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Murderous Christmas Stories #2
Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season
Christmas Eve. While the world sleeps, snow falls gently from the sky, presents await under the tree ... and murder is afoot. In this collection of ten classic murder mysteries from the best crime writers in history, death and mayhem take many festive forms, from the inventive to the unexpected.
From a Santa Claus with a grudge to a cat who knows who killed its owner on Christmas Eve, these are stories to enjoy - and be mystified by - in front of a roaring fire, mince pie to hand.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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938 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
December 20, 2019
As my last Christmas murder mystery was a disappointment, I jumped right into this with fingers crossed the title really meant what it read. I'm happy to report, this little collection is on-brand. I really enjoyed eight of the ten here so, four stars. My favourites:
The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters- a clever story in which elderly Miss Patience has been murdered and the rectory cat intent on ferreting out his Christmas present points the paw at the guilty party. The power of the catnip (or catmint, as it's called here) will not be denied. I'll pretty much read anything Peters writes and this made me want to revisit Brother Cadfael.
The Santa Claus Club by Julian Symons- in which Francis Quarles must figure out a locked room mystery that has Lord Acrise murdered during a dinner in plain sight. The culprit is a little obvious but it's a neat little read.
No Sanity Clause by Ian Rankin- a modern story in which a man recently released after serving his time leans back into theft during a hotel Christmas party and crosses paths with two people, one of whom gives him another chance. Fuzzy on feels but a bit wobbly on ethics. Loved that main character utilized the library and counted books in things he fantasized about for Christmas.
The Footprint in the Sky by John Dickson Carr- in which Dorothy Dolly Brant is thought to have committed assault on her neighbour in the night during a bout of sleepwalking. But the answer lies in the fact that the crime is upside down. Clever.
A Wife in A Million by Val McDermid- in which a disgruntled wife is, instead of handing out holiday cheer, out slipping a little arsenic into grocery items and DS Maggie Staniforth is on the case and dealing with her own disgruntled wife. Very cleverly told.
Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen- in which there's no murder but there is a plan for framing people for one. Enjoyable and all four characters are fairly unsympathetic.
As Dark As Christmas Gets by Lawrence Block- in which there's no murder but a manuscript is thought to have been stolen and Leo Haig & his assistant Chip are on the case. This was so neat that I actually looked up the author's series these characters live in. It appears that Leo doesn't show up until book three so I'll likely begin there. His Nero Wolfe obsession is unique & I know little more than my father was also a Nero Wolfe fan so, I'm intrigued. I also found out that the story was written as a Christmas gift to Otto Penzler with the sole requirement being the story be set in The Mysterious Bookshop. As it happens I've just this week. bought a copy of a collection of Christmas mysteries complied by Otto Penzler. Kismet.
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham- in which the postman is killed on Christmas morning causing quite a commotion but this still turns out to be a heartwarming tale to end on.
I'd recommend this for fans of Christmas mysteries. It's ten stories in a neat little paperback that doesn't take a lot of time to get through. Not every one is a murder but I felt those were still on-brand and fit well for the most part. I have the other two books in this trio and will be reading them.
The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters- a clever story in which elderly Miss Patience has been murdered and the rectory cat intent on ferreting out his Christmas present points the paw at the guilty party. The power of the catnip (or catmint, as it's called here) will not be denied. I'll pretty much read anything Peters writes and this made me want to revisit Brother Cadfael.
The Santa Claus Club by Julian Symons- in which Francis Quarles must figure out a locked room mystery that has Lord Acrise murdered during a dinner in plain sight. The culprit is a little obvious but it's a neat little read.
No Sanity Clause by Ian Rankin- a modern story in which a man recently released after serving his time leans back into theft during a hotel Christmas party and crosses paths with two people, one of whom gives him another chance. Fuzzy on feels but a bit wobbly on ethics. Loved that main character utilized the library and counted books in things he fantasized about for Christmas.
The Footprint in the Sky by John Dickson Carr- in which Dorothy Dolly Brant is thought to have committed assault on her neighbour in the night during a bout of sleepwalking. But the answer lies in the fact that the crime is upside down. Clever.
A Wife in A Million by Val McDermid- in which a disgruntled wife is, instead of handing out holiday cheer, out slipping a little arsenic into grocery items and DS Maggie Staniforth is on the case and dealing with her own disgruntled wife. Very cleverly told.
Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen- in which there's no murder but there is a plan for framing people for one. Enjoyable and all four characters are fairly unsympathetic.
As Dark As Christmas Gets by Lawrence Block- in which there's no murder but a manuscript is thought to have been stolen and Leo Haig & his assistant Chip are on the case. This was so neat that I actually looked up the author's series these characters live in. It appears that Leo doesn't show up until book three so I'll likely begin there. His Nero Wolfe obsession is unique & I know little more than my father was also a Nero Wolfe fan so, I'm intrigued. I also found out that the story was written as a Christmas gift to Otto Penzler with the sole requirement being the story be set in The Mysterious Bookshop. As it happens I've just this week. bought a copy of a collection of Christmas mysteries complied by Otto Penzler. Kismet.
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham- in which the postman is killed on Christmas morning causing quite a commotion but this still turns out to be a heartwarming tale to end on.
I'd recommend this for fans of Christmas mysteries. It's ten stories in a neat little paperback that doesn't take a lot of time to get through. Not every one is a murder but I felt those were still on-brand and fit well for the most part. I have the other two books in this trio and will be reading them.
December 17, 2021
Murder On Christmas Eve
The Trinity Cat
Ellis Peters
This short story was a great start to a book.
Set in a little town, with a stray cat that lives at the church, but spends his time at an old lady's house where he gets fed.
Until on Christmas Eve she gets killed and her handbag and jewelry stolen, the local police man starts his investigation, with the troublesome cat who seems to be following him around.
The cat himself finds the old lady's bag, which he goes mad for.
A day or two after a local boy finds one of the old lady’s earrings in his pocket, but the cat isn’t bothered he’s more interested in his girlfriend.
With this knowledge the police man takes the cat to the girlfriend who runs to her bedroom and find the old lady's stuff.
And a toy catmint mouse which he wanted.
⅘*
The Santa Claus Club
Julian Symons
This one was good, seriously good.
This one had a Sherlock Holmes feel to it, it’s about a rich man's club - The Santa Claus Club - where one of the members feels for his life.
He had a old friend who got thrown into jail when there business went bust, and hasn’t been heard of for years until he starts getting letters out of the blue threatening is life.
So he hires a detective from Scotland Yard to investigate, inviting him to The Santa Claus Club, where throughout the night the target seems to be getting drunker, and drunker until he drops dead.
Though the murderer, made a mistake and left behind evidence which lead the detective to find out who it was. His secretary.
5/5*
The Four Seasons
Michael Innes
This one is a story in a story about magical painting, one of four that correspond with the seasons.
This family have a painting that looks exactly like their landscape until it suddenly it starts to snow in the painting, causing much sir around the household, especially when it starts to snow outside.
Itis discovered the picture was left as a gift from a distant family member who replaced there - now known - ‘fake’ painting with a real one.
It was cute, in a very mysterious magical way.
⅗*
No Sanity Clause
Ian Rankin
This one is about a man just out of prison with no real way to make money, so he decides to dress as Santa and raid a hotel.
Though there is a detective and his wife attend a murder mystery party, that has a MP who is trying to make it public who criminals, the detective clocks Santa.
Santa discovers that the MP’s nephew is a criminal and tells everyone including a reporter.
The detective makes Santa hand over his stolen goods and lets him go free, though he has food hidden in his clothes!
Different.
⅘*
The Footprint In The Sky
John Dickson Carr
This was a good one, a young woman wakes up to find that she has be accused of attempted murder, but having no recollection of it.
She soon though starts to recale going outside into the snow, and remembers the snowglobe in the house of her attacked neighbour.
She had an argument the day before with the woman and her footprints are in the snow, but deep down she knows that she didn’t attack the old woman.
When a investigator from Scotland Yard turns up to have a go investigating he discovers a large footprint on a hedge which wouldn’t be able to hold a cat's weight let alone a humans.
The detective soon works out that it would have to be her cousin, who is a gymnast; he used her slippers and hand walked over to the lady's house and used the hedge to push himself up.
Loved it, so good!
5/5*
A Wife In A Million
Val McDermid
Where a woman who’s husband is out of a job, and due to the stress she targets all the supermarkets who turned him down for a job by putting arsenic in food, thus killing people.
