It's that time of the year again - the Christmas rush is about to begin, and curio shop owner Camryn Brooks and her BFF, coffee shop owner Alice "Pinky" Nelson, need to hire additional help. Their former high-school classmate, Molly Dalton, is not exactly who they had in mind. Has the rich socialite worked a day in her life? But Molly practically begs for the job. On her first day, Molly seems to be in her own little world, and Cami worries that her new employee may flake out. The problem turns out to be far worse than that when Cami discovers Molly dead in the back of the shop, after drinking a poisoned cup of coffee. Soon there is an avalanche of suspects as Cami starts shoveling through the clues - including a shattered snow globe of Marilyn Monroe. Now Cami will have to venture out of her safety zone before the pathological poisoner stirs up more trouble.

ORDER # M1215-1   $11-95   ISBN 9780425270813

Captain Austin Rainey knows all too well that being a good cop sometimes means gaining some bad enemies. After his ex-wife is killed, he finds himself on the wrong side of the law, trying to prove he's innocent of her murder. The last thing he needs is a distraction - especially of the irresistible female kind. Medical examiner Laura Eden has always found Austin more than a little intriguing, but she's kept her feelings under wraps. Now she's determined to do her job and clear his name - but as her investigation brings them into close proximity, she can't deny the attraction between them - or resist the temptation he presents. But Laura and Austin soon realize their budding feelings might be more than emotionally perilous. Someone is coming after everyone Austin holds dear - and Laura might be the next one in the line of fire.

ORDER # M1215-2   $11-95   ISBN 9780451476999

The Allegheny Brew House is a dream come true for Maxine "Max" O'Hara, who went all the way to Germany for her brewmaster certification, and is now preparing to open her own craft brew pub in a newly revitalized section of Pittsburgh. But before she can start pouring stouts and lagers to thirsty throngs, there's trouble on tap. Suspicious acts of sabotage culminate in Max finding her assistant brewmaster and chef Kurt Schmidt strangled in one of the vats. Between rescuing a stray gray tabby she names Hops and considering a handsome ex-hockey player as her new chef, Max doesn't have a lot of time to solve a murder. But with a homicide detective for a dad, she comes to criminal investigation naturally. And if someone is desperate enough to kill to stop her from opening, Max needs to act fast - before her brand-new brew biz totally tanks.

ORDER # M1215-3   $11-95   ISBN 9780425277690

After a woman is discovered in the Mill House Hotel, strangled with a silver necklace beside a bag filled with faux gems, jeweler Donald Black seems like the obvious suspect. But Lois knows Donald's wife and can't believe her husband is a killer. Plus, Donald has an airtight alibi. Nevertheless, Donald is no angel. He's running a pyramid scheme, and Lois's mother is getting sucked in. Could the murder have anything to do with his unscrupulous business? As Inspector Cowgill and Lois hope the bling may shine a light on the killer, the discovery of a second body in the hotel may prove the key to solving the murder - if they can catch the culprit before someone else checks out.

ORDER # M1215-4   $11-95   ISBN 9780425261798

1559. The Twelve Days of Christmas at Whitehall Palace will be celebrated as a grand affair. But there are those who wish to usher in the New Year by ending Queen Elizabeth's reign. Despite evenings of banquets and dancing, the European delegates attending Her Majesty's holiday festivities are less interested in peace on earth than they are in fostering mistrust. Kate, the queen's personal musician, hopes she can keep the royal guests entertained. But then Queen Elizabeth receives a most unwanted gift - an anonymous letter that threatens to reveal untoward advances from her beloved Queen Catherine's last husband, Thomas Seymour. Tasked with finding the extortionist, Kate has barely begun investigating when one of Spain's visiting lords is found murdered. With two mysteries to unravel and an unsettling number of suspects to consider, Kate finds herself caught between an unscrupulous blackmailer and a cold-blooded killer.

ORDER # M1215-5   $11-95   ISBN 9780451475695

Springtime in Chilson, Michigan, means it's librarian Minnie Hamilton's favorite time of year: maple syrup season! But her excitement fades when her favorite syrup provider, Henry Gill, dies in a sugaring accident. It's tough news to swallow - even if the old man wasn't as sweet as his product. On the bookmobile rounds with her trusty rescue cat Eddie, Minnie meets Adam, the old man's friend, who was with him when he died. Adam is convinced Henry's death wasn't an accident, and fears that his own life is in danger. With the police overworked, it's up to Minnie and Eddie to tap all their resources for clues - before Adam ends up in a sticky situation.

