To our cherished holiday book lovers–cheers to another merry reading season! As we wrap up Tule’s Holiday Blog Series, we’re unmasking the last but certainly not least of Tule’s festive imprints. Today, we’re sneaking into the world of cozy Christmas mysteries from our Tule Mystery Imprint! Launched only this past year, Tule’s collection of cozy mysteries has made big strides to keep your holiday reading spine-tingling, cozy, and seasonal. From a craft toy maker hiding dark secrets to Christmas Eve weddings where the only thing under the mistletoe is murder, these 5 stories are the perfect blend of holiday cheer and chilling intrigue. So, if you’d rather sleuth than sip on holiday romance, or you need some cold-blooded crime next to the warm fireplace, curl up with a cozy mystery from Tule this Christmas!

**Wishing the holiday season could last forever? At Tule Publishing, it can! Our diverse set of imprints have enough holiday titles to last you a lifetime. And that’s what we strive to do all year long–provide books that can transport you anywhere you want to go–even Christmas in July!**

A Case for the Toy Maker by Candace Havens

Ho. Ho. No…

It’s Christmas in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is feeling festive apart from Ainsley McGregor. Ainsley has never enjoyed the holidays and would rather ignore them, but with her shop Bless Your Art busier than ever and filled with happy shoppers, even she’s feeling some Christmas spirit. That is, until her Great Dane, George Clooney, sniffs out a dead body in the Santa House at the Christmas Festival.

When one of her favorite crafters becomes the prime suspect, Ainsley is determined to prove his innocence. The case is full of so many twists and turns that even Ainsley begins to fear the truth. Is she protecting a killer?

With help from her friends and some extremely nosey townsfolk, Ainsley and her dog hurry to find the truth—as long as they can outwit and outrun the killer first. Otherwise, this Christmas might just be her last.

Order A Case for the Toymaker today and unwrap a crafty mystery where holiday cheer meets a killer twist in Sweet River!

Crumbling Up Crooks by Emmie Lyn

Don’t get married on Christmas Eve, they said.

The holiday will overshadow your special day, they insisted.

Little did they know that a shockingly festive murder would put everything else on hold.

When all signs point to my sometimes friend, sometimes rival, Detective Crenshaw, I’ll need to work fast so that he’s not forced to spend his holiday in the slammer. But in throwing myself feet first into the real crook’s crummy conspiracy, I could be risking so much more than a spoiled day… The future of my forthcoming marriage could very well be on the line too.

Oh, boy… Can Pip and I solve this one in record time so that my fiancé’s and my perfect day can go off without another major hitch?

A Christmas Eve wedding wrapped in red…order Crumbling Up Crooks today!

Murder Below the Mistletoe by Kaz Delaney

It was going to be a Christmas wedding to die for…

What could go wrong when baker Rosie Hart heads to a snowy Colorado mountain lodge for a week of elaborate pre-wedding festivities at her friend’s wedding? The better question would be: what could go right?

Rosie’s fears for the nervous bride are confirmed when one of the wedding guests turns up dead. All evidence points to the groom being the intended victim, but with the guests dressed in Christmas-themed attire, and a dead Santa on their hands, Rosie’s not so sure. What if the killer did hit the right target all along?

Stuck in a blizzard with the wedding party being picked off one by one, Rosie’s investigative instincts kick in—only this time she’s acting without the support of her friends back in Airlie Falls. Until her four irrepressible card-shark mentors from Riverbend Retirement Village unexpectedly turn up to rescue her.

The more the merrier…right?

Order Murder Below the Mistletoe NOW for a wedding invite to die for!

A Santa Stabbing by Geri Krotow

She didn’t realize she’d traded “Naval Aviator” for “amateur sleuth”…

Retired Navy pilot Angel Warren’s new life awaits in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania, where she’s opening Shop ‘Round the World, her travel-inspired gift and novelty shop. A newly empty nester and longtime widow, she’s looking forward to leaving her flying career and its many life-or-death decisions behind and reconnecting with family and friends. Right now, Angel’s biggest challenge is getting the shop ready for its grand opening just weeks before Christmas.

Until she finds a dead body in the shop murdered with one of her specialty Santa figurines. Even worse, Angel’s fingerprints are on the “weapon” and she’s a prime suspect. It doesn’t help that the deceased is an old friend who’s collected a long list of enemies as a cut-throat real estate agent. And then there’s the Stonebridge Chief of Police—and Angel’s high school BFF—who brings her in for questioning.

If Angel wants to clear her name before the Christmas rush, she’s going to need to do some sleuthing on her own—and with the help of her stressed out parrot, Ralph.

Nothing kills holiday spirit faster than being accused of murder—help Angel clear her name before Christmas! Order A Santa Stabbing today!

Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson

It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it.

Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic.

Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation.

With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.

Nothing bonds a mother and daughter like a murder accusation…order Slay Bells Ring today to find out if Maddie can clear her daughter’s name!

Written by Tule Marketing Intern, MJ Gryzik

Tell us all about the crime-sniffing Great Dane, George Clooney!

He’s based on an amalgamation of Great Danes we’ve rescued through the years. I’ve always wanted to name one of our dogs George Clooney and my husband and kids wouldn’t let me. Oh, and Great Danes are extremely curious dogs and always getting into trouble for it. He just seemed like the perfect crime-solving partner.

What is the most difficult part about writing a mystery book/series?

Keeping track of all the suspects and weaving it all together so it makes sense. In the last book, the killer turned out not to be the killer––it made more sense for it to be someone else. But I didn’t know that until the end. (Laughs). And it’s hard to just focus on just a few characters when there are so many fun, quirky ones in Sweet River.

If you could spend the day with Ainsley McGregor, your heroine, what would you two do?

Well, I’d spend a ton of time in her shop and beg for a discount. It’s like the coolest shop ever in my head.

What was your favorite scene to write and why?

So I don’t want to get too specific, but Jake has a tough time expressing his feelings. Like my husband, he chooses to show his caring side by doing things for Ainsley. I think one of the cutest/sweetest scenes I’ve ever written is toward the end, when he gets creative with that idea.

What are you currently reading?

I don’t usually read a lot of self-help, but I attended The Rise Conference with Rachel Hollis and her team. I’m reading her book I Didn’t See that Coming. And Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk. I’m all about trying to find the zen these days.

About the Author

Bestselling and award-winning author Candace Havens has had more than thirty novels published. She is one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. She does film reviews on Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS.