It is the holiday season and Laura Lippman has decided to gift her readers with a new story. Called “Seasonal Work,” this holiday-themed short story can be read for free online at The Rumpus.

“SEASONAL WORK” @ The Rumpus

“Seasonal Work” tells the story of a struggling single father who has found a unique way to keep his four children happy during the holidays. Told from the perspective of the oldest child – fourteen-year-old Kyle Carpenter, this story hardly goes where one would expect for a holiday tale. As with the majority of Laura Lippman’s female characters, this young girl is not to be meddled with. Fans of Lippman’s work will delight in knowing that our favorite Baltimore private eye, Tess Monaghan, makes an appearance in “Seasonal Work.”

This is not the only new seasonal short story from Laura Lippman this year. While supplies last, orders from The Mysterious Bookshop out of New York City will include “Snowflake Time: A Christmas Story” by Laura Lippman. Based on the quality of “Seasonal Work,” I can’t wait to get my hands on my copy of “Snowflake Time.”