 This list is comprised of novels or short story collections in which the Christmas season (or a Christmas setting) is an important element in the flavor of the book. Christmas Mysteries have been a popular annual tradition in the mystery publishing field, with numerous new additions being added to the ranks each holiday season. In recent years, anthologies of holiday-themed mystery short stories have also become quite successful -- especially those with an even more specific focus, such as Christmas cat mysteries, Christmas culinary mysteries, etc. This list also includes mysteries with a Hanukkah or New Year's Eve setting.
A Selection of Mystery Fiction for Adults
| Adamson, Lydia |
A Cat in the Manger
A Cat in the Wings
A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock
A Cat Under the Mistletoe |
| Albert, Susan Wittig |
Mistletoe Man |
| Allen, Michael |
Spence and the Holiday Murders |
| Atherton, Nancy |
Aunt Dimity's Christmas |
| Atkins, Ace |
Leavin' Trunk Blues |
| Aubert, Rosemary |
The Feast of Stephen |
| Avocato, Lori (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Babson, Marian |
Line Up for Murder
Murder, Murder Little Star
Murder on a Mystery Tour
The Twelve Deaths of Christmas |
| Bain, Donald (& "Jessica Fletcher") |
Manhattans and Murder -- A Murder She Wrote Mystery
A Little Yuletide Murder -- A Murder She Wrote Mystery |
| Baldacci, David |
The Christmas Train |
| Ballard, Mignon F. |
Deadly Promise |
| Barnard, Robert |
Death in a Cold Climate
The Habit of Widowhood |
| Barron, Stephanie |
Jane and the Wandering Eye |
| Battison, Brian |
The Christmas Bow Murder |
| Beaton, M. C. |
Death of a Snob [Hamish MacBeth]
A Highland Christmas [Hamish MacBeth]
Kissing Christmas Goodbye [Agatha Raisin] |
| Berenson, Laurien | Jingle Bell Bark |
| Bernhardt, William |
The Midnight Before Christmas |
| Berry, Carole |
This Year Will be Different
The Year of the Monkey |
| Berry, Linda (and others) |
The Last Noel |
| Bishop, Claudia |
A Carol for a Corpse |
| Blake, Nicholas |
The Corpse in the Snowman
The Smiler With the Knife
Thou Shell of Death |
| Blanc, Nero |
A Crossworder's Delight
A Crossworder's Gift
A Crossworder's Holiday
Wrapped Up in Crosswords |
| Borthwick, J. S. |
Dude on Arrival
The Student Body |
| Boylan, Eleanor |
Pushing Murder |
| Bramble, Forbes |
Dead of Winter |
| Braun, Lilian Jackson |
The Cat Who Turned On and Off |
| Brett, Simon |
The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor |
| Brewer, Steve (and others) |
The Last Noel |
| Brightwell, Emily |
Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen |
| Brown, Rita Mae |
Rest in Pieces |
| Buchanan, Edna |
The Ice Maiden |
| Burley, W. J. |
Death in Willow Pattern
Wycliffe and the Quiet Virgin |
| Cairns, Alison |
New Year Resolution |
| Cameron, Dana (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Carl, Joanna | The Chocolate Bear Burglary |
| Caunitz, William J. |
Exceptional Clearance |
| Chaput, W. J. |
The Man on the Train |
| Chastain, Thomas |
911 |
| Chaze, Elliott |
Goodbye Goliath |
| Chesbro, George C. |
Second Horseman Out of Eden |
| Christie, Agatha |
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Murder for Christmas |
| Christmas, Joyce |
Dying Well |
| Churchill, Jill |
A Farewell to Yarns
From Here to Paternity
The Merchant of Menace |
| Clark, Carol Higgins |
Iced |
| Clark, Mary Higgins |
All Through the Night
The Christmas Thief [with Carol Higgins Clark]
Deck the Halls [with Carol Higgins Clark]
