Little Holly Homicide

Georgiana Germaine

by Cheryl Bradshaw

After her mother’s accidental death, Holly Honeywell returns to her hometown to settle the estate before Christmas.

In a forgotten shoebox tucked in a closet, she finds adoption papers, and uncovers a stunning truth--the woman who raised her wasn’t her biological mother. Even more unsettling, the agency listed on the documents no longer exists.

Shaken and searching for answers, Holly digs into her past, determined to uncover who her real parents are and why her adoption was kept from her.

It isn't long before Holly is found murdered. And now it’s up to Georgiana Germaine to unmask the killer and expose the secret someone is desperate to keep hidden.

Little Holly Homicide is book two in the Georgiana Germaine Holiday Novella Series, and it includes the same main characters from the original series. To date, there are twelve books in the main Georgiana Germaine mystery series, with three more releasing in 2026.

What Readers are Saying about the

"Makes you want to keep reading the story into the night." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"A strong lead character and plenty of drama, it keeps the reader engaged." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Leaves you wanting to read more." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I will definitely read more from this author." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Kept me on the edge of my seat." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2025

About the author

Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times and 11-time USA Today bestselling author writing in multiple genres, including mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, supernatural suspense, and poetry. She is a Shamus Award finalist for best private eye novel of the year, an eFestival of Words winner for best thriller, and has published over fifty books since 2011.

Raised in Southern California, she now lives in North Texas. When she's not writing, she loves jet-setting to new countries, exploring the outdoors, and playing with her grandbabies.

For a free eBook, click here: http://cherylbradshaw.com/get-a-free-...

Book series in order by Cheryl Bradshaw:

Georgiana Germaine (Mystery Series)

1. Little Girl Lost - USA Today Bestseller
2. Little Lost Secrets
3. Little Broken Things
4. Little White Lies
5. Little Tangled Webs
6. Little Shattered Dreams
7. Little Last Words
8. Little Buried Secrets
9. Little Stolen Memories
10. Little Empty Promises
11. Little Hidden Fears

Sloane Monroe Mystery/Thriller Series

0. Silent As the Grave (prequel to series)
1. Black Diamond Death
2. Murder in Mind
3. I Have a Secret
4. Stranger in Town - Shamus Award Finalist
5. Bed of Bones - USA Today Bestseller
6. Hush Now Baby - USA Today Bestseller
7. Gone Daddy Gone - USA Today Bestseller
8. Smoke and Mirrors - USA Today Bestseller

Sloane Monroe Stories - Mystery Novella Series
(with characters from the main series)

1. Deadly Sins: Sloth
2. Deadly Sins: Wrath
3. Deadly Sins: Lust
4. Deadly Sins: Greed
5. Deadly Sins: Envy
6. Deadly Sins: Pride

Sloane & Maddie Peril Awaits - Mystery Series
(Spinoff Series with Sloane Monroe & her sidekick Maddie)

1. The Silent Boy
2. The Shadow Children
3. The Broken Soul
4. The Widow Maker
5. The Familiar Stranger

Addison Lockhart Ghost Mystery Series

1. Grayson Manor Haunting
2. Rosecliff Manor Haunting
3. Blackthorn Manor Haunting
4. Belle Manor Haunting
5. Crawley Manor Haunting

Stand Alone Mystery/Thriller Novels

1. Eye for Revenge - USA Today Bestseller
2. The Perfect Lie
3. Hickory Dickory Dead - USA Today Bestseller
4. Roadkill - USA Today Bestseller

Reviews

[Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun fast murder mystery. I love checking in with some favorite characters.

[Steve Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet…

It’s been a while since I read the Georgiana Germaine series - and I still want her and Sloane Monroe to team up! - but this little novella reintroduced me to the characters and now I want to pick up where I left off. (Although, one doesn’t really need to be familiar with the books; Little Holly Homicide stands on its own.)

After the death of her mother, a young lady finds out she is actually adopted, and while trying to find out who her birth parents are, is brutally murdered. One of her friends hires Georgiana and her agency to find out who did it, and she’s on the case.

Like the title of this review, Little Holly Homicide is short but sweet… but even though this story is set around the holidays, it doesn’t feel like it’s a holiday mystery (if that makes any sense). Still, a quick read and worth checking out.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick (2 hours or less) mystery. When a young lady gets killed shortly after finding out she was adopted, Georgianna doesn't hesitate to take the case. Despite this being a novella, it's not the most simple of cases. There are plenty of pieces to the puzzle. A handful of possible suspects. Some lies, some secrets, some regrets. There is a bit of heartbreak as well, and not from who you might expect. It doesn't get too in depth as far as character development, but you get to know all you need to know. This takes place around the holidays, but other than that, it's not what I would consider a Christmas read. It's a 'clean read' in regards to both sexual content and language. It's taken from Georgiana's POV.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second holiday novella by Cheryl Bradshaw. Besides a good story, it’s the perfect book for the holiday season. The author somehow manages to pack so much into a shorter book that it’s a satisfying read yet great for when you don’t have a lot of time during the busy holiday season. Holly returns to her hometown to settle the estate of her mother after her accidental death. She finds a shoebox of papers that include her adoption papers. Completely shocked as she didn’t know she was adopted; Holly sets off to find the truth. She doesn’t have much luck as the adoption agency has closed and there is no indication of where the records could be. Soon, Holly is found murdered, and Gigi is hired to find out the truth. I found it an interesting read with a great ending!

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this is a novella so it's not designed to be as in depth as the normal cases Georgiana is involved in solving. That being said, it does start off with Holly discovering after her mother's death that she is adopted. Someone stops her before she can ask too many questions by killing her, which then makes you question the mother's death. Georgiana is hired by Holly's roommate to find out who killed Holly. She and her investigators start asking questions and digging into the past. Secrets are hard to keep and they are a doozy when she uncovers them. A good mystery especially when you are short on time.

[Mandi Newbold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great mystery short read! Bradshaw's writing has a great flow to it which makes it easy to read, and easy to get sucked in to the story and not want to put the book down. I'm always thoroughly convinced that every person the detective talks to is the killer.. And yet still surprised by the ending. I love the entire Georgiana Germaine book series!! You won't be disappointed.

[Kathy Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s cute. I didn’t see the end twist coming, but it’s a novella so there wasn’t much time for buildup. The plot is the tragic death of a young woman who had recently discovered that she had been adopted. Uncovering the truth behind her adoption of course leads to the killer. Georgiana Germaine’s mom gets in on the action even accompanying her to confront the killer(s).

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Georgiana Germaine short story with a unique plot line and interesting characters. Her mother becomes her sidekick whether Gigi wants her to or not. Cheryl Bradshaw’s books are always a great read.

[Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual Cheryl Bradshaw kept me in suspence from begining to end. Fantastic read. Cheryl writes in a way that you cannot pt yhe book down till you have finished it. I found the ending g was a very sad surprise. I highly recommend you read this book

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 of the Georgiana holiday series and just as good as the first.
it is short but really has a lot of detail and was really well written.
Really enjoyed it!

[Leah Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, fast holiday mystery read. Georgiana is such a great character. It kept me guessing, wrongly, the entire story.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

I enjoyed reading this story. It was a good storyline and kept my interest throughout. I would recommend it to you.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent short read by Ms Bradshaw. Holly is looking through old boxes after her mother died and she found out she was adopted and had never been told. As she searches she is murdered. A friend of hers hires Georgiana's firm to find the killer. This story is a quick read and very captive as you have to read it all at once to find out who the perp was...and it was a surprise to all.