A female detective - an unusual thing in her time - works hard trying to find the killer, but with the help of her unemployed girlfriend - another unusual thing in there time - sheds some inside what it is like to not be able to get a job, thus helping her find the killer.
5/5*
The Dagger With Wings
G. K. Chesterton
Father Brown!
I very much enjoyed this one.
This one Father Brown goes to visit a local man who has lost his two elder brothers, who were killed by their adoptive brother.
Seamingly distressed, Father Brown tries to get all the details from the last remaining brother, including a letter tell that he’s next.
When the brother disappears to collect something to show the Father a gunshot is heard, the brother returns saying that he’s killed the assailant, though Father Brown in the meantime has called for backup.
Though Father Brown sees through his lies and discovered that the brother isn’t the made he says he is; he is the adopted son, and the body is of the last brother he killed earlier, and has be pretending to be him the whole time.
Extremely interesting, and I can say I didn’t see it coming!
5/5*
Cambric Tea
Marjorie Bowen
This one is about a sick man, who believes he is being poisoned by his wife. He sends for a Doctor in London who has dealt with a similar poisoning before.
The Doctor however finds out that the wife is is long lost love who left to be married, and that the sick man has discovered love letters sent between the two many years before.
Thus discovering the man hateds the Doctor because she has never stopped loving him, therefore is poisoning himself and is going to blame the Doctor and Wife, even if it means he kills himself.
Totally didn’t see that coming. Not my favourite, good but not great.
⅗*
As Dark As Christmas Eve
Lawrence Block
This one is about a missing manuscript that disappeared during a Christmas Party.
There are six, seven to eight suspects all who have read and handled the manuscript throughout the night, though none of them took it.
It seems like the manuscript got passed around and moved, and the ended up in the owner's bedroom.
This one I didn’t like as much, it was a story within a story, slow and didn’t really capture my attention.
⅖*
On Christmas Day In The Morning
Margery Allingham
A sad little story about a poor postman killed after doing his rounds, and a poor old lady who puts up old Christmas cards because she likes to remember.
⅘*
EDIT:
2/5*
The Trinity Cat
Ellis Peters
This short story was a great start to a book.
Set in a little town, with a stray cat that lives at the church, but spends his time at an old lady's house where he gets fed.
Until on Christmas Eve she gets killed and her handbag and jewelry stolen, the local police man starts his investigation, with the troublesome cat who seems to be following him around.
The cat himself finds the old lady's bag, which he goes mad for.
A day or two after a local boy finds one of the old lady’s earrings in his pocket, but the cat isn’t bothered he’s more interested in his girlfriend.
With this knowledge the police man takes the cat to the girlfriend who runs to her bedroom and find the old lady's stuff.
And a toy catmint mouse which he wanted.
⅘*
The Santa Claus Club
Julian Symons
This one was good, seriously good.
This one had a Sherlock Holmes feel to it, it’s about a rich man's club - The Santa Claus Club - where one of the members feels for his life.
He had a old friend who got thrown into jail when there business went bust, and hasn’t been heard of for years until he starts getting letters out of the blue threatening is life.
So he hires a detective from Scotland Yard to investigate, inviting him to The Santa Claus Club, where throughout the night the target seems to be getting drunker, and drunker until he drops dead.
Though the murderer, made a mistake and left behind evidence which lead the detective to find out who it was. His secretary.
5/5*
The Four Seasons
Michael Innes
This one is a story in a story about magical painting, one of four that correspond with the seasons.
This family have a painting that looks exactly like their landscape until it suddenly it starts to snow in the painting, causing much sir around the household, especially when it starts to snow outside.
Itis discovered the picture was left as a gift from a distant family member who replaced there - now known - ‘fake’ painting with a real one.
It was cute, in a very mysterious magical way.
⅗*
No Sanity Clause
Ian Rankin
This one is about a man just out of prison with no real way to make money, so he decides to dress as Santa and raid a hotel.
Though there is a detective and his wife attend a murder mystery party, that has a MP who is trying to make it public who criminals, the detective clocks Santa.
Santa discovers that the MP’s nephew is a criminal and tells everyone including a reporter.
The detective makes Santa hand over his stolen goods and lets him go free, though he has food hidden in his clothes!
Different.
⅘*
The Footprint In The Sky
John Dickson Carr
This was a good one, a young woman wakes up to find that she has be accused of attempted murder, but having no recollection of it.
