2013 Articles

Dec 2013 21

Three British Mysteries for Christmas

2013 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sharon Tucker

by Sharon Tucker

I’m a little envious of a couple of my friends who will be in London this Christmas season. I have been there during early spring and again in summer, but have always dreamed of having a British Christmas on the Isle itself. I consider making a plum pudding every year in December, but just don’t want to face boiling anything in cheesecloth. I’d love to have roast Christmas goose, Christmas punch, and play the Minister’s Cat with a witty group of Brits, but my dream has not materialized thus far.

Dec 2013 21

Christmas Greetings

2013 Articles, Ministry Musings, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

It seems so small to say, “Merry Christmas,” and leave it at that. It is merry. Our hearts are at their best when dancing between the realities of brokenness and giddy joy. We are warmed, we are delighted, carols surround us, lights invite us; we are caught up in the season of hope.

Dec 2013 21

Christmas Messages By Gary Hoffman: A Christmas Mystery Short Story

2013 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by Gary Hoffman

As Susan was struggling to open her front door, she thought of her Uncle Theodore. He always had some cute little saying or adage from somewhere else. One of them he said came from Germany and translated into English as, "A lazy man will carry himself to death." She was beginning to believe it as she tried to carry three bags of groceries, two more of Christmas presents, and another of wrapping paper and bows, just to save two trips to the car.

Dec 2013 21

Murder Dives the Bahamas: By Bonnie J. Cardone

2013 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Cynthia Chow

If you’re going to ever be lost at sea, there’s no better or more original way for your body to be retrieved than by dolphins. After a mercurial trip where famed photographer Tom Tiburon managed to anger everyone on board and subsequently disappeared on one of his routine unauthorized night dives, his body was actually carried back to the Dolphin Diver II by bottlenose dolphins.

Dec 2013 21

Magic and Loss By Nancy A. Collins

2013 Articles, Fantasy & Fangs, Terrance V. Mc Arthur

by Terrance Mc Arthur

Tate was a normal human female. Well, not THAT normal–she was an artist who worked in meta–—until she moved into Golgotham, the magical and mythical part of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Then she acquired the ability to make her work come to life and move on its own. She also found love, marrying Hexe, the future Witch King, in Nancy A. Collins’ Golgotham urban fantasy novels (Right Hand Magic, Left Hand Magic).

Dec 2013 18

Mr. Claude North: A Holiday Short Story

2013 Articles, Terrific Tales

by Paula Gail Benson

I had put it off as long as I could. To finish my retirement paperwork required either my Social Security card, which was packed away somewhere, probably in a box in the attic, or evidence I had applied for a replacement. When I was employed thirty years ago, I didn’t have to show the card, but now, after all that time working and paying taxes with the number, my employer needed proof it belonged to me.

Dec 2013 17

Company Christmas Party: A Christmas Mystery Short Story

2013 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by Kate Thornton

Have you ever been so in love with someone that you would do anything for them? Me neither. What a crock. The interns we hire – they may not be in love with the staff, but they'll do anything for us. A real May through December romance. And I certainly use that to my advantage. I'm a tough guy, after all.

Dec 2013 16

The Christmas Check: A Christmas Mystery Short Story

2013 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by Jayne Barnard

The Early Music Society’s Yuletide Concert was over for another year, the cookies and punch done, the excellent acoustics of the Elbow Park church gone silent, the great stained-glass windows dark. Security consultant, Lacey McCrae, drove home along Mount Royal’s slippery slopes, admiring the sprinkling of coloured lights glowing under in a dusting of new snow.

Dec 2013 14

Terrier Cake & Christmas Cookies For Holiday Baking Fun

2013 Articles, Food Fun, Lee Juslin, Margaret Mendel

by Lee Juslin
& Margaret Mendel

We thought for the holidays we'd pull out a couple of past favorites for you to make for your holiday baking--the Terrier Cake and Christmas Cookies! Recipes included.

Dec 2013 14

End of The Year Penguin Mystery Fun!

2013 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sandra Murphy

by Sandra Murphy
& Cynthia Chow

We have one last big batch of fun Penguin mysteries this year! All 5 of these are November releases-we have food, bookstores, cats, supernatural & more: Fixing to Die: A Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Mystery By Elaine Viets, The Quotient of Murder: A Professor Sophie Knowles Mystery By Ada Madison, The Thrill of the Haunt: A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery By E.J. Copperman, Wedding Cake Killer By Livia J. Washburn, and Words with Fiends By Ali Brandon. Details on how to win copies of all 5 at the end of this post!