet hedges of exclusive Petal Park actually killed him? Spence in Petal Park weaves the stories of the people in Parnell's life into a complex web of cause and effect, which Spence's careful work finally unravels — just before Christmas.

A Dark Amish Night


Jenny Moews - 2015
    A budding romance threatens to consume and destroy both their lives. Can Quinn find Eric's killer before Hannah is cast out of the only community she has ever known and save her son before the killer strikes again?

Maple Hills Mystery Box Set


Wendy Meadows - 2016
    Good, clean, hobby sleuthing for you to enjoy.

Cats, Cakes and Clues


Kennedy Chase - 2016
    Her first case is to discover why a mysterious object was left behind at a jewelry store break-in. But when it turns into a murder case, Harley will need all her skills to find the killer and uncover the secret of the artifact. With the help of her new friends, an inquisitive cat, and two dashing men, Harley faces a race against the clock to catch a murderer.MURDER ON THE PAGE - Harley Hill Mysteries, Vol.2When Harley and her partner Cordelia are tasked to find a rare diary belonging to Queen Elizabeth’s closet confident, John Dee, they think it will be a routine case. But before they start their investigation into this ‘Doomsday Diary’ they discover a murder!A MYSTIC MURDER - Witches of Hemlock Cove, Vol.1Grace Angelo, born and bred in the small coastal town of Hemlock Cove is a retired detective… and a witch. She works with her two elder sisters at their old guesthouse converted into a bakery — until the body of the local bar owner is discovered inside their oven. Faced with mounting bills and no way to fulfill the contract for a huge banquet, Grace has her work cut out for her.

Abandoned


Lee Shepherd - 2015
    Drugged. Abandoned.A rural area in the north of England is put on edge as teenage girls start to go missing. The local authorities are stumped in their search for the one responsible.Charles Lee lives a very normal life, in stark contrast to his troubled past. Putting years of abuse, neglect and loss behind him, he has built a new life in the countryside with his beloved family and border collie. However, his past soon starts to haunt him as burned bridges are resurrected, old grievances resurface and a lust for revenge takes over.Will Detective Taylor and psychological profiler Georgina Riley suss out the clues and piece together the jigsaw in time to stop the disappearances?

Smokescreen


Tom Meitner - 2016
    Now, he's out of prison and back to work... as a homicide detective. But while he tries to make the transition from convict to cop again, he can't stop thinking about how he wound up in jail in the first place - because he thinks it was no accident. He has no idea how deep it goes. In this new vigilante series from debut author Tom Meitner, watch Charlie solve murders while he unlocks the gripping mystery of who set him up... and why. This pilot episode is a free murder mystery and suspense story that introduces you to the main players and lays the groundwork for the conspiracy that follows Charlie in his new, "normal" life.

HALLOWEEN SCARE


Maggie Sefton - 2014
    An E-Short short story (approximately 7000 words) featuring the cast of characters who inhabit the NYT Bestselling Kelly Flynn Knitting Mysteries.

The Palindrome Cult


Kevin Bradley - 2017
    But when the US Ambassador to London and the British Prime Minister are caught up in it, the situation becomes deadly.The Palindrome Cult members are fanatical. They will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. But who are they? And who is their elusive leader?Hedge and Cole must hunt them down, before the government is fatally damaged, and before more people have to die.This is a novel in the acclaimed Hedge & Cole thriller series.(The Palindrome Cult story concludes in this book, but the main characters are set to return in future exploits).Cole is a tough, ex-military man. He’s the sort of person that trouble and danger seem to follow, wherever he goes. He can be ruthless when he needs to be. And he often finds the need.Hedge is a reluctant hero. Plagued with anxieties and haunted by flashbacks, he is not the type of lead character that you would normally expect. This novel is refreshingly different in that respect.You are invited along for the ride, but will you be able to unravel the secret of the Cult before the ultimate, shocking, twist in the tail?Kevin Bradley shows how to mix fast paced action, with suspense and intrigue. This novel will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.This book would sit well alongside your Lee Child and Michael Connelly favourites!

The Quiet Village


T.J. Walter - 2017
    He discovers a quiet village deep in the countryside and settles there. He makes new friends and finds a new love, but there are undercurrents; events that threaten his newfound peace. Then a murder occurs and he finds himself drawn into the investigation, unsure of who among his new friends he can trust. How will he overcome this without losing all he has gained?

A Hair Raising Blowout


Constance Barker - 2016
    Owner of the Teasen & Pleasen Hair Salon in the heart of Louisiana, she’s used to big hair, Southern style, and tall tales of the latest town scandal. But her quiet life is turned on its head when Savannah finds an upstanding member of the community murdered outside her salon in cold blood. Savannah investigates, only to find that her pleasant, cute town is just a façade, and that there’s more deception than truth in the lives of its residents. As the case intensifies, Savannah finds herself dealing with a bad blowout, a man who might lose a limb, and a woman scorned, leading to a firefight the village of Knockemstiff will never forget. Desperate Housewives marries GCB in this exciting murder mystery full of humor, suspense, and moonshine. Readers will be laughing aloud and gasping in shock while enjoying A Hair Raising Blowout, the first book in a stunning new thriller series by Constance Barker.

Christmas in High Heels


Gemma Halliday - 2010
    It's their first Christmas together, and Maddie wants it to be perfect. But between her zany family and wacky friends, Maddie's having a hard time finding alone time with her man. But come Christmas morning, this is one holiday she'll be sure to remember - naughty or nice!

Innocent Strangers


Millys Altman - 2012
    Just as they prepare to journey on, they are arrested for the murder of a beautiful heiress to a coal mining fortune. Suddenly, they must escape the noose that is waiting to hang them. How they do this in a parochial town that brands them as criminals and refuses to give up its dark secrets is a tale of dogged sleuthing. Probing uncovers shocking details of intrigue, double-dealing, blackmail, and adultery in the past life and loves of this charming passionate woman. The trail finally leads them close to exposing the identity of the real murderer, but time is running out.