Synopsis

Wrapped in red has a bloody new meaning in this contemporary holiday romance with a murderous twist, perfect for readers who enjoyed The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

Christmasville, Maine, is the only place where Kelsey Hendricks has ever felt happy. When she loses both her job and her boyfriend, the move is a no-brainer, especially when she sees a listing for a position as Christmasville’s social media manager. Surrounded by twinkling lights and candy canes and with the perfect job, this tinsel town is working its magic on Kelsey. With two heartthrobs vying for her attention, her life is now just like a Christmas movie.

Except for the murders.

The first one is dismissed as an accident. But after the second, and definitely the third, it becomes abundantly clear that Santa is leaving coal in someone’s stocking this year.

Determined to bring back the holly jolly spirit to the town before tourists begin canceling their reservations, Kelsey must sleuth her way out of a chilling murder mystery and back to a holiday rom-com.

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Excerpt

By the time I started to question if I was making a mistake, it was too late. Christmasville was one mile away-and I had spectacularly blown my life up into pieces. There was no going back.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I pushed down my rising anxiety. I was glad I’d filled up the tank when I got off I-95 because I hadn’t passed a gas station since. The GPS led me down winding roads lined by the deep woods of Maine. I cracked the car window and inhaled the scents of balsam and pine. The stars were brighter up here. The crisp November air, a bolstering hit of pure oxygen.

When I was young, the seemingly endless ride to the middle of nowhere with my family was part of the charm. It truly felt like we were heading to the North Pole. The happiest place in the world. Except now-as an adult-I needed escape. The kind of total joyful immersion therapy that only a place like Christmasville could supply.

A month ago, after I … did what I did … I slunk home to my overpriced Boston apartment to find notice that the already obscene rent was going up-again. Wonderful! I was suddenly unemployed, single, and poor! Later that night while searching through the meager job postings relevant to my experience, one made my breath catch in my throat. The town of Christmasville, Maine, needed a social media manager. The pay was a step down from my agency job, but the rent would be too. And I could live in Christmasville! Growing up, my parents took my brother and me there on vacation several times. Most times in winter but even once in July. Because Christmasville’s motto was “Where holiday cheer lasts all year long!”

Every day we’d spent in Christmasville was a happy one. So I knew, deep in my heart, that was where I needed to go. Maybe not for forever. But it felt like the right move now. The cozy town would make for a cheerful setting for my life reset. Who knew, maybe even open a door to a rebound romance-or two-to bring my confidence back up from the sewer it was currently residing in. It would be like my own personal made-for-television Christmas movie-with a title like A True Love for Christmas or A Dream Romance for Christmas. Starring … me.

My only hope was that the town hadn’t changed too much. I was a teenager the last time I’d visited with my family. Of course, it wasn’t going to seem the same over ten years later as it was in my childhood memories. But if even a fraction of that Christmasville enchantment remained, it would be enough.

The road widened, and a few houses started to dot the landscape between tall pines. Almost there. The GPS announced a right onto Main Street in a quarter mile. I took that turn, and the dark woods opened up into bright holiday magic.

The downtown itself was small with brightly painted buildings situated close together. A light dusting of snow rested on tree branches. People held mittened hands walking down cleared sidewalks. String lights adorned every tree and telephone pole. Elaborate window displays decorated the front of every quaint shop on Main Street. I let out a dreamy sigh. It was just as I remembered. It hadn’t changed at all.

I took a right off of Main Street and headed down the quiet side road to my hotel. I’d never stayed at the Christmas Creek Inn before. When my family used to come here, we were pretty loyal to the Christmas Tree Farm Inn. Except for the time they were all booked, and we had to stay at the Christmasville Inn. Not to be confused with The Inn at Christmasville, which was across the street.

Since I’d be living in a hotel for the time being and didn’t need my furniture yet, I’d left most of my belongings in a storage facility. I could arrange to have my things moved here after I fully settled into my new town.

My new town. It was like a dream. Literally. Growing up in my boring small town in central Massachusetts, my dream was to move here when I grew up. I thought it would be like Christmas every day. Then I went to college and got big city dreams instead. Those were good years too, for a while. Until everything fell apart. But maybe this life detour was meant to lead me back here.

About the Author

Kim Harrington‘s A Killer for Christmas is her debut adult mystery from Crooked Lane Books. She is also known for her teen novels Clarity, Perception, The Dead and Buried, and Forget Me, as well as books for younger readers, including Revenge of the Red Club, the Sleuth or Dare series, and the Gamer Squad series. Kim lives in Massachusetts with her family and never leaves the house without a book. She has an MBA but would rather plot twists than business plans. When not writing, she’s most likely reading or dreaming about her next vacation.

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