Sugarplums and Scandal

A combination of fast reading short stories by popular authors. All revolve around a Chrstmas theme and are well written. A great read for the holidays.

Christmas is a time of cheer, but when six talented authors put their spin on it, SUGARPLUMS AND SCANDAL ensue! Lori Avocato opens this anthology with "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth". Pauline Sokol specializes in investigating medical fraud so of course she takes up her mother's challenge when she reads about poor Lenny Niski and his dentures in their newspaper. Humor and mayhem follow when Pauline goes undercover at the office of dentist Dr. Elfin Santana. "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a phenomenally quirky story. The various names of the characters at the dental office are quite a hoot. Lori Avocato's gift at incorporating humor into a storyline is very apparent and readers will want to go on further investigations with the spunky Pauline after reading this story! Dana Cameron's "The Lords of Misrule" is a Christmas mystery set in the 1700s. The Chase family is preparing for a fabulous Christmas when Mr. Chase's gift of jewelry for his wife is discovered missing. This theft is quickly followed by a death. Margaret and her brother, Tommy, seek to uncover the perpetrator in this Christmas tale. "The Lords of Misrule" is a superb tale of intrigue. Dana Cameron draws the readers into this cozy story while carefully revealing layers of suspense. The touch of romance provides a sweetness to the story while the mystery keeps the reader guessing as to who is behind these incidents. Mary Daheim's "The Ghost of Christmas Passed" is a Christmas gathering featuring Judith Flynn and Renie. Both share some old family photos with Judith's mother as they uncover the mystery of what happened to Uncle Bart. What a confusing overload of characters! Fans of the series will probably recognize most of the characters and enjoy this Christmas reunion but those new to the series will have difficulty keeping the various people and their relationships straight. Mary Daheim generally writes a phenomenal cozy mystery but "The Ghost of Christmas Passed" will appeal more to those readers who are already familiar with this particular series. "Partners in Crime" by Cait London is a charming tale of misadventure. Cecilia Lattimore knows someone is out to get her when she finds her organized home in clever disarray- nothing obvious but little things taken out of the neat order she keeps in her life. She suspects the police chief so when she meets Joe Berenger as he rescues her from three men, she agrees to utilize him as a bodyguard. Who is at the root of this Christmas mayhem? Cait London has crafted a very clever tale with "Partners in Crime". Cecilia is an endearing character with her quirk of organizing everything. Berenger's gruffness is the perfect contrast to the always in control and neatly structured Cecilia. The inclusion of Cecilia's annoying ex-fiancé and ex-husband add a touch of humor to the plotline although readers will want to smack both of them for their ove

This delightful compilation of six short stories by some great authors will be sure to get you in a holiday mood. Lori Avocato's Pauline Sokol takes on a possible medical insurance scam involving a dentist, Elfin Santana, who has taken the money for dentures for an elderly man, but who has not provided them. Sokol takes a job as receptionist in the dental office for the holidays, and think she may be uncovering a conspiracy, even as she begins to really like the sweet dentist who goes overboard at Christmas. Her investigative assistant, Jagger, is a welcome distraction. Dana Cameron entertains us with a tale sent in the 1700s, featuring a bright young miss who hides her reading from her family--and is the main reason the missing jewels and the servant's murderer are discovered. Judith Flynn and her mother are dealing with the long-kept secret family scandal involving her missing Uncle Bart, during a huge family party in Mary Daheim's The Ghost of Christmas Passed. Cait London writes about organizer Cecelia Lattimer in the small Missouri town of Dewdrop in Partners in Crime. Cecelia and her new friend Berenger (really a friend of the Dewdrop's chief of police in town to help solve a rash of home break-ins) solve the mystery of the thefts and discover each other. Suzanne Macpherson's Holly Go Lightly is the touching story of Holly, killed in a car accident, who hauntingly returns to prevent her ex-fiancee (they broke up on Christmas Eve!) from making a terrible choice in a new wife, and to direct him to a special treasure. A Very Vampy Christmas is Kerrelyn Sparks's cherry on the top of this confection of a book--a love story of vampires in a hospital soap opera. Armchair Interviews says: Fun short stories "for the season."

