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Neil Richards
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Matthew J. Costello
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Cherringham - Secret Santa: A Cosy Crime Series (Cherringham: Mystery Shorts Book 25) Kindle Edition

by Matthew Costello (Author), Neil Richards (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 840 ratings
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Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill: upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season?

Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined...
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  1. Part of series
    Cherringham: Mystery Shorts
  2. Print length
    102 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Bastei Entertainment
  6. Publication date
    October 18, 2016
  7. File size
    1448 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Next 5 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $19.95
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01KLYCU0C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bastei Entertainment (October 18, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1448 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 102 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 840 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
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  1. Neil Richards

    Neil Richards

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Neil Richards is the best-selling co-author of the contemporary cozy mystery series Cherringham and also Mydworth Mysteries, set in 1929 Sussex. There are nearly 50 stories in the Cherringham series: so far nearly 2 million ebooks and audiobooks have been sold.

    Neil has worked as a producer and writer in TV and film, creating scripts for BBC, Disney, and Channel 4, and earning numerous Bafta nominations along the way.

    His writing partnership with NYC-based Matt Costello goes back to the late 90's and the two have written many hours of TV together.

    An American and an Englishman writing crime stories with an American and an English hero - what took us so long?

    See more on the author's page
  2. Matthew J. Costello

    Matthew J. Costello

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Matt Costello

    www.mattcostello.com

    Matt Costello’s award-winning work, across all media, has meshed story, gameplay and technology.

    He has written and designed dozens of award-winning and best-selling games including The 7th Guest, Doom 3, G-Force and Pirates of the Caribbean. He scripted and created the game world for Id’s major release on all platforms, Rage, and also wrote the Random House novel based on his game.

    His horror novel Beneath Still Waters was filmed and released by Lionsgate. His recent novel, Vacation, was a major release from St. Martin’s Press, as was the sequel, Home. St. Martin’s/Macmillan released the SF epic novel, Star Road – co-written by Rick Hautala. Matt and Neil Richards created and write the best-selling cozy mystery series, Cherringham, for Bastei Entertainment, as well as the historical mystery series, Mydworth Mysteries.

    Matt's children's books include the series The Kids of Einstein Elementary (Scholastic) and Magic Everywhere (Random House). His games for children include the award-winning Aladdin’s Mathquest and Hercules, both for Disney, as well as major games for Scholastic and PBS.

    Matt has written episodes and created TV formats for PBS, Disney, SyFy, and the BBC. He consults on story, games and multiplatform projects around the world, and has also created interactive installations for The British Museum, Disney and, with Neil Richards, for Buckingham Palace.

    When not working on all the above, Matt likes to cook, run, dive and travel...

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
840 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

SUZICOOKS
5.0 out of 5 stars I want to live in Cherringham
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
I own almost all of the Cherringham cozy crime books, so that should tell you how much I enjoy them. The stories are unique, with interesting characters, and the main protagonists are beginning to feel like old friends. My only beef with the books is that the authors have an odd tendency to write dialogue as fragments of sentences, rather than complete sentences. While a "hard boiled" former NYPD homicide detective might talk like that, it doesn't "feel" like something a mother of two teenagers would do. I may be the only person who finds that irritating, though, so don't NOT buy the book based on that minor grievance.
5 people found this helpful
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Gail Christian
4.0 out of 5 stars Light mystery for the holidays.
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
Bill Vokes is a rather odd duck. He seems to be a nice enough guy, and most people like him. However, everyone knows he can just disappear from time to time. No one knows where he goes, but they know he'll turn up before too long.

Another thing about Bill is that he absolutely loves playing Santa and passing out gifts to the children every year right after the community lighting of the tree. He wouldn't miss it for the world: it is one of his favorite things to do every Christmas. However, this year Bill was there one minute and gone the next. It was obvious he'd changed into his Santa suit, and it didn't take much sleuthing to figure out he'd snuck out for a cigarette before the tree lighting. But where was he now? You'd think someone in a red Santa suit would be easy to find. Apparently you'd be wrong.

