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Morte nella neve: Un giallo di Natale
La vigilia di Natale, una tempesta di neve blocca un treno nella campagna inglese. Mr. Maltby, un anziano signore poco loquace e alquanto misterioso, afferra il suo bagaglio e si dilegua nella fitta nevicata, inseguendo, così è sembrato ad alcuni passeggeri, un'indistinta macchia biancastra apparsa all'improvviso oltre il finestrino. Nell'incertezza della situazione, tra le deboli rassicurazioni del controllore e la crescente frustrazione per l'attesa che si prolunga, altre quattro persone decidono di abbandonare il convoglio e di raggiungere a piedi la vicina stazione di Hemersby. Dopo molto girovagare, tra campi innevati, insidiosi fossati e false piste, ormai allo stremo delle forze e delle speranze, i quattro personaggi si imbattono in un cancello e, poco oltre, in una grande casa isolata e all'apparenza disabitata, nonostante il camino sia acceso e la tavola sia imbandita per il tè. Ma i nuovi arrivati non fanno in tempo ad ambientarsi che ecco giungere a Valley House Mr. Maltby assieme a uno strano figuro di nome Smith, il quale ha tutta l'aria di essere un avanzo di galera…
Inizia così Morte nella neve, un giallo dalle atmosfere sinistre, ricco di colpi di scena e di rivelazioni repentine, fra ritratti che sembrano animarsi, urla nella notte, lettere misteriose, porte cigolanti, cadaveri nella neve e assassini armati di coltello e martello…
Un lungo brivido corre tra le pagine di questo classico della Golden Age della detective fiction inglese.
Inizia così Morte nella neve, un giallo dalle atmosfere sinistre, ricco di colpi di scena e di rivelazioni repentine, fra ritratti che sembrano animarsi, urla nella notte, lettere misteriose, porte cigolanti, cadaveri nella neve e assassini armati di coltello e martello…
Un lungo brivido corre tra le pagine di questo classico della Golden Age della detective fiction inglese.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1937
380 people are currently reading
3312 people want to read
About the author
J. Jefferson Farjeon
99 books94 followersJoseph Jefferson Farjeon was always going to be a writer as, born in London, he was the son of Benjamin Leopold Farjeon who at the time was a well-known novelist whose other children were Eleanor Farjeon, who became a children's writer, and Herbert Farjeon, who became a playwright and who wrote the well-respected 'A Cricket Bag'.
The family were descended from Thomas Jefferson but it was his maternal grandfather, the American actor Joseph Jefferson, after whom Joseph was named. He was educated privately and at Peterborough Lodge and one of his early jobs, from 1910 to 1920, was doing some editorial work for the Amalgamated Press.
His first published work was in 1924 when Brentano's produced 'The Master Criminal', which is a tale of identity reversal involving two brothers, one a master detective, the other a master criminal. A New York Times reviewer commented favourably, "Mr. Farjeon displays a great deal of knowledge about story-telling and multiplies the interest of his plot through a terse, telling style and a rigid compression." This was the beginning of a career that would encompass over 80 published novels, ending with 'The Caravan Adventure' in 1955.
He also wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed, most notably Number Seventeen which was produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1932, and many short stories.
Many of his novels were in the mystery and detective genre although he was recognised as being one of the first novelists to entwine romance with crime. In addition he was known for his keen humour and flashing wit but he also used sinister and terrifying storylines quite freely. One critic for the Saturday Review of Literature reviewed one of his later books writing that it was "amusing, satirical, and [a] frequently hair-raising yarn of an author who got dangerously mixed up with his imaginary characters. Tricky."
When he died at Hove in Sussex in 1955 his obituary in The Times wrote of his "deserved popularity for ingenious and entertaining plots and characterization".
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
The family were descended from Thomas Jefferson but it was his maternal grandfather, the American actor Joseph Jefferson, after whom Joseph was named. He was educated privately and at Peterborough Lodge and one of his early jobs, from 1910 to 1920, was doing some editorial work for the Amalgamated Press.
His first published work was in 1924 when Brentano's produced 'The Master Criminal', which is a tale of identity reversal involving two brothers, one a master detective, the other a master criminal. A New York Times reviewer commented favourably, "Mr. Farjeon displays a great deal of knowledge about story-telling and multiplies the interest of his plot through a terse, telling style and a rigid compression." This was the beginning of a career that would encompass over 80 published novels, ending with 'The Caravan Adventure' in 1955.
He also wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed, most notably Number Seventeen which was produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1932, and many short stories.
Many of his novels were in the mystery and detective genre although he was recognised as being one of the first novelists to entwine romance with crime. In addition he was known for his keen humour and flashing wit but he also used sinister and terrifying storylines quite freely. One critic for the Saturday Review of Literature reviewed one of his later books writing that it was "amusing, satirical, and [a] frequently hair-raising yarn of an author who got dangerously mixed up with his imaginary characters. Tricky."
When he died at Hove in Sussex in 1955 his obituary in The Times wrote of his "deserved popularity for ingenious and entertaining plots and characterization".
