If you have lots to do getting ready for the holidays, guests, gift shopping and wrapping your reading time might be limited, so how about some short stories? Secret Staircase Holiday Mysteries: a Collection of Cozy Short Stories is perfect for that! There are stories from four bestselling authors, and introducing a new one. Each story must include a hidden staircase. Holidays range from Halloween to New Year's Eve. There's a house specifically designed with all sorts of tricks and surprises, a Thanksgiving turkey that goes missing, hidden treasure ... and more! My favorite was the story by J.M. Poole, author of the Corgi Case Files. :-)

For the first time since 2019, Canadian Reader is here for Christmas! She brought with her all the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy books that have been published since then. It was so good to get back to Fenella and Mona that I almost read Proposals and Poison, by Diana Xarissa, in one sitting. Fenella's boyfriend, Daniel, is looking for a new apartment, one that is closer to work, his favorite pub, and, of course, Fenella. Sadly, they are interrupted when a crew, digging out a basement in the building next door, come across a box label "poison". Daniel, a police inspector, is off to investigate. Behind that box is a body, well, a skeleton. And so begins the search to solve a 30 year old mystery (it's not yet a murder). There were lots of missing persons from that time frame so it will take a while to track them all down and see who is still living and who isn't. It's often a frustrating search. In between there are some great dogs, and wonderful walks along the beach. And Mona. The ghost. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog