Christmas is Murder

"A winner... At times, it seems we are playing Clue or perhaps enjoying a contemporary retelling of a classic Agatha Christie tale with a charming new sleuth. A must for cozy fans." ~Booklist Starred Review
Not even a blizzard can keep Rex Graves away from Swanmere Manor, an historic hotel on the rolling Sussex Downs. But instead of Christmas cheer, the Scottish barrister finds a dead guest. Was it a stroke that killed old Mr Lawdry? Or an almond tart laced with poison? When more guests die, all hopes for a merry holiday are dashed. On top of all, the remote mansion is snowbound; confined with a killer, no one can leave. The resourceful Rex takes it upon himself to solve the intriguing mystery. Could the killer be the sherry-swilling handyman? The gay antiques dealer with a biting wit? The quarreling newlyweds? Surely it's not Helen, the bonny lass Rex seems to be falling for…
"Christmas Is Murder dishes up an English manor house mystery with the traditional elements: a murder, a small contingent of suspects thrown together, and an engaging and witty sleuth... Challinor will keep most readers guessing as she cleverly spreads suspicion and clues that point in one direction, then another."~Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

C.S. Challinor was raised and educated in Scotland (St. George's School for Girls, Edinburgh) and England (Lewes Priory, Sussex; University of Kent, Canterbury: Joint Hons Latin & French). She also holds a diploma in Russian from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. She has lived in Southwest Florida since age 30. Challinor is a member of the Authors Guild, New York, and writes the critically acclaimed Rex Graves cozy mystery series published by Midnight Ink, featuring Rex Graves, a Scottish barrister-sleuth.
CHRISTMAS IS MURDER, the first in the Rex Graves Mystery series, reached #1 on the Kindle Bestseller List. This title is also available in large print hardcover through Thorndike Reviewer's Choice. The fifth in the series, MURDER OF THE BRIDE, was a Mystery Guild Book Club pick (hardcover) and a Top Five Books of 2011 Selection by Crime Fiction Lover. JUDGMENT OF MURDER, the eighth Rex Graves title from Midnight Ink, was released in November 2016 to highly favorable reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews. UPSTAGED BY MURDER, #9, is slated for release by Midnight Ink Books in July of 2018.