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
December 22, 2016
The golden age of mysteries, which included Nero Wolfe, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christies. All authors I have read though not for many years. This author was apparently a very successful member of that group, but I had never heard of nor read him before. This book was re-released recently and I was captivated by the cover and the title.
I forgot how fun these books are, the days before CSI, no forensics, DNA, computer data bases. Just plain, good old detecting, using the evidence in front of you, thinking things through. A train stuck in the impossible snow, snow that won't let up, strangers together deciding to try to walk to the next station, finding a deserted house, fire laid tea ready to be served, but the house is empty. Another stranger arrives, who is he? What happened to the people in the house? A very ominous scenario.
Yes, at times the dialogue is a little corny, and some of the happenings a bit predictable but still so much fun and I just loved this trip to the past.
I forgot how fun these books are, the days before CSI, no forensics, DNA, computer data bases. Just plain, good old detecting, using the evidence in front of you, thinking things through. A train stuck in the impossible snow, snow that won't let up, strangers together deciding to try to walk to the next station, finding a deserted house, fire laid tea ready to be served, but the house is empty. Another stranger arrives, who is he? What happened to the people in the house? A very ominous scenario.
Yes, at times the dialogue is a little corny, and some of the happenings a bit predictable but still so much fun and I just loved this trip to the past.
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January 8, 2019The Hook - Last December I participated in an Elfster Holiday Swap with some book loving friends. Imagine my delight when I received two British Classic Christmas Crime Mysteries from across the seas from a Tracey in the UK. I saved both for this Christmas season and just finished the first.
The Line - ”Miss Noyes”, replied Lydia, “suppose this house belonged to you, and you returned to it after the world’s worst snowstorm, would you rather find your larder empty or seven skeletons?
The Sinker - The introduction to this classic calls Murder in White and enticing set-up, if superficially familiar. What’s enticing is the of The British Library to publish new editions of the series for contemporary enjoyment.
”A strange assortment of passengers traveling by train during a blizzard find themselves caught in an acute dilemma when the track becomes impassable.”
When the porter has no idea when the tracks might be cleared, a group of passengers afraid their Christmas plans will be ruined, set out in hopes of making a connection at the Hemmersby Station, not too far distant. All too soon they realize the blinding storm has obliterated any possibility of finding the station. They wonder if they’ve made a rash decision, one that may lead to their demise miraculously when they come upon a house, ring the bell and when receiving no answer find the door unlocked, no one home but a fire is burning. How lucky for them, or was it?
As explained in the intro, this is not a whodunit set on a train, nor is it a take-off on Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express as this was written three years prior. J. Jefferson Farjeon does provide a subtly humorous, well-plotted, if not strictly cozy, puzzle for us to solve. It’s almost a locked room mystery of which I’m a great fan. An intriguing read for the holiday season.
Now on to Silent Nights.
The Line - ”Miss Noyes”, replied Lydia, “suppose this house belonged to you, and you returned to it after the world’s worst snowstorm, would you rather find your larder empty or seven skeletons?
The Sinker - The introduction to this classic calls Murder in White and enticing set-up, if superficially familiar. What’s enticing is the of The British Library to publish new editions of the series for contemporary enjoyment.
”A strange assortment of passengers traveling by train during a blizzard find themselves caught in an acute dilemma when the track becomes impassable.”
When the porter has no idea when the tracks might be cleared, a group of passengers afraid their Christmas plans will be ruined, set out in hopes of making a connection at the Hemmersby Station, not too far distant. All too soon they realize the blinding storm has obliterated any possibility of finding the station. They wonder if they’ve made a rash decision, one that may lead to their demise miraculously when they come upon a house, ring the bell and when receiving no answer find the door unlocked, no one home but a fire is burning. How lucky for them, or was it?
As explained in the intro, this is not a whodunit set on a train, nor is it a take-off on Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express as this was written three years prior. J. Jefferson Farjeon does provide a subtly humorous, well-plotted, if not strictly cozy, puzzle for us to solve. It’s almost a locked room mystery of which I’m a great fan. An intriguing read for the holiday season.
Now on to Silent Nights.
January 5, 2017
3.5 stars for Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon, the second book I have read by this author.
On Christmas Eve a snowstorm rages. A group of disoriented travellers who, somewhat unwisely, have abandoned their stranded train, have stumbled upon a deserted house. But a deserted house where a bread knife lays on the floor, the kettle is boiling, the fires are lit and tea is laid.
I really enjoyed most of this book. It was not until we got to the final chapters that it all began to wear a little thin. There was one part of several pages I had to re-read several times to get it all straight in my mind and, to my mind, the ending was very messy and unsatisfying.
Disappointing, because until then it was a fun read. I was thinking, as I read, what a wonderful movie this would make, casting a young Joanna Lumley as Laura, produced by the BBC or whosoever makes the Agatha Christie series. And perhaps it would make a wonderful movie. The ending might come across better on screen than it did in print.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a review copy of Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
On Christmas Eve a snowstorm rages. A group of disoriented travellers who, somewhat unwisely, have abandoned their stranded train, have stumbled upon a deserted house. But a deserted house where a bread knife lays on the floor, the kettle is boiling, the fires are lit and tea is laid.
