Prelude to Murder: A Rex Graves Mystery

When a glamorous young couple, who appear to have everything going for them, are found dead in their house on his fiancée’s street, Scottish barrister Rex Graves feels compelled to get involved in the case. Helen is less enthusiastic. He had promised to dedicate the weekend to planning their wedding, not solving a juicy double murder. Includes SAY MURDER WITH FLOWERS: A Rex Graves Mini-Mystery The resourceful Scottish barrister is called to London at the behest of a prominent cabinet minister to solve his daughter’s hit-and-run murder. By bestselling author of "Christmas Is Murder," published by Midnight Ink. Reviews for CHRISTMAS IS MURDER (Book #1 in the Rex Graves Mystery series): **STARRED** Review from Booklist: "The first installment in this new mystery series is a winner... At times, it seems we are playing Clue or perhaps enjoying a contemporary retelling of a classic Agatha Christie tale (And Then There Were None, or At Bertram’s Hotel) with a charming new sleuth. A must for cozy fans." —Booklist (American Library Association) "C.S. Challinor’s 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 "Shades of Agatha Christie. A disparate group of guests snowed in at an English hotel await Christmas and death. Rex Graves, QC,...uses his prosecutorial expertise to work his way through method and motive until he announces the murderer in a denouement in the classic style. Challinor’s debut is a pleasant modern knockoff of Christie." —Kirkus Reviews "It’s a charming novel, especially since the violence occurs offstage. CHRISTMAS IS MURDER is full of people with interesting characters and clues... Ms. Challinor was educated in Scotland and England, which explains how she writes so convincingly of both her setting and her characters." —Florida Weekly "CHRISTMAS IS MURDER has all the elements traditional English cozy fans have come to love. The plot is tight, suspects limited and an investigation uses Rex’s wit rather than a lot of outside sources. The setting is lovely and the characters entertaining without being so overdrawn as to appear as caricatures. A great start to a new series that is sure to become a modern favorite traditional English cozy series." —The Mystery Reader **** (4-Star review = Recommended) "CHRISTMAS IS MURDER is the first book in a new series featuring Rex Graves as barrister and sleuth. The book is an enjoyable and quick read. The setting is great, a Victorian hotel in England in modern times, the characters are interesting and the mystery is engaging. I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was—any of the guests could have done it! This is not a very ’Christmasy’ book. It could be read just about any time of the year. I look forward to more books in this series." —The Friendly Book Nook "Agatha Christie fans, here you go! You have been waiting for a mystery writer that can hold the torch, well we found her: C.S. Challinor. CHRISTMAS IS MURDER is her first book in the Rex Graves series, and we didn’t solve the mystery! In fact, we were not even close. She told such a wonderful story that we were lost in her world for a while!" —Suspense Magazine "CHRISTMAS IS MURDER is an engaging whodunit populated with an interesting and imaginative mix of characters and a very appealing and charming sleuth in Rex Graves. The story effortlessly combines elements of a classic country house mystery with an Agatha Christie-style denouement to great effect. With some of the guests concealing secret objectives for being present, this quick-reading mystery will keep readers guessing until the end." —Mysterious Reviews