As is usual for this time of the year, we can look forward to a good number of holiday-themed Cozies! Unsurprisingly (for December), most of these will be Christmas-themed holiday Cozies. But, this December we will also see an Oktoberfest Cozy and a Fourth of July Cozy. Hmmm… If you’re anything like me, you’ll be trying to make yourself wait to read those two non-Christmas Cozies until their appropriate seasons. However, lately it’s been getting harder and harder for me to hold off from reading them as they are released during the wrong holiday season!

First up is Amanda Carmack‘s Murder at Whitehall, the 4th in the Elizabethan Mystery Series. In this entry, Tudor-era Kate Haywood, personal musician to the queen, will not only need to use her professional skills to help entertain a number of visiting notable nobility in her official capacity, but also act unofficially to discover the identity of a blackmailer and also solve the murder of a visiting Spanish lord.

The next holiday Cozy up is Ornaments of Death, the 10th in Jane K. Cleland‘s Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery Series. This Christmas, Jane will be enjoying her holiday time in the coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire, by hosting her annual holiday party. When a recently discovered relative (Ian) joins the party, she will need to solve the disappearance of not only Ian but also several priceless 17th century watercolor miniature portraits he had intended to give his daughter >>> and Josie’s good friend, Lavinia, is the most obvious culprit!

Next up will be The Iced Princess, the 2nd in Christine Husom‘s Snow Globe Shop Mystery Series. This book will continue the mystery solving adventures of Camryn Brooks, gift shop manager and snow globe workshop teacher. When a former high-school classmate asks for a job at least through the Christmas season, Camryn agrees to help her out despite the socialite not being exactly what she was hoping for in seasonal help. When Molly turns up dead in the shop, poisoned by a cup of coffee, Camryn feels responsible enough to help discover the culprit. Husom also writes the Winnebago County Mystery Series, a thriller series starring a deputy sheriff in Minnesota.

Another Christmas-themed Cozy coming out will be Sue Ann Jaffarian‘s The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary, a novella in the Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery Series. In this story, ghost Granny Apples and her descendant, medium Emma, will be asked by psychic private eye Jeremiah Jones to help look for a missing lady of the night – who a homeless man claims saw as a ghost recently. Is the woman dead, or merely missing? And can the trio find her before the end of the holiday season?

Joyce and Jim Lavene will be putting out Murder Fir Christmas, the 1st in the NEW Christmas Tree Valley Mystery Series. Since it is the first book in a new series, I’ve already discussed it in the New Cozy Series post (Two New Cozy Mystery Series Coming December 2015) for December. When Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle goes home to Christmas Tree Valley, Tennessee, to take over from agent Harvey Shelton, she’ll need to solve his mysterious death by shooting – especially surprising considering his body was also found in a fire. The Lavenes write many other series, including the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, the Missing Pieces Mystery Series, and the Renaissance Faire Mystery Series, as well as other series under the pseudonyms Ellie Grant and J. J. Cook.

One of two non-Christmas themed mysteries coming out this December is Maddy Hunter‘s From Bad to Wurst, the 10th in the Passport to Peril Mystery Series,  which is an Oktoberfest themed mystery. This Oktoberfest, tour leader Emily will need to help get the group’s travels back on track when a fellow guest at a famous German beer house turns up dead. But the tour must go on, and the situation continues to worsen when the group moves on to visit the scenic castle of Mad King Ludwig.

Finally we have the other non-Christmas mystery, Lea Wait‘s Thread and Gone, a Fourth of July themed Cozy which will be the 3rd in the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery Series. This summer, Angie is asked to look over an antique piece of needlepoint and learn what she can to determine its value and history. As it appears to be quite valuable, she asks her family lawyer to put it in his safe. When the lawyer turns up dead and the safe empty, she feels responsible, and is determined to both hunt down the killer and ensure that the valuable piece of needlework is returned to its rightful owner.

These and other holiday-themed Cozy Mysteries can be found on their appropriate holiday theme pages:

Christmas Mystery Books

Halloween and Fall Themed Mystery Books

Fourth of July Mystery Books

As promised, here is the second half of the upcoming holiday-themed Cozy Mysteries for November 2015.

First up today will be Anne Perry‘s  A Christmas Escape,  the 13th in her Christmas Series. In this entry, the story revolves around lone vacationer Charles Latterly, who will be spending his Christmas at the Mediterranean island of Stromboli. When a killer strikes, it quickly becomes apparent that he must be one of the guests. Anne Perry also writes the William Monk Mystery Series, the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt Mystery Series, and the World War I Matthew Reavley Series.

Spencer Quinn will be releasing Santa 365, a Chet and Bernie Mystery Series Christmas story. In this entry, Chet and Bernie have signed up for a Christmas service which includes a festive party, gifts, and a delivered tree. But when the party’s over, Bernie notices that there are things missing – and it will be up to Chet and Bernie to make sure that their belongings make their way home in time for Christmas! Spencer Quinn also writes the Echo Falls and Outlaws of Sherwood Street Series for children and young adults, as well as a number of stand-alone mysteries as Peter Abrahams.

Next is High-Caliber Holiday, the 3rd in Susan Sleeman‘s First Responders Mystery Series. In this series, the stars change every time >>> this time, former lawyer Morgan Throsby is held hostage on a train, and she’ll need to rely on former marine Brady Owens to help get free and then he will need to protect her from a potentially dangerous stalker afterward. And of course, all this is happening around Christmas. Sleeman also writes the Justice Agency Mystery Series, as well as Love-Inspired Suspense novels and the Garden Gate Mystery Series.

Joyce and Jim Lavene will be putting out another novel, the first in their NEW Canterville Book Shop Mystery Series, A Dickens of a Murder. This book will be our introduction to Lisa Wellman & Simon Canterville, owners of the Canterville Book Shop in the Olde Town of Portsmouth, Virginia. When a dead competitor turns up on their roof, they’ll need to solve the case >>> with the help of the ghost of Charles Dickens. The Lavenes write many, many other series – including the Missing Pieces Mystery Series, the Renaissance Faire Mystery Series, the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, and the Pumpkin Patch Mystery Series. They are also known as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant.

 The Cat of Christmas Past is the 6th in the Whales and Tails Mystery Series by Kathi Daley. In this entry, Caitlyn and her friends would be enjoying their Christmas holidays, except for the fact that the local landlord is planning on ejecting a building of tenants only a bit before Christmas. Can Cait discover why he’s closing down the apartments, and maybe a way to change his mind before a whole lot of people have their holidays ruined? Kathi Daley also writes the Zoe Donovan Mystery Series, the TJ Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Series, and the Seacliff High Mystery Series (this last one intended for young adults).

Finally, the only non-Christmas themed mystery from this set of holiday releases, will be Ali Brandon‘s Plot Boiler, the 5th in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery Series. This Fourth of July themed mystery will see bookseller Darla Pettistone once again wrapped up in a murder. This time the wife of a local coffee shop owner Darla has been arguing with ends up dead. Ali Brandon also writes the Leonardo da Vinci Historical Mystery Series under the pen name Diane A.S. Stuckart.

As always, these items and many more can be found on the appropriate Holiday Theme pages on the site:

Christmas Themed Cozy Mysteries

Fourth of July Themed Cozy Mysteries