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Christmas Carols & Yuletide Perils: A Southern Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Curl up with a cup of cocoa in a magical town where the carols might be sweet, but the perils are downright bitter.
In the enchanting town of Darkly, where magic glimmers like frost on magnolia leaves, witch and travel bookshop owner Windsor Ebonwood is dreaming of a cozy Christmas filled with carols, cocoa, candlelight, and, of course, one swoony alpha shifter. But when the annual Cold Moon Gala ends with a gruesome murder—an eerie signature reminiscent of the legendary Christmas Witch, Frau Perchta—Win's holiday plans take a sinister turn.
As whispers of Perchta’s monstrous minions swirl through the swampy mist, Win and her supernatural sleuthing circle follow the trail like fireflies through the fog. But the holiday horror escalates when a second victim is found murdered in the same gruesome manner. Yuletide cheer turns to dread, casting a shadow even over the ancient magic that once kept Darkly safe.
But in a town where magic runs deep and old grudges run deeper, nothing is as it seems. Can Win solve the mystery before the killer strikes again, or will Darkly's Yuletide season be forever marred by deadly perils?
Brimming with quirky charm, holiday romance, and spine-tingling suspense, Christmas Carols & Yuletide Perils is a magical mystery that will keep you turning pages well past midnight.
In the enchanting town of Darkly, where magic glimmers like frost on magnolia leaves, witch and travel bookshop owner Windsor Ebonwood is dreaming of a cozy Christmas filled with carols, cocoa, candlelight, and, of course, one swoony alpha shifter. But when the annual Cold Moon Gala ends with a gruesome murder—an eerie signature reminiscent of the legendary Christmas Witch, Frau Perchta—Win's holiday plans take a sinister turn.
As whispers of Perchta’s monstrous minions swirl through the swampy mist, Win and her supernatural sleuthing circle follow the trail like fireflies through the fog. But the holiday horror escalates when a second victim is found murdered in the same gruesome manner. Yuletide cheer turns to dread, casting a shadow even over the ancient magic that once kept Darkly safe.
But in a town where magic runs deep and old grudges run deeper, nothing is as it seems. Can Win solve the mystery before the killer strikes again, or will Darkly's Yuletide season be forever marred by deadly perils?
Brimming with quirky charm, holiday romance, and spine-tingling suspense, Christmas Carols & Yuletide Perils is a magical mystery that will keep you turning pages well past midnight.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2025
12 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 25, 2026
I really enjoyed the first two books in the "Darkly Southern" series, and was looking forward to this latest addition. While the mystery itself was an interesting idea, I felt that this offering was rushed to market.
First, the good: I loved the inclusion of the Germanic figure Perchta and Cajun Papa Noel with his alligators! I wanted more of both, front and center in this magical community. The magical archive is also a great addition. (Hopefully we'll see more of it in future tales.) As in previous books, the architectural detail descriptions provided were fabulous.
Now, the reasons for only three stars.
1. The amount of time spent describing the snowfall drove me to distraction. Admittedly, I dispise snow and the cold, but this was SO MUCH SNOW! I simply could not maintain my suspension of disbelief to enjoy the story. It seemed that it was constantly snowing -- in the bayous of Southern Louisiana. Even scenes that started with sunshine ended with heavy snow. Despite it snowing almost non-stop of the week this story covers, the accumulation never appeared to be more than ankle deep when it should have been up to the house eaves, based on the descriptions. Was there some kind of magical protection to prevent accumulation that I missed?
2. In the rush to get this out for the Yuletide season, there was a random smattering of mis-used words and repeated actions. (i.e. 'pawn scum' in lieu of 'pond scum' and the scene in which Win has the jeep's heater running full blast followed by cranking the jeep not once, but twice)
3. I felt that a lot more could have been done with Perchta. Throughout the story, she was a shadow-bogey with no real actions. It made her appearance at the end feel more deux ex-machina than the arrival of a powerful figure.
4. There was an entire rougarou subplot that was simply abandoned about 2/3 through the book. I have so many unanswered questions about Truegaze and what Kier is going to do about the situation.
Regardless, I AM looking forward to the next book in the series, but I am willing to wait a bit longer for it to received the same level of polish as the first two in the series.
First, the good: I loved the inclusion of the Germanic figure Perchta and Cajun Papa Noel with his alligators! I wanted more of both, front and center in this magical community. The magical archive is also a great addition. (Hopefully we'll see more of it in future tales.) As in previous books, the architectural detail descriptions provided were fabulous.
Now, the reasons for only three stars.
1. The amount of time spent describing the snowfall drove me to distraction. Admittedly, I dispise snow and the cold, but this was SO MUCH SNOW! I simply could not maintain my suspension of disbelief to enjoy the story. It seemed that it was constantly snowing -- in the bayous of Southern Louisiana. Even scenes that started with sunshine ended with heavy snow. Despite it snowing almost non-stop of the week this story covers, the accumulation never appeared to be more than ankle deep when it should have been up to the house eaves, based on the descriptions. Was there some kind of magical protection to prevent accumulation that I missed?
2. In the rush to get this out for the Yuletide season, there was a random smattering of mis-used words and repeated actions. (i.e. 'pawn scum' in lieu of 'pond scum' and the scene in which Win has the jeep's heater running full blast followed by cranking the jeep not once, but twice)
3. I felt that a lot more could have been done with Perchta. Throughout the story, she was a shadow-bogey with no real actions. It made her appearance at the end feel more deux ex-machina than the arrival of a powerful figure.
4. There was an entire rougarou subplot that was simply abandoned about 2/3 through the book. I have so many unanswered questions about Truegaze and what Kier is going to do about the situation.
Regardless, I AM looking forward to the next book in the series, but I am willing to wait a bit longer for it to received the same level of polish as the first two in the series.
January 28, 2026
Favorite series
I love this series! So imaginative, just perfect. This one had a bit too much descriptions, more than the book before it. I can’t wait for the next in the series!
I love this series! So imaginative, just perfect. This one had a bit too much descriptions, more than the book before it. I can’t wait for the next in the series!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews