THE SNOW LIES DEEP

A holly, jolly Christmas celebration is spoiled by murder.

Mercy Carr and her husband, Troy Warner, are thrilled to be celebrating baby Felicity’s first Christmas. Mercy, Felicity, and their Belgian Shepherd, Elvis, have finally made it to the head of the line to see Santa—not the usual Santa, but his replacement, Lazlo Ford, a respected CPA Mercy knows as Uncle Laz—when he gets a phone call and hurries off. Mercy hands Felicity to a friend and, taking Elvis, goes after Laz, only to find him dead in the woods with a burning yule log on his body. Though Mercy is busy with her baby and her wildlife studies, her background as a military police officer has helped her solve several murders, and her family draws her into this one. Meanwhile, Troy and his dog, Susie Bear, are pursuing an illegal trapper whose misdeeds are worse than imagined. The escaping poacher’s accidental fall unearths a hidden skull with a bullet hole. Lazlo’s death brings to the fore a local woman claiming to be his pregnant fiancée and a stunning Russian woman claiming to be his daughter. In fact, many clues point to Russia, especially the tale of the Snow Maiden, bringing Mercy’s Uncle Hugo, who is associated with a spy agency, into the investigation. Obviously, there was a lot more to Laz than people knew, including the impressive balance in his Swiss bank account. The next to go is the Singing Plumber, who dies while singing at one of the festivities. What do a Russian assassin, a druid group, a poacher, and a faux religious group have to do with the murders?

Christmas minutiae and a truly complex mystery bring thrills and joy to a hometown celebration.