Secrets hide behind those peacefully shuttered windows...Deception awaits around the next curve in the road. Rumors spread over garden hedges, fishing ponds, and knitting circles. Neighborhood cats discover a boneyard.And when Death strolls through the tranquil countryside or checks into the quaint village inn for the weekend, it's the intrepid - and often accidental - investigators who must find and decipher clues, unravel mysteries, and bring the killer to justice.

This issue, we have 17 short stories and 2 novel serials for you—one of our largest lineups ever! (Of course, quite a few of the stories are short, and hopefully you like awful-pun stories…)On the mystery front, we have original tales from Dave Zeltserman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Justin M. Kiska (a Christmas fantasy-mystery), plus another fantasy-mystery from C. C. Guthrie (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Our serial of Jack Guthrie’s Tiger Isla...

When a devious plot threatens holiday celebrations all over the world, Santa isn’t pleased. It isn’t just that his famous brand is at risk. Lives are in danger. As the calendar counts down, his crack North Pole team races to stop the mayhem.