Books like 'The Murder Before Christmas'
Readers who enjoyed The Murder Before Christmas by Michele Pariza Wacek also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery cozy whodunit romantic-love animals season-winter humor female-mc culinary
-
Vegetables and Vengeance by Agatha Frost
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJulia South-Brown is busy. Between trying for a baby, having her adopted daughter move out, renovating her beloved cafe, and training for the annual Peridale marathon, she doesn't have much time for anything, especially solving the recent murder of local farmer, Ted Coleman... -
![Divine Secrets by Hope Callaghan]()
Divine Secrets by Hope Callaghan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHoping to build trust with the Divine locals, Joanna Pepperdine and the Second Chance residents host an open house to get to know the townsfolk better. The event is a huge success…that is until a guest finds a wallet belonging to a man who is now missing... -
![Santa Sleuth by Kathi Daley]()
Santa Sleuth by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Christmas in Ashton Falls and the entire Zimmerman household is gearing up for their first Christmas as a newly formed family unit. While Zak is busy decking the halls, Zoe is busy tracking down a killer while still taking the time to make certain a little girls Christmas wish comes true. It's funny, it's family, it's a Zak and Zoe Christmas... -
![Fireworks, Forensics and Felonies by Colleen Mooney]()
Fireworks, Forensics and Felonies by Colleen Mooney
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was the perfect date night… …until they saw their friend’s house explode. Was it an accident with the July 4th fireworks?Brandy and Jiff barely have time to catch their breath. The house destroyed, the mystery began, no bodies were discovered in the rubble.... where were Sophie and Ian?Fearing foul play, Brandy gets to work. As she starts to dig… …newly issued insurance policies are discovered... -
-
![An Embarrassment of Itches by M.K. Dean]()
An Embarrassment of Itches by M.K. Dean
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's Diagnosis Murder meets All Creatures Great and Small...As a house-call vet, Ginny Reese has seen her share of the weird and wacky. But nothing in her previous experience could have prepared her to find one of her clients floating in her own swimming pool.Local artist Amanda Kelly was extremely wealthy with her share of secrets... -
![The Body on the Barstool by Lolli Powell]()
The Body on the Barstool by Lolli Powell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings2016 WISHING SHELF INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS BRONZE WINNER!New Yorker Erica "Ricki" Fontaine's n'er-do-well uncle has dropped dead and left her a dive bar in a small Ohio River town. With a lousy apartment, less-than-promising job prospects, and even worse romantic ones, the inheritance comes at just the right time. Ricki packs up her cat and heads for the Buckeye State... -
![Lethal Lobster by Hope Callaghan]()
Lethal Lobster by Hope Callaghan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings~~ Click the “Buy now with 1 click” button at the top of the page OR Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime ~~ Lethal Lobster Is Book 3 In The Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series BONUS: Recipe Included! Assistant Cruise Director, Millie Sanders' day is off to a shockingly bad start when her boss “volunteers” her to be his Guinea pig for a stun gun self-defense class in... -
![Dagger in the Dahlias by Dale Mayer]()
Dagger in the Dahlias by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRiches to rags. … Chaos quiets. … Crime is circling. … And cold cases never cease …After almost a month in picturesque Kelowna, Doreen Montgomery still can’t keep her notoriety to a minimum or her nose out of other people’s business. Now those suffering from the loss of a loved one seek her out, wanting her help... -
![Dog Willing (Cozy Dog Mystery): #12 in the Golden Retriever Mystery Series by Neil S. Plakcy]()
Dog Willing (Cozy Dog Mystery): #12 in the Golden Retriever Mystery Series by Neil S. Plakcy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen his neighbor is accused of murder, reformed computer hacker Steve Levitan and his golden retriever Rochester are asked to sniff out clues to prove her innocence... -
![Banana Slit by Angela K. Ryan]()
Banana Slit by Angela K. Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe grand opening of Anna McBride’s seaside ice cream shop is anything but sweet.After the tragic death of her Irish twin sister, Bella, Anna needed a radical change. So, she closed her counseling practice in Boston to embark on a new adventure as an ice cream shop owner... -
![Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews]()
Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings'Tis the season for sleuthing in Donna Andrews' cheery new addition to the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series.Meg has been roped into participating in a weaponsmithing competition, a Forged in Fire wannabe organized by a blacksmith friend... -
![Conflict in Little Leaf Creek by Cindy Bell]()
Conflict in Little Leaf Creek by Cindy Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLiving in the country comes with temperamental goats, an ornery next-door neighbor, and a mysterious murder…Cassie Alberta is loving her new life in Little Leaf Creek. She is getting over the sudden death of her husband, appreciating what small town life has to offer and is enjoying getting to know the locals and their secrets... -
