Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "suspense"
Festive & Fiendish - Christmas Book Reviews
Some book reviews for the festive season, beginning with a mystery from the Mistress of Suspense...
Deck the Halls by Carol Higgins Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An entertaining, cosy, Christmas mystery.
This was my first encounter with both Mary Higgins Clark's Alvirah and Willy and Carol Higgins Clark's Regan Reilly, pulled together in a kidnap and ransom tale that takes place just days before Christmas.
For one reason and another, I was struggling to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but this book was the perfect remedy to that. I read it across three days and wanted to keep reading even when I had to place the book down.
This was a light-hearted delight - I hope the other co-written Christmas mysteries prove to be just as enjoyable!
Now for something a little darker...
Ghosts of Christmas Past by Tim Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A haunting mix of Christmas ghost stories, featuring a mix of the brilliant, the poignant, the humorous and the downright bizarre.
Highlights for me were: 'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth, the story of a couple in a dysfunctional, at times abusive, relationship; 'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernieres, the reminiscence of family Christmases spent long ago; 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, a classic haunting of a gentleman stalked by a mysterious step; and 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, the retelling of the time a famous actress visited a small town to star in a theatre production.
An enjoyable collection to devour over the festive period - Neil Gaiman's amusing 'anecdote' on a cursed Nicholas may be perfect for reading to a crowd when the children are out of earshot.
After encounters with the paranormal, time for some adventure...
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An entertaining festive adventure from David Baldacci.
Journalist Tom Langdon, unable to fly from Washington to LA for Christmas, is forced to take the journey by train, a journey he hopes will help him discover himself and result in a new piece of writing. Aboard the train, he meets a host of colourful characters, finding himself offered to work on a movie project by a famous director, assisting eloping lovers with their wedding, a thief, an avalanche and coming face to face with the one true love of his life.
Well-written and fast-paced, 'The Christmas Train' is a light and frothy treat amongst the murder and skulduggery of many Christmas mystery and suspense novels.
And, finally, some classic Christmas crime...
Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A thrilling collection of mystery and murder from a host of brilliant authors.
It's incredibly difficult to select the highlights from this collection, which includes appearances from Rebus, Father Brown and Campion. Possibly my favourites were: 'The Trinity Cat' by Ellis Peters, where a cat assists in the investigation of a murder; 'No Sanity Clause' by Ian Rankin, which sees Rebus attending a murder mystery evening; 'A Wife in a Million' by Val McDermid, the tale of a malign poisoner; and 'Cambric Tea' by Marjorie Bowen, where a young doctor uncovers a diabolical poisoning.
Credit must go to editor Cecily Gayford for selecting a perfect concoction of Christmas crime stories, making 'Murder on Christmas Eve' a delight to be revisited for many Christmases to come.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
View all my reviews
Deck the Halls by Carol Higgins ClarkMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
An entertaining, cosy, Christmas mystery.
This was my first encounter with both Mary Higgins Clark's Alvirah and Willy and Carol Higgins Clark's Regan Reilly, pulled together in a kidnap and ransom tale that takes place just days before Christmas.
For one reason and another, I was struggling to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but this book was the perfect remedy to that. I read it across three days and wanted to keep reading even when I had to place the book down.
This was a light-hearted delight - I hope the other co-written Christmas mysteries prove to be just as enjoyable!
Now for something a little darker...
Ghosts of Christmas Past by Tim MartinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A haunting mix of Christmas ghost stories, featuring a mix of the brilliant, the poignant, the humorous and the downright bizarre.
Highlights for me were: 'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth, the story of a couple in a dysfunctional, at times abusive, relationship; 'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernieres, the reminiscence of family Christmases spent long ago; 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, a classic haunting of a gentleman stalked by a mysterious step; and 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, the retelling of the time a famous actress visited a small town to star in a theatre production.
An enjoyable collection to devour over the festive period - Neil Gaiman's amusing 'anecdote' on a cursed Nicholas may be perfect for reading to a crowd when the children are out of earshot.
After encounters with the paranormal, time for some adventure...
The Christmas Train by David BaldacciMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
An entertaining festive adventure from David Baldacci.
Journalist Tom Langdon, unable to fly from Washington to LA for Christmas, is forced to take the journey by train, a journey he hopes will help him discover himself and result in a new piece of writing. Aboard the train, he meets a host of colourful characters, finding himself offered to work on a movie project by a famous director, assisting eloping lovers with their wedding, a thief, an avalanche and coming face to face with the one true love of his life.
Well-written and fast-paced, 'The Christmas Train' is a light and frothy treat amongst the murder and skulduggery of many Christmas mystery and suspense novels.
And, finally, some classic Christmas crime...
Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season by Cecily GayfordMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A thrilling collection of mystery and murder from a host of brilliant authors.
It's incredibly difficult to select the highlights from this collection, which includes appearances from Rebus, Father Brown and Campion. Possibly my favourites were: 'The Trinity Cat' by Ellis Peters, where a cat assists in the investigation of a murder; 'No Sanity Clause' by Ian Rankin, which sees Rebus attending a murder mystery evening; 'A Wife in a Million' by Val McDermid, the tale of a malign poisoner; and 'Cambric Tea' by Marjorie Bowen, where a young doctor uncovers a diabolical poisoning.