I really enjoyed most of this book. It was not until we got to the final chapters that it all began to wear a little thin. There was one part of several pages I had to re-read several times to get it all straight in my mind and, to my mind, the ending was very messy and unsatisfying.
Disappointing, because until then it was a fun read. I was thinking, as I read, what a wonderful movie this would make, casting a young Joanna Lumley as Laura, produced by the BBC or whosoever makes the Agatha Christie series. And perhaps it would make a wonderful movie. The ending might come across better on screen than it did in print.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a review copy of Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
June 19, 2018
¿Podríamos decir que se trata de un buen clásico? Una buena historia con la que pasar unas horas...
July 25, 2025
I wanted to read a Christmas in July story. Well, more like feeling the vibes of Christmas, while in July. So, I found this British crime classic at my local library. It seemed perfect with its subtitle: ‘A Christmas Crime Story.’ And, on the cover is a picture of a train. Would this be a fun closed room mystery on a train at Christmas? Intriguing possibility, right?
This story was initially published in 1937 which puts it in the category of the Golden Age of detective fiction. A story that had the potential to be balanced with period charm and a puzzling mystery.
Readers will find travelers on a train through the English countryside in the midst of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. With nowhere to go, several passengers decide to leave the stranded train and head for shelter. They find an empty house that already seems to be welcoming with Christmas decorations, a fire in the fireplace and a table set for tea.
But where are the occupants? Why was the scene set in this way?
Should the characters be concerned?
Now, if I were watching this on screen, this might be the moment for me to put a pillow over my eyes. Cue the music! I am already getting the sense of something suspenseful and creepy.
With an interesting blend of characters with their own secrets and motives, readers are bound to be in the midst of expectations for something terrible to occur.
As readers anxiously turn pages, no doubt the anxiety heightens.
What is happening and why?
The author does a phenomenal job of transporting readers to the scenic countryside, and the house (as its own character). And thus, creating that foreboding sense of expectation.
Although imperfectly told, with some red herrings that take a while to explain, and a slow burn unease with even more characters introduced later in the book, there was much to appreciate and be annoyed by in the telling of the story. Still, it was a different kind of locked room mystery that, had the potential to be mildly satisfying once the reveal occurred. If readers can be patient for it.
3.5 stars
This story was initially published in 1937 which puts it in the category of the Golden Age of detective fiction. A story that had the potential to be balanced with period charm and a puzzling mystery.
Readers will find travelers on a train through the English countryside in the midst of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. With nowhere to go, several passengers decide to leave the stranded train and head for shelter. They find an empty house that already seems to be welcoming with Christmas decorations, a fire in the fireplace and a table set for tea.
But where are the occupants? Why was the scene set in this way?
Should the characters be concerned?
Now, if I were watching this on screen, this might be the moment for me to put a pillow over my eyes. Cue the music! I am already getting the sense of something suspenseful and creepy.
With an interesting blend of characters with their own secrets and motives, readers are bound to be in the midst of expectations for something terrible to occur.
As readers anxiously turn pages, no doubt the anxiety heightens.
What is happening and why?
The author does a phenomenal job of transporting readers to the scenic countryside, and the house (as its own character). And thus, creating that foreboding sense of expectation.
Although imperfectly told, with some red herrings that take a while to explain, and a slow burn unease with even more characters introduced later in the book, there was much to appreciate and be annoyed by in the telling of the story. Still, it was a different kind of locked room mystery that, had the potential to be mildly satisfying once the reveal occurred. If readers can be patient for it.
3.5 stars
January 7, 2025
I thought this was going to be one of those old-fashioned, fun-when-you’re-in-the-mood-for-it kind of reads from the past when I tried tackling this back in 2015, but discovered it was simply boring.
The premise certainly had potential, but the execution was terrible. I couldn’t warm to any of the characters or their verbal interactions, and found this one so rough going it seems like I tried reading an entirely different book from many of the other folks praising this turkey. I love the period and genre, and this seemed to be in part of my wheelhouse, but it’s a dud.
I enjoyed this author’s The Thirteenth Guest much more, but believe this is a writer from the past who was very hit and miss. I couldn’t — or at least didn’t — finish this, because there wasn’t any reason to keep going; I had kept reading long enough to know it wasn’t going to shift gears and get better.
It’s a recent trend to re-earth and re-package a lot of writers from the Golden Age of mystery, but in an effort to do so — more for a quick buck sometimes (low overhead, public domain?) than to bring attention to the writer, in my opinion — far too many unworthy mystery reads are being shoved on the public, and touted as forgotten classics. Sadly, with this particular title, I feel that’s the case. I suggest giving this one a pass.
The premise certainly had potential, but the execution was terrible. I couldn’t warm to any of the characters or their verbal interactions, and found this one so rough going it seems like I tried reading an entirely different book from many of the other folks praising this turkey. I love the period and genre, and this seemed to be in part of my wheelhouse, but it’s a dud.
