The Key that Wasn’t a Key A Christmas cozy where a village tradition unlocks a twenty-year lie A British Christmas cozy mystery with fair-play clues, a clever amateur sleuth, and small-town secrets. Perfect for readers who enjoy women sleuths, clean reads, and holiday puzzles you can solve at home. Snow settles on Fernvale for the lights switch-on. When the mayor lifts the ceremonial key, the stage sags and reveals a metal plate engraved with a laurel. Hours later, the former Laurel Trust accountant is found in the canal lockhouse. Police secure the scene. Tessa Harper notices what matters: canal oil on the ribbon tied to the key, tooth wear that fits a hidden lever, and duplicate Christmas stall permits that route cash through a “heritage” tent. With DI Malik Shaw pressing for evidence, Tessa follows a trail of weld seams under the stage, a brass laurel tab fixed inside a riser, a radio call that sets timing, and a notebook that lists a final payoff. Suspects include the image-minded mayor, the smooth canal charity chair, an event rigger who touches everything, and a councillor with grit under his nails. The key, the gate, and the missing ledger meet at last, and the enforcer who kept the village in line faces the lights. Read this if you love: British village mysteries, women sleuths, holiday cozies, clean small-town stories with a loyal dog, and reveals that play fair. Series note: Fourth in the Ink & Ivy Village Mysteries. Each book stands alone. Ongoing thread: brass laurel tabs and the full ledger. Content notes: Clean language. Violence off page. Comfort read vibe.