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Christmas is Murder: A Traditional Christmas / A Wife in a Million
Spend Christmas with this deadly duo of classic crime short stories, by number one Sunday Times bestseller Val McDermid
In this collection of two short stories, the peace of a picture-perfect Christmas in the Cotswolds is shattered by an unexpected turn of events, and DI Maggie Staniforth takes centre stage in a deadly tale of hardship at Christmas.
Containing all of the atmosphere and tension of Val McDermid's masterful crime novels, Christmas is Murder is the perfect short read to settle down with this festive season. * Includes the first chapter of Val McDermid's latest Sunday Times bestselling novel, Broken Ground - out now 'A Traditional Christmas' and 'A Wife in a Million'.
In this collection of two short stories, the peace of a picture-perfect Christmas in the Cotswolds is shattered by an unexpected turn of events, and DI Maggie Staniforth takes centre stage in a deadly tale of hardship at Christmas.
Containing all of the atmosphere and tension of Val McDermid's masterful crime novels, Christmas is Murder is the perfect short read to settle down with this festive season. * Includes the first chapter of Val McDermid's latest Sunday Times bestselling novel, Broken Ground - out now 'A Traditional Christmas' and 'A Wife in a Million'.
31 pages, ebook
First published December 7, 2012
32 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
308 books5,371 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 1, 2019
Believe it or not, this is the first book I’ve ever read electronically, as it’s not available in hard format. As I began reading, I quickly came to the realisation that I’d read both stories before, no doubt contained in some other anthology (perhaps “Stranded”, which I read earlier in the year?). Nevertheless, this was an appropriate addition to my Christmas-themed reading pile, and it was interesting to see the development in the work of one of my very favourite authors from the first story, written early in her career, to the more-recently penned second. Both feature DI Maggie Stainforth, who to my knowledge doesn't appear in any other McDermid novels or short stories. To my mind, it’s far from McDermid’s best work, but holds its own amongst the numerous “light crime” Christmas-themed offerings out there.
December 11, 2017
two short stories featuring DI Maggie Staniforth
December 10, 2020
Well this was a huge disappointment. The stories were silly and obvious and similar and just totally meh.
January 8, 2021
A book comprising short stories of Murder i thought they were all good one of the best books of this type i have read, the author makes it a very easy read and i would quite happily read other books from the author who seems to specialize in crime stories. I would recommend this book.
December 13, 2021
Two of McDermid's earliest stories. Clearly, it is the same person writing both stories. She flaunts her lesbianism in both stories. The partner/spouse isn't interested in dancing in both stories. Val loves traditional Christmas, that has always been clear! She doesn't capitalize the word, "Bible," throughout, which is a statement, in itself. I'd like to watch her cooking videos on YouTube.com. She's one of my all-time favourite authors. Clearly, she's grown as an author and a person since she wrote these stories, yet she was born a storyteller. There's something about the teasing Scottish carry-on! I hope she writes forever, Amen. Val, you are more than a lesbian! You are a breath of fresh air! For me, reading Christmas stories 🎄 while enjoying 😉 the best food possible by the fireplace is great fun!
December 22, 2016
A short and snappy review for a short and snappy 2-story collection of festive murder by the Queen of Crime, Val McDermid.
In ‘A Traditional Christmas’ the festive period is turned on it’s head when the estate owner is found dead in the snow outside of his house. There had been some decidedly un-Christmas like weather the night before but was he simply caught out by the storm or was something far more sinister in play?
And in ‘A Wife in a Million’, Maggie Staniforth is on the hunt for someone who seems intent on causing maximum heartbreak at Christmas. But with no link between either victim or source of the crime, how can Maggie stop the perpetrator from continuing their deadly deeds?
…
These are two very short, easy to read in under an hour stories from undoubtedly one of the best crime fictions writers this country has produced. They are more of a cosy crime type of thing than perhaps fans of the Hill and Jordan series may be used to but still contain all of the brilliant observation and characterization that you come to expect from one of McDermid’s books. I enjoyed both stories, especially the little twist in the end of ‘A Traditional Christmas’. I’ll admit I was expecting something a little more, I don’t know, gory perhaps, but I wasn’t at all disappointed with this little festive mix and it was a pleasant change from mince-pies and love fests you typically get in a Christmas book.
Some may think it a little expensive at £1.49 (lets not start the whole pricing debate again though eh?) but I don’t mind so much. It’s a great addition to my kindle library and I like a good complete collection.
Ah… didn’t I say short review? Well, it’s a bit shorter than normal I suppose…
In ‘A Traditional Christmas’ the festive period is turned on it’s head when the estate owner is found dead in the snow outside of his house. There had been some decidedly un-Christmas like weather the night before but was he simply caught out by the storm or was something far more sinister in play?
And in ‘A Wife in a Million’, Maggie Staniforth is on the hunt for someone who seems intent on causing maximum heartbreak at Christmas. But with no link between either victim or source of the crime, how can Maggie stop the perpetrator from continuing their deadly deeds?
…
These are two very short, easy to read in under an hour stories from undoubtedly one of the best crime fictions writers this country has produced. They are more of a cosy crime type of thing than perhaps fans of the Hill and Jordan series may be used to but still contain all of the brilliant observation and characterization that you come to expect from one of McDermid’s books. I enjoyed both stories, especially the little twist in the end of ‘A Traditional Christmas’. I’ll admit I was expecting something a little more, I don’t know, gory perhaps, but I wasn’t at all disappointed with this little festive mix and it was a pleasant change from mince-pies and love fests you typically get in a Christmas book.
Some may think it a little expensive at £1.49 (lets not start the whole pricing debate again though eh?) but I don’t mind so much. It’s a great addition to my kindle library and I like a good complete collection.
Ah… didn’t I say short review? Well, it’s a bit shorter than normal I suppose…
December 12, 2017
3/5 stars. Neither here nor there, really. I’ve never read a Val McDermid book, and this doesn’t make me any more likely to pick one up now. Firstly, I thought it was weird how the foreword explains how one of the stories was her first published work, and the other was revisiting the same featured policewoman...only for the second story to be presented first, and the first one second. Anyway, I read the second one first, and was at least placated by the foreseeable twist NOT being realised, even though the lack of any twist was something of a letdown. The second (first? It’s so weird!) story was better: more engaging and more of a “fair” whodunnit, although it ended very abruptly.
Small gripe: DI Maggie Staniforth unfortunately doesn’t actually solve either case, in the style of classic literary detectives; in fact, in both stories, another character virtually gift wraps the solution and hands it to her. In both cases, she was getting nowhere. In one, she had even fully satisfied herself that a murder was just an accidental death. Miss Marple she ain’t.
A note on the lesbianism: it felt unimaginative that both narrators were lesbians. Apart from the occupations, I didn’t note any differences between the narrators’ personalities, to the point where I thought both were the same person, having just changed careers between stories. I like my characters to actually have character, but these two seemed only to have a single characteristic: gay. This is why I probably won’t invest in a full length McDermid novel.
Small gripe: DI Maggie Staniforth unfortunately doesn’t actually solve either case, in the style of classic literary detectives; in fact, in both stories, another character virtually gift wraps the solution and hands it to her. In both cases, she was getting nowhere. In one, she had even fully satisfied herself that a murder was just an accidental death. Miss Marple she ain’t.
A note on the lesbianism: it felt unimaginative that both narrators were lesbians. Apart from the occupations, I didn’t note any differences between the narrators’ personalities, to the point where I thought both were the same person, having just changed careers between stories. I like my characters to actually have character, but these two seemed only to have a single characteristic: gay. This is why I probably won’t invest in a full length McDermid novel.
