Mistletoe and Mayhem: A Christmas Cozy Mystery

Carly Winter

Dec 2022 · Heywood Herbalist Cozy Mysteries Book 4 · Westward Publishing / Carly Fall, LLC

About this ebook

Deck the Halls… with a dead body?



When Mrs. Claus is found murdered days before the Annual Heywood Christmas Festival, Sheriff Mallory Richards cancels the beloved event.


As the flu takes out the whole sheriff’s department—except for Deputy Jordan Branson—he begs Sam to help him find the killer.


She and Annabelle set out to catch the murderer but land themselves in a tangled web of deception and danger.
Will they be able to find the killer and save the Christmas Festival, or will Sam and Annabelle get too close to the truth and end up silenced?

holiday cozy mystery, Christmas cozy mystery, cozy mystery humor, cozy mystery series, small town cozy mystery, cozy mystery romance, cozy mystery female sleuth, cozy mystery cat, cozy mystery murders, midlife cozy mystery, amateur sleuth, middle aged sleuth

Ratings and reviews

One of the hallmarks of a good book for me is when I'm super busy so I can only read a chapter or two at a time but I still remember exactly what's going on and look forward to picking it back up. This book checks those boxes. The forth in the series, the characters and setting are all very well developed. The focus is on who killed Mrs. Claus (and boy, are there lots of good suspects!) but there's a clean romantic subplot as well. There's a bit more intrigue with amateur sleuth Sam than in most cozies I've read, but it was well written. Can be read as a standalone, but I think best enjoyed in order. My first by the author, though I intend to read more. Very bingeable page-turner that will keep you guessing. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I've read several books written by Carly Winter; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books. This is the fourth book in the Heywood Herbalist Cozy Mysteries Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Sam & Annabelle working together to solve the murder of Mrs. Claus and save the Christmas festival. I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

Sam is selling her wares at the Christmas festival until her assistant finds Mrs. Claus dead under the Christmas tree. S When the town deputy makes it to the scene of the crime he asks Sam to help with the investigation because the town's police force has been felled by the flu and he needs help so she agrees because she has done some investigating before. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Carly Winter writes fun, small town cozy mysteries, always with a dash of humor and quirky characters. When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, on a Pilates reformer or enjoying the fantastic Arizona weather (except summer - she doesn't like summer). She does like dogs, wine and chocolate and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.