Credit must go to editor Cecily Gayford for selecting a perfect concoction of Christmas crime stories, making 'Murder on Christmas Eve' a delight to be revisited for many Christmases to come.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
View all my reviews
The Cosy & The Creepy - Christmas Book Reviews
Here are my reviews of the Christmas crime, horror and mystery I've been reading in the run-up to Christmas...
A Christmas Guest by Anne Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Victorian murder mystery in the tradition of the Golden Age of crime fiction.
This was the first of Anne Perry's Christmas novellas that I read, this one featuring Mariah Ellison, who is incensed to discover she will not be spending Christmas with her granddaughter as usual, but will instead be sent to spend time with her ex-daughter-in-law and her new husband. Once there, she is determined not to enjoy herself, becoming further distressed when another guest arrives unexpectedly. But when this guest is found dead, Mariah becomes convinced she may have been murdered, and sets out to find the perpetrator.
I flew through 'A Christmas Guest' - at times humorous, at other moments touching, with a classic mystery at its heart - a traditional tale of the redemption of a human soul through discovering the spirit of Christmas.
Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings by Tanya Kirk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A collection of creepy and chilling tales of hauntings of the Christmas season.
Featuring short stories originally published between 1867 and 1940, 'Spirits of the Season' is a wide-ranging collection featuring the gothic and macabre, continuing the tradition of telling ghost stories in the days leading up to Christmas, particularly on Christmas Eve - as editor Tanya Kirk explains, much like on Hallowe'en, souls of the dead are most active on the eve of a holy day.
Personal highlights were Frank R. Stockton's 'The Christmas Shadrach', telling of a gift that holds supernatural influence; Marjorie Bowen's 'The Prescription', the tale of a visitation and the legend of a local murder; and A. M. Burrage's 'Smee', the ghostly tale of a party game joined by an extra player.
If your Christmas is not complete without a horror story on a chilly evening, this collection will satisfy your craving.
The Christmas Pudding Murders by Various
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another delightful seasonal collection of short stories, curated by Cecily Gayford.
With appearances from classic characters such as Campion and Rumpole and standalone stories from crime fiction greats such as Ellis Peters and Dorothy L. Sayers, 'The Christmas Pudding Murders' is the perfect companion to Christmas evenings, featuring deceptively cosy tales of murder and skulduggery.
My personal highlights were Ellis Peters' 'Let Nothing You Dismay', an atmospheric story about a break-in on the night before Christmas Eve; Julian Symons' 'Twixt the Cup and the Lip', about the planning and execution of a jewellery robbery; and my favourite, Gillian Linscott's 'A Scandal in Winter', as a young girl recounts a story of how she may have witnessed a murder, featuring some surprise appearances that I shan't ruin for those that won't expect them as I didn't.
This annual tradition demonstrates how crime fiction and the Christmas season are natural companions.
Merry Christmas!
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A Christmas Guest by Anne PerryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Victorian murder mystery in the tradition of the Golden Age of crime fiction.
This was the first of Anne Perry's Christmas novellas that I read, this one featuring Mariah Ellison, who is incensed to discover she will not be spending Christmas with her granddaughter as usual, but will instead be sent to spend time with her ex-daughter-in-law and her new husband. Once there, she is determined not to enjoy herself, becoming further distressed when another guest arrives unexpectedly. But when this guest is found dead, Mariah becomes convinced she may have been murdered, and sets out to find the perpetrator.
I flew through 'A Christmas Guest' - at times humorous, at other moments touching, with a classic mystery at its heart - a traditional tale of the redemption of a human soul through discovering the spirit of Christmas.
Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings by Tanya KirkMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A collection of creepy and chilling tales of hauntings of the Christmas season.
Featuring short stories originally published between 1867 and 1940, 'Spirits of the Season' is a wide-ranging collection featuring the gothic and macabre, continuing the tradition of telling ghost stories in the days leading up to Christmas, particularly on Christmas Eve - as editor Tanya Kirk explains, much like on Hallowe'en, souls of the dead are most active on the eve of a holy day.
Personal highlights were Frank R. Stockton's 'The Christmas Shadrach', telling of a gift that holds supernatural influence; Marjorie Bowen's 'The Prescription', the tale of a visitation and the legend of a local murder; and A. M. Burrage's 'Smee', the ghostly tale of a party game joined by an extra player.
If your Christmas is not complete without a horror story on a chilly evening, this collection will satisfy your craving.
The Christmas Pudding Murders by VariousMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another delightful seasonal collection of short stories, curated by Cecily Gayford.
With appearances from classic characters such as Campion and Rumpole and standalone stories from crime fiction greats such as Ellis Peters and Dorothy L. Sayers, 'The Christmas Pudding Murders' is the perfect companion to Christmas evenings, featuring deceptively cosy tales of murder and skulduggery.
My personal highlights were Ellis Peters' 'Let Nothing You Dismay', an atmospheric story about a break-in on the night before Christmas Eve; Julian Symons' 'Twixt the Cup and the Lip', about the planning and execution of a jewellery robbery; and my favourite, Gillian Linscott's 'A Scandal in Winter', as a young girl recounts a story of how she may have witnessed a murder, featuring some surprise appearances that I shan't ruin for those that won't expect them as I didn't.
This annual tradition demonstrates how crime fiction and the Christmas season are natural companions.
Merry Christmas!
View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