December 26, 2014
My first experience with this writer is not a Good one. Two short stories. The murder in the first one is very complicated and not very plausible. How could the murderer know no one would check on the electricity after the electrocution ? An old woman that transports the body of a man on a mountain bike ? Please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2017
This is the first book I have read by Val McDermid and I have to say now that I have experienced two of her short stories I am going to have to visit some of her other books. Christmas Is Murder is a great introduction to a fantastic author
December 31, 2017
I read these stories on Christmas Eve. I have to confess they disappointed me a little but I think mainly because I wished they would be longer! One relied on expert knowledge that the reader is unlikely to share and I'm not so keen on when that happens but they were great to read.
January 25, 2013
Two good short stories in Val McDermid's usual style
December 16, 2013
It was ok. The second story reminded me of another short story I read. The ending was so much better. I though these stories ended very abruptly.
January 4, 2018
Great short read
Two short stories, ideal to read whilst having a cup of coffee. I hope she writes more of these in the future
Two short stories, ideal to read whilst having a cup of coffee. I hope she writes more of these in the future
July 1, 2018
Val McDermid mystery
December 23, 2019
I really enjoyed reading these two short stories by Val McDermid, Christmas is Murder is an appropriate title for the two stories which are very clever and intriguing to read.
November 7, 2020
Love these short stories. It’s crispy and straight to the point. Considering that we are going to be lockdowned for Xmas it’s a good reminder “le père noel est une ordure”!
December 16, 2020
Pretty good story about a poisoner. I liked the writing style of the author and I have several more books by her which I am looking forward to reading.
December 25, 2020
My first read by Val McDermid. I enjoyed both stories although I did find them a little lightweight.
February 15, 2021
Two short stories about a female detective. Enjoyable but a very quick read!
January 2, 2025
This book was released in 2012 and contains two short stories. This book was also issued to promote the author’s latest novel at that time, the thriller “The Vanishing Point”.
Val releasing this book around Christmas utilised two early short stories published in 1989 and 1995. The stories however do not appear dated as one is about a cost of living crisis recalling an earlier Tory government. The other reads as a period piece beautifully set up with a tongue in cheek quote from Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca.
Never one to leave good stories in the past they were republished with additions in 2020 in a new collection of short stories spookily titled “Christmas is Murder”.
Clearly the later book is the better value but these two stories here are classics of the short story genre and demonstrates this author’s great skill at telling character driven stories grounded in recognisable situations.
If you love her work, don’t neglect her short stories, if you read these you’ll want to read her novels with renewed anticipation.
If we have survived Christmas, we embrace a New Year. Seek out new authors, fall in love with reading and surround yourself with books you enjoy!
Val releasing this book around Christmas utilised two early short stories published in 1989 and 1995. The stories however do not appear dated as one is about a cost of living crisis recalling an earlier Tory government. The other reads as a period piece beautifully set up with a tongue in cheek quote from Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca.
Never one to leave good stories in the past they were republished with additions in 2020 in a new collection of short stories spookily titled “Christmas is Murder”.
Clearly the later book is the better value but these two stories here are classics of the short story genre and demonstrates this author’s great skill at telling character driven stories grounded in recognisable situations.
If you love her work, don’t neglect her short stories, if you read these you’ll want to read her novels with renewed anticipation.
If we have survived Christmas, we embrace a New Year. Seek out new authors, fall in love with reading and surround yourself with books you enjoy!
November 26, 2024
Two short stories
These two short stories did not disappoint. Quick to read but so full of content. The words flowed and carried me along with it.
Story one, took me to a perfect Christmas scene, luxury trimmings and time with family. This ended in murder and made me gasp when the murderer was revealed. Excellent.
Story two, showed a desperation of someone losing a job and struggling to find work. What would someone do to seek revenge on the people who made this happen and are they a willing to do the time for their terrible actions that lead to multiple deaths.
These two short stories did not disappoint. Quick to read but so full of content. The words flowed and carried me along with it.
Story one, took me to a perfect Christmas scene, luxury trimmings and time with family. This ended in murder and made me gasp when the murderer was revealed. Excellent.
Story two, showed a desperation of someone losing a job and struggling to find work. What would someone do to seek revenge on the people who made this happen and are they a willing to do the time for their terrible actions that lead to multiple deaths.
December 25, 2024
Good mix of short stories,loved it
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews