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Santa and the Slay Dogs: Two Holiday Mystery Novellas: A Pair of Cozy Christmas Mysteries with Dogs, Community, and Holiday Spirit
Santa and the Slay Two Holiday Mystery NovellasTwo Beloved Mystery Series. Two Canine Companions. Two Holiday Murders.
Cozy Holiday Mysteries With Dogs, Heart, and HumorIf you love Christmas whodunits, small-town sleuths, and canine partners who always sniff out the truth, this festive double-feature brings together two reader-favorite
Steve & Rochester from the Golden Retriever Mysteries
Kiki & Gracie from the Kiki Lowenstein Mysteries
Perfect for fans of Laurien Berenson, Rita Mae Brown, and The Thursday Murder Club.
Two Festive Whodunits — Double the Dogs, Double the Danger
DOG REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMENA Golden Retriever Mystery Novella
When conference center manager Steve Levitan and his golden retriever Rochester try to stop a clear-cutting plan on Eastern College’s historic pine grove, they don’t expect to uncover a murder disguised as an accident at the school’s holiday party.
Soon Steve is caught in a tangle
Campus rivalries and long-buried grudges
A scholarship fund quietly being drained
A killer who thinks some lives matter more than others
With Rochester leading the trail, Steve must expose the truth before another life is cut short.
THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMASA Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Novella
At a cheerful “Shots with Santa” holiday pet-photo event, craft store owner Kiki Lowenstein expects a cute picture of her Great Dane, Gracie.
Instead, she witnesses a suspicious dog bite, a sudden murder, and her friend Melody accused as the prime suspect.
Now Kiki must
A potential rabies scare
Shredded evidence she has to piece back together
Preparations for her Holiday Crafting Extravaganza
To save Melody, she’ll need all her creativity—and Gracie’s calming presence—to uncover a killer hiding in plain sight.
What You’ll Love in This CollectionFrom a wintry Pennsylvania campus to a bustling Missouri craft store, these two mysteries deliver holiday reading at its
🎄 Small-town cozy mystery charm
🐾 Dogs who help crack the case
🔎 Amateur sleuths facing real danger with wit and heart
🧵 Crafting, community, and seasonal celebrations
💰 Twisty plots with fraud, secrets, and unexpected motives
🌲 Authentic settings full of warmth and detail
ȳ
Cozy Holiday Mysteries With Dogs, Heart, and HumorIf you love Christmas whodunits, small-town sleuths, and canine partners who always sniff out the truth, this festive double-feature brings together two reader-favorite
Steve & Rochester from the Golden Retriever Mysteries
Kiki & Gracie from the Kiki Lowenstein Mysteries
Perfect for fans of Laurien Berenson, Rita Mae Brown, and The Thursday Murder Club.
Two Festive Whodunits — Double the Dogs, Double the Danger
DOG REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMENA Golden Retriever Mystery Novella
When conference center manager Steve Levitan and his golden retriever Rochester try to stop a clear-cutting plan on Eastern College’s historic pine grove, they don’t expect to uncover a murder disguised as an accident at the school’s holiday party.
Soon Steve is caught in a tangle
Campus rivalries and long-buried grudges
A scholarship fund quietly being drained
A killer who thinks some lives matter more than others
With Rochester leading the trail, Steve must expose the truth before another life is cut short.
THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMASA Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Novella
At a cheerful “Shots with Santa” holiday pet-photo event, craft store owner Kiki Lowenstein expects a cute picture of her Great Dane, Gracie.
Instead, she witnesses a suspicious dog bite, a sudden murder, and her friend Melody accused as the prime suspect.
Now Kiki must
A potential rabies scare
Shredded evidence she has to piece back together
Preparations for her Holiday Crafting Extravaganza
To save Melody, she’ll need all her creativity—and Gracie’s calming presence—to uncover a killer hiding in plain sight.
