Missing Before Christmas

by June Woods

He disappeared the night before their perfect Christmas began.

For the first time in 10 years, all three of Tanya Hartman's children are coming home for Christmas. The farmhouse is decorated, the cookies are baked, and 40 years of love have never felt stronger.

Then her husband Greg steps outside into the December snow—and never comes back.

His truck is gone. His phone goes straight to voicemail. The only trace of him is a set of footprints disappearing into the night.

In the small town of Cedar Hollow, where everyone knows everyone's business, the whispers start immediately. But Tanya knows the Greg would never leave her. Not willingly.

As she races to find answers before her children arrive, she uncovers strange clues, mysterious phone calls and orders placed without her knowledge.

With only days until Christmas and a sheriff who's running out of leads, Tanya must confront an impossible

Her husband is missing. And now his secrets are beginning to surface.
Start reading to find out what happens in Book 2 of 3 in this gripping holiday series!

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2025

About the author

June Woods is a coffee-loving beach bum who has spent the last decade traveling the states and meeting interesting people.

She was born and raised in Florida but has called everywhere home for a little while.

She’s been obsessed with reading ever since she learned how to, and has been writing short stories for as long as she can remember.

Her first love will always be mysteries, but she also dabbles in romantic suspense and comedy.

You can expect her books to be light, fluffy, and full of emotion. June loves making her readers feel something, even if it's just laughter.

Follow her on Amazon to be notified when new books are released:
https://www.amazon.com/June-Woods/e/B...

Reviews

[Jessica Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Again, super repetitive… how many times can you say “touching this grounded me”… she held her friends hand and it grounded her, she pet her dog and it ground her, the sound of tires on gravel grounded her… like come up with some new words and ideas. And the she goes off to meet a mysterious man that her husband cut off contact with, alone, seems reasonable… then her and the mountain man drive around to the small towns to search for missing husband, even though the sheriff and his team had already gone out searching the neighboring towns even before they found his truck. Then they decide to go look for tire tracks, days later, after snowstorm have rolled through… like does anyone believe they are going to see tire tracks in snow during snow storms in the middle of winter, even after the sheriff confirmed they saw no tire marks… and it’s been almost a week, she still hasn’t told her children, but the search for the missing man has been all over the news… Now they are hiking in the middle of the woods in blustery winter conditions, they happen to come to a bridge that crosses the water and they just happen to look down in the water and see a shiny object under the ice and snow and realize it’s the guys watch, and that he planted it there on purpose… the sheriff and search team keep saying they are going to “expand the search area” but all the evidence points to him being in the same area… This story is just not believable, that or the MC is just incredibly senile… I’m annoyed I have to scroll through a third book just to find out what happened.

[Judy Hardwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Below

I read all three books within 24 hours, because, really it could have been one good book. The story of the missing husband kept me guessing while at the same I was disturbed that this woman had multiple conversations with her a dult children and never once shared that daddy didn't come home last night... what the what? AND what was up with going into a convenience store and getting a few supplies and NOT CALLING HIS WIFE after he'd been missing a few days? That threw me off... still friendships were renewed and kindled... sweet ending, if a bit implausible.

[Kathy Dryden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book is packed with even more mysteries than the first, but what really draws me in are the characters. Love shines through in so many forms, wrapping itself around my heart. Mandy is such a wonderful friend to Tandy, and Joshua is surprisingly turning out to be a great friend to Greg. Bring on Book 3!

[Cindy Walker]

I'm halfway through book 3 & I'm very bothered by the fact that she hasn't told her adult children and their families that their dad/grandpa is missing.

[Beverly Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a breathtaking story!

I hold my breath every time they seem to be getting close to finding him! What a great storyline this series has!