Hark the Herald Angels Slay (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery)($7.45Value)

Description

Santa’s summer vacation plans turn deadly in this festive mystery from the author of Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen and We Wish You a Murderous Christmas . The town of Rudolph, New York, has the Christmas spirit all year long—but when homicide heats up a summer holiday, it’s up to shop owner Merry Wilkinson to wrap up the case. In Rudolph, Christmas in July heralds Santa’s arrival by boat to begin his summer vacation at the lake, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, is looking forward to a busy weekend. But she’s caught off guard when her ex-fiancé, Max Folger, unexpectedly arrives with a team from a lifestyle magazine wanting to do a feature on the July festivities. It’s clear that Max’s visit has less to do with business and more to do with winning back Merry’s heart. Merry has too much on her plate to deal with an old flame, but when Max is found strangled to death in Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, she must find out who wanted him dead—and stop a killer from ruining the summer holiday cheer. Praise for Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen   “Delightful…[A] humorous tinsel-covered tale that made me laugh out loud even while keeping me guessing.”—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author   “Witty writing, an unexpected solution, and truly likable characters ensure that the appeal of this holiday-themed series will last long past the Yule season.”—Kings River Life Magazine   “Delany has given us a story full of holiday cheer, an exciting mystery, wondrous characters all in a place I would love to really visit. Its charm just lit up my day. This is one mystery you shouldn’t miss this holiday season.”—Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book   “I delved right into this story—it grabbed me in and wouldn’t let me go.”—Socrates’ Book Review   “Vicki Delany does a masterful job of creating an inviting fictional small town that is all about Christmas.”—Open Book Society   “Ms. Delany has started a promising new series with Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen .”—Fresh Fiction   “A fun Yuletide-themed cozy with an appealing amateur sleuth.”— Library Journal Vicki Delany is the national bestselling author of the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries, the Constable Molly Smith Novels, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries, and, writing as Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library Mysteries. Chapter 1 In Rudolph, New York, we love Christmas so much, we celebrate it twice a year. Christmas in July. A time to be silly, enjoy our brief hot summer, have some fun. And attract tourists to our town, of course. I was in the back room of my shop, Mrs. Claus's Treasures, surrounded by boxes, studying my costume. My Mrs. Claus getup consisted of an ankle-length wool skirt, long-sleeved checked blouse worn under a knitted sweater-vest bearing a decorated Christmas tree design, plain glass spectacles, and a cap with gray curls attached. The forecast for the weekend was for temperatures reaching into the high eighties, and it would be even hotter, taking humidity into account. Dressed in that outfit, standing in the sun, I might well melt. I briefly considered going for a seductive Mrs. Claus look, but decided against that for two reasons. I don't do seductive, and Santa is played by none other than my own father. "Merry!" Jackie, the shop assistant, called. "Someone here to see you." "Back to work we go," I said to Matterhorn, my ten-month-old Saint Bernard. I put the costume back on its hanger, left the storage room, and shooed Mattie into my office. He gave me a mournful, pleading look, as if to say, No! Not the office! Anything but the office, before doing as he was told. "You are such a ham," I said, heading to the front of the shop. I'd have to decide soon what I was going to wear. Today was Thursday and the big weekend was coming up fast. I expected the caller would be a salesperson waiting to introduce me to their line of goods that I couldn't possibly live without. But it wasn't. I stopped dead in the curtained doorway separating the private areas at the rear of the building from the salesrooms. A man stood at the counter with his back to me. Jackie was behind the cash register, smiling broadly at him, head cocked to one side, her light laugh filling the air. He didn't have to turn around. I knew that stance, the broad shoulders, the slim hips, the long legs, the short dark hair. I started to back away, to run through the storage room, out the back door into the alley, and keep on running, but before I could move Jackie said, "There she is," and he turned. I also knew the high cheekbones, the straight white teeth, the eyes so dark they were almost black, the long lashes, the trace of black stubble on the strong jaw. Jackie widened her eyes, fanned her face, and her mouth formed the word "Wow!" "Hello, Merry," he said. "Mmmm." I cleared my throat, feeling a wave of heat as color rushed into my face. "Max." Even Jackie could sense the tension in the air, and she dropped her comic expression to