The Usual Santas

by Peter Lovesey (Contributor/Foreward), Helene Tursten, Mick Herron

Eighteen delightful holiday short stories by some of your favorite Soho Crime authors!

This captivating collection—which features bestselling, and award-winning authors—contains laughs aplenty, the most hardboiled of holiday noir, and heartwarming reminders of the spirit of the season.

Nine mall Santas must find the imposter among them. An elderly lady seeks peace from her murderously loud neighbors at Christmastime. A young woman receives a mysterious invitation to Christmas dinner with a stranger. Niccolò Machiavelli sets out to save an Italian city. Sherlock Holmes’s one-time nemesis Irene Adler finds herself in an unexpected tangle in Paris while on a routine espionage assignment. Jane Austen searches for the Dowager Duchess of Wilborough’s stolen diamonds. And other adventures that will whisk readers away to Christmases around the globe, from a Korean War POW camp to a Copenhagen refugee squat to the streets of Thailand.

CONTENT

"An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime" by Helene Tursten
"The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron
"PX Christmas" by Martin Limón"
"Chalee's Nativity" by Timothy Hallinan
"The Cuban Marquise's Jewels" by Teresa Dovalpage
"A Mother's Curse" by Mette Ivie Harrison
"There's Only One Father Christmas, Right?" by Colin Cotterill
"Martin" by Ed Lin
"Queen of the Hill" by Stuart Neville
"Blue Memories Start Calling" by Tod Goldberg
"Bo Sau (Vengeance)" by Henry Chang
"Red Christmas" by James R. Benn
"When the Time Comes" by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis
"Hairpin Holiday" by Sujata Massey
"The Prince (of Peace)" by Gary Corby
"Cabaret aux Assassins" by Cara Black
"Jane and the Midnight Clear" by Stephanie Barron
"Supper with Miss Shivers" by Peter Lovesey

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Short Stories, Fiction, Holiday, Anthologies, Crime

416 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Peter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good collection, but there were some really dark stories here. Don't read it to get into the Xmas spirit.

Foreword by Peter Lovesey -

Joy to the World
"An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime" by Helene Tursten - Well put together. The character develops perfectly into a climax that almost becomes inevitable.

"The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron - pretty silly. No real impact.

"PX Christmas" by Martin Limón - is set in South Korea. Very good view of common problems.

"Chalee's Nativity" by Timothy Hallinan - just sad. So much talent going to waste.

"The Cuban Marquiese's Jewels" by Teresa Dovalpage - very well done & twisty.

"A Mother's Curse" by Mette Ivie Harrison - Mormons in Boston with an interesting way of dealing with crime. Hope it works out for them.

Silent Night
"There's Only One Father Christmas, Right?" by Colin Cotterill - I did not see that coming! Awful on too many levels. Well written, just terrible.

"Martin" by Ed Lin - what people will do for acceptance! What a truly disgusting worm. Well done!

"Queen of the Hill" by Stuart Neville - Drink, drugs, & sex in Ireland with some very tough people involved. I wasn't sure how it was going to end. Great!

"Blue Memories Start Calling" by Tod Goldberg - A policeman struggles with following the rules & the weight of his job over the years. Sad & well done.

"Bo Sau (Vengeance)" by Henry Chang - A fine piece of vengeance!

"Red Christmas" by James R. Benn - a Korean war POW story. Horrible times. Well done.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus & other holiday secrets
"When the Time Came" by Lene Kaaberbøl & Agnete Friis - Brave ladies in Denmark! Immigrants seeking asylum have it tough.

"Hairpin Holiday" by Sujata Massey - A gutsy, smart lawyer lady in India foils a crime. Good, but could have been leaner.

"The Prince (of Peace)" by Gary Corby - Borgia & Machiavelli square off in about 1500. Delicate intrigues ensue. Super!

"Cabaret aux Assassins" by Cara Black - I found the French pronunciations tough to understand at times, but this was a marvelous tale of Holmes & his true love.

"Jane & the Midnight Clear" by Stephanie Barron - a Victorian theft mystery. Not really my thing, but well enough done.

"Supper With Miss Shivers" by Peter Lovesey - was excellent. I never knew what was going on until it happened & then it made a lot of sense.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anthologies like this. When your schedule is crazy & you find it difficult to make any progress on a full-meal book, these provide the perfect snack. Here we have 18 stories with an interesting theme. All are set around the Xmas season. But that’s about all they have in common as the authors took the brief & ran with it.

Some are funny, some are gritty. Settings include different centuries & locales such as Seoul, Bangkok, Ireland, America & Cuba. And genres run the gamut from psychological to full on action. There are even a few names you’ll recognize such as Jane Austen & Sherlock Holmes.

Like most collections some are great, most are good & a couple are meh. But what falls into those categories will vary from reader to reader. My favourites were those by Helene Tursten (do NOT mess with a Swedish granny), Teresa Dovalpage (great characters, set in Cuba), Tod Goldberg (poignant tale of a lonely sheriff’s final days on the job) & Martin Limón (American military police in 1970’s Korea). Two of these authors I’d never read before & therein lies the gift. It’s great chance to try out new (to you) authors & editor Peter Lovesey has included each writer’s back list at the end so you can easily select something meatier by whoever catches your fancy.

It’s a great book to take on your daily commute or leave on the bedside table. Just keep it handy for those times when you have a few minutes to escape to another time or country.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories venture into dark themes and offer a real alternative to the usual feel-good variety of stories produced for the Holidays. Serious topics such as spousal abuse, crime, suicide prevention, prostitution, a children’s shelter, heartache from a relationship breakup, vengeance, and murder are covered by eighteen different authors. There is a wonderful variety of stories and locations, and my interest was piqued throughout. Some of the authors and narrators are favorites, while others are new to me and worth a further look.

1. An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime By Helene Tursten, read by Barbara Caruso. This was an interesting choice for the first story of the collection. It made me squirm! However, it was good to hear Barbara Caruso’s voice which I recognized from long ago listening experiences.

2. The Usual Santas by Mick Herron, read by John Keating. I love Mick Herron’s writing, and this was an interesting story. Usually, eight Santas share Santa duties at the mall. Unexpectedly, this year there are nine Santas. Is there an imposter among them?

Quote: “Taking full advantage of its layout, the complex boasted eight Santa’s Grottos – one per tentacle - each employing a compliment of sleigh, sacks, elves, snowflakes, friendly squirrels, startled rabbits, and (counter-intuitively, but fully validated by merchandise profiling) talking zebras.”

3. PX Christmas by Martin Limón, read by Luis Moreno. Location: military unit in Korea.

4. Chalee's Nativity by Timothy Hallinan, read by Ali Ahn. Location: children’s shelter in Bangkok.

5. The Cuban Marquise's Jewels by Teresa Dovalpage, read by Luis Moreno. Location: Cuba.

6. A Mother's Curse by Mette Ivie Harrison, read by Carine Montbertrand. Location: USA

7. There's Only One Father Christmas, Right? by Colin Cotterill, read by John Keating. Location: Thailand. Another of my favorite authors.

Quote: “For no particular reason in that predominantly Buddhist province decorative lights and shortbread and small plastic trees sold extremely well over the month of December.”

8. Martin by Ed Lin, read by Jonathan Yen. Location: New York City, USA. A favorite for the wonderful descriptive writing.

Quote: “I almost ate it by stepping in a giant pool of ice water on a corner. New York City was turning into a giant melting slushy with all the flavor sucked out.”

9. Queen of the Hill by Stuart Neville, read by John Keating. Location: Northern Ireland.

10. Blue Memories Start Calling by Tod Goldberg, read by Brian Hutchison. Location: Granite City, USA. One of my favorites, as it surprised and engaged me. There were elements of violent murder juxtaposed with thoughtfulness and kindness from the law enforcement officer who made some interesting choices.

