Murder and Mistletoe? We're in! Holiday Mysteries Offer Cozy Chills

8 seasonal books that are like Hallmark’s Christmas rom-coms—with a touch of crime

Nicholas DeRenzo,

AARP

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Published November 15, 2024

books stacked with glasses on top and christmas lights

Photo Collage: AARP; (Source: Getty Images (3))

Mystery writers love a good theme, and the holiday season is a fun one, inspiring books with punny titles like Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, The Knife Before Christmas and Yule Be Dead. They’re cozies with Christmas lights, hot chocolate, and festive gatherings — albeit with a touch of treachery lurking below the comfort and joy.

Their allure is similar to that of the holiday romances that flood the Hallmark Channel every year, notes author Tod Goldberg, editor of this year’s Hannukah-set noir anthology Eight Very Bad Nights. “People love the comfort of the familiar,” he says, pointing to the slightly melancholy nostalgia sometimes associated with the season: “The sights, the sounds, the smells of the holidays evoke a unique wistfulness that's perfect for both romance and crime.”

Below are eight recent holiday mystery books for readers who like a bit of mayhem with their merriness. (All came out in the past few months, unless otherwise indicated.)

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

Canadian author Nita Prose broke out with her 2022 novel The Maid, about hotel housekeeper Molly Gray, who discovers the dead body of a wealthy businessman — and then becomes the prime murder suspect. Molly returns in this more heartwarming novella (a bite-sized morsel you can devour in one sitting), which has her spending the holiday season with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, following her beloved grandmother’s death. Nobody gets murdered; the light mystery here revolves around a Secret Santa gift exchange and Molly’s budding romance.

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop, edited by Otto Penzler

In 1979, editor and publisher Otto Penzler opened The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, making it the oldest mystery-themed bookstore in the country. Nearly every year since its debut, he has commissioned a Christmas-meets-crime short story, at least partially set in the store, which he’d give out as a gift to his customers. In this new anthology, he collects 12 such stories from over the years, and they range from comedic (Thomas Perry’s “Here We Come A-Wassailing”) to suspenseful (Jeffrey Deaver’s “The Christmas Party”) and everything in between.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict (2023)

Edie O’Sullivan, an octogenarian loner who sets crossword puzzles for British newspapers, receives a mysterious package on December 19. It contains six jigsaw pieces that form a distressing crime scene when assembled: a body outline on blood-spattered tiles. She also finds a note that says, “Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.” It’s signed “Rest in Pieces.” With the help of her detective inspector grand-nephew, she has to solve the mystery before the killer strikes.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen

Originally written in Norwegian, this cozy mystery is a warm introduction to Nordic traditions like kransekake (wreath cake), saffron buns, and Santa Lucia celebrations. The story features alpinist Ingrid Berg, who returns to her quaint Norwegian mountain village after a climbing accident to take over management of the family inn from her grandmother. But problems arise, including sudden room cancellations, an unsettling American guest, and leaky pipes that may spell sabotage. Ingrid soon discovers an old newspaper clipping describing an unsolved mystery, and springs into action to figure out how it might be connected to the strange recent happenings. The book is divided into 24 chapters, each set on a different December day, so you can treat it like an advent calendar to divvy up the holiday suspense.

Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir, edited by Tod Goldberg

Christmas isn’t the only holiday to embrace seasonal mysteries. This Hanukkah-themed anthology includes 11 stories that range from slapstick comedy to hardboiled noir. You’ll be introduced to characters like a troubled pharmaceutical rep sharing a Hanukkah dinner with her folks, a pair of detectives solving a murder, and a Gulf War veteran who commissions a tattoo from a man he met in prison. Novelist Goldberg collected the stories and wrote one of his own alongside entries by, among others, Ivy Pochoda, Gabino Iglesias and Stefanie Leder.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

Standup comedian Benjamin Stevenson launched his Ernest Cunningham series in 2022 with Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, now being adapted into an HBO miniseries. An avid mystery reader, Ernie keeps finding himself in the middle of real-life murders, and in this third entry in the series — a quick, breezy read — the benefactor of a famous musician has been killed. All of the suspects (including the magician, his assistant, an executive, a hypnotist, and more) are well-versed in the art of misdirection. Befitting the Christmastime setting, the book includes an advent calendar of 24 clues pointing to the killer.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

This holiday mystery adds some romantic comedy to the genre. Maggie Chase is a cozy mystery author who can’t stand Ethan Wyatt, a too-cool-for-school thriller writer with whom she shares a publishing house. When a reclusive fan invites them both to a Christmas party at an English estate, they arrive to discover that the host is world-famous author Eleanor Ashley, otherwise known as the Duchess of Death. The next morning, Eleanor has vanished from her locked room, and Maggie and Ethan team up to investigate. As the mansion becomes snowbound, their rivalry begins to thaw.

Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah (2023)

Agatha Christie’s mustachioed Belgian detective is having a moment thanks to his appearance in a recent slate of Kenneth Branagh-starring films. In 2014, the Christie estate commissioned author Sophie Hannah to continue Poirot’s tales. This latest adventure is set in December 1931, and Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are hoping to put mystery-solving behind them for one relaxing Christmas holiday. But fate has other plans: A retired post-office master is murdered in a Norfolk hospital ward, and the duo head to Edward’s mother’s crumbling coastal mansion to spend the holidays gathering clues.

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Nicholas DeRenzo is a contributing writer who covers entertainment and travel. Previously he was executive editor of United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine and his work has appeared in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Sunset and New York magazine.