By Francesca Conti Murphy Schmidt, 
from the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries 
by Leslie Budewitz

I just love a winter wedding, don’t you?

Of course, it was my younger daughter Erin’s wedding, on Christmas Eve, so I was going to be a smiling, weeping, wreck of joy the whole time. And that murder business had me worried, though it would have done no good to tell Erin to keep her nose out of it.

But oh, it was so, so beautiful.

Erin told me when she was twelve years old that she wanted to get married at Caldwell’s Eagle Lake Lodge and Dude Ranch, and while it took her twenty-one years, that’s what she did. The Caldwell brothers hitched up the horse-drawn sleigh to take us to the Carriage House for the service, and to take Erin and Adam back up to the main lodge for dinner afterwards.

We decorated with red and cream poinsettias, and Kathy Jensen made the loveliest dress, a white-on-white brocade with a full skirt and a sweetheart neckline. Erin would have to wear her red cowboy boots, but they suit her. The Merc staff put together favors for the guests, and the kitchen staff pulled out all the stops. It helped that Chef Kyle still has a bit of a crush on Erin, and wanted her big day to be perfect. A roaring fire in the massive stone fireplace, a jazz trio, and all three of my children happy. Chiara’s got a new baby girl, Landon adores his baby sister, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were back here in a year for another wedding, of my Nick to Kim Caldwell.

I only wish their father could have lived to see it. But Bill’s the perfect stepfather to grown children, and I’m loving getting to know Adam’s family and show them Jewel Bay all lit up for the season. Why he’d been reluctant to introduce them to us, I can’t imagine.

But I will admit, after all that fun on Christmas Eve, and a full house all weekend, my feet hurt. I’m just going to pour another glass of Conti red, make up a plate of cookies, and sit here to savor every last moment.

The Food Lovers’ Village family hope you and yours are enjoying a time filled with love, joy, good food and friends, and all the blessings of the season. 

"Budewitz's finely drawn characters, sharp ear for dialogue, and well-paced puzzle make Jewel Bay a destination for every cozy fan." - Kirkus Reviews


From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink/Tantor Audio, available in trade paper, e-book, and audio): 

Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.