What You’ll Love in This CollectionFrom a wintry Pennsylvania campus to a bustling Missouri craft store, these two mysteries deliver holiday reading at its
🎄 Small-town cozy mystery charm
🐾 Dogs who help crack the case
🔎 Amateur sleuths facing real danger with wit and heart
🧵 Crafting, community, and seasonal celebrations
💰 Twisty plots with fraud, secrets, and unexpected motives
🌲 Authentic settings full of warmth and detail
ȳ
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2025
24 people are currently reading
1182 people want to read
About the author
Neil S. Plakcy
238 books650 followersI have been a voracious reader all my life, mostly in mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy, though a college degree in English did push a lot of literary works into my list of favorites.
Quick note: sign up for my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com to get free prologues, epilogues and short stories.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.
It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.
I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.
My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story.
Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.
My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.
I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Quick note: sign up for my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com to get free prologues, epilogues and short stories.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.
It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.
I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.
My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story.
Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.
My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.
I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 15, 2025
2 Holiday Novellas!
The two novellas included in this book are very enjoyable! They each are a nice bonus to the popular series from both of these authors. A quick, entertaining Christmas read.
The two novellas included in this book are very enjoyable! They each are a nice bonus to the popular series from both of these authors. A quick, entertaining Christmas read.
November 16, 2025
"Santa and the Slay Dogs" delivers a delightful double feature of Christmas-themed cozy mysteries, perfect for animal lovers and whodunit fans alike.
In Neil S. Plakcy's "Dog Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," protagonist Steve Levitan and his intuitive golden retriever, Rochester, investigate the electrocution of the widely disliked Marty Kowalski. The challenge isn't a lack of suspects, but a surplus; Marty had enemies everywhere. The investigation is methodical and smooth, unfolding through Steve's empathetic perspective. While Steve is a thoughtful sleuth, it's the gorgeous Rochester who proves indispensable, uncovering clues that crack not just the murder, but a second hidden crime.
The second tale, Joanna Campbell Slan's "The Bite Before Christmas," features crafter-sleuth Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler and her Great Dane, Gracie. After a photo shoot, one of the attendees is murdered, and the victim's soon-to-be-published tell-all magazine gives nearly everyone a motive. Kiki must juggle the investigation with a dog-bite scare, a lurking killer, and preparation for her own Holiday Crafting Extravaganza. Kiki is just as determined as Steve, but her bustling home life and friendships share the spotlight, creating a rich and relatable narrative.
Both novellas are beautifully crafted with credible characters and engaging protagonists you'll want to visit again. If you love well-written cozies with heart, humour, and heroic pets, this book is a festive treat. And yes, the punny titles are absolutely perfect!
In Neil S. Plakcy's "Dog Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," protagonist Steve Levitan and his intuitive golden retriever, Rochester, investigate the electrocution of the widely disliked Marty Kowalski. The challenge isn't a lack of suspects, but a surplus; Marty had enemies everywhere. The investigation is methodical and smooth, unfolding through Steve's empathetic perspective. While Steve is a thoughtful sleuth, it's the gorgeous Rochester who proves indispensable, uncovering clues that crack not just the murder, but a second hidden crime.
The second tale, Joanna Campbell Slan's "The Bite Before Christmas," features crafter-sleuth Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler and her Great Dane, Gracie. After a photo shoot, one of the attendees is murdered, and the victim's soon-to-be-published tell-all magazine gives nearly everyone a motive. Kiki must juggle the investigation with a dog-bite scare, a lurking killer, and preparation for her own Holiday Crafting Extravaganza. Kiki is just as determined as Steve, but her bustling home life and friendships share the spotlight, creating a rich and relatable narrative.
Both novellas are beautifully crafted with credible characters and engaging protagonists you'll want to visit again. If you love well-written cozies with heart, humour, and heroic pets, this book is a festive treat. And yes, the punny titles are absolutely perfect!
December 21, 2025
Great stories
Both authors are among my favorites. These stories measure up, reminding me why I enjoy them. And always fun for me holi.
Both authors are among my favorites. These stories measure up, reminding me why I enjoy them. And always fun for me holi.
dnf
December 23, 2025Won 🏆 via goodreads giveaways. All my opinions are my own.
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Appreciate winning, just wasn't for me. *shrugs*
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Appreciate winning, just wasn't for me. *shrugs*
did-not-finish
December 23, 2025This felt very uninteresting to me but I haven’t read enough to feel like giving it a rating would be justified. It felt very contemporary. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews