Holidays & Homicides: short story collection

by Rosalie Spielman, Catherine Bruns, Gin Jones

From twelve USA Today bestselling and award winning authors, comes a short story collection stuffed full of mirthful mysteries, clever criminals, and holiday cheer! These short holiday bites are perfect for enjoying between rounds of wrapping or binge-reading over a cup of cocoa!

Stories

A Hometown Christmas Caper (Hometown Mysteries)
by Rosalie Spielman

Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

Larceny & Twinkle Lights (Jamie Winters Mysteries)
by Kelly Rey

Holidays & Heists (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries)
by Anne Marie Stoddard

Ornaments, Surprise & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries)
by Jennifer Fischetto

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief (Northwoods Mysteries)
by Annie McEwen

You Can't see the Forest for the Christmas Trees (Modern Midwife Mysteries)
by Christine Knapp

Jingle Bell Rocker (Sunny Side Up Mysteries)
by Misty Simon

Holly, Handcuffs, and Hearsay (Camelot Flowers Mysteries)
by Erica Wynters

Search for the Silent Santa (Ghost Town Mysteries)
by Jamie L. Adams

Nothing But Truffle (Cookies & Chance Mysteries)
by Catherine Bruns

A Heartland Homicide (Bourbon B&B Mysteries)
by Gin Jones

Genres: Cozy Mystery

419 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2025

About the author

As a military brat, veteran and military spouse (retired), I've moved more times than I have fingers to count on! I only recently broke my record of six consecutive years at one address.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered that I could make other people laugh with my writing. I enjoy reading to escape from the real world, and hope to give you the same with my stories.

Join my newsletter at www.Rosalie-Spielman-author.com or on Facebook at “Rosalie Spielman author” or my readers’ group, “You Know The Spiel.” I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!

I strive to provide you an escape...one page at a time.

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection is a fun way to get in a cozy short read in the busyness of the season. I enjoyed reading from favorite series that I enjoy as well as reading stories from series that I have not read but plan to check out. All take place around Christmas with a cozy mystery to solve. My favorites are the Coffee & Cream Cafe series by Lena Gregory, Aloha Lagoon Mysteries, Northwoods Mysteries by Annie McEwen, and Cookies & Chance Mysteries by Catherine Bruns plus more. The cover is lovely and festive.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays & Homicides is a wonderful book full of cozy mystery Christmas short stories by some fabulous authors. We get to visit some of our favorite series and characters at Christmas!
Stories include:
A Hometown Christmas Caper (Hometown Mysteries)
by Rosalie Spielman

Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

Larceny & Twinkle Lights (Jamie Winters Mysteries)
by Kelly Rey

Holidays & Heists (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries)
by Anne Marie Stoddard

Ornaments, Surprise & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries)
by Jennifer Fischetto

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief (Northwoods Mysteries)
by Annie McEwen

You Can't see the Forest for the Christmas Trees (Modern Midwife Mysteries)
by Christine Knapp

Jingle Bell Rocker (Sunny Side Up Mysteries)
by Misty Simon

Holly, Handcuffs, and Hearsay (Camelot Flowers Mysteries)
by Erica Wynters

Search for the Silent Santa (Ghost Town Mysteries)
by Jamie L. Adams

Nothing But Truffle (Cookies & Chance Mysteries)
by Catherine Bruns

A Heartland Homicide (Bourbon B&B Mysteries)
by Gin Jones

[Jemima Pett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the ARC copy

I very much enjoyed this holiday collection of short cozy mysteries. It’s a great introduction to new writes for me and a fun visit with old favorites.

Starting out with The Hometown Christmas Caper by Rosalie Spielman, which had me singing the clues as Tessa & Aunt Edna investigated. It was fabulous to see all my favorite characters as the investigation wandered downtown New Oslo.

Enjoyed returning to Aloha Lagoon this time with Anne Marie Stoddard’s characters. Absolutely loved crazy Aunt Rikki.

Jennifer Fischetto’s character Gianna has an interesting gift that I now want to read more about.

Anne McEwen’s It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Mischief had a fun, positive Christmas mischief mystery.

I recommend this anthology to those wanting to get into the holiday spirit or just to check out new/different authors.

[Marian West · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book this is. It's an anthology of twelve Christmas and New Years tales, written by twelve cozy mystery authors. Each story is written in the "world" that each author has created. If you love Tessa and Aunt Edna, Emmy and Whitney, Jax and Aunt Hildy... then you'll love catching up with them in these new adventures. If you don't know them yet, then... what are you waiting for? It's a great way to be introduced to a bunch of new series. Ho ho ho!

Disclosure: We received a free digital ARC of this book. No guarantee of a review or other compensation was made.

