A Little Christmas Villa-ny

By Melicity Pope and Melissa Williams Pope

Spend an hour in a picturesque Italian village where the magic of Christmas collides with cunning villainy in this lighthearted cozy mystery novelette! 

 

Holly Sharpe would rather jump on a long-haul flight on Christmas Eve Eve to deal with somebody else's family drama, rather than wade through her own pile of divorce papers, bank statements and big life decisions. 

 

But when she agrees to escape L.A. for a winter break at an Italian villa owned by her English friend Charlotte's family, Holly's welcomed to Europe not only by a charming, cobblestoned Christmas market, bagpiping shepherds, and a friendly, fluffy grey cat, but she also finds herself thrust into an atmosphere of suspicion where threatening notes appear, valuable antiques go missing and an uncle falls prey to potentially poisoned gingerbread cookies… hers! 

 

Can Holly unravel the mysteries threatening to ruin the holiday before succumbing to brain-numbing jet lag, or will Christmas in Italy end up a Fatale Natale? 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Williams Pope
• Release date: Nov 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223747888

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Just come! my childhood best friend, Charlotte Hinley, urged me on our monthly-ish, bi-continental catch-up call. Besides, a little Italian minibreak will give you some space to figure out what’s next.

I did need to figure out what was next. California’s no fault status meant that everyone split assets down the middle in a divorce, and Mike had opted to take his cut in cash. Not only was our house now on the market, but it was also looking like I would have to sell the businesses to pay him off. It was the absolute worst time for me to jump on a plane and leave L.A.

I don’t know, Char. I don’t think I can right now. Besides, if I went to Europe, I’d be expected to swing through England to spend time with the grandparents, especially at Christmas.

Never stopped you before.

Hey!

Paris, Milan, Berlin… We just had to sit by Burney River waving at your plane as it passed us by all those times.

I started to protest, but she ignored me.

I know, I know, Little Witherburne’s hard to get to when you’re on a tight schedule.

I rubbed the lines between my eyebrows. I’m sorry I’ve been away so long.

And now you can make up for it, she answered brightly. To me, anyway.

It’s just that I’ve got a lot to square away with—

"Didn’t you tell me one of your Love and Luxe success story couples are getting married here?"

Ugh. One of my high-maintenance success stories. Don’t remind me. Besides, it was Venice.

She pivoted. "What about researching a new recipe for Ginger Luxe?"

While mentioning that gingerbread was more Polish than Italian, my stomach turned to lead. How must she view me now if she believed the only way to motivate me into visiting was in service of one of my businesses? Was that who I’d become?

Char exhaled into the phone and paused. Will you do it for me, then, Holly? Ever since I got here, things have been strange. Something’s going on, and I could really use the moral support…

And that’s how I found myself two days later in this picture-postcard, Italian hamlet of Miele di Rosa on Christmas Eve afternoon, choking down sips of limoncello at a rickety wooden table at La Rosa Rosa, the only restaurant for five miles. I blinked at Char through bleary, post-fourteen-hour-flight eyes. Maybe it was my hazy vision, but she totally hadn’t aged in the ten years since I’d seen her in person. Her thick, straight black hair still hung to the middle of her back and framed a gorgeous face accentuated by dark eyes and lashes that wouldn’t quit.

I could only imagine how my tangled, cinnamon-colored messy bun and puffy face, straight from the long-haul journey, compared to my shy but glamorous-looking friend.

So, let me see if I’ve got this. I grabbed a napkin to take notes. The villa – manor – whatever, and the vineyards belong to your great uncle, Ralph.

Yes.

And he has an Italian live-in butler.

Carlo.

Carlo, I repeated. Right. And also in the household is Uncle Ralph’s fiancée—

"Much younger fiancée."

Jackie.

Char nodded.

And the guests for Christmas, besides us, are Ralph’s brother, Bob, and Bob’s daughter…?

"Barbie. And Barbie was the one calling my dad night and day saying something’s not right about Jackie and asking if any