11. Bo Sau (Vengeance) by Henry Chang, read by Jonathan Yen. Location: Chinatown, New York City.

12. Red Christmas by James R. Benn, read by Brian Hutchison. Location: Blue Rock, Ohio, USA in 1953.

Quotes: “knowing that charity offered on Christmas Eve might sour by morning.”

“He felt fear in the pit of his stomach and relief at the back of his mind, he didn’t know which was more frightening.”

13. When the Time Came by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis, read by Carine Montbertrand. Location: Copenhagen, Denmark.

14. Hairpin Holiday by Sujata Massey, read by Ali Ahn. Location: 1920s Bombay, India.

Quote: “A man’s fortune is only a hairpin’s breath away from loss.”

15. The Prince (of Peace) by Gary Corby, read by John Keating. Location: Florence, Italy.

Quote: “It was a public library. Machiavelli thought this idea very interesting but wondered what might happen if anyone could simply walk in and read the wisdom of the ancients. It seemed that half the city had done precisely that, the library was crowded.” This made my heart happy.

16. Cabaret aux Assassins by Cara Black, read by Carine Montbertrand. Location: Nice, France in 1914. A Sherlock Holmes / Irene Adler story.

17. Jane and the Midnight Clear by Stephanie Barron, read by Elizabeth Sastre. Location: Bath, England.

Editor’s note: “This fragment of a Jane Austen mystery was recently discovered upon the editing of her thirteenth journal, ‘Jane and the Waterloo Map,’ it dates from more than a decade previous to 1804 in Bath, around the period of ‘Jane and the wandering Eye.’”

18. Supper with Miss Shivers by Peter Lovesey, read by Elizabeth Sastre. Location: London, England. Another favorite author and my reason for reading this book.

Jim joked, “If I’m not back in half an hour send for Miss Marple.”
“No need,” said Fran, “I’ll find you in the bar, and mine’s a hot cuppa.”

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of eighteen stories, set all over the world, and in many eras, during the holiday season. These tales are divided into three sections: "Joy to the World"- Acts of Holiday Kindness; "Silent Night"- The Darkest of Holiday Noir; and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and other Holiday Secrets. Their authors were mostly new to me but I will be happy to meet most of them again.

I enjoyed most of the stories and there was only one, really, that I felt missed the mark completely. Among those that I found very well written, very clever, or just generally quite good are "The Usual Santas" (cheeky and fun); "Queen of the Hill" (Christmas noir by Stuart Neville); the very understated "Martin" by Ed Lin; "Red Christmas" by James Benn (set in a POW camp in Korea); "When the Time Came" by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis, a timely story of troubled immigrants in Denmark; "Hairpin Holiday" by Sujata Massey, a mystery set in 1920s Bombay; and Peter Lovesey's contribution, "Supper with Miss Shivers", a holiday ghost story.

There were several others that I enjoyed just a bit less. All in all, I found this to be a very successful collection of stories and an excellent introduction to new (to me) authors. That may prove to be the same situation for you. If you enjoy mystery, crime or thriller stories, this would be a collection to choose, even if it's not the holiday season.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

These eighteen stories covered more than five centuries and span the globe with authors and settings representing many different countries. The American lit lover inside of me was drawn mostly to stories like "The Usual Santas" as well as the final story by author Peter Lovesay: "Supper with Miss Shivers." Reading Stephanie Barron's "Jane and the Midnight Clear" reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading her novel "Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas" years ago.

Grab a cup of your favorite seasonal beverage and indulge in a holiday story from this collection.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Usual Santas includes 18 short stories from Soho Crime writers. The location for the stories are international. You can be reading a story from South Korea and then the next short story takes place in Thailand. Then you are in Cuba in the next story.

It is a good opportunity to sample different writers who may be new to you or revisit an author who you have read before. They are divided into 3 parts. Part one was Joy to the World and contained 6 stories. Part two was Silent Night and contained 6 stories. This was the noir portion of the book. Part 3 was I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and contained 6 stories. They were all well written. There, of course, were favorites but there wasn't any that I didn't like. It is nice to be able to pick up the book and read a short story during a busy time. I especially liked being introduced to new authors.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

These eighteen stories covered more than five centuries and span the globe with authors and settings representing many different countries. The American lit lover inside of me was drawn mostly to stories like "The Usual Santas" as well as the final story by author Peter Lovesay: "Supper with Miss Shivers." Reading Stephanie Barron's "Jane and the Midnight Clear" reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading her novel "Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas" years ago.

Grab a cup of your favorite seasonal beverage and indulge in a holiday story from this collection.
*Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Were it not for 4 stories in this short story collection I would have given it 2 stars at the most. I found the majority of the stories to be less than thrilling and with little humor. I like my mayhem with humor, at least a bit.

Helen Tursten starts off this collection with An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace At Christmastime.

Maud is certainly elderly but she is also delightfully selfish and doesn't mind being evil to carter to that selfishness. When you think of an octogenarian who just wants a bit of peace and quite to enjoy her solitude at Christmas you have to, if not chuckle out loud (yes, some of us do still chuckle and even guffaw) you have a smile on your lips. Or maybe I'm just a very twisted individual.

Next, Mick Herron gives us the title story, The Usual Santas.

There are 8 Santas working the oversized shopping center and there it is, Christmas Eva and they repair to a hospitality room where they had a buffet and brandy complete with 8 brandy snifters. The only problem is that as the last Santa comes in from his rounds, finally free of those bothersome elves, there is no brandy snifter for his use. How could this be? Well, the answer comes with a headcount; there are 9. . . count them, NINE Santas! That's how this could be but. . . how could this be? Who is the imposter? And how will the Santas go about finding out who the imposter is? (This is where I find myself with a mixed message; I cannot recommend this book but in order to find out the answer one must, as I so often say in my reviews, READ THE BOOK!)

Next we have Chalee's Nativity by Thomas Hallinan.

This is a story of a young orphan Thai girl living on the streets of Bangkok and who has taken an even younger street orphan under wing even if reluctantly. Chalee is an artist and is just discovering the depths of her talent while Apple, the other girl tries to interrupt her. Chalee isn't thrilled with the interruption and Apple, being a girl of indeterminate age but maybe 8, 9, wants attention as children of that age do. The result is hurt feelings, both for Apple because of rejection and shortly thereafter for Chalee who is sorry for having rejected Apple.

Yes, you will need to read the book in order to see what happens but if you are like me, have some tissues close by. I did and I needed them.

The last of these stories that I enjoyed and can recommend is When The Time Came by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, a pair of Danish authors who give us a story of a birth at Christmas, of compassion and human frailty all in one short story. This was not a nice little story, in fact just the opposite, but that compassion does show through. It also left several unanswered questions.

In fact there were several stories that I felt left out a great deal of information. At the end you are left wondering :But. . . but. . . what about this? What about that?" Alas, we are left to our own devices to either come up with a solution or to say to hell with it and move on. I moved on for the most part.

There is one other story that deserves mention. . . NOT honorable mention but just mention; Cabert Aux Assassins by Cara Black.

When you take iconic figures such as Irene Adler; "That Woman" as Holmes referred to her as, and even Holmes himself, you should be very damn good at penning a story using them. Ms. Black was not. It's less than gracious of me to mention that but damnit, just as Jim Croce told us in his great song when he admonished us not to mess around with Jim, you don't mess around with Sherlock or even a one off character in Doyle's prose, Adler. If you do you cannot expect to let bygones be bygones. You're going to be called out for your transgressions.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories aren't often on my read list. I always seem to like some of the stories more than others and that was the case with this one. I loved the cover though. It drew me in.