I enjoyed this author’s The Thirteenth Guest much more, but believe this is a writer from the past who was very hit and miss. I couldn’t — or at least didn’t — finish this, because there wasn’t any reason to keep going; I had kept reading long enough to know it wasn’t going to shift gears and get better.
It’s a recent trend to re-earth and re-package a lot of writers from the Golden Age of mystery, but in an effort to do so — more for a quick buck sometimes (low overhead, public domain?) than to bring attention to the writer, in my opinion — far too many unworthy mystery reads are being shoved on the public, and touted as forgotten classics. Sadly, with this particular title, I feel that’s the case. I suggest giving this one a pass.
February 9, 2017
Once again I'm pleased to have read a re-release of a late 1930s classic mystery, Mystery in White, that combines elements of many other classics (many that had not yet been written!). There is the journey of a disparate group on Christmas Eve; the train stuck in the storm on the tracks; some passengers who decide to strike out for a nearby rail station despite the storm. And then the deserted, yet welcoming, country house. Are there ghosts or are there humans to beware of. Many questions and a ferocious storm that just keeps on and on. The characters are the older psychic on his way to hopefully experience Charles I, a brother and sister going home for the holiday, a young man to visit his aunt, a young actress hoping for a new part, and a couple more characters less well defined.
This book was just what I wanted on a dreary, rainy day, with its interesting setting, curious plot and characters that were out of British central casting. There were no huge surprises here---I have been reading mysteries most of my life---but the presentation was fun, there was just the right amount of suspense.
Recommended for mystery and classic mystery lovers. Hard-boiled mystery readers will probably want to look elsewhere.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This book was just what I wanted on a dreary, rainy day, with its interesting setting, curious plot and characters that were out of British central casting. There were no huge surprises here---I have been reading mysteries most of my life---but the presentation was fun, there was just the right amount of suspense.
Recommended for mystery and classic mystery lovers. Hard-boiled mystery readers will probably want to look elsewhere.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
November 29, 2014
This Golden Age mystery was first published in 1937. It is Christmas Eve and a group of people are stranded on a train after heavy snow. There are a good cast of characters, including an elderly bore, a psychic, a brother and sister, a young office clerk and a chorus girl travelling to an audition. The psychic, Edward Maltby, decides to leave the train and attempt to find another station and he is soon followed by others from his train carriage. Indeed, eventually the travellers find themselves reunited in a house they stumble across in the snow. Although the house appears to be empty, the stranded group find, to their surprise, that fires are burning in the grates, a kettle sits on the stove and tea is laid out – but who for?
This is really a very enjoyable mystery novel, with mysterious strangers turning up, locked rooms, murder, spooky happenings and even a little romance and humour mixed in. The house, standing as though waiting for the travellers, feels slightly sinister. Cut off in the snow, with no way of making contact with anyone, the group have to make the best of things – while feeling more than a little uncomfortable about making themselves at home. The Christmas setting, feeling of isolation and the circumstances the characters find themselves in all add to a good atmosphere; while the plot twists and turns and the pace does not lessen. Good fun and an atmospheric murder mystery to curl up with on a winters evening.
This is really a very enjoyable mystery novel, with mysterious strangers turning up, locked rooms, murder, spooky happenings and even a little romance and humour mixed in. The house, standing as though waiting for the travellers, feels slightly sinister. Cut off in the snow, with no way of making contact with anyone, the group have to make the best of things – while feeling more than a little uncomfortable about making themselves at home. The Christmas setting, feeling of isolation and the circumstances the characters find themselves in all add to a good atmosphere; while the plot twists and turns and the pace does not lessen. Good fun and an atmospheric murder mystery to curl up with on a winters evening.
June 26, 2015
Captivated by Thirteen Guests (1936), I wasted no time downloading the only other J. Jefferson Farjeon novel I could find in the Kindle format: Mystery in White, first published the following year. This novel proved even better than the first — and that’s saying something! Dorothy L. Sayers called Farjeon “unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures,” and he certainly proves it in Mystery in White!
Led by the intrepid and perspicacious Edward Maltby, 60 years old and a proud member of the Royal Psychical Society, a motley crew escaping from a snowed-in train take refuge in an abandoned house. With fires laid in every room, a dining room set for tea, and a kettle on the boil for tea, where has the house’s inhabitant(s) gone? While Maltby and the four young people are clearly on the up and up, who is the mysterious Cockney who calls himself “Mr. Smith” and who has also taken refuge in the house? Does Mr. Smith know more than he’s telling about the missing householders? The sharp-eyed Maltby sees and reveals other irregularities, as well, gradually making the other characters — and the reader — more and more uneasy. With the characters trapped in the cottage by the continuing blizzard, the suspense rises to the breaking point, and Farjeon provides so many twists and turns!
