A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery ) by J.A. Hennrikus

J.A. Hennrikus writes a good- little- mystery in time for an early Christmas read. The heart of the story is the mystery, not the jingle of bells or even the town. The past is only a reference to the people and to Sully herself. But, the plot is strong and any number of people could be the perpetrator. I like stories like that and those which tie up neatly at the end.
 
Sully, has left the Police Force and is a General Manager for a Theater group. She is also involved in a murder. Peter Whitehall, a distant relative, and  a leading Citizen of the Town is found dead. Sully, is drawn into helping when she is asked by the murdered man's Lawyer. He also happens to be her ex-Husband. But can she stay out of trouble as the bodies start dropping?

There are quite a few little sub-plots in the story. One is her ex-husband which leaves the door open to a reunion and romance. Another is the play and all the Actors with their various quirks and problems.  But the pieces tie together well and there are likeable characters which keep you reading. All together a nice mystery for a cozy night of reading.

Blurb:

Sully Must Get Her Childhood Friend Off the Naughty List Before They’re Both Scrooged
When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company.
For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crime and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director. But when her childhood friend is suspected of killing his father, no one is looking for another culprit. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a murderer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband arrives on the scene to play lawyer and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.