5.0 (1 rating)
Christmas, Clues and Killers: Book 3 (Witchy at Fifty cozy mystery)
She’s making a list and checking it twice… because someone gift-wrapped a Christmas murder.
Josie Appleton is full of yuletide cheer. Her B&B is fully booked, her magic is behaving, and even her usually snarky familiar is purring with turkey-fuelled sass. With snow falling and magical cinnamon buns rising, this rookie witch is ready for the perfect celebration. But news that the local animal rescue shelter might close for lack of funds bursts her festive bubble, especially when its owner turns up dead.
Josie’s sleuthing instincts kick in faster than a broom racing home in a snowstorm when the local detective enlists her help. And with a crime colder than a snowman’s backside, and her handyman heart-meltingly handsome in his jingle-bell jumper, it’s a challenge staying focused… and alive.
Can Josie crack the case and give the shelter animals their midwinter miracle, or will a killer turn her into the ghost of witches past?
Christmas, Clues and Killers is the laugh-laced third book in the Witchy at Fifty midlife paranormal cozy mystery series.
If you love festive whodunits, snarky familiars, and witchy sleuths who refuse to let murder ruin their magical mince pies, you’ll adore this holiday caper.
Don’t wait for Santa. Treat yourself to this holly-jolly mystery today.
Josie Appleton is full of yuletide cheer. Her B&B is fully booked, her magic is behaving, and even her usually snarky familiar is purring with turkey-fuelled sass. With snow falling and magical cinnamon buns rising, this rookie witch is ready for the perfect celebration. But news that the local animal rescue shelter might close for lack of funds bursts her festive bubble, especially when its owner turns up dead.
Josie’s sleuthing instincts kick in faster than a broom racing home in a snowstorm when the local detective enlists her help. And with a crime colder than a snowman’s backside, and her handyman heart-meltingly handsome in his jingle-bell jumper, it’s a challenge staying focused… and alive.
Can Josie crack the case and give the shelter animals their midwinter miracle, or will a killer turn her into the ghost of witches past?
Christmas, Clues and Killers is the laugh-laced third book in the Witchy at Fifty midlife paranormal cozy mystery series.
If you love festive whodunits, snarky familiars, and witchy sleuths who refuse to let murder ruin their magical mince pies, you’ll adore this holiday caper.
Don’t wait for Santa. Treat yourself to this holly-jolly mystery today.
Published: November 8, 2025
Pages: 195
ISBN: 9781913422356
Get This Book
Available in: Paperback
Reader Reviews
5.0
1 rating
Karen B.
Feb 25, 2026
Christmas, Clues and Killers – Witchy at Fifty Book Three
~Bella Colby
Welcome back to the village of Briarvale! Josie and her ever-charming familiar, Einstein, are back at it again in Christmas, Clues, and Killers, bringing all the cozy chaos we've come to expect from these two. With Christmas just around the corner, her little B&B is completely booked by visitors eager for the annual Christmas Tree lighting. Everything in town feels merry and bright!
Word has spread quickly that the Town Council plans to shut down Merrytail Mill Animal Sactuary on Christmas Eve. The owner, Claudia, has slacked on maintaining buildings up to code and her outstanding debts have become insurmountable. Despite the odds, Briarvale rallies around Claudia trying desperately to raise the money to save the animals. But tensions rise when she gets into a very public spat with Alistair, the landowner of the property she leases where Merrytail's sits. The following morning, Claudia is found strangled in her office with one of the cheap dog leads that normally hang on the wall behind her desk. Suddenly, Christmas spirits are somber, and once again the townsfolk turn to Josie for help.
Who wanted Claudia gone badly enough to murder her? What will happen to all the animals now left behind? It's a race against the clock for Josie and Einstein to find Claudia's killer and save Christmas Eve.
Our regular cast of characters have returned, just as lovable and full of personality as ever. Colby continues to treat them like the neighbors we wish we had – kind, quirky, and genuinely human. Josie is still settling into her life as a witch, even if her magic has a mind of its own. And Tom? He's still the steady, handsome handyman who keeps Josie grounded…and keeps readers hoping the two of them might someday become more! Only time will tell!
Christmas, Clues, and Killers is one of those stories you sit down with and accidentally finish in a single sitting – it just pulls you in. With witty banter, seamless flow, smooth transitioning, an addictive cozy-mystery vibe, and that irresistible small-town charm - it's easy to feel like you're experiencing Briarvale firsthand rather than reading about it.
While each Witchy at Fifty book can stand on its own, do yourself the incredible favor of starting at the beginning with Milestones, Magic, and Murder. It's the perfect way to meet Josie, understand her journey, and ease right into the Briarvale magic. Just don't dilly-dally – Einstein is not a cat who enjoys being kept waiting.
Thank you to Bella Colby for allowing me to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Christmas, Clues, and Killers. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.
~Bella Colby
Welcome back to the village of Briarvale! Josie and her ever-charming familiar, Einstein, are back at it again in Christmas, Clues, and Killers, bringing all the cozy chaos we've come to expect from these two. With Christmas just around the corner, her little B&B is completely booked by visitors eager for the annual Christmas Tree lighting. Everything in town feels merry and bright!
Word has spread quickly that the Town Council plans to shut down Merrytail Mill Animal Sactuary on Christmas Eve. The owner, Claudia, has slacked on maintaining buildings up to code and her outstanding debts have become insurmountable. Despite the odds, Briarvale rallies around Claudia trying desperately to raise the money to save the animals. But tensions rise when she gets into a very public spat with Alistair, the landowner of the property she leases where Merrytail's sits. The following morning, Claudia is found strangled in her office with one of the cheap dog leads that normally hang on the wall behind her desk. Suddenly, Christmas spirits are somber, and once again the townsfolk turn to Josie for help.
Who wanted Claudia gone badly enough to murder her? What will happen to all the animals now left behind? It's a race against the clock for Josie and Einstein to find Claudia's killer and save Christmas Eve.
Our regular cast of characters have returned, just as lovable and full of personality as ever. Colby continues to treat them like the neighbors we wish we had – kind, quirky, and genuinely human. Josie is still settling into her life as a witch, even if her magic has a mind of its own. And Tom? He's still the steady, handsome handyman who keeps Josie grounded…and keeps readers hoping the two of them might someday become more! Only time will tell!
Christmas, Clues, and Killers is one of those stories you sit down with and accidentally finish in a single sitting – it just pulls you in. With witty banter, seamless flow, smooth transitioning, an addictive cozy-mystery vibe, and that irresistible small-town charm - it's easy to feel like you're experiencing Briarvale firsthand rather than reading about it.
While each Witchy at Fifty book can stand on its own, do yourself the incredible favor of starting at the beginning with Milestones, Magic, and Murder. It's the perfect way to meet Josie, understand her journey, and ease right into the Briarvale magic. Just don't dilly-dally – Einstein is not a cat who enjoys being kept waiting.
Thank you to Bella Colby for allowing me to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Christmas, Clues, and Killers. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.