Martha's Vineyard Mysteries. Poster of the 2020 TV series and cover of the 1989 book, A Beautiful Place to Die
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A Beautiful Place to Die
Philip R. Craig, 1989
TV series vs book
Philip R. Craig, 2020-

During his career as a Boston cop, Jeff J.W. Jackson saw enough of the evil that men do to last a lifetime. So he retired to the serenity of Martha’s Vineyard to spend his days fishing for blues. But when a local’s boat mysteriously explodes off the coast, killing an amiable young drifter, Jackson finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the investigative trade.


Trading Christmas. Poster of the 2011 movie and cover of the 2011 book
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Trading Christmas
Debbie Macomber, 2011
movie vs book
Michael M. Scott, 2011

Emily misses her daughter Heather, who is attending college in Boston. Since her father died, Heather is sensitive to her mom’s dependence on long-standing holiday traditions. This Christmas, Heather has planned a trip to Phoenix with her boyfriend, but tells her mother she is staying on campus to study. After Emily arranges a house-swap with Charles, an English professor from Boston who wants Washington State’s solitude in order to finish his novel, Emily hops on a flight to Boston to surprise Heather for Christmas.


Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas. Poster of the 2018 movie and cover of the 2013 book, Time for Me to Come Home
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Time for Me to Come Home
Dorothy Shackleford, Travis Thrasher, 2013
movie vs book
David Winning, 2018

Cara faces a bittersweet Christmas since her mother’s passing. Flying to Oklahoma, she meets country singer Heath, facing a tough holiday too since his father’s death. He doesn’t acknowledge his fame, so Cara feels duped when two attractive women rush him. As weather keeps thwarting their way, Cara and Heath share their losses, and as they head toward their separate Christmases, they grow close.


The Perfect Catch. Poster of the 2017 movie and cover of the book novelization
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The Perfect Catch
Cassidy Carter, 2022
movie vs book   [NOVELIZATION]
Steven R. Monroe, 2017

When Jessica Parker’s former high school boyfriend, superstar baseball player Chase Taynor, returns to town, she finds the inspiration to reinvent her struggling diner… and revisits the past to find something even better for the future.


Dear Mr. Gacy. Poster of the 2010 movie and cover of the 1999 book, The Last Victim
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The Last Victim
Jason M. Moss, 1999
movie vs book
Svetozar Ristovski, 2010

Moss writes a letter to Gacy, posing as a vulnerable youngster, as part of a school project. Gacy, initially wary, subjects Moss to a battery of tests before accepting him. What ensues is a warped psychological duel between two skilled manipulators, causing Jason’s life to spiral out of control and leading Gacy to uncover fresh aspects of himself. Based on the experiences of 18 year old college student Jason Moss and his relationship with notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy.


Murder on Pleasant Drive. Poster of the 2006 movie and cover of the 2005 book, My Sister Is Missing: Bringing a Killer to Justice
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My Sister Is Missing: Bringing a Killer to Justice
Sherrie Gladden-Davis, Brad Crawford, 2005
movie vs book
Michael M. Scott, 2006

This is the account of John Smith’s actual experience and his wives’ mysterious vanishings. It chronicles how the commitment and persistence of Fran’s daughter and sister eventually pieced together the puzzle and resolved, at least partially, the case.


Blue Smoke. Poster of the 2007 movie and cover of the 2005 book
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Blue Smoke
Nora Roberts, 2005
movie vs book
David Carson, 2007

After watching a fire burn her family’s Baltimore pizzeria to the ground, 11‑year-old Reena Hale decides she wants to be an arson investigator when she grows up. And with the help of mentor John Minger, whom she met during the investigation of her family’s restaurant, Reena realizes her dream.