I enjoyed the creativity in some of these and the dark nature is also always expected in this genre. My favorites were the first two. There a couple of others that I liked too. But some, I just kind of skimmed. So 3 stars.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few quite nice. Many too dark, depressing, or simply awful.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore mysteries and romances set a Christmas! And great themed cover art, like here, will sucker me in to ones that barely include the holiday in their plots and settings. This collection had the added bonus of featuring only short stories written by Soho Crime's excellent stable of writers, many of whom I read and love already.

Soho Crime publish detective, procedural, and noir, in both contemporary and historical settings, thus delivering in this single volume a great variety. I did not find a true clunker in the bunch, and in fact found more than the usual number of short mysteries I can see myself revisiting every Christmas. I also discovered several authors whose series I plan to check out. [At the end is a very handy bibliography is all Soho Crime's titles.]

Historical mystery highlights:

Sujata Massey takes us to Bombay in 1921 with attorney Perveen. Loved the setting and world depicted, and a bloodless crime.

Cara Black sends us to Montmartre, Paris, in 1896, just after the Dreyfus trial, to a meeting of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes amidst political machinations.

Martin Limon brings us to Seoul in 1970s during the height of the Cold War and how a simple bit of anti-pilfering policy enforcement sheds light on the intricate relations between South Korean crime lords, local police, government influence and the US military peace keeping forces.

Gary Corby gives us a Christmas Eve with Machiavelli, the Borgias, and a tricky political situation.

Stephanie Barron has Jane Austen solving a burglary on New Years Eve.

Contemporary mystery highlights:

Helen Tursten's Elderly Lady has a rather pro-active way of achieving a peaceful Christmas...perfect for those of us who are a touch malicious.

Kaaberbøl and Friis have Nina Borg pulled into a rather grim nativity, and ultimately saving the futures of several immigrants.

Colin Cotterill delivers deliciously ironic Christmas justice in Thailand.

Teresa Dovalpage brings us to Havanna and a long-awaited Christmas revenge.

And Mick Herron in his eponymous short story brings us a group of 8 santas...or is that really 9?... on a memorable Christmas Eve in a typical shopping mall.

[Livio · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and eclectic collection of short stories set during Christmas. Not exactly stories to put you in the Christmas spirit; some of them are actually very dark! But the diversity of authors and different settings make it interesting.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for the ARC.

There are 18 stories in this, each with a brief biographical and bibliographical introduction. The Foreword and final story are by the well-respected Peter Lovesey and, at the end, there is a list of titles in the Soho Crime Series.

There are 3 sections, “Acts of Kindness at Christmas”, “Darkest of Holiday Noir” and “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, each with six stories.

The settings are international and the historical periods range from Italy at the time of the Borgias to contemporary Scandinavia.

As with most collections, especially themed ones, there are a few plums, and a few duds, but, on the whole, this is solidly interesting and good value.

The stand-out stories were, “An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmas”, “The Usual Santas”, “The Prince (of Peace)” and “Supper with Miss Shivers”.

The middle section of “noir” stories appealed least to me.

Some of the stories were too long. One story did not appear to fit the Santa/Christmas/Holidays theme. Three of those with historic settings were marred by mistakes either of history or language.

These stories are not, in the main, for those seeking “cosiness” as many of them are very serious and some quite disturbing. However this is within tradition, as many of Dickens’ and M.R. James’ “Christmas” tales are very unsettling.

3.5 twinkling stars!

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short crime and mystery stories that happen around Christmas, with or without the Christmas spirit.

I liked this collection quite a bit. It is *not* a collection of cute Christmas cozies, although they certainly are included. It is also *not* a collection of stories solely set in the U.S. and Great Britain, although most of them are. A wide variety of mystery subgenres, time periods, settings, and voices, without (somehow) being a mare's nest. Hats off to the editor :) I think my favorite of the stories was the Machiavellian one.

