A great Christmas mystery for Captain Kate Gazzara, along with Sampson, and her team to solve to bring answers to a young girl's family after 20 years.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
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The Christmas Card
A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Twenty years ago, Lacey Whitmore vanished. This Christmas, she sent her mother a card.
Eleven days before Christmas, a card arrives at the Whitmore home in Lacey’s handwriting, signed with the little star only her family knew about. While Chattanooga is caught up in the Christmas rush of shoppers, lights, and parties, Captain Kate Gazzara and her German Shepherd, Samson, reopen a case that’s been cold for twenty years. Someone kept that card all this time, and someone else finally mailed it.
As the shopping days run out, Kate is racing the calendar to find out who, and what really happened to Lacey Whitmore.
Amazon eBook release date is December 24th
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Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 20 reviews.
What is it about Christmas that evokes feelings of family love, hot chocolate, and presents under a beautifully decorated tree? There’s nothing like it. But for one family in Chattanooga, it’s mostly a reminder of their missing daughter. The case has gone cold long ago - 17 years since anyone has worked on it. So imagine the family’s surprise when they receive a Christmas card that looks like it’s from their daughter, but 20 years after she disappeared! Capt. Kate Gazzara takes up the case, and with her trusty German Shepherd by her side, she is determined to bring the family answers. The book is so well-written, I felt like I was there for every interview and every investigation, right alongside Kate and Samson. The tension rose and I had no idea what happened to this girl 20 years ago. That’s Blair Howard’s style; get you so involved and connected to the characters that you think you’ll break until you find out what happened. And he does it very well. Don’t miss out on this captivating Christmas story. I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
This is quite a short novel from Blair Howard but what it lacks in length it makes up for in content, a great Christmas thriller. Kate has only a few days to solve this mystery, an elderly lady came into the Chattanooga PD, insisting on speaking to a detective, in her hand was a plastic sandwich bag containing a Christmas card. It was a few days before Christmas but there was no let up for Captain Kate Gazzara and her brilliant team, Lacey Whitmore has disappeared twenty years ago, her mother had never given up hope that she would once more walk through the door, this morning she had received a Christmas card written in Stacey's handwriting telling her mother that she would be in touch, this surely meant that her daughter was still alive, how was Kate going to solve this mystery in the few days before Christmas , this family deserved answers. As this story unfolds Kate uses all her powers of persuasion to get help from not only her team but from the extended team to solve this complex mystery. This is a fast paced story with suspense and danger, I love the authors descriptive powers, I could imaging the twinkling Christmas lights outside Kates office, some of them defunct, the sorry looking Christmas tree, shedding it's pines because someone had forgotten to water it, I could feel Kates lonely Christmas, a loneliness she didn't mind as long as she had her devoted K9 German shepherd, Samson, by her side, an indispensable member of her team. I received a free copy of this book and my review is totally voluntary.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
What a gripping, suspenseful, edge of your seat story. Blair did it again, he's written a book that exceeds the last! This is a short story and worth every second of your time it takes to read it. Great mystery for Kate and her team to solve. If you like Sampson, you'll enjoy this one, he plays an important part in unfolding events. This is a must read!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
An easy read from Blair Howard! It revolves around the Christmas season, but it’s not about “doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles”. Kate gets called about a 20 year old cold case, just a short time before Christmas. She and her team go through the old files and methodically pursue old abandoned leads and new DNA leads to solve the case! Grab your hot cocoa and curl up with this one next to the fireplace!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Loved the story the plot and the moment . Take the time to enjoy and I guarantee you will read cover to cover Thanks
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
This book caused mixed emotions. Sadness at what happened to the girl's parents twenty years earlier and also at what happened to the girl herself. I'm amazed that the police can solve something that is 20 years old, and I don't think that is fiction as Mr. Howard researches it so carefully. His stories are suspenseful with phrases or situations here and there that could be clues . . . or maybe not. The reader can decide for him or herself, but only Mr. Howard knows. I am in awe of his imagination and development of both characters and storylines. This is a book you won't want to miss (as are all his other books), but I realized something in this one that maybe I had before, but it spoke very clearly this time: Kate is a very good police captain, who works hard to get the information to close a case — but one of the most important things to me is her integrity and her caring for the innocent people who have been affected by the guilty people. She doesn't care about numbers or being promoted or anything like that. She wants to solve her cases correctly and fairly. It's too bad she is a fictional character — we need more like her in today's society! Thank you, Mr. Howard!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Store owner replied: Many thanks, Margie. Yes, it's fiction. As far as I know, it never happened.