He Sees You When You're Sleeping [with Carol Higgins Clark]
My Gal Sunday
Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea [with Carol Higgins Clark]
Silent Night
Stillwatch |
| Cohen, Charles |
Silver Linings |
| Collins, Max Allen |
Blue Christmas and Other Holiday Homicides
No Cure for Death
Spree |
| Conant, Susan |
Gone to the Dogs |
| Constantine, K. C. |
Upon Some Midnights Clear |
| Coward, Mat (and others) |
The Last Noel |
| Craig, Alisa |
Murder Goes Mumming |
| Craig, Philip R. |
A Deadly Vineyard Holiday
Off Season |
| Cross, Claire |
Silent Night [anthology] |
| Daheim, Mary |
The Alpine Christmas
Nutty as a Fruitcake |
| Daheim, Mary (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Dain, Catherine (and others) |
The Last Noel |
| D'Amato, Barbara |
Hard Christmas |
| Dams, Jeanne M. |
The Body in the Transept
Winter of Discontent |
| Davidson, Diane Mott | Sweet Revenge |
| Davis, Mildred B. |
Tell Them What's Her Name Called
Three Minutes to Midnight |
| Dawson, Janet |
Nobody's Child |
| DeAndrea, William L. |
Killed on the Ice |
| Dentinger, Jane |
The Queen is Dead |
| Dexter, Colin |
The Secret of Annexe 3 |
| Dobson, Joanne |
Quieter Than Sleep |
| Donnelly, Deborah |
Died to Match
May the Best Man Die |
| Douglas, Carole Nelson |
Cat in a Golden Garland |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan |
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" featuring Sherlock Holmes -- various collections |
| Drummond, John Keith |
'Tis the Season to be Dying |
| Dunbar, Sophie |
Shiveree |
| Dunn, Carola |
Death at Wentwater Court
Mistletoe and Murder |
| Eberhardt, Mignon G. |
Postmark Murder |
| Eddenden, A. E. |
A Good Year for Murder |
| Egan, Lesley |
Crime for Christmas |
| Erskine, Margaret |
A Graveyard Plot |
| Estleman, Loren D. |
The Glass Highway |
| Evanovich, Janet |
Visions of Sugar Plums |
| Fairstein, Linda |
The Deadhouse |
| Ferrars, E. X. |
The Crime and the Crystal
A Small World of Murder
Smoke Without Fire |
| Ferris, Monica |
Crewel Yule |
| Fluke, Joanne | Candy Cane Murders
Sugar Cookie Murder |
| Fraser, Anthea |
The Nine Bright Shiners |
| Frazer, Margaret |
The Servant's Tale
The Widow's Tale |
| Gaardner, Jostein |
The Christmas Mystery |
| Gano, John |
Inspector Proby's Christmas |
| George, Anne |
Murder on a Bad Hair Day |
| Giroux, E. X. |
Death for a Dietician |
| Gorman, Ed |
Murder on the Aisle |
| Gouze, Roger |
A Quiet Game of Bambu |
| Grafton, Sue |
"E" is for Evidence |
| Granger, Ann |
A Season for Murder |
| Graves, Sarah |
Wreck the Halls |
| Greeley, Andrew |
The Bishop and the Three Kings
Star Bright! A Christmas Story |
| Green, Christine |
Deadly Partners |
| Grimes, Martha |
Jerusalem Inn
The Man with a Load of Mischief
The Old Fox Deceiv'd |
| Guest, Judith |
Killing Time in St. Cloud |
| Haddam, June |
Festival of Deaths
Fountain of Death [New Years]
Not a Creature Was Stirring
A Stillness in Bethlehem |
| Hager, Jean |
The Last Noel |
| Haines, Carolyn |
Buried Bones |
| Hall, Parnell |
A Puzzle in a Pear Tree |
| Hall, Robert Lee |
Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Christmas Murder |
| Hammett, Dashiell |
The Thin Man |
| Hardwick, Richard |
The Season to be Deadly |
| Hare, Cyril |
An English Murder |
| Harris, Charlaine |
Shakespeare's Christmas |
| Harris, Lee |
The Christmas Night Murder
The New Year's Eve Murder |
| Harrison, Janis |
Murder Sets Seed |
| Hart, Carolyn G. |
Sugarplum Dead |
| Hart, Ellen |
Murder in the Air
Vital Lies |