How can it be that Joseph Jefferson Farjeon is not better known? How could his books, once justly popular, have fallen into oblivion? Farjeon, while perhaps not up to Dame Agatha Christie’s standard or that of Gladys Mitchell, can hold his own with Patricia Wentworth (also too much neglected), Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, John Bude, Anthony Berkeley, and Miss Sayers herself. British Library’s Poisoned Pen Press has been steadily bringing back Golden Age mystery novels, including two, thus far, by J. (Joseph Jefferson) Farjeon. (Thirteen Guests, which I read before publication, is due out on September 1.) Please, please! You cannot re-release Farjeon’s novels fast enough to suit me!
Led by the intrepid and perspicacious Edward Maltby, 60 years old and a proud member of the Royal Psychical Society, a motley crew escaping from a snowed-in train take refuge in an abandoned house. With fires laid in every room, a dining room set for tea, and a kettle on the boil for tea, where has the house’s inhabitant(s) gone? While Maltby and the four young people are clearly on the up and up, who is the mysterious Cockney who calls himself “Mr. Smith” and who has also taken refuge in the house? Does Mr. Smith know more than he’s telling about the missing householders? The sharp-eyed Maltby sees and reveals other irregularities, as well, gradually making the other characters — and the reader — more and more uneasy. With the characters trapped in the cottage by the continuing blizzard, the suspense rises to the breaking point, and Farjeon provides so many twists and turns!
How can it be that Joseph Jefferson Farjeon is not better known? How could his books, once justly popular, have fallen into oblivion? Farjeon, while perhaps not up to Dame Agatha Christie’s standard or that of Gladys Mitchell, can hold his own with Patricia Wentworth (also too much neglected), Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, John Bude, Anthony Berkeley, and Miss Sayers herself. British Library’s Poisoned Pen Press has been steadily bringing back Golden Age mystery novels, including two, thus far, by J. (Joseph Jefferson) Farjeon. (Thirteen Guests, which I read before publication, is due out on September 1.) Please, please! You cannot re-release Farjeon’s novels fast enough to suit me!
December 19, 2020
"Mystery in White" is a Golden Age mystery set during a heavy snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Passengers are on their way to holiday gatherings on a train traveling from London to the countryside. When the train gets stuck in the huge snowdrifts on the tracks, some of the passengers decide to walk to the next station. For a while it looks like they might get lost in the white-out, but they come upon a deserted house. It's a strange situation with the door unlocked, fires burning in the fireplaces, the kettle boiling, and the table set for tea--but no one is home. Things look ominous as a suspicious stranger arrives, and noises come from a locked room. They also wonder if a psychic passenger is communicating with the dead.
It was fun to settle down with this atmospheric 1937 mystery and a cup of tea during a snowfall in New England yesterday. Fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers will probably enjoy this classic mystery which was re-released as a British Library Crime Classic in 2014.
It was fun to settle down with this atmospheric 1937 mystery and a cup of tea during a snowfall in New England yesterday. Fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers will probably enjoy this classic mystery which was re-released as a British Library Crime Classic in 2014.
December 26, 2017
This was great! Fast paced read of Noir style. For me, as good as the Orient Express. This is a great cosy Christmas read. People who review on Goodreads have often read so much that nothing is original to them, and they are hard to please. Is that fair to say? Anyhow, if you are looking for social political commentary that will blow your mind and change your life look elsewhere. If you just want a damn good read pick this up!
November 16, 2017
I loved this book, maybe it's just the right time of the year to read a snowbound mystery at Christmas but it was great! A bit of gothic, a bit of supernatural and a real entertaining read-I'm thinking it would make a wonderful movie in light of the Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express remake.
February 9, 2021
English Mysteries Club, February Group Read.
This was unexpectedly entertaining! Strangers on a train whose journey is halted by snow - a familiar scene this week! - decide to try to walk to the next station only to get lost and end up in a deserted country house. Most of the action thereafter is described in conversation rather than as it takes place but still the momentum is kept up and the mystery becomes more mysterious. I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to whoever suggested it as the February read.
One thing I do often wonder about when reading these novels is the perception of age. The ‘old men’ in this novel are 57 and 60 years old. Heaven help us!
It was interesting to learn more about the Farjeon family. In particular, the discovery that his sister was Eleanor Farjeon, whose poetry I remember from childhood and who wrote the words to Morning Has Broken, brought back warm and fuzzy memories.
This was unexpectedly entertaining! Strangers on a train whose journey is halted by snow - a familiar scene this week! - decide to try to walk to the next station only to get lost and end up in a deserted country house. Most of the action thereafter is described in conversation rather than as it takes place but still the momentum is kept up and the mystery becomes more mysterious. I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to whoever suggested it as the February read.
One thing I do often wonder about when reading these novels is the perception of age. The ‘old men’ in this novel are 57 and 60 years old. Heaven help us!
It was interesting to learn more about the Farjeon family. In particular, the discovery that his sister was Eleanor Farjeon, whose poetry I remember from childhood and who wrote the words to Morning Has Broken, brought back warm and fuzzy memories.
