True confession: I’ve never attended the St. Charles Christmas Traditions®, a festival for the young at heart. It’s only thirty minutes away from Time in a Bottle, my craft store. My excuse? I am crazy busy from October until mid-January.

However, Bernice Wells, one of my best customers and the manager of the festival’s costume shop, has nagged me for years to come and get involved. More than 200,000 people flock to St. Charles for the holidays. I realized that a promotion tied to the festival offered a brilliant opportunity to introduce new buyers to my store.

On a crisp fall day, I loaded my harlequin Great Dane, Gracie, into the car. She’s always up for an R-I-D-E. We made the delightful drive over the Missouri River to St. Charles. As I pulled into a parking space, I noticed the garlands, lights, and cheerful holiday décor in shop windows.

The festival costume shop was busy, with festival characters running in and out, racks full of costumes, piles of fabric, and mood boards. Bernice gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but I can’t step away right now. I’ve asked Dot Ferris, a docent, to take you on a tour of the town.”

Dot wore a long calico dress and matching bonnet. Her gray curls bobbed happily as we walked along. At first, she seemed concerned about Gracie, given her intimidating size. But Dot quickly warmed up to my furry sidekick. Of course, Gracie drew tons of curious stares as we strolled down the brick streets, gazed up at the historic storefronts, and admired the greenery and festive displays.

“The festival pays homage to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but that Victorian-era classic was only a jumping-off point,” explained Dot. “We decided to incorporate holiday traditions from all over the world. Collectively, we call our characters the ‘Legends of Christmas.'” Dot paused to hand a candy cane to a young shopper who squealed with delight. “They encompass figures from history, literature, and folklore.”

We paused at the Cardinal Sin Distillery, home of award-winning spirits. I’m not much of a drinker, so Dot suggested we go on to Grandma’s Cookies, USA Today’s top cookie shop in America for three years running. That sounded like a perfect fit for me. I had a hard time choosing among chocolate chip, coconut, double chocolate chip, M&M, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, and sugar sprinkle. So I bought three of each.

“What are you planning to do to promote your business during the festival?” Dot wore a chocolate smear on her chin.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’m thinking about a recycling craft with cardboard or making a felt ornament or maybe even creating a coloring book that features Gracie.” At the sound of her name, my big girl raised sad eyes to me. She drooled as she stared at my shopping bag of cookies. But Great Danes have sensitive tummies. No human treats for her!

Dot smiled at me. “Whatever you choose to create, I bet it’s going to be a big hit.”

And as visions of craft projects danced through my head, I said, “I hope so.”

Back at the costume shop, Dot waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd. Gracie stiffened. A low growl rumbled deep in her chest. Across the street, a figure in a long black hooded cloak stood perfectly still beneath an old-fashioned lamppost, watching us. Then a horse-drawn carriage clopped past, and when it had gone, so had the figure.

I told myself it was one of the Legends of Christmas, probably the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, staying in character. That’s what I told Bernice, too, when I called her that evening.

There was a long pause on the line. “Kiki,” she said slowly, “that costume has been hanging in my shop all week. Nobody’s signed it out.”

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS & WAGGING TALE
Series: A Doggone Good Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Two determined sleuths. Two remarkable dogs. One Christmas full of secrets in historic St. Charles, Missouri.

In the newest Doggone Good Mysteries collection, Joanna Campbell Slan and CB Wilson bring holiday cheer and danger to the St. Charles Christmas Traditions celebration, where festive crowds and Victorian merrymaking make the perfect cover for a killer.

A Stitch in Time for Christmas
Fans of Joanna Campbell Slan’s popular Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series will be delighted to rejoin Kiki and her perceptive Great Dane, Gracie, who get tangled up in a Christmas murder. Kiki will lie, eavesdrop, and snoop to keep a killer from walking away singing “Jingle Bells”, even if it means facing the disapproval of the most judgmental dog in town.

The Christmas Diamond
Fans of CB Wilson’s award-winning Gem Hunters Mystery Series will love Taylor Hunter’s latest holiday adventure, where Victorian charm meets deadly secrets. When the legendary Christmas Diamond, a rare green chameleon stone, vanishes from a locked vault, Hunter and Glimmer, her diamond-sniffing dachshund, follow the clues through Victorian Christmas celebrations and the town’s smuggling past, until the Master of Revels is murdered and the race is on to unwrap the mystery before Christmas Eve.

Two distinct voices. Two festive investigations. And two remarkable dogs who sniff out what others miss.
Two determined sleuths. Two remarkable dogs. One Christmas full of secrets in historic St. Charles, Missouri.

About the author
Joanna Campbell Slan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author known for her engaging women’s fiction and mystery novels. With more than 80 books to her credit, including contributions to the original Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Joanna specializes in stories featuring strong female protagonists and the power of women’s friendships. Her goal as an author, teacher, and creator is “turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.” For more information, go to linktr.ee/jcslan.