When Alma hoped for some excitement at a dull Christmas get-together, she did not have a murder in mind. Could the death be linked to someone sabotaging the gingerbread men? And why are there rumours of a thief? Fuelled by shortbread and jam tarts, Alma Easter thinks she knows the answers.
Alma Easter is invited to a lavish Christmas party hosted by her old celebrity friends. It has imported champagne, delicate nibbles and, unfortunately, a death in the middle of the welcome speech. While guests leave and family mourns, Alma suspects this death is more than just tragic misfortune.
A village Christmas party is tainted with tragedy when a man falls to his death while trying to straighten the tall tree’s angel topper. But why did he care that it was crooked? What made him try to reach it without a ladder? And why did no one cancel the party? Thankfully, Alma Easter is on hand to explain what happened, right after she finishes some chocolate yule log.
A merry bit of Christmas shopping takes a more sinister turn when a man is found dead – stabbed to death with a candy cane. Who was the masked assailant who attacked him? And why did they choose a candy cane as a weapon? Luckily, a shrewd old lady named Alma Easter is on hand to investigate.
Tragedy befalls a jolly December day when a Christmas elf falls from the top floor of a department store to the icy pavement below. But why was he up there and not busy greeting customers? And could it be related to a string of thefts from the store? Alma Easter, the cake-loving old-lady detective, thinks she knows the answer.
The small talk at a summer barbeque is rudely interrupted by a baffling murder. It looks like poison, but how can that be when everyone has shared the same food and drink? Alma Easter, a cake-obsessed old lady, knows the answer. With this and other intriguing mysteries, Beaten to the Punch contains a variety of entertaining short stories for anyone who loves a cosy read.