December 7, 2025
4-1/2 Stars
This was such a compelling and well-plotted mystery! With its cold, snowy, Christmas setting it is perfect to read during the holiday season.
This was such a compelling and well-plotted mystery! With its cold, snowy, Christmas setting it is perfect to read during the holiday season.
September 24, 2015
The highly successful reissue of this book in 2014 by the British Library initiated not just a series of classic-era crime reissues by the BL but a revival of interest in classic crime novels in general.
It's Christmas Eve, and a train gets stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere. Some of the passengers attempt to walk to the nearest station, get lost, and find themselves at a house where the fires are lit in the grates, the kettle's boiling on the stove, the table has been set for tea . . . but the residents are nowhere to be seen. At first nervously, the group takes up occupancy, led by the fashionable young things David and Lydia, who're brother and sister, and the psychic researcher Maltby, who's aged 60 but is throughout described as "the old man." (Harrumph!) There's a murdered corpse out in the snow and another, we discover, on the train the group left behind them, but the biggest mystery, obviously, is how come the house has been, Mary Celeste-like, so suddenly abandoned.
It's a tremendous premise, and as soon as I picked the book up I remembered having read it before, I think in the mid-1980s. I also remembered, alas, that despite its cracking start the book had eventually seemed to go on for far longer than it should. I had exactly the same experience on this new reading. What I'd forgotten were the awful snobbery -- you can tell one of the characters is a baddy because he's "common," and there are a few other remarks about the ghastliness of "common" people -- and a major plot flaw.
The latter concerns an extended expedition that David makes out into the wintry waste. He follows footprints through the snow, sees this, that and the other, and encounters two important characters, a father and daughter, whom he leads back to the house by following his own trail. This is all very impressive, despite the occasional fall into a ditch. It's even more impressive when we consider that it's about 11pm on Christmas Eve, David doesn't have a flashlight, there are no street lights, and of course there can't be any moonlight because in a steady blizzard there's total cloud cover. So David was operating in pitch darkness. How the hell did he see any of the things we're told he saw?
The novel's quite fun in its way, but the denouement is far too complex and confused (I sort of lost count of the number of murderers), and irritatingly there's a coyly roguish suggestion that Maltby's psychic abilities may have played their part in the unraveling. Overall, despite the super premise, the novel seemed to me, when finally I came to the end of it, to have more minuses than pluses. It's a very interesting curio, but I'm not exactly rampant to read more by Farjeon.
It's Christmas Eve, and a train gets stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere. Some of the passengers attempt to walk to the nearest station, get lost, and find themselves at a house where the fires are lit in the grates, the kettle's boiling on the stove, the table has been set for tea . . . but the residents are nowhere to be seen. At first nervously, the group takes up occupancy, led by the fashionable young things David and Lydia, who're brother and sister, and the psychic researcher Maltby, who's aged 60 but is throughout described as "the old man." (Harrumph!) There's a murdered corpse out in the snow and another, we discover, on the train the group left behind them, but the biggest mystery, obviously, is how come the house has been, Mary Celeste-like, so suddenly abandoned.
It's a tremendous premise, and as soon as I picked the book up I remembered having read it before, I think in the mid-1980s. I also remembered, alas, that despite its cracking start the book had eventually seemed to go on for far longer than it should. I had exactly the same experience on this new reading. What I'd forgotten were the awful snobbery -- you can tell one of the characters is a baddy because he's "common," and there are a few other remarks about the ghastliness of "common" people -- and a major plot flaw.
The latter concerns an extended expedition that David makes out into the wintry waste. He follows footprints through the snow, sees this, that and the other, and encounters two important characters, a father and daughter, whom he leads back to the house by following his own trail. This is all very impressive, despite the occasional fall into a ditch. It's even more impressive when we consider that it's about 11pm on Christmas Eve, David doesn't have a flashlight, there are no street lights, and of course there can't be any moonlight because in a steady blizzard there's total cloud cover. So David was operating in pitch darkness. How the hell did he see any of the things we're told he saw?
The novel's quite fun in its way, but the denouement is far too complex and confused (I sort of lost count of the number of murderers), and irritatingly there's a coyly roguish suggestion that Maltby's psychic abilities may have played their part in the unraveling. Overall, despite the super premise, the novel seemed to me, when finally I came to the end of it, to have more minuses than pluses. It's a very interesting curio, but I'm not exactly rampant to read more by Farjeon.
April 15, 2024
This was a nice Christmas whodunnit with plenty of twists and turns. There’s a nice mix of drama and gentle humour. The characters are well-defined and you can always tell who’s talking without any narrative indicators.
The reason I haven’t given this more stars is twofold: 1. I’ve only read one other book by this author but the premise and set-up were virtually identical. 2. The author’s prejudice against working class people is palpable. He really hates poor people!
The reason I haven’t given this more stars is twofold: 1. I’ve only read one other book by this author but the premise and set-up were virtually identical. 2. The author’s prejudice against working class people is palpable. He really hates poor people!