| Hart, Roy |
Seascape with Dead Figures |
| Harvey, John |
Cold Light |
| Hess, Joan |
A Holly, Jolly Murder
O Little Town of Magoddy |
| Heyer, Georgette |
Envious Casca |
| Hiassen, Carl |
Tourist Season |
| Hill, Reginald |
Death's Jest Book |
| Hilton, John Buxton |
Death in Midwinter |
| Hinkemeyer, Michael T. |
A Time to Reap |
| Hodgkin, Marion Rous |
Dead Indeed |
| Holland, Isabelle |
A Fatal Advent |
| Holmes, Dee | Silent Night [anthology] |
| Howlett, John |
The Christmas Spy |
| Hughes, Mary Ellen |
Wreath of Deception |
| Hunter, Evan |
Come Winter |
| Hunter, Fred |
Ransom for a Holiday
'Tis the Season for Murder |
| Innes, Michael |
Comedy of Terrors [audio only] |
| Jahn, Michael |
Murder on Fifth Avenue |
| Jeffers, H. Paul |
Murder on Mike |
| Jordan, Cathleen |
A Carol in the Dark |
| Kaplan, Arthur |
A Killing for Charity |
| Kaye, M. M. |
Death in the Andamans |
| Kellerman, Faye |
Sacred and Profane |
| Kelley, Lee Charles |
'Twas the Bite Before Christmas |
| Kelly, Mary |
The Christmas Egg |
| Kelner, Toni L.P. |
Mad as the Dickens |
| Kendrick, Stephen |
Night Watch: A Long-Lost Adventure in Which Sherlock Holmes Meets Father Brown |
| King, Laurie R. |
A Monstrous Regiment of Women |
| Kingsbury, Kate | No Clue at the Inn
Shrouds of Holly
Slay Bells |
| Koch, Edward I. |
Murder on 34th Street |
| Koontz, Dean R. |
Mister Murder |
| Lake, M.D. |
A Gift for Murder
Grave Choices |
| Landreth, Marsha |
The Holiday Murders |
| Langley, Bob |
Death Stalk |
| Langton, Jane |
The Memorial Hall Murder
The Shortest Day: Murder at the Revels |
| Lawrence, David |
Cold Kill |
| Leach, Christopher |
A Killing Frost |
| Levine, Joan |
The Santa Claus Mystery [j] |
| Lewin, Michael Z. |
The Enemies Within |
| Livingston, Nancy |
Quiet Murder |
| Lockridge, Richard |
Dead Run |
| London, Cait (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Luber, Philip |
Deadly Convictions |
| MacDonald, John D. |
Pale Gray for Guilt |
| MacLeod, Charlotte |
The Convivial Codfish
Murder Goes Mumming
Rest You Merry |
| MacPherson, Rett |
A Comedy of Heirs |
| Macpherson, Suzanne (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Malmont, Valerie S. |
Death, Snow and Mistletoe |
| Marks, Jeffrey |
Canine Christmas |
| Maron, Margaret |
Corpus Christmas |
| Marsh, Ngaio |
Tied Up in Tinsel |
| McBain, Ed |
And All Through the House
Another Part of the City
Downtown
Eight Black Horses
Ghosts
The Pusher
Puss in Boots
Sadie When She Died |
| McClintick, Malcolm |
Death of an Old Flame |
| McCloy, Helen |
Mr. Splitfoot |
| McClure, James |
The Gooseberry Fool |
| McGinley, Patrick |
Goosefoot |
| McGown, Jill |
Murder at the Old Vicarage |
| McKevett, C.A. |
Cooked Goose |
| McMullen, Mary |
Death by Bequest |
| Meier, Leslie |
Christmas Cookie Murder
Mail-Order Murder
Mistletoe Murder
New Year's Eve Murder |
| Meredith, David W. |
The Christmas Card Murders |
| Meredith, D(oris). R. |
Murder by Sacrilege |
| Miner, Valerie |
Murder in the English Department |
| Moyes, Patricia |
Season of Snows and Sins |
| Muller, Marcia |
There's Nothing to be Afraid Of |
| Murphy, Shirley Rousseau |
Cat Deck the Halls |
| Nabb, Magdalen |
Death of an Englishman |
| Neel, Janet |
Death's Bright Angel |
| O'Connell, Carol |
Judas Child |
| O'Marie, Carol Anne |
Advent of Dying
Murder in Ordinary Time
A Novena for Murder |
| Page, Katherine Hall |
The Body in the Big Apple
The Body in the Bouillon |
| Palmer, William | The Dons and Mr. Dickens |
| Papazoglou, Orania |