Anyway, recommended for mystery/crime readers who don't mind a bit of wandering away from the expected.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only good ones are Cotterill's,Herron's,Lovesey's,Tursten's and Limon's (a new author for me).An extra star for those.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I am not a huge fan of anthology short story collections. I read this for book club, and it is Christmasy. I have to say that I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. The stories stayed on theme. I liked the origanization...nice ish, very freaking dark, and dark, but yet historical. There were only 3-4 where I thought didn't belong, because they really didn't have a crime or they weren't very Christmasy. My favorites were the last four: Prince of Peace, Cabaret Aux Assassins, Jane and the Midnight Clear, and Supper with Miss Shivers. Those were amazing. But I will warn you that most of the stories are quite dark. I didn't mind, but they are dark. I would recommend this book series even if you hate short story anthologies.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice collection of (sometimes less than heartwarming) Christmas caper tales. Well known crime writers. While most of the stories were good, my favorite was probably the one entitled "The Usual Santas". Fun holiday reading off the beaten path.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these were five starred amazing masterpieces! Others were just not my style (much blood, very gore). Especially recommend The Usual Santas, When the Time Came, Jane and the Midnight Clear, Supper with Miss Shivers, and who doesn't love a good Sherlock fanfic?

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Anthology wasn't really for me...there were two stories that I really enjoyed. The rest were just mediocre or quite forgettable.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are lot of stories in this anthology. Most of them were not memorable. The title story by Mick Herron was fun. All the authors were new to be (except 4 -Helene Trusten, Mick Herron, Sujata Massey and Peter Lovesey).
These short stories didn't interest me enough to read the other authors' full length books. (except maybe, Tod Goldberg)

[Curt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this before the season since the author of the title story will be at Bloody Scotland in September. If the rest of the stories are as much fun as this one, I highly recommend it. Great fun with a delightful surprise ending. A surprising multi-cultural sequence of stories and I wondered, "Do they celebrate Christmas there?" My favorite was The Prince of Peace with Machiavelli as the lead character. Fun read.

[Selina Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best is by far "the usual Santas" itself

[Ray Palen · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOHO Crime has been publishing terrific crime/mystery stories for many years. Their lineup of writers features an international mix of authors that brought different settings and characters that allowed readers to travel without ever leaving their armchair.

THE USUAL SANTAS is not just the title of a story in this collection (that one penned by Mick Herron), but also sets the tone for a group of stories that used the Christmas season as a backdrop for great short mystery tales from all over the globe.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of these stories and will highlight some of the standouts: Mick Herron's 'The Usual Santas' features a group of Mall Santa Clauses trying to figure out which one of their team of Kris Kringle's might be a thief in red and white costume! Author Martin Limon, who pens the terrific series featuring Sueno and Bascom, where he features his two CID Investigators from their base in Seoul Korea circa 1970. 'PX Christmas' deals with the problem of suicide which seems to increase among GI's during the holiday season.

Timothy Hallinan sets 'Chalee's Nativity' amongst children. His reason for this is explained in his brief forward where he indicates that, for him, Christmas has always been about the children. Chalee is a young girl with a lot of spunk and this story is quite moving. The 'SILENT NIGHT' section of this collection features The Darkest Of Holiday Noir and there are some excellent stories here. Ed Lin's 'Martin' is set in NYC. What I enjoyed most was a reference he made that immediately reminded me of Peter Straub's classic supernatural novel, GHOST STORY. The characters play an interesting game entitled Sharing and one of them opens up a slip of paper that asks: "What was the first thing you ever did?". If you are a fan of GHOST STORY, that line will give you chills just like it did for me.

Irish author Stuart Neville pens 'Queen of the Hill', which refers to a local woman named Anne Mahon, who had quite the reputation with how she handled her men --- and not necessarily in the way you might think. A chilling tale. Tod Goldberg's 'Blue Memories Start Calling' is one of my favorite short stories in this collection. It hits you immediately over the head with a cache of bones that are dug up to reveal a murdered family that had gone missing. This one is straight police procedural with the expected CSI magic and all set against the Christmas backdrop.

