Anthologies

The promise of discretion and pampering-and a long-overdue reconciliation with her mother-draws Caroline Blessing, the young wife of a newly-elected Congressman, to the fancy Phoenix Spa. But after her first night in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Caroline wakes to find the rich and famous guests in turmoil and under suspicion: the spa's flamboyant and ambitious owner has been murdered. As the secrets come out-and the body count rises, can Caroline keep herself from becoming the next victim?

Ah, the Christmas season. The scent of roasting chestnuts fills the air, turkeys cook in every oven, and mistletoe hangs quietly above the doors. But beneath this cheerful Yuletide veneer, a seedier reality lurks, as a criminal element continues to ply its dastardly trade in secret, disguised by the joyous songs of carolers young and old... At least, that's the case in the pages of this volume, in which some of crime fiction's biggest names offer a playful take on the holiday's most beloved melodies, including such soon-to-be classics as "Arrested Merry Gentleman," "How Come You're Not Faithful," and "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus." Contributors include: Donna Andrews, Rhys Bowen, Ken Bruen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Max Allan Collins, Thomas H. Cook, Jeffery Deaver, Harlan Ellison, Loren D. Estleman, Jane Haddam, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Andrew Klavan, Peter Lovesey, John Lutz, Katherine Hall Page, Ridley Pearson, Thomas Perry, Nancy Pickard, S.J. Rozan, Charles Todd, Joseph Wambaugh, and Donald E. Westlake, among many others.