Cauldrons and Curtains

Jessica Sprigg has survived murder, curses, and one very chaotic Halloween. Surely Christmas will be a little calmer.

Then the snow arrives.

Lavender Lake is wrapped in twinkling lights, the shops are full of festive treats, and the whole town is buzzing about this year’s holiday play. Jessica’s cousin Chloe has landed a role, and nothing could stop her from cheering Chloe on at the final dress rehearsal.

A cozy evening at the theater. Some mulled cider. A little festive cheer.

What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

A freak blizzard buries the old theater, the roads close, and nobody is going anywhere. Then the curtain falls on one of the cast for good.

Trapped inside with a theater full of suspects and a sheriff with no backup, Jessica soon learns the victim had more enemies than lines. Every actor has a secret, every alibi has a hole, and somewhere in the wings, a killer is waiting for their next cue.

And then things get stranger.

Somehow, Jessica and her friends find themselves pulled out of the theater and into the world of the play itself. Snowy cobbled streets, gaslit windows, and characters who have no idea they’re fictional. The story is carrying on around them whether they like it or not, and Jessica has a sinking feeling it won’t let them leave until it reaches its ending.

To make matters worse, the theater’s resident ghost has no intention of giving up the spotlight, and Astrix and Gloop have come along for the show, which is never good news for anyone. Astrix is starting to suspect the blizzard isn’t entirely natural. Even Noah’s attempts at a romantic Christmas keep getting interrupted, usually by a corpse.

Can Jessica unmask the killer and escape the story before the final act, or will this be her last curtain call?

Snowstorms, spirits, stage fright, and murder. Christmas in Lavender Lake is going to be one showstopper of a holiday.

???? Clean cozy mystery
???? Witch sleuth
???? Sarcastic cat familiar
???? Snarky family members