In this terrific new anthology, Avon brings together the best of both worlds to give readers their share of mystery and romance--all full of holiday cheer, of course. Medical insurance investigator Pauline Sokol stars in Lori Avocato's "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." In the course of investigating a Christmas-addicted dentist accused of defrauding a lonely senior out of his dentures, she finds that things are not always as they seem. In "The Lords of Misrule," Dana Cameron, author of the popular Emma Fielding mysteries, takes us to early eighteenth-century England. This intelligent, atmospheric tale features Margaret Chase, a smart young woman forced to apply her problem-solving abilities within the confines of gentle society when a treasure of gems is stolen from her father on Christmas Eve. Mary Daheim's "The Ghost of Christmas Passed" will delight fans of her bed-and-breakfast mystery series and newcomers alike. B & B owner Judith Flynn and the rest of the family, including one who passed away years earlier, gather at the Hillside Manor for the holidays. Cait London's "Partners in Crime" features professional organizer, Cecilia Lattimer, who needs help straightening out her own life. Her car won't start, her house has been burgled, and she's pretty sure the chief of police is out to get her. The only question now is whether the ruggedly handsome stranger who enters her life is there to help or to make things worse. "Holly Go Lightly," Suzanne Macpherson's touching addition to the anthology, features a holiday-lovin' spirit who gets one last chance to correct an earthly mistake and help her former fiancé find happiness. But will her machinations lead Nick to beautiful Carol and her baby, Joy, before it's too late? In Kerrelyn Sparks' "A Very Vampy Christmas," sweet vampire Maggie O'Brian helps amnesia victim/soap star Don Orlando, a.k.a "the greatest lover in the vampire world," discover the secret of his past. The camp hilarity of this story both mirrors and gently mocks daytime TV with its dramatic pauses and far-fetched plot twists. As always, Sparks brings home the love through the laughter in this fun tale. If you're short on time and holiday cheer, this is the perfect anthology for you. The wide range of stories pulls readers into interesting and distinct settings, and the short tales are pitch-perfect to set the holiday mood. Happy reading!

"All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" by Lori Avocato. Medical insurance fraud investigator Pauline Sokol is determined to get the dentures an elderly man paid for to his dentures for the holidays. She believes the dentist is practicing fraud but there is more to the story than meets the eye "The Lords of Misrule" by Dana Cameron. Christmas Eve in London 1722 is chaotic to say the least. A missing gift, a murdered footman and an attack on a maid put the daughter of the house in the position of finding what links these events and to whom. "The Ghost of Christmas Passed" by Mary Daheim .B & B owner Judith McMonigle Flynn is having her whole eccentric extended family over for Christmas dinner. Her only worry is that her mother insists she saw a ghost, her who disappeared decades ago. The truth is the best gift of all. "Partners in Crime" by Cait London. Someone is breaking into Cecilia's home messing it up and preventing her car from working. She's afraid to go to the sheriff because she thinks he's behind these crimes but a stranger in town attaches himself to her as her protector even though he might be the one she needs protecting from. "Holly Go Lightly" by Suzanne MacPherson. Holly is a ghost who won't pass on until she undoes a great wrong. Somehow she must find a want to get Nick to travel to the house of her best friend Carol where a great surprise is waiting for him. "A Very Vampy Christmas" by Kerrelyn Sparks. Vampires have their own television network, Digital Vampire Network and one of the shows produced on it is As A Vampire Turns starring Maggie O Brien and Dan Orlando. When Maggie realizes her leading man is not a Don Juan but a man suffering from amnesia her heart opens up to him and she vows to find out whom he was before he turned. Avon authors from the mystery, romantic suspense, romance and paranormal genres give readers a special holiday treat with tasty tales that demonstrates each author's considerable talent. Harriet Klausner