January 17, 2025
What better to settle down with as Christmas approaches than a crime story set over the two days of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That is what J Jefferson Farjeon provides us with and the word 'Mystery' in the title is the operative word. The reason for this is that oft times when the goings on in the plot are very much a mystery to the reader!
A train is stranded in snow and for some inexplicable reason a group of passengers decided to embark and try to walk to a nearby station to see if there is any train movement there. However, the snowfall is so heavy that they lose their way until they come across a house in the country that has its lights burning.
Knocks at the door bring no reply so the door is tried and is found to be open. Inside the fire is ablaze, the table is laid for tea but, strangely, there is nobody home. Various reasons are put forward for this but no definite solution can be formed.
The uninvited guests decided to make themselves at home and discussions take place as to what happened on the train as one of the passengers explains that he saw a body in an adjacent carriage. Tensions rise, hypotheses are put forward but again nothing definite is known or decided. And there is a mysterious portrait that appears to be keeping an eye on all those present from its prominent position at the head of the stairs.
Attempts are made at trying to find a path out of the snowbound haven but these fail but on one of the excursions a lady and her father are discovered, having crashed their car into a ditch. They return to the house and join the others and discussions take place that deepen the mystery. So much so that at one point two of the ladies have a discussion that goes, 'All right. My ghost meets your ghost. Then what happens?' To which the reply is, 'A lot of little ghosts. Oh. my goodness. I'm going dippy.' And it is quite possible that some readers may find themselves feeling rather similar!
Unexplained deaths are then discovered and eventually, when other uninvited guests find their way to the house, a story begins to unfold and, providing one can keep all the threads together, an explanation, and solution, to the mystery, appropriately late on Christmas Day, is finally is reached. As one of the protagonists states at the end, 'Well, anyhow, we've been through hell, and it was Christmas, so if one or two of us did get a bit funny, well, who could blame anyone?' For funny, one could quite readily substitute 'confused'!
The Christmas setting is superb and one does get the feel for a snowbound house party and the storyline is passable, providing, of course, that one can keep it all together!
A train is stranded in snow and for some inexplicable reason a group of passengers decided to embark and try to walk to a nearby station to see if there is any train movement there. However, the snowfall is so heavy that they lose their way until they come across a house in the country that has its lights burning.
Knocks at the door bring no reply so the door is tried and is found to be open. Inside the fire is ablaze, the table is laid for tea but, strangely, there is nobody home. Various reasons are put forward for this but no definite solution can be formed.
The uninvited guests decided to make themselves at home and discussions take place as to what happened on the train as one of the passengers explains that he saw a body in an adjacent carriage. Tensions rise, hypotheses are put forward but again nothing definite is known or decided. And there is a mysterious portrait that appears to be keeping an eye on all those present from its prominent position at the head of the stairs.
Attempts are made at trying to find a path out of the snowbound haven but these fail but on one of the excursions a lady and her father are discovered, having crashed their car into a ditch. They return to the house and join the others and discussions take place that deepen the mystery. So much so that at one point two of the ladies have a discussion that goes, 'All right. My ghost meets your ghost. Then what happens?' To which the reply is, 'A lot of little ghosts. Oh. my goodness. I'm going dippy.' And it is quite possible that some readers may find themselves feeling rather similar!
Unexplained deaths are then discovered and eventually, when other uninvited guests find their way to the house, a story begins to unfold and, providing one can keep all the threads together, an explanation, and solution, to the mystery, appropriately late on Christmas Day, is finally is reached. As one of the protagonists states at the end, 'Well, anyhow, we've been through hell, and it was Christmas, so if one or two of us did get a bit funny, well, who could blame anyone?' For funny, one could quite readily substitute 'confused'!
The Christmas setting is superb and one does get the feel for a snowbound house party and the storyline is passable, providing, of course, that one can keep it all together!
December 3, 2017
THE first thing David did on emerging from the front door was to pitch head first into a mound of snow. For a moment or two he nearly suffocated, while countless soft, icy pellets invaded his back as though he were being bombarded by silent salvos from heaven. Then he scrambled out, and strained ears choked with snow for a repetition of the shout. Already he had lost his sense of direction, for all he could see was a bewildering succession of snowflake close-ups, almost blinding vision. During the forty-five minutes he had been in the house the weather had travelled from bad to worse. Snow rushed at him unbelievably from nowhere caking him with white. He would have retreated promptly saving for the knowledge that somewhere in this whirling maelstrom was a man in a worse plight; but how to find the man, if his despairing cry was not repeated, seemed a stark impossibility.
Alright, this was a fun book. Despite the excellent, yet misleading, cover, this story does not take place on a train but is essentially a country house mystery.
Our protagonists are a group of strangers who share a compartment on a train and get stuck in a snowstorm just days before Christmas. As they all dislike being stranded, they set out to try and walk to the next station - which may or may not have a connections that are still running.
But... they never get there. The weather conditions worsen and they need to turn in to a nearby house for shelter. They enter looking for its occupants, but no one is there even though the fires are laid on, the tea set is laid out, and the kettle is boiling.