![Murder in the Family by Paula Bernstein]()
Murder in the Family by Paula Bernstein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHannah Kline is a successful Los Angeles obstetrician and the recently widowed mother of a young daughter. She is barely managing to hold it all together, when her life is shattered once again by the brutal murder of her beautiful, bright, zany and recently divorced sister-in-law Beth. Hannah is determined to do whatever she can to assist the police in finding the murderer... -
![The Diva Says Cheesecake! by Krista Davis]()
The Diva Says Cheesecake! by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA delightful new story from a New York Times bestselling author perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen Mystery series! In this page-turning new book, entertaining guru Sophie Winston is faced with a midsummer nightmare when a celebration in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is the appetizer for murder… Old Town’s midsummer festivities are getting a tasty addition this year... -
-
![Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton]()
Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCheck Out the First Book in the New Backyard Farming Mystery Series CHICKEN CULPRIT Finally healing after her heart-breaking divorce, Anne Freemont is ready to put the painful past behind her. Discovering an old Victorian for sale in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs may be just what she needs. The beauty of Colorado beckons, so Anne heads west to start her new life... -
![Mystery on Main Street by Dianne Harman]()
Mystery on Main Street by Dianne Harman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecondhand Treasures.Gino’s Pizza Parlor.Barney’s Antiques.Sure, everybody could use a little extra cashBut is stealing from a business worth the risk of getting caught?Someone thought so.Someone is going to prison... -
![Muffin But Trouble by Chelsea Thomas]()
Muffin But Trouble by Chelsea Thomas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen you’re an amateur sleuth, you’ve always got baggage……and that means you never get a vacation from murder.Chelsea, Teeny, and Miss May are trying to have a fun trip to Los Angeles.But they’ve barely checked in to their hotel when they get a call from their old friends Amy and Petunia…There’s been a murder!Worse yet, all the evidence seems to point to everyone's favorite dog groomer.. -
![Founders' Day Fiasco: Paranormal Cozy Mystery by London Lovett]()
Founders' Day Fiasco: Paranormal Cozy Mystery by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFirefly Junction is in the middle of a huge Founders’ Day celebration and Sunni Taylor has been assigned to cover the colorful music and float-filled parade. When the organizer of the parade winds up dead, Sunni’s mundane assignment takes a new twist. Now, she finds herself in the middle of a murder that is complicated by the fact that the victim had more than a few enemies... -
![Murder at the Pumpkin Patch by London Lovett]()
Murder at the Pumpkin Patch by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor's sisters, through their power of sisterly persuasion, have convinced her to host a Halloween costume party at Cider Ridge Inn. She's a little reluctant about the whole event and rightly worried about the actual ghost, who will, no doubt, be in attendance, but she decides to just relax and enjoy it... -
![Fatal Feud by London Lovett]()
Fatal Feud by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhile Sunni Taylor is embroiled in her own personal turmoil with Detective Brady Jackson, she's handed a new assignment to cover a longstanding feud between two families, the Plunketts and Carmichaels... -
![A Crafty Killing by London Lovett]()
A Crafty Killing by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor is looking forward to an easy and sweetheart filled month of February. After a few blissful months as lead reporter for the Junction Times, an unexpected shake-up at the newspaper leaves her reeling and frustrated. She finds herself once again having to cover mundane stories, like the Firefly Junction Craft Fair... -
![Death at the Museum by London Lovett]()
Death at the Museum by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor has once again settled into her journalist position under a new boss and a new lead reporter. The fact that the new lead reporter, Dave Crockett, just happens to be her sister's boyfriend makes things a little more complicated, but Sunni is determined to be content. She now has more time to spend planning for the opening of the Cider Ridge Inn... -
![Havoc at Wildwood Manor by London Lovett]()
Havoc at Wildwood Manor by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat starts out as a long weekend off for Sunni Taylor quickly devolves into something more sinister. When Lana needs help with a family reunion at Wildwood Manor, Sunni lends a hand. Before the event gets underway, Camille Luxley, an unexpected guest, shows up to throw a wrench into Florence Davenport's precisely planned weekend... -
![Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer]()
Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRiches to rags. ... Chaos again. ... Winning is important, ... at least for some!Doreen is overwhelmed with joy when she sees all the volunteers who show up to help get her deck addition built. Most of the men are cops, friends of Corporal Mack Moreau’s, and are happy to help Mack’s special friend and the lady who has helped solve so many crimes for them with a spot of home renovation... -