For fans of classic literature there are a handful of great tales featuring famous and very recognizable literary figures. Gary Corby's 'The Prince Of Peace' stars Niccolo Machiavelli who is attempting to save a small Italian city. Cara Black, who writes one of my all-time favorite series set in Paris and featuring Aimee Leduc, this time gives us a tale that stars Sherlock Holmes himself along with his one-time protégé and sometime adversary, Irene Adler, in an interesting case set in the City of Lights. Stephanie Barron brings us 'Jane and the Midnight Clear' that utilizes Jane Austen as the central figure in a case of theft circa 1804, Bath. The final tale is by the same author who penned the Foreword for THE USUAL SANTAS, Peter Lovesey. 'Supper With Miss Shivers' finds a young couple on a Christmas jaunt to meet with a mystery woman named Miss Shivers. They will leave this meeting with a very special Christmas gift and a sense of peace.

THE USUAL SANTAS provides a great opportunity for readers not familiar with the SOHO Crime lineup to get a taste of the many fine, eclectic, international group of writers they boast. A fine Christmas present indeed!

[Marielle Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about The Usual Santas anthology because I enjoy Gary Corby's Athenian novels. On his blog, he described this book containing his Christmas-themed story as "... the perfect Christmas gift if you are murderously inclined." So naturally I went looking for it.

Sadly, I did not get my hands on it until February. It was well worth waiting for, though.

The great thing about anthologies like this is that they introduce you to authors you haven't met before. I will go hunting for other books by some of the authors in The Usual Santas, based on how well I liked their stories.

The story I was waiting for was Gary Corby's "The Prince (of Peace)." It opens with a casual discussion between Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia about the pitfalls inherent in gift-giving at Christmas. It has a wonderful sense of the period as Machiavelli walks through the city of Cesena, where he is on a diplomatic mission, and interacts with various people he meets – a widow and her sons weeping at the gallows, Borgia’s ambitious second in command, a monk in the cathedral. The conclusion seems in character for Machavelli, and yet hints at more depth of feeling.

Mick Herron’s rollicking story, “The Usual Santas” gives its name to the anthology. It opens with a lengthy encomium of a mega-mall (shudder). The mall employs eight Santas, and after everything has closed on Christmas Eve the Santas gather, by their custom still in beards and uniforms and in character, for a buffet and a great deal of brandy while they exchange war stories. But it seems there are nine Santas on this particular evening…. Wonderful!

Peter Lovesey’s Foreword gives the background for the collection and previews some of the joys to come, and his ghost story “Supper With Miss Shivers” concludes the anthology. I also enjoyed Helene Tursten’s story about Maud, the sociopathic octogenarian, “An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime” and Sujata Massey’s “Hairpin Holiday” set in 1920s Bombay. Cara Black adds a suitably atmospheric story about Irene Adler's daughter in "Cabaret aux Assassins."

Some of the other stories were too dark for me but I’m sure someone else will appreciate them.

[Diane Zwang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned of this book from the podcast LeVar Burton Reads. He had read the short story The Usual Santas by Mick Herron. This is a cute story about a group of mall Santas.

Cabaret Aux Assassins by Cara Black. Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Irene Adler gets in an unexpected tangle in Pairs. I enjoyed this mystery set in Paris.

The Prince of Peace by Gary Corby. Niccolo Machiavelli sets out to save an Italian city. This story is on the dark side but has a theme of gift giving.

An Elderly Lady Seeks Peace at Christmastime by Helene Tursten. Originally written in Swedish. The story does start and end on Christmas but that is the only link to the holiday. The story about a woman named Maud is quite dark and I am surprised it is the first short story of the book. Not much holiday spirit in this one. I am glad I am reading the stories out of order.

Chalee's Nativity by Timothy Hallinan. A story about 2 girls Chalee and Apple. I thought this one captured the Christmas Spirit.

The Cuban Marquise's Jewels by Teresa Dovalpage. A tale on the island of Cuba with the want of a Christmas tree and ornaments in the background.

