Rolando straightened his black cloak, lifted his lantern for dramatic effect, and gave the gathered crowd his best spooky grin. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to tonight’s exclusive Destination Murders Ghost Walk. I, Rolando, will be your guide through history, mystery, and just a touch of fright.”

A group of eight women and one man were clustered near the rusting cemetery gate. Maple leaves skittered over headstones as the autumn wind whistled like a warning. Rolando cleared his throat. “Now, if you listen closely, you might hear the whisper of restless spirits…”

“Spirits are fine,” a familiar blonde interrupted, brushing back her braid. “As long as there are no murderers.” Jackie Norwood sighed. “Last time I judged a food festival, the peas were bad enough. Then we had an escaped convict show up.”

Rolando’s grin faltered. “Escaped…convict?”

“Yep. Hard to enjoy soup while worrying about that.” Jackie gave him a weak smile. “But that’s my luck.”

Rolando shifted uneasily and hurried toward a crumbling headstone. “Well then. Moving on! This grave is said to—”

“Hopefully there’s only one body in there,” another woman said. She had curly gray hair and a mischievous sparkle in her eye. “Name’s Karin Garcia. Talking about graves, I once stumbled into a mess involving a woman nicknamed Graves Millie. Between the scandal, the secrets, and an extra dead body, I learned that graveyards aren’t half as restful as people think.”

“Bodies again?” Rolando’s lantern wobbled in his hand. “I assure you, this tour is all in fun—strictly legends!”

“Legends, huh?” A curly-haired brunette stepped forward, arms crossed. “Barbara Marr here. I’ve seen enough so-called legends come to life. Haunted house in Virginia? Monkeys next door in the basement? And murder, of course. If anyone sees a ghost tonight, don’t worry—I’ll know what to do.” She flashed Rolando a grin. “It’s kind of my thing.”

Rolando took a steadying breath. “Ladies, please. We are here to talk about the ghosts in this cemetery.”

“Have all the graves in this cemetery been documented?” asked a young woman in a 1950s style dress. “I’m Juniper Blume. While normally I work with rare books and other historical items, I once volunteered to archive gravestones in Rose Mallow, Maryland. The only problem is while cataloging the cemetery, I also catalogued a corpse. Not a ghost, a real corpse.”

Rolando’s lantern guttered as the flame struggled. He muttered a prayer and gestured toward a tall marble monument which also incorporated a bench. “This is known as Satan’s Seat, whoever sits in it will—”

“Oh, we have something like that called the Devil’s Chair.” Pepper Reece shivered in her scarf. “I joined some old classmates for a Halloween ghost tour in Seattle’s Lake View Cemetery, right by the Devil’s Chair. Eerie as all get-out. Then someone tried to kill one of us. You could say I’ve had my fill of graveyard reunions.”

Rolando blinked. “Tried… to kill…”

“Oh,” Pepper added brightly. “I brought spices if anyone wants mulled cider after the tour.”

“Cider,” Rolando said faintly. “Yes. Cider sounds good.”

Before he could compose himself, a tall man in an ill-fitting sweater shuffled forward. His eyes were haunted. “I woke up in a graveyard once,” he said. “Didn’t know my name. Head bleeding. An old woman thought I was the dead man.” He touched his temple. “She might’ve been right. For all I know, I still am.”

Rolando dropped his lantern. The flame sputtered out on the damp grass. “You don’t… remember your name?”

The man shook his head. “Call me Red. That’s what she called me.” His smile was thin. “It stuck.”

Rolando fumbled for a match. “O-okay. Let’s—let’s keep moving. Quickly.”

But another voice piped up, brisk and authoritative. “No need to rush. Tessa Treslow, U.S. Army, retired. My aunt and I spent time in cemeteries back in Idaho, placing flags on veterans’ graves. Respectful work. Except when a feud between two families nearly turned that graveyard into a battleground. Bullets don’t mix well with headstones.”

“Battle?” Rolando squeaked. His hands shook so hard the match snapped in two.

“Could be worse,” said a calm voice from the back. A woman with chestnut hair stepped closer, holding a notebook. “Riley Rhodes. I run an ice cream shop, but once, at a midnight book sale, someone used the graveyard entrance instead of the front door. By the end of the night—murder. Right among the tombstones.”