-
![Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris]()
Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSherry Harris gives readers a new adventure to dive into with the latest installment of her Florida-set mystery series, as local bartender Chloe Jackson’s search for treasure shores up the dead body of a contestant in the upcoming Panhandle Barback Games.. -
![Fatal, Family, Album by Joanna Campbell Slan]()
Fatal, Family, Album by Joanna Campbell Slan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here. Two FBI agents come looking for Kiki's nanny, Brawny-- And suddenly, the Detweiler household is turned upside down. Kiki and her husband Detweiler must ask themselves the toughest questions they'll ever face: Can we trust this person with our kids? The answer might say more about them than it does about Brawny... -
![Death and Wedding Cake by Nova Walsh]()
Death and Wedding Cake by Nova Walsh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA small town with big secrets. A caterer turned amateur detective. A wedding weekend plagued by murder and mystery. Home is where the heart is for Abby Hirsch, a chef returning to her small Texas hometown to cater a wedding at her aunt's charming bed and breakfast. But homecoming turns deadly when Abby finds the body of the bride's rival dumped on the grounds... -
![Picture Perfect Murder by Jenna St. James]()
Picture Perfect Murder by Jenna St. James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRyli Sinclair had no idea moonlighting as the forensic photographer for the Granville Police Department would put her in the direct path of a crazed killer. Determined to capture the murderer before she's next in line, Ryli enlists the help of her best friend, Paige, and her elderly great-aunt Shirley, a former private investigator... -
![Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews]()
Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews returns with another Meg Langslow mystery written "firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie's Christmas books" (Toronto Globe and Mail)... -
![Lost Kitten in Las Vegas by A.R. Winters, Erin Moon]()
Lost Kitten in Las Vegas by A.R. Winters, Erin Moon
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA Cupcakes-and-Crime CaperWhen cupcake-loving croupier and private investigator Tiffany Black meets an adorable lost kitten, she never imagines it will lead her straight to a murder investigation.But when she is asked to investigate the death of architect-turned-poker-addict Max Langton, she stumbles upon a group of unpleasant neighbors, who also happen to be potential murderers... -
![Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron]()
Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe second in a fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum... -
![Dying for a Donut by Cindy Sample]()
Dying for a Donut by Cindy Sample
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo Laurel McKay, there's nothing better than spending an autumn afternoon munching on caramel apples and cinnamon donuts. It's a good thing her daughter Jenna has landed a seasonal job at Apple Tree Farm and Bakery. Then Laurel stumbles over the bakery owner coated in powdered sugar. Axel Thorson was a well-respected member of the community... -
![Bound and Deceased: A Taylor Quinn Quilt Shop Mystery by Tess Rothery]()
Bound and Deceased: A Taylor Quinn Quilt Shop Mystery by Tess Rothery
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTaylor Quinn thought she was done with murder. She’d finally settled into her life as owner of Flour Sax Quilt Shop in Comfort, Oregon. It wasn’t exciting, but there were compensations, like spending time with handsome Hudson the handyman, and being close to her Grandpa Ernie... -
![Murder on Tour by V.M. Burns]()
Murder on Tour by V.M. Burns
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBookstore owner and Michigander Samantha Washington is thrilled to see her debut historical mystery finally on the shelves, but a killer seems determined to steal away the spotlight . . . While Sam wraps up her first whirlwind book tour, Nana Jo has kept Market Street Mysteries running smoothly. The last stop is a prestigious book festival in Sam’s hometown of North Harbor, Michigan... -
-
![The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis]()
The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor once, event planner Sophie Winston finds herself a guest at a lavish engagement party, but things go horrifyingly awry when the groom-to-be is fatally poisoned . . -
![Trick or Trouble by London Lovett]()
Trick or Trouble by London Lovett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor is moving forward on the remodel of the Cider Ridge Inn. She is anxious to start her bed and breakfast business. Unfortunately, the inn is not cooperating. It seems she is hit with one catastrophe after another. This time it's the plumbing... -
![Double Trouble by London Lovett]()
Double Trouble by London Lovett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFirefly Junction meets Port Danby as Lola and Lacey take a trip to the Cider Ridge Inn in Double Trouble. Sunni Taylor is finally going to meet Lola Button, the quirky antique dealer who sold her some rather unusual old photos of Cider Ridge Inn. When Lola arrives with her best friend, Lacey Pinkerton, Sunni and Lacey find they have a lot in common... -