[The Book Adventurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Rosalie Spielman for sending me an eARC of Holidays & Homicides.

Some of the stories are by authors that I've read, and some were new to me. Not having read some of the series before was not a hinderance in enjoying these short stories at all!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holidays and Homicides is a fun collection of twelve short stories by twelve different cozy mystery authors. I really enjoyed getting to know some new to me series by reading these short stories. There were some that I started but didn’t finish because they just weren’t my taste. Some others, I knew I’d love because I already knew the characters. Then there were the ones that really made me want to dive further into their series because the characters and writing style drew me in in just that short amount of time. You can read each story very quickly.

The first story I read was Lena Gregory’s “Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread” from her Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries. This series is one of my favorites, and I just adore the characters. This story is Christmas-y and involves the tree lighting ceremony in the small Long Island town, Watchogue. As with each of the stories in this anthology, the mystery wraps up quickly, but it was still interesting and fun.

One thing I loved about reading these stories was the fact that I found new authors to follow and new cozy mystery series to add to my mile high to be read list! I loved certain stories enough to make time to fit the books from these new to me series into my packed reading schedule! I won’t be commenting on the other stories in this anthology because I’m not going to single out the ones I loved and the ones I didn’t finish. Like I said, I did read almost all of the stories though there were three I just couldn’t get into. There are a couple that I enjoyed, but I’m not sure that I’d pick up the other books in the series. And then there were some that I loved so much!

I definitely recommend that you give Holidays and Homicides a read! I’m sure you’ll have the same type of experience I did while reading. You’ll love some, like some, and not care for some. We all have different cozy mystery tastes! I will tell you that the characters totally shined in the stories that I really enjoyed! Give this entertaining collection a try!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Katreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLIDAYS & HOMICIDES
A Short Story Collection

Need a break amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Looking for a quick read to get you in the holiday spirit? This new anthology by Gemma Halliday Publishing is just the ticket. While the book itself is long, the stories contained are short and most can easily be read in a sitting or two. There's a nice variety of authors, some familiar to me and some not. I was especially thrilled to see that Lena Gregory had a story featuring the characters from her Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series, one of my favorites and probably my favorite story in the anthology. I was also pleased to see a Catherine Bruns tale and that Christine Knapp had a modern midwife story. I also discovered new to me authors whose books I need to check out, particularly Rosalie Spielman and Kelly Rey. I must admit I did skip reading one story. I can't abide present tense and could only manage a paragraph of that particular story. It should be noted that while the title of the anthology is HOLIDAYS & HOMICIDES not all of the stories included are murder mysteries. There are plenty of other crimes that provide good puzzles and several stories show that.

HOLIDAYS & HOMICIDES is a delightful collection of holiday mysteries to help you wind down and relax during this hectic time of year while bringing Yuletide cheer during any season!

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays & Homicides is a collection of short stories written by a group of amazing authors who have books published through Gemma Halliday Publishing. Each short stories gives readers a glimpse into the characters and settings surrounding the series that they write about. This gives the readers a little Christmas fun as well as allows you to pick your next books .... or if you are like me and you have read books by the authors, it just makes you fall in love with them some more.

Even though the authors are cozy mystery authors not all the short stories involve murder, some of them do, which again sheds some light on their creative story telling.

I dare you to pick a favorite. Every time I was reading one, it became my favorite, and I was sure it would remain that way. But then I began reading the next one and that jumped to the top of the list.

From Thanksgiving until after the New Year everyone is busy so if you can sit down with a short story and get lost for an hour or so, that helps with your stress level. Sometimes, especially this time of year, we do not have the time to devote to a full novel, so this is the perfect solution. So, grab your copy, a cup of tea or glass of wine, a snack and enjoy some time with Holidays & Homicides.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't coming out until December 2, but it is definitely on my "must buy" list. And it should be on yours. In most anthologies, there are often stories that you love and others that are okay, but there are no "okay" ones in this anthology. They are all fun, entertaining, and satisfying--and have characters that are in the authors' full scale books. And a few of them have delicious recipes as well. They are quick reads so easy to grab over lunch (though some are a little longer and may take more than a lunch break to read) and give you a glimpse at each author's unique style.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” #GemmaHallidayPublishing

[Bibliophile Foodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection was such a treat to read during the holiday season. I love cozy mysteries, and having twelve festive short stories all in one book made it easy to pick up whenever I had a spare moment. Each story had its own unique charm, but together they created a wonderful mix of humour, suspense, and holiday spirit.

What I enjoyed most was how the stories balanced mystery. They introduced me to new sleuths and settings. The variety kept things fresh.

The holiday atmosphere was woven into each mystery in fun and creative ways. From Christmas parties gone wrong to festive traditions hiding secrets, the seasonal details gave the stories that extra cozy touch. It felt like the perfect blend of crime-solving and holiday cheer.