2022
PX Christmas - caper on a military base in South Korea.
A Mother's Curse - surprisingly modern moral tale at Christmas time.
There's Only One Father Christmas, Right? - tragic.
Martin - depressing.
Queen of the Hill - gruesome, my least favorite.
Blue Memories Start Calling - not a favorite either.
Bo Sau (Vengeance) - set in China town New York.
Red Christmas - set in POW camp during Korean War.
I am glad I am finished with the section of "darkest of holiday noir".

When the Time Came - set in Copenhagen about a refugee. Timely and heartwarming.
Hairpin Holiday a 1920s Bombay mystery. Minor caper set in India.

[Paul Grubb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thumbs up for a clever collection of holiday-themed mysteries and adventures. I was delighted by the rich variety of locales, tones, characters, and plots assembled here. The prize at the end was a wonderful tale by my favorite author, Peter Lovesey. There were other great stories, though, too. In fact, I found something to enjoy about every story in the book, even though I probably wouldn't reread some of them. Among my other favorites (besides Lovesey's) were "Blue Memories Start Calling" by Tod Goldberg, who wrote a very compelling small-town mystery with a surprising resolution, and "Red Christmas" by James R. Benn, which offered a fascinating look into a Korean War POW Camp. These aren't really Christmas stories, but almost all of them are set during that time of year, and many of them offer Christmas-themed components (unexpected gifts, redemption, kindnesses given with no expectation of reward, etc.). The collection spans many fascinating geographies and time periods, and when I closed the book for the last time, I really felt like I'd been offered a fun and wild ride through many unexpected places. BTW, I saved this one for the Christmas season, and I enjoyed having done so. Recommended.

[3 no 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Usual Santas” is a short-story collection featuring some of the best authors from Soho Press. It is the ultimate anthology for every reader of mysteries during the “holiday season.” When we are all looking for something quick to read, this book will help take our minds off the chaos surrounding what should be a happy, family celebration. While these stories might not evoke happy memories of candy canes and chocolate, they certainly will take your mind off trying to find a parking spot at the mall.

“The Usual Santas” is a collection of the Christmas naughty and nice, the good and not so good, and the definitely creepy. The stories are unconventional, quick to read and, and all have a Christmas-time theme. This format allows a reader to finish a compelling story all in one sitting. It is perfect for plane trips or car rides, and makes good reading while waiting for appointments or when taking others (CHILDREN) to practice, or lessons, or games, or meetings, or afterschool events – the list goes on!

I received an advance copy of “The Usual Santas” from Soho Press, and NetGalley to read and review, and I was able to finish the stories on my time schedule without interrupting my other plans or forgetting where I was in the book. The stories are all different, some longer and some shorter, but there is something for every reader, and all are fascinating. I can read these Christmas stories every year and love them each time.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little anthology that runs the gamut of crime and mystery fiction - from historicals to paranormal to one of the darkest noir stories I've read, in all types of settings and with all types of characters. Some favorites: I particularly enjoyed "The Usual Santas," but I'm a big fan of Mick Herron, so that was no surprise. "Jane and the Midnight Clear" was a great reminder of how enjoyable the early works in Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen series were, and how I need to return to where I left off with those. "The Prince (of Peace)" by Gary Corby, with Machiavelli as the protagonist, was surprisingly delightful, and the final story (by Peter Lovesey), "Supper with Miss Shivers," was short, succinct, mysterious, and warm-hearted all at the same time. Looking back over the contents, there wasn't a single story that I was even lukewarm about; all held my interest and had something to recommend them, which is a testimony to the quality of the authors that Soho Crime publishes.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usual Santas is a series of short stories. Some of the stories are well written and engaging. But many of the stories seem pretty flat, obvious, or seemingly slapped together to meet a deadline. I am left with the impression there must be a better set of Christmas-mystery short stories.

There are some more thoughts about the individual stories in my book blog.

[The Literature Ladies · Rating 1 out of 5]

I let the synopsis, clever title, and the cute cover lead me astray. These stories were far from funny, far from heartwarming, and far from Christmassy. Pick something else to put you in the Christmas spirit!

Read more on our blog!