Not sure what you want to read? How about some decidedly quirky tales for the holidays? These stories feature unusual sleuths solving baffling mysteries. They are set in modern times, historical eras, up north, down south, merry old England and lands far away. They are sure to entertain and help you take a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the season.

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STAFF PICKS FOR ADULTS

Pick one or several of these stories to satisfy your guilty “whodunit” pleasure.

FICTION

• “Deadly Patterns” by Melissa Bourbon

Bliss, Texas, is gearing up for its annual Winter Wonderland festival, but when a mysterious Scrooge ends the merriment with murder, it’ll take more than a ghost from Christmas past to set things right. Discovering the body puts dressmaker Harlow Jane Cassidy at the scene of the crime. She’ll need plenty of help from friends and even her late great-grandmother’s spirited sleuthing if she’s to have a ghost of a chance of catching a killer who’s just jumped to the top of the naughty list. Includes sewing tips.

• “The Twelve Clues of Christmas” by Rhys Bowen

She may be 35th in line for the throne, but Lady Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year - before a Christmas killer wrings another neck…

• “Let It Sew” by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Down south, the holidays mean family and for Yankee librarian, Tori Sinclair, family means the Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle. It may not be a white Christmas, but it’s one she’ll never forget - no matter how hard she tries. The season has brought sad tidings as well: Charlotte Devereaux, a sewing circle founding member has passed away. One detail in particular jumps out and leads to a shocking revelation: Charlotte’s husband didn’t leave her - he was murdered. As Tori gets closer to the truth, she will discover that just about everyone in town has got notches on the naughty list this year.

• “Twelfth Night Secrets” by Jane Feather

When her older brother Nick, a British spy, is killed, Lady Harriet Devere is given a new mission by the Ministry of War - to spend Christmas determining if Julius Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, is a double agent for the French.

• “The Snow White Christmas Cookie: a Berger and Mitry Mystery” by David Handler

The newest adventure featuring the mismatched, romantic crime-fighting duo of New York City film critic Mitch Berger and Connecticut State Resident Trooper Desiree “Des” Mitry presents Des with her first taste of Christmas in the historic New England village of Dorset. And what a taste it is. Three blizzards have blanketed the village in 40 inches of snow. Bryce Peck, Mitch’s neighbor, has just been found dead.

• “The Clue is in the Pudding” by Kate Kingsbury, a Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery

Cecily Sinclair Baxter could use a Christmas miracle. She needs a temporary replacement for her housekeeper. The agency sends Beatrice Tucker - who turns out to be more of a curse. She fights with just about everyone, including Archibald Armitage. When Armitage drops dead everyone assumes Tucker is the culprit. But as Cecily begins to investigate, the list of suspects grows, and solving this case may not be as easy as pie…or pudding.

• “Treacherous Toys” by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Assistant professor Jessie Morton was planning on spending the holiday season at the Renaissance Faire Village working as an apprentice to the toy maker. When he’s found dead, those plans are dashed. Now Jessie must discover who killed the ladies man or she may be next. Renaissance recipe and facts included.

• “A Christmas Garland” by Anne Perry

In 1857 India, young Lt. Victor Narraway, with the help of two small children and a Christmas garland, defends a British medical orderly throughout a murder investigation. In an unfamiliar world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope.

• “Mistletoe, Merriment and Murder” by Sara Rosett

Super organizer Ellie Avery could really use some Christmas cheer when Gabrielle Matheson, a grinchy professional rival, sets up shop in the same small Georgia town. But before the halls are even halfway decked with holly, someone uses Ellie’s terrifically tasteless white elephant swap gift as a murder weapon. Ellie’s now a suspect. Ellie has to solve this ho-ho-homicide and find a killer who wishes her a very deadly Christmas.

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DID YOU KNOW? …

Just in time for the holidays …Wake County Public Libraries recently added the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center to our OneSEARCH databases. This database offers detailed “how-to” instructions and creative ideas to meet the interests of the hobby enthusiast. Topics include: Arts and Crafts, Beer and Wine Making, Collecting, Games and Electronics, Home and Leisure, Jewelry Making, Model Building, Needlework, Outdoors and Nature, Scrapbooking and Paper crafts and many more. When you visit the library website at wakegov.com/libraries just click on the RESEARCH tab and select OneSEARCH Databases. Then click on the link for the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center. Happy crafting.