The stories didn’t feel rushed, and each one had enough intrigue to keep me guessing.

A delightful, festive, and entertaining from start to finish.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve short but intense mysteries from twelve series by different authors. If you have read any of these authors (published by Gemma Halliday) you will be especially delighted by the stories-it's like visiting old friends! If these are new to you authors/series, they are an abbreviated example of the fun and characters in their respective series. Each author's story is unique yet authentic to their series. Do I have a favorite? Not really. Whichever one I am reading at the moment is my favorite. A fun way to get in the holiday mood! Criminally delightful!

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays & Homicides was a delight to read! I read books by most of the included authors. It was a joy to catch up with some of my favorite sleuths - especially at Christmas. It would be impossible to say enough good things about these 12 authors so I am not even going to try. I will just tell you that you do not want to miss out on these quick visits with some of your favorite characters. .I enjoyed every word!

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a nice holiday surprise! I love cozy mysteries, and this set has so many of my favorite authors. During this busy time of year, it was nice to read a collection of short stories by many of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I would encourage anyone to give this book a try. If you’re not familiar with all the authors, you might discover a new series! I believe they are all new novellas and great for a quick read! I’d love to see more like this!

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this short story collection. Each cozy is set up well and the authors did a great job completing the story. The best part about this collection is it introduced me to several other cozy mystery series' that I hadn't heard off or hadn't had the chance to start. I love these little tastes of other mysteries. Grab a copy to catch up with your favorite characters, like I did with Gossip, Guilt, and Gingerbread by Lena Gregory, or to meet some new ones.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun collection of holiday mysteries. I think my favorites are A Hometown Christmas Caper, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief , and Nothing But Truffle. But, they all are great holiday mysteries. Great way to spend a snowy day. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader of this book provided by the publisher.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuffed full of fun holiday shorts! I loved the stories tied to cozy series I already love, and found a few new authors to add to my ever-growing stacks!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The description of this delightful short story collection states “these short holiday bites are perfect for enjoying between rounds of wrapping or binge-reading over a cup of cocoa!” And that is exactly spot on!

I love seasonal reading, and I love Christmas, but I’ve also been thinking a lot this year about how exhausting this season can be. This month is busy with get-togethers, school performances, nagging high school students to study for finals, and organizing the magic for the family, and that’s just to name a few. Sometimes I just want to sit in front of my Christmas and read with a holiday mug of hot chocolate, and this is just what this collection allows. To take care of ourselves while we are taking care of everyone else, I try to intentionally carve out quiet time. I sat with my snuggly dog and read two stories, then took care of some to dos. The next day I did the same.

Each short story is entertaining, capturing the season with heart and humor as well. I enjoyed each festive mystery and loved that I could finish up a story before hopping up to take care of something at home. I loved reading from favorite authors (like Catherine Bruns) and exploring new to me authors like Gin Jones.

So, take my recommendation and purchase yourself a pre-holiday gift and carve out some time to soak in the season through the writings of wonderful authors!

About the Authors:

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun collection of short stories highlighting holiday mayhem.

Holidays & Homicides is a fun, holiday-themed collection of short stories set in the series’ worlds of 12 of the best cozy mystery writers publishing today. The theme and the shorter length of the stories make this book the perfect read during the busy run-up to Christmas and the New Year!

Each one of the included stories is a gem, and while some of my favorite authors have contributed to the collection, many are from writers I have yet to read. So, this collection was a super opportunity to sample a storyline or two from a new-to-me author featuring one of their ongoing cozy mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and my book wish list has grown as a result.

Even with the overarching theme, the stories still offer plenty of variety. While the title and cover art hint at murder and Christmas, not all the stories are set in December, nor do they feature a yuletide tragedy. For example, in Rosalie Spielman’s A HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS, Tessa Treslow and her Aunt Edna look into the sudden disappearance of some of their downtown businesses’ holiday decorations, while A HEARTLAND HOMICIDE by Gin Jones occurs around Valentine’s Day. However, all the stories shine with the main characters, familiar settings, and charm of their authors’ featured cozy mystery series.

I recommend HOLIDAYS & HOMICIDES: SHORT STORY COLLECTION to cozy mystery readers, especially those looking for a collection of holiday-themed tie-ins.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed and loved this annual collection from the beginning, but this year's Holidays and Homicides: Short Story Collection is the best yet. Naturally, I adore the contributions from series that I already loved, but I have added several series to my must-read list from series I have not followed in the past because those stories were great too. Most of the stories and novellas are focused on Christmas but there a few dedicated to other holidays; for example, Gin Jones has already released her Christmas 2025 book in her Bourbon B&B Mysteries, so her family is trying to celebrate Valentine's Day.