A Mysterious Christmas Collection
Series: Charlie Kingsley Mysteries #7.5 and Redemption Detective Agency #3.5
Author: Michele Pariza Wacek
Genre: Holiday Culinary Mystery
Setting: Redemption, Wisconsin
Release Date: November 19, 2025, by Independently Published
Pages: 184
Summary:
A Charlie Kingsley/Redemption Detective Agency Crossover Christmas Cozy Mystery Anthology! Also include recipes!
In this charming Christmas cozy mystery collection, you get not one but TWO Christmas mysteries–one from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series (Secret Santa Murder) and one from The Redemption Detective Agency (The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf).
Even better, the characters in both series will make a crossover appearance in the other mystery.
Here’s a peek at each story:
Secret Santa Murder: A Secret Santa party goes off the rails when a guest is murdered after opening their gift. Can Charlie get to the bottom of who did it in this locked door mystery?
The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf: Emily and the gang take on a case to help a young mother get over her childhood Christmas trauma. Can they go back in time and solve the mystery of a dead elf to save Christmas before it’s too late?
Includes TWO Christmas cookie family recipes!
Goodreads | BookBub | Storygraph | Amazon
Character Interview with Robyn Cavanagh Charlie Kingsley and Emily Hildebrandt
As A Mysterious Christmas Collection has 2 Christmas cozy mysteries in it (one from The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries and one from The Redemption Detective Agency) I thought I would have both main characters share a few words. CK for Charlie Kinglsey and EH for Emily Hildebrandt from The Redemption Detective Agency.
How did you and your author meet?
CK: Years and years ago. I was the unnamed dead aunt in what would end up being Book 1 of the Secrets of Redemption series. But even though Michele was in her early 20s when the idea first whispered to her, it was over twenty years later, when her mother was dying of cancer, when she finally got around to writing it down. Of course, I was still the unnamed dead aunt, and then I had the wrong name…it was a bit of a mess for awhile but we eventually got it sorted out.
EH: Michele was really struggling with The Redemption Detective Agency until I came along. She had no idea how to write the story and didn’t know what to do. But finally, FINALLY, I got her attention and the entire story completely fell into place. (I don’t know why she’s so stubborn but she is. The struggle is real.)
Why did this writer decide to feature you in a whole series of books?
CK: Michele wanted to have Emily and I meet, so she thought it would be fun to do a crossover Christmas mystery collection and have us appear in each other’s mystery.
EH: It was nice to officially be in a Charlie Kingsley Mystery. Of course, I hear about Charlie All. The Time. (The Redemption Detective Agency is, after all, a spin off from the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries) so I’m glad we finally had a chance to get together.
Do you have any friends or family helping you out?
CK: Pat, who is my best friend. And there’s Officer Brandon Wyle as well, although our relationship is a bit…complicated.
EH: I wish I didn’t have so much “help.” There’s Aunt Tilde, of course, (she’s a retired nurse who fancies herself a detective), Mildred (a retired teacher), Nora (a used bookstore owner), Scout (my rescue yellow lab mix), Sherlock (Aunt Tilde’s rescue calico cat), Smoke (Nora’s cat, I’m not sure where Nora found him, or maybe I should say, where Smoke found Nora) and Nick. He’s an attorney who also helps with legal issues when they crop up, although I think my life would be easier if he wasn’t so helpful.
Do you have a regular job and investigate on the side or are you a full-time detective?
CK: I make and sell custom tea out of my home, and many times my tea clients are the ones who find themselves in a bit of a pickle, so I do what I can to help.
EH: I wish I had a regular job. There’s nothing “regular” about the Redemption Detective Agency. I’m supposedly the office manager, but I find myself solving mysteries more often than not.
Have you solved other cases or is this your first one?
CK: I’ve been solving cases for awhile now. There are currently 7 books in the main Charlie Kingsley Mysteries, with an 8th on the way, and 6 novellas (including this one).
EH: This is my fourth case and first novella. The other three are part of the main The Redemption Detective Agency series, with a 4th and 5th one coming in 2026.
Do you have a gift or a special talent?
CK: Apparently I seem to be pretty good at solving mysteries, and it’s a good thing for all of my tea clients.
EH: I also seem to have a knack as well at solving mysteries. Who knew? Not me, that’s for sure.
What is your ideal vacation?
CK: Visiting Cabo! Oh, I already did that (and found a dead body on the beach…and got accused of murder as well). I guess I’ll need another vacation.
EH: Somewhere far away, preferably somewhere tropical, where no one knows me and I can lay on the beach and quietly read my book. I suspect that’s not going to be in the cards, at least anytime soon.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
CK: For the most part, I’m pretty content with my life. Although, that doesn’t mean there are a lot of things I wish I could go back and do differently…
EH: I would have left well enough alone at my former job and not gotten myself fired. Although…if I hadn’t gotten myself fired, I wouldn’t have realized I was living an illusion. I haven’t decided yet if that’s a good thing or not.
Thank you and happy holidays!
About Michele Pariza Wacek
A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes, and more, at MPWNovels.com.
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
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Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
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