Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas

Book 0: Kitchen Witch Mysteries

by Lynn Cahoon

Genres: Amateur Sleuth; Culinary Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

Mia Malone is planning a holiday party to promote her catering and cooking school business—but she's got a Christmas spirit to deal with first, in this new Kitchen Witch Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon . . .



For all its merriment, Christmas can also bring melancholy—and in Magic Springs, Idaho, Mia finds that the season has brought her an unhappy ghost who's pulling poltergeist-style pranks to get her attention. When she demands an explanation, the ghost just sends a message: Ask Mary Alice—that is, Mia's beloved Grans, who's been training her to develop her witchy talents. If anyone can figure this out, it's Grans . . . even if she still hasn't managed to free Mia's cat from a previous spell that she cast.



The restless spirit turns out to be Magic Spring's most well-known ghost, Dorothy, who supposedly died peacefully in her sleep. Now Dorothy claims she was murdered, and she wants her killer brought to justice. And she doesn't have much patience about it, so the pressure is on Mia—with some help from her boyfriend, Trent, and a strangely secretive Grans. There aren't many dicing-and-chopping days till Christmas—but this year, the most important gift Mia can give is to cheer up this troubled spirit . . .

Release date: October 26, 2021

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 112

Sample

Chapter 1

Mia Malone sat on the floor in the old school building she’d bought to open her new business. Mia’s Morsels, a catering, food classes, and home meal delivery business, was doing well for its first year. She’d funneled a lot of the profits back into the business. Like buying all these Christmas decorations for the lobby. Bags and boxes that surrounded her. And yet, the final haul looked like she had scrimped. Maybe she could pick up some more at local craft fairs or garage sales without spending her personal food money this month.

The front door opened and cold air rushed inside, making goose bumps pop up on her arms. Her boyfriend, Trent Majors, came inside, stomping his feet on the throw rug before stepping onto the tile floor. He glanced around and found her in the middle of the still unopened boxes. “I guess I’m still in time for the decorating party?”

Mia waved her arm around the room. “As much as there is to decorate. I wanted this room to feel special. Like Christmas at the North Pole. But as I’m learning, my pocketbook doesn’t stretch that far.”

“So you’re going for the whole ‘Christmas threw up in here’ vibe.” He took inventory of the room. “You need a tree over in the corner by the fireplace. And maybe a couple of those mini ones at different points in the room. Then you can string popcorn and cranberries on one. Make felt ornaments by hand for the second one. And put all your purchased ornaments on the third. That way you look like you’re giving the guests ideas on how to decorate their own tree.”

She just stared at him. Sometimes he surprised her. In a good way.

“What? Too much detail?” He stepped over to where she had a notebook on the table. “Here, I’ll write it out.”

“No, I just wondered when you became the Martha Stewart of the Christmas decorating team?” She pulled him closer and kissed him. “Thanks for helping, though.”

“My pleasure. I do all the planning for the store’s decorations now. Mom used to be in charge, but she’s backed off since I took over running the place. Besides, the store is all decorated for the Winter Carnival.” He took off his jacket and threw it on a wing chair. “Let’s get what you have up, and then we can see what we’re still missing.”

“You’re an angel.” She opened the box closest to her.

He sat next to her and opened a second box. “So what’s your theme?”

She paused, looking at him and blinking several times. “For the party? I thought Winter Carnival would be enough.”

“You know, like Winter Wonderland or Christmas on the North Pole?” he prodded, not seeming to notice her stare.

“Christmas. My theme is Christmas. My colors are red and green and gold and maybe some silver because I have a fake silver tree I want to put up.” Mia set the box down. “Are you telling me Christmas isn’t a theme?”

“No, my dear, it’s not. It’s a season. It’s a start. But you need to figure out what story you want your decorations to tell. Do you want to do something around food? Like a gingerbread man celebration? Or something funny like Three Little Pigs Do Christmas? There are all sorts of ideas.” He started humming a Christmas carol.

How about the Grinch? Mia knew she wasn’t being fair and she was just tired of the entire process, but she needed a break. “How about some hot cocoa? We could talk in the kitchen away from all of this mess.”

“You really don’t like decorating, do you?” Trent stood and held out his hand. “Why don’t you let Christina and me deal with this? I’m not scheduled back at the store until Monday. I can draw up a plan and get your approval.”

“Christina is busy with finals.” Which probably was true this week, but after that, her assistant-roommate-friend would be working full-time at Mia’s Morsels.

Trent waved his hand again. “Seriously, you don’t have to do everything.”

“I want to be involved with the decorations, it’s just…all so much.” Mia felt her doll familiar, Gloria, reach out from her place in the third-floor apartment to see why Mia was upset. As a kitchen witch, Mia didn’t do a lot of spellcasting or potion brewing, but there was one thing she and her family were especially good at. Feeling emotional waves from the people around them and the community. “Maybe it’s just the season. I wasn’t practicing last year at Christmas so maybe I didn’t get hit with all of this stuff.”

Her face flushed, and she really felt the need to get out of the room with the unopened boxes and scattered ornaments before she set the room on fire.

Trent took her arm and they moved into the kitchen. As soon as they left the lobby, her bad mood lifted. Gloria was still attached, but quiet. Trent filled the teakettle and turned on the stove under it. He checked out a couple of cabinets then turned. “Okay, I give up. Do you have basic hot cocoa mix?”

“The next cabinet. You were so close.” Mia stepped toward the sink and ran her hands under the cool water, splashing some of it on her face. She stared toward the door separating the lobby area from the sleek modern commercial kitchen.

He took out two cups and dumped mix packets in each one. As he did, he watched her.

Mia dried her hands and face with a kitchen towel then sat at the table. “That was weird.”

“You’re better?” The whistle went off on the kettle, and he poured water into the cups. Stirring the mixture, he waited for her answer.

“Yeah.” She went over to another cupboard and got a bag of mini marshmallows out. “It’s not whipped cream, but I haven’t made any fresh this week.”

He watched as she filled the tops of the cups with marshmallows and then carried the cups over to the table. “Do you want to talk about it? You seem more centered now. What was going on?”

“I have no idea. I was sitting in the lobby, planning my decorating attack, and all of a sudden, I was so sad. You came in and Gloria reached out, but it wasn’t until we came in here that I realized I wasn’t. . .