She soon though starts to recale going outside into the snow, and remembers the snowglobe in the house of her attacked neighbour.
She had an argument the day before with the woman and her footprints are in the snow, but deep down she knows that she didn’t attack the old woman.
When a investigator from Scotland Yard turns up to have a go investigating he discovers a large footprint on a hedge which wouldn’t be able to hold a cat's weight let alone a humans.
The detective soon works out that it would have to be her cousin, who is a gymnast; he used her slippers and hand walked over to the lady's house and used the hedge to push himself up.
Loved it, so good!
5/5*
A Wife In A Million
Val McDermid
Where a woman who’s husband is out of a job, and due to the stress she targets all the supermarkets who turned him down for a job by putting arsenic in food, thus killing people.
A female detective - an unusual thing in her time - works hard trying to find the killer, but with the help of her unemployed girlfriend - another unusual thing in there time - sheds some inside what it is like to not be able to get a job, thus helping her find the killer.
5/5*
The Dagger With Wings
G. K. Chesterton
Father Brown!
I very much enjoyed this one.
This one Father Brown goes to visit a local man who has lost his two elder brothers, who were killed by their adoptive brother.
Seamingly distressed, Father Brown tries to get all the details from the last remaining brother, including a letter tell that he’s next.
When the brother disappears to collect something to show the Father a gunshot is heard, the brother returns saying that he’s killed the assailant, though Father Brown in the meantime has called for backup.
Though Father Brown sees through his lies and discovered that the brother isn’t the made he says he is; he is the adopted son, and the body is of the last brother he killed earlier, and has be pretending to be him the whole time.
Extremely interesting, and I can say I didn’t see it coming!
5/5*
Cambric Tea
Marjorie Bowen
This one is about a sick man, who believes he is being poisoned by his wife. He sends for a Doctor in London who has dealt with a similar poisoning before.
The Doctor however finds out that the wife is is long lost love who left to be married, and that the sick man has discovered love letters sent between the two many years before.
Thus discovering the man hateds the Doctor because she has never stopped loving him, therefore is poisoning himself and is going to blame the Doctor and Wife, even if it means he kills himself.
Totally didn’t see that coming. Not my favourite, good but not great.
⅗*
As Dark As Christmas Eve
Lawrence Block
This one is about a missing manuscript that disappeared during a Christmas Party.
There are six, seven to eight suspects all who have read and handled the manuscript throughout the night, though none of them took it.
It seems like the manuscript got passed around and moved, and the ended up in the owner's bedroom.
This one I didn’t like as much, it was a story within a story, slow and didn’t really capture my attention.
⅖*
On Christmas Day In The Morning
Margery Allingham
A sad little story about a poor postman killed after doing his rounds, and a poor old lady who puts up old Christmas cards because she likes to remember.
⅘*
EDIT:
2/5*
December 15, 2017
This is a collection of Christmas murder mystery short stories. Generally speaking, murder mysteries don't do so well in short story form as, say, science fiction. It usually takes rather more page count to be a success in this genre, but this collection, from big names in the field, manages to do the job well. It's notable that the Father Brown story is probably the one that works as a pure murder mystery and is significantly longer than most of the others.
However, just because many of the others are quite short doesn't mean that they fail as stories, just that they tend to focus on a relatively small element of the 'how could that have happened?' nature and make it work very well indeed. The styles range from the modern touches of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid to a classic little Campion tale from Margery Allingham - but they're all (with one possible exception) well written, a delight to read and firmly set in the Christmas period.
If you're looking for some light Christmas bedtime reading with a criminal bent, this could be the one for you.
However, just because many of the others are quite short doesn't mean that they fail as stories, just that they tend to focus on a relatively small element of the 'how could that have happened?' nature and make it work very well indeed. The styles range from the modern touches of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid to a classic little Campion tale from Margery Allingham - but they're all (with one possible exception) well written, a delight to read and firmly set in the Christmas period.
If you're looking for some light Christmas bedtime reading with a criminal bent, this could be the one for you.
December 29, 2017
I’ve never been a huge fan of short stories, there’s never quite enough oomph in them and I’m always left wildly disappointed.
This was no different...each story didn’t have developed characters or interesting stories. Ranging from mediocre to downright bizarre.
This was no different...each story didn’t have developed characters or interesting stories. Ranging from mediocre to downright bizarre.