For twenty years every Christmas just means her family wonders "What happened to Lacey?" It's up to Kate and her team to see if they can finally get them an answer. This has all of the usual markings of a Blair Howard novel (great characters, good pace and many questions). Yet, this one reaches into your chest and really tugs on your heart! Guaranteed to make you a fan of Blair Howard's writing. Not to be missed!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
It’s approaching Xmas but this one’s not going to be so happy for some. It’s a tragic case, poignantly involving a 20 year old case and a missing young girl. It’s a tough one for Kate Gazzara and her team. It makes for a riveting read as the lack of information from the old missing persons report is sadly lacking. Then the strangest twist opens another avenue of investigation and things start to snowball. I couldn’t put it down. Kate and Samson at their best again. I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Kate and Samson set out to solve a 20-year-old cold case right at Christmas time. A thorough investigation that was well written with multiple suspects. Page turning novella that was very enjoyable with plenty of suspense. Highly recommended murder mystery.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
What’s not to love about Captain Kate Gazzara? She’s smart, tough and keeps the victims at the center of a case. She catches a cold case right before Christmas and it tugs at her heart. BUT, she’s not one to let that keep her from using good ole’ police work. She and her team work hard to solve the mysterious case of how a Christmas card from 20 years ago shows up. They follow each lead, think outside the box and are able to bring closure to the case and the victim’s family. If you like Kate, you’ll like this book!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Novellas always seem rushed to me. With the shortened format, the author needs to get to the point quickly. That isn’t the case here. This has all the drama and detail of other Blair Howard full length novels. The story is engrossing and very emotional at the conclusion. And there is just enough Christmas atmosphere to give it the holiday spirit. Great book, well worth the read.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
he story involves the usual characters, but for some reason felt different to me. This might be one of Blair Howard's best!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
A tale of love and a glimmer of hope as Christmas approaches. A moving short story that is easy to read in one go. Blair Howard does it again, worth 5*
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
No Christmas Joy. Blair Howard tells a story of a young woman who left home in December, 2005, and never came back. He writes of the detective, Captain Kate Gazzara in 2025 who takes the case and solves it. Blair Howard is. Tremendous writer. A go to writer. I’m glad I read the book. It’s very good.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
A 20-year-old unsolved missing person case is brought to the forefront by the person's parents. Why are they being tormented? 20 years, and they get a Christmas card from their missing daughter. It's not enough that the news resurrects it yearly and they get cranks revisiting it giving them bogus info. Now this. They go to the police and request to speak to a detective. Kate Gazzara, now a captain, meets with them she says she will look into the case. She sends the card for forensic analysis to determine the facts about the card. This leads to pursuit of additional facts and possible crimes. Did she runaway? Was there foul play? Answers were not easily found. Will she succeed in unraveling the mystery? The story is short, but potent. Another good one by Blair.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
I enjoyed this book a lot. The story moved right along and kept me in just the right amount of suspense. Kate and her team along with Samson make a great crew.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Wow, short, and sweet , written by a great storyteller. This is one hell of a powerful story. I simply devoured it. I loved it. A cold case finally solved, after many years. Highly recommended.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Gripping and suspenseful. This book had me on the edge of my seat and I just couldn't put it down. So I read it all in one sitting. It's just so good!!! I would think a case like this would touch very deeply and stay for a very long time.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Lovely story about a 20 year missing person and how Kate and her team solve the mystery. Great read.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 20 reviews.
A great Christmas mystery for Captain Kate Gazzara, along with Sampson, and her team to solve to bring answers to a young girl's family after 20 years.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
What is it about Christmas that evokes feelings of family love, hot chocolate, and presents under a beautifully decorated tree? There’s nothing like it. But for one family in Chattanooga, it’s mostly a reminder of their missing daughter. The case has gone cold long ago - 17 years since anyone has worked on it. So imagine the family’s surprise when they receive a Christmas card that looks like it’s from their daughter, but 20 years after she disappeared! Capt. Kate Gazzara takes up the case, and with her trusty German Shepherd by her side, she is determined to bring the family answers. The book is so well-written, I felt like I was there for every interview and every investigation, right alongside Kate and Samson. The tension rose and I had no idea what happened to this girl 20 years ago. That’s Blair Howard’s style; get you so involved and connected to the characters that you think you’ll break until you find out what happened. And he does it very well. Don’t miss out on this captivating Christmas story. I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
This is quite a short novel from Blair Howard but what it lacks in length it makes up for in content, a great Christmas thriller. Kate has only a few days to solve this mystery, an elderly lady came into the Chattanooga PD, insisting on speaking to a detective, in her hand was a plastic sandwich bag containing a Christmas card. It was a few days before Christmas but there was no let up for Captain Kate Gazzara and her brilliant team, Lacey Whitmore has disappeared twenty years ago, her mother had never given up hope that she would once more walk through the door, this morning she had received a Christmas card written in Stacey's handwriting telling her mother that she would be in touch, this surely meant that her daughter was still alive, how was Kate going to solve this mystery in the few days before Christmas , this family deserved answers. As this story unfolds Kate uses all her powers of persuasion to get help from not only her team but from the extended team to solve this complex mystery. This is a fast paced story with suspense and danger, I love the authors descriptive powers, I could imaging the twinkling Christmas lights outside Kates office, some of them defunct, the sorry looking Christmas tree, shedding it's pines because someone had forgotten to water it, I could feel Kates lonely Christmas, a loneliness she didn't mind as long as she had her devoted K9 German shepherd, Samson, by her side, an indispensable member of her team. I received a free copy of this book and my review is totally voluntary.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