Charisma
Rich, Radiant Slaughter |
| Parker, Gary E. | Death Stalks a Holiday |
| Parker, Raymond B. |
The Widening Gyre |
| Paul, Barbara |
A Chorus of Detectives |
| Pearson, Carol Lynn |
A Stranger for Christmas |
| Perry, Anne |
A Christmas Beginning
A Christmas Guest
A Christmas Journey
A Christmas Secret
A Christmas Visitor
Silence in Hanover Close |
| Peters, Elizabeth |
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
Trojan Gold |
| Peters, Ellis |
A Rare Benedictine
The Raven in the Foregate |
| Plunkett, Susan |
Silent Night [anthology] |
| Pomidor, Bill |
Mind Over Murder |
| Pronzini, Bill |
Snowbound |
| Pulver, Monica |
Original Sin |
| Purser, Ann |
Murder on Monday |
| Queen, Ellery |
Calamity Town
Cat of Many Tails
The Finishing Stroke |
| Ray, Robert J. |
Merry Christmas, Murdock |
| Richards, Emilie |
Let There Be Suspects |
| Riggs, John R. |
Haunt of the Nightingale |
| Ripley, Ann |
The Christmas Garden Affair |
| Robb, J.D. [a.k.a. Nora Roberts] |
Holiday in Death
Silent Night [anthology] |
| Roberts, Gillian |
The Mummer's Curse
Philly Stakes |
| Robinson, Peter |
Past Reason Hated |
| Roosevelt, Elliott |
The White House Pantry Murder |
| Rowe, Jennifer |
Death in Store
Love Lies Bleeding |
| Rubino, Jane |
Homicide For the Holidays |
| Ruell, Patrick |
Red Christmas |
| Sanders, Lawrence |
The Fourth Deadly Sin |
| Sawyer, Corinne Holt |
Ho-Ho Homicide |
| Serafin, David |
Christmas Rising |
| Shannon, Dell |
No Holiday for Crime |
| Sibley, Celestine |
Spider in the Sink |
| Simenon, Georges |
Maigret's Christmas |
| Slater, Susan [et al] |
Crooks, Crimes and Christmas |
| Smith, Barbara Burnett |
Mistletoe From Purple Sage
'Tis the Season for Murder (with Fred Hunter) |
| Smith, Frank |
Fatal Flaw |
| Smith, Joan |
Don't Leave Me This Way |
| Smith, Terrence Lore |
The Devil and Webster Daniels |
| Smoak, Amanda |
Generals' Row |
| Sparks, Kerrilyn (and others) |
Sugarplums and Scandal |
| Sprinkle, Patricia H. |
A Mystery Bred in Buckhead |
| Strohmeyer, Sarah |
Bubbles All the Way |
| Symons, Julian |
The Detling Secret |
| Talley, Marcia |
Occasion of Revenge |
| Taylor, Elizabeth Atwood |
The Cable Car Murder |
| Taylor, Sarah Stewart |
O' Artful Death |
| Thompson, Carlene |
The Way You Look Tonight |
| Tourney, Leonard D. |
Knaves Templer |
| Tremayne, Peter |
The Haunted Abbot |
| Trocheck, Kathy |
A Midnight Clear |
| Underwood, Michael |
A Party to Murder |
| Unsworth, Barry |
Morality Play |
| VanLeeuwen, Jean |
The Great Christmas Kidnaping Caper [j] |
| Victor, Cynthia |
What Matters Most |
| Wainwright, John |
The Life and Times of Christmas Calvert...Assassin |
| Walsh, Thomas |
The Resurrection Man |
| Ward, Donald |
Our Little Secret |
| Weir, Charlene |
A Cold Christmas |
| Williams, David |
Murder in Advent |
| Windsor, Patricia |
The Christmas Killer [j] |
| Wingfield, R.D. |
Frost at Christmas |
| Wolzien, Valerie |
Deck the Halls With Murder
'Tis the Season to be Murdered
We Wish You a Merry Murder |
| Wright, Eric |
The Man Who Changed His Name |
| Yaffe, James |
Mom Meets Her Maker |
Collections (in the Non-fiction section)
Updated for the Web December 2003 sdc -- Last update: December 2007
Most recent print revision November 2000 bwc
For the most up-to-date listing of "Mistletoe Mysteries" do a catalog search under Subject: "Mysteries -- Christmas, etc."
Looking for additional novels on this or other subjects? Try out the NoveList database!
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