December 27, 2017
Perfect for this time of year. Ten stories edited by Cecily Gayford, not all include a murder I should add. My favourites are The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters, about a cat that knows who killed its owner (perfect for any cat lover!), A Wife in a Million by Val McDermid, a rather chilling story told in just sixteen pages, As Dark as Christmas Gets by Lawrence Block, masterful tale about a missing manuscript told in forty pages and No Sanity Clause by Ian Rankin.
This collection of tales probably would not have the same impact if read at any other time of year. They all feature Christmas Eve. Perhaps get yourself a copy for Christmas 2018, then….
This collection of tales probably would not have the same impact if read at any other time of year. They all feature Christmas Eve. Perhaps get yourself a copy for Christmas 2018, then….
December 26, 2017
This is what it says on the tin (or the cover in this case!). A festive read filled with murder mysteries. A fairly quick, easy read for anyone who’s a fan of this genre to get stuck into over the Christmas period (or anytime really).
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
April 24, 2019
As ever with a selection of short stories, I enjoyed these to varying degrees. Most were what I'd class as "traditional" mysteries, there's nothing gory or gruesome in any of them...the most shocking thing being the idea of a postman delivering on Christmas Day morning!
October 23, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because this collection actually delivers what is advertised. All of the stories are mysteries set at Christmastime. I get mad when I excitedly pick up a collection of stories with "Christmas" in the title only to find only one Christmas story therein.
November 25, 2019
I can’t say I really liked it, then again it’s a book with 10 short stories and each story has a different approach.
None of the stories had any depth. Most were pretty flat and predictable. Some even had abrupt endings. The language was fun to read though.
However, I did enjoy The footprint in the sky, A wife in a million, The dagger with wings and Cambrice tea. They all had some unexpected twists and something to grasp the readers interest.
I’d say this is a book to pick up if ur bored, wanna do some mindless reading or to put the mindset back after a lousy book. It does the job
None of the stories had any depth. Most were pretty flat and predictable. Some even had abrupt endings. The language was fun to read though.
However, I did enjoy The footprint in the sky, A wife in a million, The dagger with wings and Cambrice tea. They all had some unexpected twists and something to grasp the readers interest.
I’d say this is a book to pick up if ur bored, wanna do some mindless reading or to put the mindset back after a lousy book. It does the job
December 14, 2020
Murder on Christmas Eve by Various Authors - Good
A nice selection of cosy and/or vintage crime short stories with a Christmas or snowy theme. All good authors (Ellis Peters, Julian Symons, Michael Innes, Ian Rankin, John Dickson Carr, Val McDermid, GK Chesterton, Marjorie Bowen, Lawrence Block, Margery Allingham) and interesting little puzzles that are quickly wrapped up due to the format. Nothing too taxing and a nice start for my December themed reads. It also gives me some new vintage authors to follow up on.
A nice selection of cosy and/or vintage crime short stories with a Christmas or snowy theme. All good authors (Ellis Peters, Julian Symons, Michael Innes, Ian Rankin, John Dickson Carr, Val McDermid, GK Chesterton, Marjorie Bowen, Lawrence Block, Margery Allingham) and interesting little puzzles that are quickly wrapped up due to the format. Nothing too taxing and a nice start for my December themed reads. It also gives me some new vintage authors to follow up on.
December 15, 2017
An entertaining anthology of Christmas-themed mysteries, both from the Golden Age (like GK Chesterton and Margery Allingham) to more modern (Val McDairmid, Ian Ranken), and despite the title, not all of them involve actual murders!
A good collection for mystery readers who want to get into the Christmas spirit.
A good collection for mystery readers who want to get into the Christmas spirit.
April 23, 2023
This is the third of the Cecily Gayford edited collections of Christmas crime stories I have read and, fo some reason I found it the most disappointing. Possibly having as close a remit as crimes committed on one particular day is too limiting but I found the ten stories presented here lacklustre at best. It starts with the ubiquitous Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters and ends with the unlikely and uninteresting On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham, taking in one of the most boring Father Brown stories ever (so boring I could not remember reading it before, although I must have done) and a cliche ridden effort from a writer called Marjorie Bowen, Cambric Tea.
My favourite story was by Val McDermid A Wife in a Millionbut I have read it several times before and it gains nothing from a Christmas setting - in fact, Christmas doesn't really figure in the story at all and I was a bit lost as to why it was included in a Christmas Eve collection since the day itself is not mentioned at all.
