It's Christmas Crime (1) - C S Challinor

Yes, it's that time of the year when I mention some crime books with a Christmas setting. You can see the selection from the previous two years - tagged as Christmas Reads.

First up is C S Challinor's debut - Christmas is Murder which was published in September 2008 in the US.

Publisher's Synopsis: Christmas in the English countryside — what could be more charming? Not even a blizzard can keep Rex Graves away from Swanmere Manor, a historic hotel in East Sussex. But instead of Christmas cheer, the red-haired Scottish barrister finds a dead guest. Was it a stroke that killed old Mr. Lawry? Or an almond tart laced with poison?

When more guests die, all hopes for a jolly holiday are dashed. Worst of all, the remote mansion is buried under beastly snow. No one can leave. Confined with a killer, no one can enjoy their tea without suspicion and scrutiny. Rex takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, but the most intriguing evidence — a burnt biography of President George W. Bush — offers few clues. Could the killer be the sherry-swilling handyman? The gay antiques dealer with a biting wit? The quarreling newlyweds? Surely, it's not Helen D'arcy, the lovely lass Rex seems to be falling for . . .

Each volume in the new Rex Graves Mystery series will feature a unique, exotic setting and diverse characters from around the globe.