ORDER # M1215-6   $11-95   ISBN 9780451476548

San Francisco millionaire Andrew Flynt wants to sell his Victorian mansion, but ghostly music, the squeaking of a long-disappeared weathervane, and an angry ghost keep running off potential buyers. After a famous psychic is called in, she informs the Flynts that their multi-million-dollar renovations to "update" the home have left its resident ghost extremely agitated. So contractor Mel Turner is engaged to track down and replace some of the original features of the house. But when the beautiful psychic is found stabbed, it appears someone had a very human motive for murder. Now Mel must use her ghost whispering gift to uncover the secrets of the haunted house on the hill, and her sleuthing skills to catch a killer.

ORDER # M1215-7   $11-95   ISBN 9780451465818

Guesthouse owner, single mother, and reluctant ghost whisperer Alison Kerby is about to sit down to movie night with her family and friends when she's struck speechless. Floating before her is the ghost of her musical idol, 1960s English rock star Vance McTiernan. He's in desperate need of help from Alison and her resident ghostly gumshoe, Paul Harrison. Reports claim that four months ago, Vance's daughter died from a drug overdose. Vance, however, thinks she was murdered. While Alison agrees to help, Paul is suspicious of Vance's motives. But after the body of the alleged killer is found in the movie room, Alison and Paul must act quickly before someone else finds a stairway to heaven.

ORDER # M1215-8   $11-95   ISBN 9780425269275

Springtime in Seattle's Pike Place Market means tasty foods and wide-eyed tourists, and Pepper's Spice Shop is ready for the crowds. With flavorful combinations and a fresh approach, she's sure to win over the public. Even better, she's working with several local restaurants as their chief herb and spice supplier. Business is cooking, until one of Pepper's potential clients, a young chef named Tamara Langston, is found dead, her life extinguished by the dangerously hot ghost chili - a spice Pepper carries in her shop. Now stuck in the middle of a heated police investigation, Pepper must use all her senses to find out who wanted to keep Tamara's new café from opening - before someone else gets burned.

ORDER # M1215-9   $11-95   ISBN 9780425271797

Amy-Faye Johnson's book club, the Readaholics, is engrossed in Murder on the Orient Express, and Poirot's surprising resolution is stirring up debate. Is the solution remotely realistic? Is justice served by Poirot's decision? Well, the book is fiction after all. Then, just as Amy-Faye is planning the grand opening of her brother Derek's pub, his hot-headed partner is murdered. To keep Derek from being railroaded as a suspect, Amy-Faye and the Readaholics take a page from Poirot and investigate. But as the clues lead to unlikely places, surprising motives, and a multitude of suspects, Amy-Faye and her pals wonder if truth can be just as strange as fiction.

ORDER # M1215-10   $11-95   ISBN 9780451470843

Two weeks of carnival celebrations has got Zoe running ragged. By day, she charms hungry tourists with authentic Southern cuisine. At night, she accompanies her father to one masquerade ball after another, hobnobbing with the high rollers of the secret cabal known as the Mistics of Time. But the fun turns frightening when Zoe stumbles across "Death's" dead body. Journalist Jordan Phillips attended the Mistics' latest bash in a traditional Death costume, and received a fatal bullet wound for the privilege. With more than three hundred masked suspects determined to remain anonymous, and the police covering up the facts behind the murder of the investigative reporter, Zoe realizes the Mistics have some serious secrets to hide.

ORDER # M1215-11   $11-95   ISBN 9780425263471

Getting her hair colored at Root 66, Suzanne is stunned to witness the County Services office next door suddenly go up in flames. Sadly, the fire claims the life of longtime civil service worker - and friend to the Cackleberry Club - Hannah Venable. When it's discovered that an accelerant was used to fan the flames, Suzanne, Petra, and Toni vow to smoke out the culprit. When Suzanne finds a possible connection between the fire and the nearby Prairie Star Casino, she comes to realize that the arsonist wanted something very big and bad kept secret. And if the ladies aren't careful, they may be the ones gambling with their lives.

ORDER # M1215-12   $11-95   ISBN 9780425269091

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers - for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up - until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer. Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop - and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake - Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit - and make sure he gets his just desserts.

ORDER # M1215-13   $11-95   ISBN 9781250054258