Murder by Candlelight: Ten Classic Crime Stories for Winter

by Cecily Gayford (editor), Various

As the nights draw in and the old year slips away, the haunting season begins. Twigs scrape at windowpanes in the darkness, mysterious footprints are found in the snow, and all sorts of mysteries, monsters and nastiness are in the offing.

Bringing together ten classic tales of mystery, murder and mayhem from the greatest writers in the genre, Murder by Candlelight will puzzle your mind and chill your blood in equal measure. Whether spine-chillingly supernatural or all-too-human, the ghastly protagonists of these stories are always one step ahead.

Featuring work from classic authors of the genre such as Dorothy L Sayers, Carter Dickson, Cyril Hare, Ethel Lina White, Simon Brett, Freeman Wills Croft, Sapper, JS Fletcher, Catherine Aird, and Fergus Hume.

Genres: Christmas, Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery, British Literature

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2024

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable collection to cap off my 2025 reading year! I love these seasonal anthologies edited by Cecily Gayford and recommend them. In this one there were only 2 stories that I thought were just okay but I don't expect to love every story in these. I quite loved six of these stories, hence the 4 stars. One, I had read in another book a few years ago but it was nice to revisit. The last story in the volume was my absolute favourite and I thought a wonderful choice to end on.

The stories contained in this volume:

God, Frankincense and Murder by Catherine Aird
Hot Money by Carter Dickson
It Takes Two by Cyril Hare
The Manor House Mystery by J.S. Fletcher
The Man Who Knew How by Dorothy Sayers
The Ghost's Touch by Fergus Hume
An Unlocked Window by Ethel Lina White
The Mystery of the Sleeping-Car Express by Freeman Wills Crofts
The Music Room by Sapper
How's Your Mother? by Simon Brett

Recommended.

[Yasmara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories are good, others are very confusing to me

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had wanted to read this in the lead up to the festive season, but it is fine to read it in January and February.
These stories are all from the golden age of crime writing and they do show their age a bit. However, they are enchanting in their own way and prove human nature remains the same as it has always been.
Definitely worth the short time taken in reading them.

[Bob Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun murder mysteries, even if some of the endings make you roll tour eyes.

[Saltygalreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming collection of Golden Age murder mysteries from some of the greats. Some were just ok but a few were excellent. My favourite by far was It Takes Two… by Cyril Hare. A great way to spend a holiday afternoon with a cup of tea. I would give this a 3.5.

[Milva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Very good collection of stories, one of the best I read so far.

[Lesleyts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some tales are better than others but an enjoyable read nevertheless.

[Josefin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fruktansvärt tråkig

Förutom en enda novell i den här (som faktiskt var ganska bra) var alla noveller så tråkiga att jag knappt orkade läsa dem

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute classic stories!

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the eighth year of this series of festive crime anthologies edited by Cecily Gayford (ninth if you throw in a collection of festive ghost stories) and surprisingly the well hasn’t yet run dry. This is the series that, for me, has become a Christmas tradition. Whilst the market has been flooded in recent years with cosy Christmas crime books (most are now specially commissioned) this is still one of the market leaders. Roll on next year.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas vibes were 5 stars, but unfortunately not all the mysteries were 5 stars

[James M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good little short stories. Some with unexpected twists and some with entirely expected ones. Only one left me feeling cold, but the rest were nice little shorts with a wintertime feel.

[Jesse Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories better than others, but all good. The Dorothy L Sayers story is a peach. I love her wicked sense of humour. I also liked It Takes Two a lot. Extra star because my Lady Friend and I both got this for each other for Christmas.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly dull anthology of crime short stories with no real editorial presence- no Introduction, no bibliographical or biographical information, no dates, no indication of why this particular arrangement was chosen.

The best for me was the Cyril Hare and most of the others were competent, mildly predictable and occasionally crashingly boring-the Freeman Wills Crofts entry illustrates vividly just why this technically very interesting and innovative writer is sometimes classed as “humdrum “.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2024, 'Murder by Candlelight' is a collection of 10 murder mysteries written approximately over the last 100 years - original publication dates are not provided for some - and the common theme is the seasonal setting. The quality varies, and at least half have made it into other relatively recent anthologies, but it is an enjoyable, if undemanding read.

[Es · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took this as a fun little Christmas read. Not all the murder mysteries were great, the Sleeping-Car Express one a bit disappointing, but "It Takes Two" and "How's Your Mother?" are my personal favorites. Worth it if you're looking for a good, bite-sized read.

[Kim Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad collection of short stories re murder mysteries set in the festive season. Most of them are pretty good and whilst they didn't exactly 'blow me away', they did at least allow me to spend a happy afternoon by the (sadly electric) fire.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair selection of mysteries with the best being, perhaps, the final story, How's Your Mother' by Simon Brett.

[Amy Prewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading these short stories, liked the settings and the Christmas theme.

[Sue Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good selection of stories my well known authors. Some real gems.

[Elisa Malleg · Rating 1 out of 5]

So boring

[Ewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read for winter evenings.

[Sam Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read

[Alex Alder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, easy read. I'm not always a fan of short stories, but these were quite fun. It takes two, and how's your mother were my favourites.

[Julia Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection - stand out story It Takes Two by Cyril Hare.

[Saena · Rating 1 out of 5]

BORING

[Theresa Dudley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's was OK.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little collection. My standout favourites were It Takes Two by Cyril Hare and The Man Who Knew How by Dorothy L. Sayers.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories by different authors. Many introduce too many names and have complex solutions. Best was 'An Unlocked Window'by Ethel Lina White.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A scary little collection of short stories perfect for a winter night.