What a gripping, suspenseful, edge of your seat story. Blair did it again, he's written a book that exceeds the last! This is a short story and worth every second of your time it takes to read it. Great mystery for Kate and her team to solve. If you like Sampson, you'll enjoy this one, he plays an important part in unfolding events. This is a must read!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
An easy read from Blair Howard! It revolves around the Christmas season, but it’s not about “doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles”. Kate gets called about a 20 year old cold case, just a short time before Christmas. She and her team go through the old files and methodically pursue old abandoned leads and new DNA leads to solve the case! Grab your hot cocoa and curl up with this one next to the fireplace!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Loved the story the plot and the moment . Take the time to enjoy and I guarantee you will read cover to cover Thanks
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
This book caused mixed emotions. Sadness at what happened to the girl's parents twenty years earlier and also at what happened to the girl herself. I'm amazed that the police can solve something that is 20 years old, and I don't think that is fiction as Mr. Howard researches it so carefully. His stories are suspenseful with phrases or situations here and there that could be clues . . . or maybe not. The reader can decide for him or herself, but only Mr. Howard knows. I am in awe of his imagination and development of both characters and storylines. This is a book you won't want to miss (as are all his other books), but I realized something in this one that maybe I had before, but it spoke very clearly this time: Kate is a very good police captain, who works hard to get the information to close a case — but one of the most important things to me is her integrity and her caring for the innocent people who have been affected by the guilty people. She doesn't care about numbers or being promoted or anything like that. She wants to solve her cases correctly and fairly. It's too bad she is a fictional character — we need more like her in today's society! Thank you, Mr. Howard!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Store owner replied: Many thanks, Margie. Yes, it's fiction. As far as I know, it never happened.
For twenty years every Christmas just means her family wonders "What happened to Lacey?" It's up to Kate and her team to see if they can finally get them an answer. This has all of the usual markings of a Blair Howard novel (great characters, good pace and many questions). Yet, this one reaches into your chest and really tugs on your heart! Guaranteed to make you a fan of Blair Howard's writing. Not to be missed!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
It’s approaching Xmas but this one’s not going to be so happy for some. It’s a tragic case, poignantly involving a 20 year old case and a missing young girl. It’s a tough one for Kate Gazzara and her team. It makes for a riveting read as the lack of information from the old missing persons report is sadly lacking. Then the strangest twist opens another avenue of investigation and things start to snowball. I couldn’t put it down. Kate and Samson at their best again. I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Kate and Samson set out to solve a 20-year-old cold case right at Christmas time. A thorough investigation that was well written with multiple suspects. Page turning novella that was very enjoyable with plenty of suspense. Highly recommended murder mystery.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
What’s not to love about Captain Kate Gazzara? She’s smart, tough and keeps the victims at the center of a case. She catches a cold case right before Christmas and it tugs at her heart. BUT, she’s not one to let that keep her from using good ole’ police work. She and her team work hard to solve the mysterious case of how a Christmas card from 20 years ago shows up. They follow each lead, think outside the box and are able to bring closure to the case and the victim’s family. If you like Kate, you’ll like this book!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Novellas always seem rushed to me. With the shortened format, the author needs to get to the point quickly. That isn’t the case here. This has all the drama and detail of other Blair Howard full length novels. The story is engrossing and very emotional at the conclusion. And there is just enough Christmas atmosphere to give it the holiday spirit. Great book, well worth the read.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
he story involves the usual characters, but for some reason felt different to me. This might be one of Blair Howard's best!
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
A tale of love and a glimmer of hope as Christmas approaches. A moving short story that is easy to read in one go. Blair Howard does it again, worth 5*
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
No Christmas Joy. Blair Howard tells a story of a young woman who left home in December, 2005, and never came back. He writes of the detective, Captain Kate Gazzara in 2025 who takes the case and solves it. Blair Howard is. Tremendous writer. A go to writer. I’m glad I read the book. It’s very good.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
A 20-year-old unsolved missing person case is brought to the forefront by the person's parents. Why are they being tormented? 20 years, and they get a Christmas card from their missing daughter. It's not enough that the news resurrects it yearly and they get cranks revisiting it giving them bogus info. Now this. They go to the police and request to speak to a detective. Kate Gazzara, now a captain, meets with them she says she will look into the case. She sends the card for forensic analysis to determine the facts about the card. This leads to pursuit of additional facts and possible crimes. Did she runaway? Was there foul play? Answers were not easily found. Will she succeed in unraveling the mystery? The story is short, but potent. Another good one by Blair.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
I enjoyed this book a lot. The story moved right along and kept me in just the right amount of suspense. Kate and her team along with Samson make a great crew.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Wow, short, and sweet , written by a great storyteller. This is one hell of a powerful story. I simply devoured it. I loved it. A cold case finally solved, after many years. Highly recommended.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Gripping and suspenseful. This book had me on the edge of my seat and I just couldn't put it down. So I read it all in one sitting. It's just so good!!! I would think a case like this would touch very deeply and stay for a very long time.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story
Lovely story about a 20 year missing person and how Kate and her team solve the mystery. Great read.
The Christmas Card: A Captain Kate Gazzara Christmas Mystery Short Story