My favourite story was by Val McDermid A Wife in a Millionbut I have read it several times before and it gains nothing from a Christmas setting - in fact, Christmas doesn't really figure in the story at all and I was a bit lost as to why it was included in a Christmas Eve collection since the day itself is not mentioned at all.
December 14, 2025
Oh the gems you can find in second hand stores. This was delightful. It’s not necessary to read the books in this series in order obviously, they’re all collections of short stories. So I started with this one. This was really very good.
My ratings to each short story:
The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters: 3.5/5⭐️
The Santa Claus Club by Julian Symons: 4/5⭐️
The Four Seasons by Michael Innes: 3.75/5⭐️
No Sanity Clause by Ian Rankin: 4.5/5⭐️
The Footprint in the Sky by John Dickson Carr: 4/5⭐️
A Wife in a Million by Val McDermid: 4.5/5⭐️
The Dagger with Wings by G. K. Chesterton: 4.5/5⭐️
Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen: 4.75/5⭐️
As Dark as Christmas Gets by Lawrence Block: 4.25/5⭐️
On Christmas Day in the Morning Margery Allingham: 4/5⭐️
My ratings to each short story:
The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters: 3.5/5⭐️
The Santa Claus Club by Julian Symons: 4/5⭐️
The Four Seasons by Michael Innes: 3.75/5⭐️
No Sanity Clause by Ian Rankin: 4.5/5⭐️
The Footprint in the Sky by John Dickson Carr: 4/5⭐️
A Wife in a Million by Val McDermid: 4.5/5⭐️
The Dagger with Wings by G. K. Chesterton: 4.5/5⭐️
Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen: 4.75/5⭐️
As Dark as Christmas Gets by Lawrence Block: 4.25/5⭐️
On Christmas Day in the Morning Margery Allingham: 4/5⭐️
December 20, 2020
It is the time of the year for wintery,Christmas stories and short stories are well adapted to represent the different aspects of the Christmas spirit.
There are ten stories in this edition and I found perhaps two of them less attractive. Not too bad for an anthology. They are or charming and very Christmas minded or dark and very wintery.
There is a lovely story by Ellis Peters(The Trinity Cat),a rather sad one by Margery Allingham(On Christmas Day in the Morning),a closed room mystery by Julian Symons (the Santa Claus Club),a classic golden age one by John Dickson Carr (The Footprints in the Sky) and some stories by " newer" authors (Ian Ranking,Val Mcdermid...).
All in all a very good compilation of Christmas mysteries.
There are ten stories in this edition and I found perhaps two of them less attractive. Not too bad for an anthology. They are or charming and very Christmas minded or dark and very wintery.
There is a lovely story by Ellis Peters(The Trinity Cat),a rather sad one by Margery Allingham(On Christmas Day in the Morning),a closed room mystery by Julian Symons (the Santa Claus Club),a classic golden age one by John Dickson Carr (The Footprints in the Sky) and some stories by " newer" authors (Ian Ranking,Val Mcdermid...).
All in all a very good compilation of Christmas mysteries.
December 9, 2019
Light and entertaining seasonal reading.
December 21, 2020
A quick easy read with an appropriate seasonal theme for this time of year. My favourite stories were The Trinity Cat, No Sanity Clause and A Wife in a Million.
January 19, 2022
Nice little collection of very short whodunits.
December 17, 2024
A cheerful, but sometimes sinister collection tales of murder and mystery in and around the festive season.
There is undoubtedly some sense of it shouldn’t happen at this time of year; from a Christmas Truce to a desire to abandon crime for profit amid the good will and peace on earth.
Yet as these stories imagine there is no holiday period for detectives as this wonderful time of year throws up additional opportunities to commit crime.
Some of our sensibilities are perhaps on more alert at this more relaxing time of the year. We might even get more of a thrill from this contrast of emotions, good v evil deeds. Traditionally, ghost stories were also popular at Christmastime.
I have always enjoyed such ideas amid my own celebrations. The advantage of short stories are that you can dip in and out of the book and read a story in between other busy moments in your social advent calendar.
This is a good collection, part of a series of anthologies put together to bring seasonal stories into one book, or seven.
