To continue our monthly series of book lists, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following Christmas mysteries.
Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton. In this sequel to Aunt Dimity Digs In (RC 48173) and others, a homeless man collapses outside of Lori Sheperd's English cottage. While he's hospitalized in a coma, Lori is encouraged by her late aunt's spirit to search for his identity and for the reason he arrived at her door. 1999. Cassette book RC 51061.
A Little Yuletide Murder by Donald Bain. Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is in Cabot Cove for the holidays when local farmer Rory Brent, who plays Santa Claus, is found murdered. Rumor points to Jake Walther as the main suspect. Jessica, concerned by the rush to judgment, investigates the case in time for the upcoming Christmas festival. 1998. Cassette book RC 57577. Large Print book LP 17066.
A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton. Christmas is at hand in the remote Highland village of Lochdubh. This year, P.C. Hamish Macbeth is set to work through the holiday, while his family vacations without him. On his own, Hamish cracks several cases, including the disappearance of an elderly woman's cat and the theft of a nearby community's town lights. 1999. Cassette book RC 50600.
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie. As the holiday guest of Colonel Johnson, chief constable of his county, the little Belgian detective Poirot spends his Christmas investigating the brutal and baffling murder of rich, eccentric old Simeon Lee. Cassette book RC 44355. Also available in Spanish RC 54952.
Cat in a Golden Garland by Carole Nelson Douglas. Mystery. Midnight Louie and his human, Miss Temple Barr, are in New York where Louie is auditioning for a role as spokesperson for a cat food producer. At a Christmas party given by the advertising company, one of the senior executives is murdered. Naturally, Louie leads the investigation. 1997. Cassette book RC 48881. Large Print book LP 14669.
Visions Of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich. Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is searching for toy-store owner Sandy Claws, who skipped bail just before Christmas. Diesel, a mysterious stranger, appears at Plum's doorstep also seeking a lawbreaker. Together they deal with Plum's zany family, a parcel of elves, and the missing men. Strong language. Bestseller. 2002. Cassette book RC 55055. Large Print book LP 19587.
Sugarplum Dead by Carolyn Hart. As Annie and Max Darling plan Christmas in South Carolina, murder intervenes. An aging film star announces she is leaving her fortune to a psychic foundation, and then her sister is killed. Annie's long-lost father is accused, and another murder occurs. Some strong language. 2000. Cassette book RC 52223. Large Print book LP 18090.
A Classic Christmas Crime edited by Tim Heald. Thirteen mysteries by different authors. The selections vary in location, theme, and type of murder, but all take place at Christmastime. In "Political Corrections," an editor objects to almost every word of a 1930s manuscript. In "A Card or a Kitten," a middle-aged playboy buys jewelry from a "loose woman." 1995. Cassette book RC 46158.
High Heels and Holidays by Kasey Michaels. Manhattan mystery writer Maggie Kelly prepares for her first Christmas with viscount Alex Blake, the fictional-come-to-life sleuth of her Regency-era novels. But when she receives a dead rat and threatening notes and a fellow author dies suspiciously, Maggie believes she may be a killer's next victim. Some strong language. 2006. Cassette book RC 65254.
A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry. Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould, a budding sleuth from the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries, attends a holiday party at which her friend Isobel cruelly insults a young widow who commits suicide later that night. Feeling guilty, Isobel goes with Vespasia to visit the victim's mother in Scotland where they uncover a shocking secret. 2003. Braille book BR 15343. Cassette book RC 57836. Large Print book LP 20981.