Holiday Story: A Cozy Murder Mystery at Chez Flamant, Choose Your Own Perpetrator Edition…
The Murderer
The Victim
The Mashup: Clue, the Cozy Murder Mystery, and Cats (Obviously)
If you know us well, you know that we are aficionados of the British murder mystery. You might also know that a specific genre even exists called the cozy murder mystery. You might also even know that the BBC releases things called Christmas specials (or are they holiday specials?) and they can be most delightful. (The one that I just rewatched was the Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes Abominable Bride. WHAT A DELIGHT.)
Whether you do or do not know about these things, however, welcome to Chez Flamant’s Cozy Christmas Murder Mystery. Jaelynn suggested we attempt a murder mystery early in the year. Sometimes I get dragged down into details to intricate for the telling of a good story, but after much thought (and aggravation to Jaelynn), I finally found our mystery-design solution, which, hopefully, rests in your hands.
Influences/Inspirations
Most thanks this year goes to Edward Gorey and Maragaret Atwood. Edward Gorey of course for his illustrative stylings. And Margaret Atwood, for her recently released memoir.
Edward Gorey—when did I first come across him? I don’t remember, but I’m sure you have seen one of his scribbles somewhere.
As a young child, Margaret Atwood was incredibly creative. This year she released her memoir: Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. Opening the book, I was delighted to find end covers that included illustrations by Atwood herself. (Did I also mention the mix of red and fuchsia going on in this whole experience? Mah-va-lous.)
These inspired me to actually try some illustrations myself. It’s been years since I tried to actually draw. I sketched a little as a child and enough in high school art classes that I knew I could become better if I put in the time. Unfortunately, critiques in my college costume design classes came close to messing up my drawing attempts for life. I tried too hard to follow the defined specifications for the “proper” rendering.
I’ve always dreamed of being a painter, however, so maybe I’m finally ready to explore that a little more. (Secret: The older you get, the less you care about what other people decide is a) great art b) beautiful c) worthwhile. This can happen gradually, or as a huge and glorious epiphany all at once. I recommend all of that above.)
So thank you to these illustrious illustrators, who leant me their muse for an afternoon.
Update: Mailing Snafu
Dec 26, 2025, 5:49 pm
Naturally, as soon as you think you’ve achieved perfection, something catches at the weft of Christmas cheer. I had uploaded the addresses to our card publisher (Paper Culture, who offer amazing services) and gleefully enjoyed the evening time that I had in yesteryears spent addressing envelopes and stamping them.
Every year, I get a couple returned cards. Imagine the look on my face when I got one back, opened it to place it in a new envelope with the updated address, and discovered the cards had all been sent out with their insides outside and their outsides in.
Then there was the fact that the specially curated website link—to a page similar to this—no longer worked due to an aberrant plugin! Not only did I already fix this issue once, but when I again attempted to find the place of editing/removal, I was thwarted, this time on the day before Christmas.^
It is at these times, that one must just grit and bare it, and think “I surely feel that this is ‘the winter of our discontent.'”*
Nevertheless, Happy Holidays. Peace on earth, good will to men.
*Compulsory Shakespeare/John Steinbeck reference because, what a marvelous line…
^The fact that you can now see this page is proof that I have fixed this aberrance. For now.