Rolando pressed a hand to his chest. “Ice cream… books… murder…? In a graveyard?”

“And don’t forget parties,” came a cheerful teenage voice. Rolando thought she looked familiar, but younger than he remembered. “I’m Lucy Berberian,” she said, popping her bubble gum and adjusting her backpack. “Back in high school, my best friend and I snuck into a graveyard party during Senior Assassin week. Water guns, dares, all fun and games. Although maybe everything wasn’t as innocent as I thought.”

Rolando turned in a circle. Lantern out, matches broken, surrounded by murder magnets. “Everywhere I go,” he whispered, “beaches, mountains, ships, planes, now graveyards. Always the murder.”

Jackie Norwood patted his arm. “Cheer up, Rolando. At least you’ll never run out of ghost stories.”

He stared at her, wide-eyed. “I quit. This is my last tour. Cemeteries are supposed to be peaceful!” He yanked off his cloak, tossed the lantern aside, and stomped toward the gate. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be looking for a job where murder can’t follow. Maybe… a lighthouse keeper. Yes. On a deserted rock. With no visitors.”

Behind him, the nine sleuths exchanged knowing glances. As the gate clanged shut, Barbara Marr chuckled. “Poor guy. He still hasn’t learned—wherever we go, murder follows.”

MURDER AT THE MIDNIGHT MADNESS BOOK SALE, Meri Allen. A new short story in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries. Riley Rhodes helps out at a fundraising book sale in her Connecticut town, but when strangers slip in through the graveyard entrance, the night ends in mystery.

THE DEVIL’S CHAIR, Leslie Budewitz. A new short story in the Spice Shop Mysteries. Pepper Reece joins old classmates for a Halloween ghost tour in Seattle, but the Devil’s Chair proves that some legends are deadly.

THE GOODE, THE DEAD, AND THE HUNGRY, Karen Cantwell. A new short story in the Barbara Marr Mysteries. Barb and her friends check into a “haunted” bed-and-breakfast, where ghostly rumors and a shocking murder wreck their getaway.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE DEAD MAN, Misha Crews. When a man wakes up in a graveyard with no memory and a bleeding head wound, he stumbles into a murder investigation, complete with a charming cemetery caretaker, a skeptical but attractive cop, and a suspiciously well-timed picnic.

GRAVES MILLIE DOES A BUNKER, Eleanor Cawood Jones. Karin Garcia and her best friend Book head to Virginia for a writer’s conference but uncover scandal, secrets, and a murder tied to Karin’s family history.

A KILLER PARTY, Tina Kashian. A new short story in the Kebab Kitchen series. High schooler Lucy Berberian joins a graveyard party during “Senior Assassin,” but soon learns that in this game, not everything is as it seems.

GRAVE EXPECTATIONS, Daphne Silver. A new short story in the Rare Books Mysteries. Juniper Blume volunteers at a Tidewater cemetery, but her gravestone project uncovers more than just history—it finds murder.

BATTLE OF THE GRAPEVINE CREEK GRAVEYARD, Rosalie Spielman. A new short story in the Hometown Mysteries. Tessa Treslow and her aunt place flags on veterans’ graves in Idaho, only to stumble into a family feud that refuses to stay buried.

REST IN PEAS, Cathy Wiley. A new short story in the Fatal Food Festival Mysteries. At a Pennsylvania pea festival, Jackie Norwood discovers that a past problem and a puzzling crypt point to murder.

MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD — A Destination Murder Short Story Collection, Book 5
Genre: Cozy Mystery Anthology
Release: October 2025
Format: Digital
Purchase Link

MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD, the fifth entry in the fan-favorite Destination Murder series, invites you to take a walk among the tombstones—just watch your step. This collection of cozy mystery short stories delivers light chills, clever thrills, and a few restless spirits who may have unfinished business.

Perfect for curling up with on a crisp fall evening or anytime you’re craving bite-sized mysteries with big personality, this anthology is also a great way to discover new favorite authors who know exactly how to balance the eerie with the endearing.

Dig into MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD today…your next cozy mystery obsession is just six feet under.