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The mistletoe murder and other stories : And Other Stories by P. D JamesChristmas seems a very poor choice of times to commit murder, but there’s probably never a good time to commit that crime anyway. In “The Mistletoe Murder,” an aging crime author remembers Christmas 1940 when she visited the home of her estranged grandmother. Though the visit starts nicely with dinner and presents, the narrator soon finds herself helping investigate a murder in the house- the deceased being found leaning in a peculiar angle of repose on a desk where he was evidently assessing a coin collection. There’s snow on the ground, mistletoe berries on the carpet, and a very small number of possible murderers. How will Dame James solve this one? In “The Twelve Clues of Christmas,” a very young Adam Dagliesh is on his way to a Christmas holiday with his aunt when he’s suddenly pressed into service to solve what appears to be a suicide, or is it death by hasty pudding (do pass the red herring, please). James wrote all four of these stories in this slim volume as Christmas “entertainments” for British magazines. If you need a holiday reading break, here’s your book. 152 pages. M FIC JAM Four previously uncollected stories include two featuring the author's popular detective hero, Adam Dalgliesh, in his early years
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The cat who came for Christmas by Cleveland AmoryChristmas and animal stories seem to go so very well together! In 1987, the late Cleveland Amory, author and all-round “animal person” (he founded the Fund for Animals), penned this funny and heart-warming story about an unexpected Christmas guest. One Christmas Eve, Amory rescues a very scared and frightfully injured cat and takes the animal home. Amory, a dog man, has made a rule to never keep a rescued pet, feeling that his heavy travel schedule would make it difficult to do any house pet justice. Well, let’s just say that he names the cat “Polar Bear” and you can guess who takes up residence in Amory’s house (hint: bet on the feline). The rest of the book recounts how Amory and Polar Bear adjust to one another and includes cameo appearances by Walter Cronkite, George C. Scott, and Cary Grant. So, this holiday season share a few moments with this amusing man for, as Polar Bear might have said, thereby hangs a tale. 240 pages. 818 A An account of a year in the life of Polar Bear, a stray white cat that finds its way into the heart and home of the author, portrays the cat's independent nature and opposition to anything new
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Christmas in England - 1815 All is excited preparation at Holbourne Abbey with anticipation of the annual Christmas Ball. There will be food and festivity, much merry-making and most of all - dancing. The Dowager Countess, Lady Holly, is in full strategic mode planning the guest list. This will be the Dowager’s 50th Christmas Ball at the manor and it may be her last. For Lady Holly, the Ball is serious business. There are several young women dear to her who need a match and this may be their last chance to find love. Lady Holly’s mission is to make sure that each leaves the ball with a suitable suitor. First on the list are her goddaughters Allie and Sarah Jane. No need for those beautiful girls to remain spinsters. And then there’s a Scottish relation, Clary, who needs to get out of her widow weeds. Spirited Roxanne would be perfect for grandsons Edward or Kim. Those three practically grew up together. Then there’s her cousin’s daughter, Mary, who needs to escape from her wretched father. Even her companion Clio deserves to find love. So many matches to make! This marvelous romantic novel is written by eight award-winning authors called the Word Wenches. Each author writes a story about a character attending the ball and the stories are seamlessly stitched together into one stimulating read. Thoroughly enjoyable and guaranteed to make you smile. 392 pages FIC LAS A collection of holiday-themed historical romances includes contributions by such award-winning genre favorites as Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne and Patricia Rice.
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Debbie Macomber's Christmas cookbook : Favorite Recipes and Holiday Traditions from My Home to Yours by Debbie Macomber Celebrated author Debbie Macomber loves Christmas as is evident through her popular series of light-hearted holiday stories. But nothing brings her greater cheer than cooking, decorating, and sharing her favorite traditions with friends and family. Macomber presents more than 100 of her treasured Yuletide recipes, craft ideas, decoration tips, and strategies for making festive food events simple but memorable. Learn how to decorate your house in ten minutes, to set an elegant holiday table, and to serve scrumptious dishes like Butternut Squash Bisque with Jarlsberg Toasts. Debbie’s personal reflections make this beautifully illustrated book special. She reminisces about Christmases past when her family was young and compares how her Christmases today are quite different. She delights in cooking with her grandchildren and has an entire section, ‘Cooking with Grandma’, stocked with recipes for making culinary creations with young ones. As a firm believer that the best gifts are homemade, Debbie provides instructions on how to make your own gifts whether they be Pinecone Fire Starters, Ice Krispie Snowmen, Christmas Kitchen Sink cookies or Triple Ginger Chocolate Chunk wonders. Here is one of your best guides to creating new holiday memories with fun and flair. Cook, create and enjoy! 221 pages. 641.5 MAC A best-selling novelist offers cooking creations that have the same homey feel as the books that her fans have grown to love.
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