Not much evidence was found: a half smoked cigarette and footprints in the snow that went back and forth before ending at the road. Had he been taken? His wife didn't know where he was, and she was worried when he wasn't home the next morning. Sure, he'd taken off before. Maybe had too much to drink at the pub and wandered off, but he'd never been gone this long.

Leave it to Sarah and Jack to find out what they can about Bill AND his disappearance. Oh, and don't forget Grace, Sarah's assistant. Upon investigation it becomes clear that before moving to the area Bill just didn't seem to exist. There had to be something somewhere, but what? Where? Sarah put out some feelers and finally learned a little more about Bill, but some secrets are about to be discovered that would amaze everyone who knew them. Turns out Bill DID have a past, and it was one he preferred no one found.

Watch Sarah, Jack, and Grace get to the bottom of this mystery, and find out what Bill was trying to hide and what would become of him. Some things really are better left in the past. They're a lot safer there - at least for the one with the secrets.

I read this during the hour drive and my husband's heart test today. Helped the time pass and was a great distraction. Nice little story and easy to follow. Would happily recommend it as a light mystery for the season.
One person found this helpful
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MommaDee
5.0 out of 5 stars Love The Village of Cherringham
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
ALL the books in the Village of Cherringham were the best reads. I've read each one and never wanted either of them to end. I'm hooked and I feel like I met new friends. Each story keeps you interested and how each story I Love the English Village and History and all the details these both Authors have, I feel, Mastered the art of Story telling and wording it just so perfectly for us readers. Thank you Both very much. Please keep these coming. I am feeling sad I'm not going to have another to start. Loved them very much
One person found this helpful
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art wing
5.0 out of 5 stars Greatly enjoyed another "chapter" in this ongoing series
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Greatly enjoyed another "chapter" in this ongoing series. The characters are easy to get to know and represent individuals living in a small town in the UK. I can easily identify with each of the regulars and look forward to meeting them in each new book.
One person found this helpful
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Jane
4.0 out of 5 stars Book 25 in the Cherringham series
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023
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This is an easy, light and enjoyable cosy mystery. Just enough intrigue to keep one's attention. Just long enough to fill a few spare hours.
One person found this helpful
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Loghead
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun,but. . . .
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
While the characters were fun and enjoyable, you never got the feeling,really, that it was an English village mystery. Other than dropping a word now and then that indicated that it was taking place in England; pound, pub etc, it never had the English feel.
One person found this helpful
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DJH
5.0 out of 5 stars mystery without murder
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2017
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The characters are believable and interesting. The story line is about the past catching up with the present. And compassion is shown towards the primary character. I like the Cozy Crimes series because the mysteries are not always related to murder such as seen in this book.
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Katharine
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great little read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
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Cherringham stories provide good, wholesome light reading, with warm, and now familiar, characters playing out a variety of 'who-dun-its'. Recommended to anyone looking for a mystery to enjoy - with a couple of hours to spare and a cup of coffee!
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Top reviews from other countries

Sue
5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking Christmas story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed reading this story a brilliant plot using Santa as the mystery man who was abducted by bank robbers years ago X
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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars So so book.
Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
So so book. A bit slow to read and nit exciting or interesting.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable.
Reviewed in Australia on December 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
A quick holiday read. The author left plenty of clues about what happened to 'Santa' so while Sarah and Jack were busy solving the case, the readers were waiting for the sleuths to catch up.
I'd definately read more Cherringham mysteries.
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Barb Dee
4.0 out of 5 stars Short but Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
It seems there are a lot of books in this series and I haven't read any of them but it didn't stop me enjoying them. When Bill Vokes who plays santa at Christmas disappears just before he is due to hand out presents to the village children Jack and Sarah immediately start investigating and Sarah is shocked to find out there appears to be no such person. A short story but a good read. A lot is packed into the book.
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Melinda Hannett
4.0 out of 5 stars Cosy mystery stories
Reviewed in Australia on August 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
Just love the Cherringham stories, thoroughly enjoy the characters and just love the narrator.
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