I like that you get to meet forgotten writers or familiar authors and you go into the new year with an increased desire to hunt out more books and add to your to be read list. That pile that clutters your kindle or builds an occasional table of books beside your bed.
There is undoubtedly some sense of it shouldn’t happen at this time of year; from a Christmas Truce to a desire to abandon crime for profit amid the good will and peace on earth.
Yet as these stories imagine there is no holiday period for detectives as this wonderful time of year throws up additional opportunities to commit crime.
Some of our sensibilities are perhaps on more alert at this more relaxing time of the year. We might even get more of a thrill from this contrast of emotions, good v evil deeds. Traditionally, ghost stories were also popular at Christmastime.
I have always enjoyed such ideas amid my own celebrations. The advantage of short stories are that you can dip in and out of the book and read a story in between other busy moments in your social advent calendar.
This is a good collection, part of a series of anthologies put together to bring seasonal stories into one book, or seven.
I like that you get to meet forgotten writers or familiar authors and you go into the new year with an increased desire to hunt out more books and add to your to be read list. That pile that clutters your kindle or builds an occasional table of books beside your bed.
December 3, 2017
This is the third year where there have been a glut of 'Christmas crime' stories have been published but it's clear that the well is more or less running dry now. Several of the stories here have already seen the light of day in other collections, so it feels like a bit of a cheat. This is a companion volume to a book published last year (called Murder under the Christmas Tree) and there is the same mix of golden age & modern short stories. It's the former that work better.
I'd be very surprised if we see any new Christmas set short stories next year as it looks as though the publishing world has moved from crime to ghost stories.
I'd be very surprised if we see any new Christmas set short stories next year as it looks as though the publishing world has moved from crime to ghost stories.
December 28, 2017
I liked most of the short stories in this collection; as they were eventful and mostly well written. And even though I am a big fan of Rankin and I enjoyed 'No Sanity Clause', my favourite was the story from Lawrence Block which did not contain an actual murder, but described a mystery nevertheless. A pleasant, seasonal read
January 14, 2018
Very variable selection. Some of these are absolute, 5 star stories, and others, well, less so. Overall I have enjoyed the book, and the 5 star stories, including the Ellis Peters one, The Trinity Cat, at the start, more than make up for the less good ones.
December 15, 2017
I think this might be the best short story collection I've ever read. Not a single bad story amongst them. I have read some of the authors but I will make it a point to look up the ones I haven't.
December 30, 2017
Nice but not particularly memorable anthology. Some good stories here... And some desperately predictable ones. But perfect for the time of year, seasonal quickies!
March 26, 2018
Not a very impressive collection.
December 28, 2025
4 stars -- I really enjoyed a number of the mysteries in this collection; however, there are also a few clunkers in here too. My final rating is based on the average of my individual story ratings.
1) "The Trinity Cat," by Ellis Peters, A : I loved this story of an accidental cat detective and his catmint mouse.
2) "The Santa Claus Club," by Julian Symons, C : This story is a bit heavy-handed in clue giving, in my opinion. I guessed the murderer early on.
3) "The Four Seasons," by Michael Innes, B : I loved the "mystery" of the mystery, but I was not as much of a fan of being told how the mystery is solved instead of being able to solve it with the detective.
4) "No Sanity Clause," by Ian Rankin, D : I am going to assume that this story is part of a larger series because it did not make enough sense. The author seemed to assume that the reader knew the characters. At least I hope that is the case, or this should receive an F.
5) "The Footprint in the Sky," by John Dickson Carr, A+ : This story of an attack on an overbearing next-door neighbor is genius.
6) "A Wife in a Million," by Val McDermid, B : This arsenic mystery had the potential to be great, but the end fell flat for me.
7) "The Dagger with Wings," by G.K. Chesterton, B : I love the PBS Father Brown mysteries, and I liked this too. But it was also heavy in philosophy and vocabulary. It would have been better with a lighter hand, in my opinion.
8) "Cambric Tea," by Marjorie Bowen, D : This is not really a mystery. I did not like it much at all.
9) "As Dark as Christmas Gets," by Lawrence Block, A- : This is a pretty clever missing manuscript mystery.
10) "On Christmas Day in the Morning," by Margery Allingham, A- : This is a bittersweet mystery of who killed the postman on Christmas morning.
1) "The Trinity Cat," by Ellis Peters, A : I loved this story of an accidental cat detective and his catmint mouse.
