Stolen gifts. Lights gone dark. And a killer who just made the naughty list.

Anne Freemont is really trying to embrace the festive spirit of Carolan Springs, Colorado. But despite the mountain air, the twinkling lights, and her well-meaning friends doing their very best, her inner Grinch refuses to budge.

Then the capers begin. Holiday light displays are sabotaged, gift-wrapped packages vanish from doorsteps, and the town's Christmas cheer starts to crack. For the first time since arriving, Anne feels her amateur sleuthing senses tingle -- nothing shakes off a humbug mood quite like a good mystery.

But as she untangles the tinsel-wrapped clues, it becomes chillingly clear this is no case of Yuletide pranks. Someone is playing a deadly game of cat and mouse and Anne may be next on their naughty list. Can this reluctant Scrooge find her Christmas spirit in time to crack the case before the last string of lights goes dark?

In this delightfully festive cozy mystery, you'll find:

• A reluctant Scrooge of an amateur sleuth who finds her holiday spirit the hard way

• A charming Christmas crime spree that turns darker than a lump of coal

• Eccentric Carolan Springs locals decking the halls -- and hiding secrets

• More twists than a striped candy cane

• Warm fuzzy found-family moments that'll rekindle your love of the season

• The handsome sheriff, mistletoe tension, and a slow burn that keeps on giving

• Clean, wholesome mystery with zero "blushes" and plenty of festive fun

Perfect for readers who love:

• Cozy mysteries with Hallmark vibes

• Christmas cozy mysteries with heart and humor

• Cozy mysteries with a midlife female amateur sleuth

• Small-town Colorado settings with quirky, lovable characters

• Clean mysteries with a slow-burn romance and feel-good endings

• Holiday reads that keep you guessing until the very last page

If you love Agatha Raisin's grumpy-heart-of-gold charm, the laugh-out-loud warmth of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and the festive small-town magic of Jacqueline Frost and Katie Marsh -- with a personal Christmas memory from the author woven into every page -- Christmas Capers is the holiday read you didn't know you needed. One-click to grab it now -- Carolan Springs is waiting, and the lights are almost out.

The capers are solved... but the garden has secrets of its own. Something's been growing in the potager -- and it isn't just vegetables. Continue with Potager Plot.

This book was created by a human author who's probably a quirky character in someone's story.

This was originally The Backyard Farming Series. It is now titled The Carolan Springs Mysteries.

Vikki has always had an inquisitive mind. Once she found the Nancy Drew series and later, Agatha Christie, she was hooked for life. Now as a mystery writer, she gets to be the one creating the clues and red herrings for readers. She's also a life-long learner and that has led to her writing of her expertise and experience in nonfiction books as well as leading workshops. When she's not traveling the globe, you'll find her in Colorado tending her gardens, chickens, and bees while thinking up a new murder plot.

Christmas in the Colorado Mountains.

Even though the holidays are approaching, Anne Freemont is bored. When she learns robberies are occurring in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs, she gets excited about solving another mystery. But all is not as it seems, and Anne finds out the clues are directing her to something much larger.

A wonderful feel-good Christmas story with a message of what's truly important.

This is a Christmas novella that includes the Backyard Farming Series characters.