Festive Mayhem 4 — Persia Walker

The Festive Mayhem mystery and crime fiction anthology is back for another year! In this fourth edition, thirteen crime writers of color have teamed up to offer you a baker's dozen of brand-new short stories centered around the winter holidays. From uplifting cozies, to action-packed thrillers, to darker suspense, this collection has it all!What you'll find inside: - The Townhouse That Cried: A Valentine's Day Haunting by Persia Walker. In a gorgeous but haunted townhouse, a couple's darkest secrets and buried pasts threaten to destroy their relationship and their lives.- Chocolate Kisses, Deadly Wishes: A Clover City Files Short Story by Barbara Howard. When a candy-themed reality TV show comes to Briarwood College, the event turns chilling when a celebrity chef is found dead amidst the winter wonderland set, thrusting two friends into a hunt for the killer.- Dearly Departed: A Crescent City Short Story by SG Wong. Betta Ha believes deeply in her vocation as a Healer, but can her convictions be enough to protect a gifted new protégé from a predatory family, or her best friend from past mistakes that might now prove more dangerous than anyone imagined?- A Tokyo Christmas Dish by Elizabeth Wilkerson. A burnt-out home health aide's impromptu trip to Japan takes a wild turn when she finds herself entangled in a scheme to spread Christmas cheer.- Valentine's Vengeance: A Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Short by Paige Sleuth. Cherry Hills amateur sleuth Imogene Little finds herself investigating an attempted murder during a Valentine's Day double date.- Appalachia Kidnappings by Lavelle Andrew Miller. A winter storm unearths a decade old mystery.- The Case Of The Missing Body: A Lara's Detective Agency Mystery by Stella Oni. In the days leading up to Christmas, the body of a respected Yoruba chief vanishes from a funeral home under mysterious circumstances.- Yuletide Clean-Up by Delia Pitts. Denise's post-holiday chores include dismantling the Christmas tree, baking cookies, and covering up a death.- Before The Ball Drops by Lekecia Barclay. With the clock ticking down to a killer's midnight deadline on New Year's Eve, a jaded private detective makes a deal with her estranged best friend-find the would-be murderer in exchange for freeing her son.- Street Smarts by P.M. Raymond. Against the backdrop of New Orleans Mardi Gras, a savvy stripper and her most ardent admirer share a dangerous secret that puts them in the crosshairs of a scheming law enforcer.- Sweeten: A Naomi Sinclair Short Story by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. When blackmail threatens to ruin a perfect Virgin Islands Christmas, St. Thomian food journalist Naomi Sinclair trades her usual bush tea for a glass of maubi and dives in to uncover the truth.- The Paradise by Jill Brock. Nia Jackson, the new tenant, discovers that living at the Paradise Apartments could be deadly.- Delilah And The Dangerous Diva by Carolyn Marie Wilkins. When her boss's client, a renowned Negro opera singer, is accused of killing a crooked theatrical producer at the turn of the last century, legal secretary and aspiring novelist Delilah Rhodes must confront a vicious killer.