It's beginning to look a lot like murder . . .

And Cassandra is knee deep in . . .

Suspects.

Her boss is dead, and the police are calling it burglary gone wrong. But when the killer comes after her, it's going to take more than a pair of furry boots to keep the smart, witty Morton College administrator, Cassandra Sato, out of the deep. . .

Snow.

Her first Christmas in Nebraska could be her last unless her friends help unravel the mystery and housebreak her dog.

Buy now for a fast-paced, holiday themed whodunit.

Dead of Winter Break is the third book in Kelly Brakenhoff's popular Cassandra Sato Mystery Series. Death by Dissertation was a 2020 RONE Award Finalist. Publishers Weekly called Dead Week, "a diverting whodunit."

Will Dead Week kill Cassandra's career?

VP of Student Affairs Cassandra Sato has a desk full of problems and it's not even Thanksgiving break.

A student's injury and a deaf advocacy project brings national media attention to underfunded Morton College.

Cassandra's new boss talks to her dead husband. Cassandra's mentor thinks he's a superhero in a senior citizen's body. And Cassandra, recently moved from Hawai'i, can't crack the code of what to wear during November in Nebraska.

Is there more to the Vietnam-era story of a student's death? Cassandra's search for the long-buried truth stirs up the wrath of those who want to keep the past forgotten.

If you like academic cozy mysteries with funny BFFs, hilarious student shenanigans, and small town drama, you'll like this series.

2020 RONE Award Mystery Finalist

“Death by Dissertation is a marvelous read that will make every mystery lover immediately fall for Cassandra Sato through her spunky spirit, dedication to her students, clever quips, and brilliant deduction that is brilliantly woven into the tone of the mystery." —Readers' Favorite, 5 Starred Review

"Unravelling a complex murder mystery, supported by utterly believable characters, Kelly Brakenhoff weaves an eminently readable story filled with superlative narrative and dialogue…From the first page, readers will be assured they have before them a book crafted by a professional that does not disappoint." —InD'tale Magazine 5 Star Crowned Heart

Ambitious Cassandra Sato traded her life in Hawai’i for a dream position at Morton College in rural Nebraska.

She expected the Midwestern church casseroles, land-locked cornfields, and face-freezing winters would be her biggest challenges, but it’s her job that’s rapidly becoming a nightmare.

A deaf student is dead and the investigation reveals a complicated trail of connections between campus food service, a local farmer’s beef, and the science lab’s cancer research. Together with her few allies, Cassandra must protect the students caught up in the entanglement.

Dealing with homesickness, vandalism, and a stalker, Cassandra is trapped in a public relations disaster that could cost her job, or more. No one said college was easy.