New year, new attempted murder.

Imogene Little thinks nothing of organizing a New Year's gathering between a few neighbors on the eve of the millennium. But when Josh Barnaby ends up deathly ill, she can't help but wonder if one of her other guests might be guilty of trying to end Josh's life.

Much to Imogene's chagrin, Josh's wife doesn't seem to be all that concerned about her husband's turn for the worse. But is Nicole Barnaby a would-be killer, or does that honor belong to one of the other partygoers? Imogene's not sure, but, with a helping paw from her foster cat Cleopatra, the amateur sleuth hopes she can solve this holiday "whodunit" before the clock strikes midnight.

This seasonal short story is meant to be a shorter peek into the world of Cherry Hills, Washington, and the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series. It was previously published as part of the Festive Mayhem 2 anthology and also includes a recipe.