![Muffalettas and Murder by Jann Franklin]()
Muffalettas and Murder by Jann Franklin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvangeline Delafose swore she'd never return to her ho-hum Louisiana hometown. But when her brother asks her to help solve a murder, things get a lot more interesting... -
![Te-Kill-Ya Sunrise by Patti Larsen]()
Te-Kill-Ya Sunrise by Patti Larsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTequila is a terrible way to go…The young woman who’d ordered the double shot margarita took it with wide eyes and a thumbs up as she sampled it through the straw, walking back toward her table in the sand on wobbling platform sandals unsuited to the footing... -
![Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell]()
Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this cozy mystery, artist Amanda Trent, accompanied by her beloved golden retriever Laddie and her persnickety calico cat Mona Lisa, is determined to start a new life after her husband divorces her to marry a younger woman, but it isn't easy... -
![A Dealer Dead Ahead by Scarlett Moss]()
A Dealer Dead Ahead by Scarlett Moss
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll she can see is grief until a friend offers her a coastal view. But this seaside adventure could have her drowning in danger.Carter Cash struggles with starting over. Widowed for a year and looking for direction, the mystery-TV-show fanatic agrees to assist a pal refurbishing an old yacht… and makes fast friends with a retired police dog... -
![Accidental Lawyer: A humorous peek into Baltimore's legal Community by Kim Hamilton]()
Accidental Lawyer: A humorous peek into Baltimore's legal Community by Kim Hamilton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSet in the brilliant and diverse city of Baltimore, Accidental Lawyer, is a humorous, often irreverent portrayal of the dubious practice of personal injury law.Jessica Snow has a crisp new law degree, a grinding ambition, and a pesky moral compass that is often at odds with her new job as an ambulance chaser... -
![Long Island Iced Tina by Maria DiRico]()
Long Island Iced Tina by Maria DiRico
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second installment of Maria DiRico's new Catering Hall Mystery series, Mia Carina is back in the borough of Queens, in charge of the family catering hall Belle View Banquet Manor, and keeping her nonna company. But some events--like murder at a shower--are not the kind you can schedule.. -
![Deal Gone Dead by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson]()
Deal Gone Dead by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet Lily Sprayberry.Selling homes is her career.Solving crimes, her calling.There's money buried somewhere on Myrtle Redbecker's property, and people are dying to find it.Literally... -
-
![Death by Dark Roast by Kate P. Adams]()
Death by Dark Roast by Kate P. Adams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder… Nestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire’s rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder... -
![Wine Tastings Are Murder by Libby Klein]()
Wine Tastings Are Murder by Libby Klein
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . . When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch... -
![Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds by London Lovett]()
Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds by London Lovett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet London's newest amateur sleuth, Scottie Ramone, in Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds—A prequel novella to the Scottie Ramone Cozy Mystery series.A missing grandmother, a murdered neighbor and a crush from the past are just a few of the surprises waiting for Scottie in the heart of the Rocky Mountains... -
![Sadie Kramer Flair Mysteries - Box Set 1-3 by Deborah Garner]()
Sadie Kramer Flair Mysteries - Box Set 1-3 by Deborah Garner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Flair for Chardonnay: When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer learns the owner of Cioccolato, her favorite chocolate shop, is in trouble, she heads for the California wine country with a tote-bagged Yorkie and a slew of questions. The fourth generation Tremiato Winery promises answers, but not before a dead body turns up at the vintners’ scheduled Harvest Festival... -
![Bones in the Begonias by Dale Mayer]()
Bones in the Begonias by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRiches to rags. … Chaos continues. … Murders abound. … Honestly? Doreen Montgomery’s new life in Kelowna was supposed to be a fresh start after a nasty split from her husband of fourteen years, plus a chance to get her bearings and her life back on track. Instead her first week in her new hometown was spent digging up dead bodies, chasing clues, and getting in Corporal Mack Moreau’s way... -
![Family Case of Murder by Vanessa Gray Bartal, Rebecca Tocheff]()
Family Case of Murder by Vanessa Gray Bartal, Rebecca Tocheff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLacy Steele has been dispatched to the Hamptons with the tall order to make amends with her estranged sister, Riley, and her ex-fiancé, Robert. The time has come to decide which of her friends to take as her date: Tosh or Jason. As if to add to her already high stress level, she'll be spending the weekend with Robert's certifiable family, and his aunt has declared a ban on dessert...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
