Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Independently Published
Print Length: 212 pages

Synopsis

Two and a half weeks ago magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack arrived home to find Ira Pollack, her half-brother-in-law, had blinged out her home with enough Christmas lights to rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend (and possible spy) Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

Christmas craft projects included.

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Guest Post

Keeping a Series Fresh

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, is the eighth book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. I have always gotten ideas for my plots from actual events I’ve read about or seen on the news, and this time is no different. The plot is inspired by a murder that occurred in New Jersey last year. But as with most of my other “ripped from the headlines” stories, to say more would reveal a huge plot spoiler.

However, my series is about more than just having my amateur sleuth solve a murder in each book. Family drama and interactions play a huge role in my books, and the various supporting characters all have story arcs that move along from book to book.

Since I introduced Anastasia’s half-brother-in-law in Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, the third book in the series, readers have gotten to know Ira Pollack and his three extremely spoiled children, all of whom continue to try poor Anastasia’s patience. But for all her Jersey Girl attitude, Anastasia is a genuinely nice person. She may think nasty thoughts, but she never acts on them. The fact that she continues to allow her hateful communist mother-in-law to live with her speaks volumes to her character.

However, when Ira moves from across the state to across town and inserts himself and his kids deeper into her life, Anastasia’s patience begins to reach its limit—a fact that comes to a head in Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide.

About The Author

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry.

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