Death Takes a Holiday

Antique Shop Mysteries #8

by Susan Sleeman

Tragedy strikes on a girls’ weekend, thrusting Maggie Watson and her friends into a murder investigation at a living history museum.

Maggie Watson and the members of the Somerset Harbor Historical Society are setting out on a long-awaited trip to Weatherly Village, a living history museum in rural Maine, where they’ll experience life as the early colonists lived. But upon her arrival, she learns of a modern-day One of the village employees, a dear friend of Daisy's niece, has gone missing.

Maggie and her friends agree to help find Amanda, but the further their inquiries take them, the longer the list of suspects grows. And, when a different Weatherly Village employee is found dead in the manor house kitchen, Maggie knows she must find the culprit before anyone else becomes history.

This clever whodunit from Annie’s Antique Shop Mysteries series is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries, antiques, New England, and female friendships.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2025

About the author

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over sixty romantic suspense and mystery novels with more than two million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts The Suspense Zone. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, two special sons-in-law, and four amazing grandsons

Reviews

[Susan]

Maggie Watson and her friends take a break from their quaint Maine seaside town and spend a weekend at an historical village. Sadly, a young girl has disappeared, and Maggie is determined to find her. It's interesting that because the crime (kidnapping? murder?) is right up front, Maggie cannot ignore the evidence of her senses, and because she doesn't know the people involved, she can't ignore their possible culpability because they're her friends. It makes for a more convincing tale, though Maggie's vaunted detective skills are a bit lacking.

[Alex Atlee]

I'm proud of myself for guessing the person before any of the book characters even thought of it .

[Lis Sigona]

12/22/25 - 12/25/25
Death Takes A Holiday (Antique Shop Mysteries #8) by Susan Sleeman
The 8th book in the series. Maggie, Daisy, June Ruth, Ina, James and Daisy’s sister Jasmine and her niece, have a weekend retreat at a Village that imitates the styles golf the 1800’s. The Manor House and Shops and so forth have antiques, and show the styles of how things were done in those times. They even shut down the electricity and use candle and oil lamps, wood burning stoves, etc. Daisy drives some of the girls out in her husband’s dilapidated RV and the first night they sleep in that! Some comedic writing goes along with this, but it turns to mystery and mayhem when Daisy’s niece’s friend, Amanda goes missing and Maggie starts sleuthing along with the Sheriff and Detective. Suspects galore, murder and the one person Maggie didn’t have on her list turns out to be the culprit that has Amanda. It ends well for Amanda but not so for a few others we’ve met along the way!

[Jo Anne]

I am really enjoying the Antique Shop Mysteries series but I really didn't like this one. After a while, I got used to the mysteries taking place in the small town of Somerset Harbor, so when the gang takes a trip, I missed Maggie's cat, Snickers, the antique shop, Daisy's restaurant and the rest of the people of the town.

[Ali]

Cute as usual

This is a fun one with Maggie and the gang dressing up in period costume while trying to solve a kidnapping. The usual comradery and Maggie's sluthing ways are on full display with perhaps a little more push twarda a relationship with James? The period acting and setting made this fun and different but I look forward to her home setting again

[Charline Romine]

The Replacements

Maggie is becoming a master detective! She takes chances like nobody’s business but finally figures it out. Amanda is missing from the job. Lily, her friend reports to her mother that they can’t find Amanda and Maggie and the rest of the ladies and James, of course, go on the lookout.

[Jjean]

I didn't really find this book interesting until towards the end - It was "wordy" with descriptions of characters and setting - just took away some of the interest of the characters.

[Michaeline Skibinski Skibinski]

A quick read that made me forget about the health crises in the world around us. Interesting writing style, easy to follow. I'm going to read Susan Sleeman's other books.

[Irene Marston]

very interesting mystery really enjoyed it kept me guessing to the end

[Donna]

An enjoyable read with a good plot and great characters. However, missed the setting of Somerset Harbor.

[Debra McEathron]

Maggie and her friends are looking forward to participating in a reenactment in a nearby village. When they arrive they find out that a young woman is missing.

[Robyn]

2.5 stars

[Mooshka]

I enjoyed how this book was in a different setting and also the stakes seemed much higher yet it was still a classic cozy mystery!

[Sanderella]

Another good story in this series!! ☺️

[Debby]

The story line was excellent. The setting was interesting and the culprit was unexpected. A nice book to cuddle up with on a wintry day.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Kathie]

Not my favorite of this series but it was more entertaining towards the end.