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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 9: Murder by Christmas
It’s time to pick up the pencils and start solving, because we’ve moved on from mystery novels to Advent calendars. While I’m sure these have been around for a while, my first experience with one was last year. Then, I read Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret straight through, as I hadn’t planned the daily solving into…
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Advent of Mystery ‘25, Day 8: A Scrooge Mystery
We’re coming to the end of this year’s Advent of Mystery—and to the end of the traditional mystery novels. Today’s read is A Scrooge Mystery by Andreina Cordani, a familiar name for repeat Advent readers. Typically, her holiday crime books take a tradition (a country house party, Christmas shopping) and add a dark twist. This time, however,…
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Advent of Mystery ‘25, Day 7: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife
It’s time for the last of our luxurious Christmas vacation stories, and this one comes with an extra-mysterious twist. Martin Edwards’ new standalone, Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife, promises his usual fair-play sensibilities with a distinctive wintry edge. For those not familiar with Edwards, he’s the current president of the Detection Club and…
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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 6: The Dead of Winter
Today, we’re sticking with luxury holidays, but moving from the present to the past. After reading The Christmas Clue, I decided to look a bit further into Nicola Upson. I quickly learned that she writes a series of mysteries featuring Josephine Tey. Not only that, but the series has a Christmas entry — so of course…
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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 5: The Christmas Cracker Killer
It’s time to move on from cozies to slightly darker fare—which also means it’s time to return to one of my favorite holiday mystery writers, A. K. Benedict. In a first for the author, she continues the story of one of her protagonists, crossword setter Edie O’Sullivan. This sequel to The Christmas Jigsaw Murders brings Edie and…
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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 4: An Unfortunate Christmas Murder
Today marks post 200 — an incredible milestone for someone who once had to invent a challenge to make sure I’d have enough to post! Thank you for reading, commenting, and perching here with me over the years. It feels fitting to celebrate with a holiday murder, and today we’re diving into An Unfortunate Christmas Murder by…
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Advent of Mystery ‘25, Day 3: The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
One thing I always appreciate is a book with a simple, clear title. And on that front, it doesn’t get much clearer than Fiona Leitch’s The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder. The book is set in Cornwall. It is Christmas. There is a pantomime. Suddenly—murder! Exactly what it says on the cozy mystery tin. For a cozy…
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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 2: The Christmas Clue
Day 2 of our annual holiday mystery celebrations, and we’re sticking with the novella format for just a little longer. Today’s read blends Christmas, murder mystery, and board games. Nicola Upson’s The Christmas Clue follows the creators of Clue as they set up a murder mystery game at Tudor Close—only to encounter a real murder in the…
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Advent of Mystery ’25, Day 1: The Austen Christmas Murders
The tree is lit. The presents are wrapped and distributed. The cookies are baked. The carols are blasting. And here at the Owlet’s nest, that means one thing: it’s Advent of Mystery time. For those not in the know, Advent of Mystery is a countdown to Christmas. Each day features my thoughts on a different…
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A Cozy Austen Celebration: Re-reads and re-imaginings
December always feels like a month for traditions—holiday baking, cozy reading, and, this year, something extra special: celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. With presents piled under my tree and the scent of fresh-baked cookies still hanging in the air, I’m feeling especially inclined to honor the season with a few Austen rereads (and one intriguing…