It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series. Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home. Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Rose Marie she will never live in his house. When Rose Marie is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . . Praise for the Murder, She Wrote novels “ Murder She Wrote: Death on the Emerald Isle  is a delightful mystery with the bonus of a trip to Northern Ireland. Fans new and old will have fun as Jessica explores a new location and solves another murder.”—Cozy Up with Kathy “A deftly written mystery that pulled me in and never let up.  Murder She Wrote  has always been state-of-the-art fiction, but with Terrie Farley Moran on board— kapow ! She really knows how to ratchet up a story. This tricky whodunit will grab you with its authenticity, quirky (but believable!) characters, and inventive plot.”— New York Times  bestselling author Laura Childs “Jessica Fletcher gets a bitter taste of Southern hospitality when her good friend’s husband is found dead in his own koi pond. Terrie Farley Moran ably aids supersleuth Jessica in the latest edition of this long-running series. Two thumbs up!”—Lorna Barrett,  New York Times  bestselling author of  A Deadly Deletion “Keeping with the spirit of the peerless sleuth and much-loved mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, Moran continues the series in this cleverly crafted whodunit. . . . Delightfully charming cozy fare with a vivid setting, colorful characters, and an enjoyable mystery is sure to satisfy fans.”—Abby Collette,  USA Today  bestselling author of  A Deadly Inside Scoop “A down-home Christmas mystery filled with good cheer and just enough murder to add spice."— Kirkus Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries in her various travels. Award-winning writer Terrie Farley Moran coauthors this bestselling series. Chapter One It was a gloomy Monday morning ten days before Thanksgiving, and my clock radio woke me to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." They could at least wait until the day after Thanksgiving, I thought grumpily as I threw back the bedcovers and slipped into my flannel robe. I opened the curtains and was pleased to see that the snow that had been forecast to fall overnight had turned out to be less than predicted. Powdery white flakes dusted the grass and the bare tree branches just enough to glisten against the rising sun. Still, I was glad that I had accepted the invitation of my friend and our town's favorite doctor, Seth Hazlitt, to pick me up and drive me to our breakfast date at Mara's Luncheonette, a warm and comfy restaurant that sat high on the wharf bordering the inlet that gave our town, Cabot Cove, its name. I could see ice patches on the street, which was certainly not encouraging for bike riding, my usual method of transportation. Forty-five minutes later, Seth turned the corner onto Candlewood Lane just as I opened my front door. I scurried into the car and was grateful he had set the heater to high. We spent the short ride to Mara's talking about the weather, which was a topic that anyone who lived in coastal Maine would agree was always worthy of discussion, and in a matter of minutes, Seth was opening the door to Mara's and ushering me inside, where the smell of fresh coffee and the sizzle of bacon on the grill welcomed us. Dan Andrews, editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, and our town sheriff, Mort Metzger, were sitting at our usual table, which was toward the middle of the long room, in the first row of tables alongside stools occupied by fishermen and other local folks who wanted to sit at the counter so they could catch any gossip someone happened to bring in with their appetite for breakfast or a thermos to be filled with hot coffee. As soon as our hellos and good mornings were over, Dan immediately started a conversation that could lead the four of us to the kind of idle gossip and speculation we usually left to Mara's other patrons. Dan asked if any of us had received an email from our town's mayor, Jim Shevlin, asking that we attend a meeting concerning this year's Christmas festivities. Mort said he had received it, but then he immediately slipped into still another holiday subject. "Yep. It was at the t