The following is an excerpt from Murder at the Christmas Market: Book 5 by Rosie A. Point with puzzles by Charles Timmerman. Copyright © 2026 by Simon & Schuster, LLC. Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Chapter 3
No Glitter
The next day, I got up bright and early, wrestled Reginald into a Christmas tree costume, complete with a sparkling star on top, and set off. I’d opted out of running a booth at the Christmas Market—I wanted to enjoy the festivities with my friends this year.
The snow had let up the night before, and the salted sidewalks gritted under my boots as I wound toward Town Hall and the park opposite, where the market was being held this year.
“Abby!” Mary waved at me from across the street, jingling in her elf costume. Rose was with her—though, like me, she’d decided not to participate in the costume contest this year.
I hurried over to them. “You look amazing, Mary! You and Reggie are shoo-ins to win.” My ginger kitty meowed a complaint.
Mary opened her mouth to reply but stopped, her eyes widening.
A woman strode toward us, holding a fluffy pure white cat, dressed up as yet another Christmas tree. Willa Gunderson, the head of the town council, wore a Mrs. Claus costume and a scowl that should have melted what was left of the snow. “I hope you don’t plan on entering the pets costume contest,” she said, glaring at me and then at Reggie. He hissed at her.
I put up a smile. “Willa, Merry—”
“Is that glitter on the star? That is not regulation. No glitter for cat costumes,” Willa said. “Those are the rules.”
A Cranberry Creek Word Search Mystery #5
It’s Christmastime in Cranberry Creek, where cozy mystery meets word search for the perfect killer combo! The charming town is celebrating the season with a lovely Christmas Market, but a murder spoils the fun and has our favorite amateur sleuth Abby Jones trading her Santa hat for a detective one. Puzzle along—and solve the case!—with 50 word searches in this charming mash‑up from USA TODAY bestselling author Rosie A. Point and puzzle master Charles Timmerman.
This interactive whodunit blends all the charm of a small‑town mystery with fifty clever holiday word searches to help you solve the case. So settle in with your favorite blanket, a warm drink, and maybe a cat (or two!) and unwrap the secrets hiding within the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s Christmastime in Cranberry Creek, and the town’s annual Christmas Market is in full swing. But the festive mood is quickly soured when Willa Gunderson, dressed up as Mrs. Claus, winds up dead at the Christmas costume contest. While everyone is pointing fingers, amateur sleuth Abby Jones must trade her Santa hat for a detective one to find out which of the victim’s many enemies did her in. It’s up to Abby (and you!) to piece together the clues and catch the killer!
Mystery Cozy | Holiday [ Adams Media, On Sale: October 20, 2026, Paperback, ISBN: 9781507226797 / ]
Rosie A. Point is a USA TODAY bestselling cozy mystery author of more than ninety novels and novellas set in fictional small towns across the United States. She loves writing about food, amateur sleuths, cats, and secrets; her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Rosie lives in Cape Town, South Africa with her son, husband, and adorable kitten, Shiva the Destroyer.
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