PICKLED FOR REVENGE Has Arrived! A Christmas Mystery with a Twist

The pickle is officially out of the jar! 🥒🎄

After months of writing, editing, formatting, planning, and introducing you to some of the residents of Ettering through my #EtteringCaseFiles, I’m delighted to announce that PICKLED FOR REVENGE — A Christmas Mystery is officially here!

This book is a bit of a departure for me. Most of my novels are historical fiction, often featuring strong women and stories rooted in the past. But every once in a while, an idea comes along that simply refuses to be ignored.

In this case, that idea involved a Christmas pickle ornament.

Yes. Really.

Somewhere along the way, I began wondering what might happen if that quirky Christmas tradition became the centerpiece of a murder mystery. And before I knew it, a cast of eccentric characters, a small village in Germany's Black Forest, and a rather unfortunate murder began taking shape.

And so, Ettering was born.

Welcome to Ettering!

It may be a picturesque little village nestled in the Black Forest, but appearances can be deceiving. Christmas is supposed to be a season of peace, goodwill, and good cheer. In Ettering, however, there are secrets to uncover, grudges to settle, village honor to defend—and a murderer to find.

At the center of the investigation is Nicko Marquard, an amateur sleuth who never intended to investigate a murder in the first place. Along with his loyal companion, Rupert, Nicko finds himself asking questions that perhaps would have been better left unasked. But then again, someone has to find out what really happened. And Nicko has a particular talent for finding trouble.

A Christmas Mystery with a Twist

PICKLED FOR REVENGE is my first contemporary Christmas murder mystery, and writing it was a completely different experience from writing my historical novels.

There are no medieval courts or Tudor palaces here.

Instead, you'll find Christmas traditions, village rivalries, quirky characters, suspicious behavior, a little humor, and a murder that threatens to ruin everyone's holiday cheer.

Oh—and there is a pickle.

A very important pickle.

If you enjoy your Christmas reading with a healthy dose of mystery, humor, and a cast of characters who aren't always quite what they seem, I hope you'll join Nicko and Rupert in Ettering.

Just remember: Not everything in this village is as innocent as it appears.

The First Etterring Mystery

I'm incredibly excited to finally share this story with you. And if you’ve been following along with the Etterring Case Files, you’ve already met some of the people who inhabit this wonderfully eccentric little village. Now it's time to find out what happens when Christmas cheer collides with murder.

Welcome to Ettering.

Merry Christmas—and happy sleuthing! 🎄🔎🥒

The Christmas pickle is waiting.

Just be careful where you look for it.

Because someone in Etterring is looking for revenge.

by A. Piper Burgi

Piper is the award-winning author of The Country Girl Empress series. When she isn't busy typing on her computer, she can be found chasing after her furry children or holding on tightly to a good cup of coffee. Follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, and Goodreads