We are thrilled to share the beautiful book cover of A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder by bestselling and award-winning historical mystery author Dianne Freeman.
A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder is the ninth book in the A Countess of Harleigh mystery series and will be published with Kensington Books on September 29, 2026.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
A country Christmas in Victorian England takes a murderous turn in Agatha and Lefty Award winning author Dianne Freeman’s delightful mystery featuring Frances Hazelton, the former Countess of Harleigh, and her husband, George.
Frances and George are looking forward to a Christmas season enlivened by all the diversions London can provide. But family comes first, and George’s sister Fiona and her husband persuade everyone to gather at their Norfolk estate for the holiday. The weather will be chilly, but the prospect of snow delights the youngsters. And with blazing fires and invigorating country walks in store, Frances envisions a peaceful, jolly Christmas.
Instead of a picturesque snowfall, however, Norfolk is hit by pounding rainfall and high winds. In the aftermath of the storm, Frances, Fiona, and the children make an unpleasant discovery in a nearby field—the body of their neighbor, dead in suspicious circumstances. Sir Joshua Penhollow was the local doctor, though not a well-respected one. Indeed, most viewed him as a quack, and even his own stepdaughter held a grudge against him.
With the menfolk gone to help clear a blocked road, the investigation falls to Frances and Fiona, who must also curb the young people’s excitement at encountering a real-life murder. Combing through a village full of colorful characters and more than a few suspects, Frances feels any hope of a quiet Christmas slipping away. But more pressing is the need to stop a killer whose heart is as cold as the season . . .
AUTHOR BIO
Dianne Freeman is a life-long book lover who left the world of corporate finance to pursue her passion for writing. After co-authoring the non-fiction book, Haunted Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, she realized her true love was fiction, historical mystery in particular. She also realized she didn’t like winter very much so now she and her husband pursue the endless summer by splitting their time between Michigan and Arizona. Her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder won an Agatha Award for Best Debut, a Lefty Award for Best First Novel, and was nominated for a Mary Higgins-Clark Award.
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BOOK INFORMATION
- Book: A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder
- Series: A Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series
- Author: Dianne Freeman
- Publisher: Kensington Books
- Publication Date: September 29, 2026
- Genre: Historical Mystery, Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS
Book cover, description and author bio compliments of Kensington Books © 2026; text Great Reads Book Promotion © 2026, greatreadsbookpromotion.com an Amazon affiliate. No AI: material on greatreadsbookpromotion.com may not be used in datasets for, in the development of, or as inputs to generative AI programs.
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