In Connie BerryтАЩs festive holiday novella Mistletoe and Murder, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton has a long way to go before she gets down the aisle, but will someone stand in the way of her happily ever after?
Five days before her wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, Kate Hamilton finds her friend Sheila in need of her help. Sheila, a soon-to-be bride herself, needs KateтАЩs help to get Carl Curtis, her fianc├й, out of Venezuela. His passport was taken from him by the authorities, and they say he owes them money. Carl says itтАЩs a bribe, but heтАЩs unable to leave unless itтАЩs paid.
Sheila decides to sell her grandfatherтАЩs coin collection, including a valuable gold coin presented by Queen Victoria to her great-grandmother. Among her grandfatherтАЩs stored possessions is a letter from the Queen. When someone breaks into SheilaтАЩs house, all signs point to even more foul play. As Kate deals with a disturbing number of wedding-plan hitches, a fire in town reveals a body. Unfortunately, the burned-out flat is next to the bridal salon where KateтАЩs dress is being altered. Can the cleaners really eliminate the odor of smoke?
As the clock ticks down to Kate and TomтАЩs тАЬI doтАЭs, Kate goes to SheilaтАЩs house to help her search for the royal letter, but sheтАЩs nowhere to be found. The house has been torn apart, and Sheila is missing. Could SheilaтАЩs disappearance be connected to the death in town? Kate will have to piece together the clues.