2) "The Santa Claus Club," by Julian Symons, C : This story is a bit heavy-handed in clue giving, in my opinion. I guessed the murderer early on.
3) "The Four Seasons," by Michael Innes, B : I loved the "mystery" of the mystery, but I was not as much of a fan of being told how the mystery is solved instead of being able to solve it with the detective.
4) "No Sanity Clause," by Ian Rankin, D : I am going to assume that this story is part of a larger series because it did not make enough sense. The author seemed to assume that the reader knew the characters. At least I hope that is the case, or this should receive an F.
5) "The Footprint in the Sky," by John Dickson Carr, A+ : This story of an attack on an overbearing next-door neighbor is genius.
6) "A Wife in a Million," by Val McDermid, B : This arsenic mystery had the potential to be great, but the end fell flat for me.
7) "The Dagger with Wings," by G.K. Chesterton, B : I love the PBS Father Brown mysteries, and I liked this too. But it was also heavy in philosophy and vocabulary. It would have been better with a lighter hand, in my opinion.
8) "Cambric Tea," by Marjorie Bowen, D : This is not really a mystery. I did not like it much at all.
9) "As Dark as Christmas Gets," by Lawrence Block, A- : This is a pretty clever missing manuscript mystery.
10) "On Christmas Day in the Morning," by Margery Allingham, A- : This is a bittersweet mystery of who killed the postman on Christmas morning.
July 25, 2023
The book was a collection of short Christmas mysteries. There wasn't a stand out story for me. They were all either average or below. They all felt quite rushed and off balance. The ending just happened and was often a disappointment.
I did enjoy the Christmas setting and the fact that you could easily dip in and out. I would recommend reading a whole short story in one sitting though as I tended to lose the thread if I stopped.
Overall the writing in each story was light. A couple of stories were a bit confusing in places and I didn't know what was going on. I carried on though as they were only short.
In conclusion it's not a book that I would rush to read again.
I did enjoy the Christmas setting and the fact that you could easily dip in and out. I would recommend reading a whole short story in one sitting though as I tended to lose the thread if I stopped.
Overall the writing in each story was light. A couple of stories were a bit confusing in places and I didn't know what was going on. I carried on though as they were only short.
In conclusion it's not a book that I would rush to read again.
December 29, 2023
I seem to be addicted to reading short stories this month!
This was a good collection with a good mix of authors.
My favourite was "The Trinity Cat" by Ellis Peters and I also enjoyed the ones by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Laurence Block.
The Bowen and Allingham stories I'd already read in previous anthologies. Both good.
But I still can't get on with G.K. Chesterton - I find him too wordy.
This was a good collection with a good mix of authors.
My favourite was "The Trinity Cat" by Ellis Peters and I also enjoyed the ones by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Laurence Block.
The Bowen and Allingham stories I'd already read in previous anthologies. Both good.
But I still can't get on with G.K. Chesterton - I find him too wordy.
December 29, 2020
”I’m not sure about anything yet. I’m hanged if I can make out whether it’s a case for a doctor, or a policeman, or a priest.” The dagger with wings, G K Chesterton
10 mystery short-stories that take place at Christmas. At the beginning I thought it was too much of the English countryside, but then it offered different atmospheres. It was a quite fun reading and I intend to read the next one next year.
10 mystery short-stories that take place at Christmas. At the beginning I thought it was too much of the English countryside, but then it offered different atmospheres. It was a quite fun reading and I intend to read the next one next year.
December 31, 2020
My last collection of short stories for this year and festive season. Of the whole the Trinity Cat and Footprint in the Sky , and The Four Seasons stand out as the most interesting. It was interesting to have Rebus pop up in his own inimitable way and the ending of that story was satisfying in a way only Rebus can. I just wish the collection hadn’t finished with such a sad story.
December 26, 2024
Murder on Christmas Eve is another great anthology of short murder mysteries selected by Cecily Gayford.
Once again there is a good mix of golden age and contemporary crime shorts. My own personal favourite is The Trinity Cat, a tale about a cat who helps to apprehend an old lady's killer.
Perfect reading for Christmas Eve. 🗡🎄
Once again there is a good mix of golden age and contemporary crime shorts. My own personal favourite is The Trinity Cat, a tale about a cat who helps to apprehend an old lady's killer.
Perfect reading for Christmas Eve. 🗡🎄
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