What a great start to a Christmas mystery!
The characters were really cute, too. We have a couple of young women, one of the women's brother, a young clerk suffering from some sort of anxiety disorder, a guy who is a known psychic, and an older chap who is described as "the old bore". We also get to meet a man suffering from shell shock.
I loved the characters. You'd think they were all straight out of the catalogue of British country house mysteries, but each one had a little bit more to them - I especially liked that the author included characters who were going through some mental distress. It is still not that often that I have come across depictions of characters suffering from shell shock in the original 1920s/30s mysteries. They are not really part of Christie's setup and it took me to discover Sayers and Tey to find a representation.
The mystery itself is convoluted and the solution is contrived - the psychic gets involved a lot, and at one point I flashbacks to The Haunting of Hill House - but there is also something gripping about the part of the mystery, which really takes quite a gritty turn.
Almost as good as Death of an Airman, and the book made me laugh a lot.
But first things first. Is anybody getting hungry? Come along, staff. Step on it. We mustn’t keep the family waiting for dinner. I may not be honest and sober, but I am punctual!” Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Smith glanced at each other, then followed the girl obediently into the kitchen.
Alright, this was a fun book. Despite the excellent, yet misleading, cover, this story does not take place on a train but is essentially a country house mystery.
Our protagonists are a group of strangers who share a compartment on a train and get stuck in a snowstorm just days before Christmas. As they all dislike being stranded, they set out to try and walk to the next station - which may or may not have a connections that are still running.
But... they never get there. The weather conditions worsen and they need to turn in to a nearby house for shelter. They enter looking for its occupants, but no one is there even though the fires are laid on, the tea set is laid out, and the kettle is boiling.
What a great start to a Christmas mystery!
The characters were really cute, too. We have a couple of young women, one of the women's brother, a young clerk suffering from some sort of anxiety disorder, a guy who is a known psychic, and an older chap who is described as "the old bore". We also get to meet a man suffering from shell shock.
I loved the characters. You'd think they were all straight out of the catalogue of British country house mysteries, but each one had a little bit more to them - I especially liked that the author included characters who were going through some mental distress. It is still not that often that I have come across depictions of characters suffering from shell shock in the original 1920s/30s mysteries. They are not really part of Christie's setup and it took me to discover Sayers and Tey to find a representation.
The mystery itself is convoluted and the solution is contrived - the psychic gets involved a lot, and at one point I flashbacks to The Haunting of Hill House - but there is also something gripping about the part of the mystery, which really takes quite a gritty turn.
Almost as good as Death of an Airman, and the book made me laugh a lot.
But first things first. Is anybody getting hungry? Come along, staff. Step on it. We mustn’t keep the family waiting for dinner. I may not be honest and sober, but I am punctual!” Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Smith glanced at each other, then followed the girl obediently into the kitchen.
September 13, 2016
This has little in common with Murder on the Orient Express, aside from the whole train in winter thing.
This is my second British Library Crime Classic by J. Jefferson Farjeon. I previously read Thirteen Guests, which was a traditional English Country House murder. I preferred Mystery in White to that one, but I have yet to find one of these BLCC mysteries that comes close to a Christie or a Sayers. I suppose that is, in part, why they are long out of print and need to be "rediscovered."
However, as a second tier Golden Age mystery, this was quite enjoyable. And I find myself in the midst of a serious vintage phase right now, so I'm sure I will read more of these.
This is my second British Library Crime Classic by J. Jefferson Farjeon. I previously read Thirteen Guests, which was a traditional English Country House murder. I preferred Mystery in White to that one, but I have yet to find one of these BLCC mysteries that comes close to a Christie or a Sayers. I suppose that is, in part, why they are long out of print and need to be "rediscovered."
However, as a second tier Golden Age mystery, this was quite enjoyable. And I find myself in the midst of a serious vintage phase right now, so I'm sure I will read more of these.
January 7, 2015
Here's a mystery you want to put down.
It's so mindlessly banal that it's perfect for air-train travel. It requires no concentration; it's just a way to pass the time, uh-huh, til you get there. Published in 1937, this story of an oddball group snowbound in a country house at Christmas has been getting some Cheerio Rediscovered write-ups in the UK press. It should have been left in mothballs -- or snowballs.
The characters are bland, and the plot turns on long-lost rels and an altered Will. Agatha Christie often used similar elements, but there is nobody like the whodunit Dame. I guess within the genre it's called a "cosy." On a holiday r/t NY-DC it offered distraction from the miserable countryside flying past Amtrak windows. But not much. Gesundheit !
It's so mindlessly banal that it's perfect for air-train travel. It requires no concentration; it's just a way to pass the time, uh-huh, til you get there. Published in 1937, this story of an oddball group snowbound in a country house at Christmas has been getting some Cheerio Rediscovered write-ups in the UK press. It should have been left in mothballs -- or snowballs.
The characters are bland, and the plot turns on long-lost rels and an altered Will. Agatha Christie often used similar elements, but there is nobody like the whodunit Dame. I guess within the genre it's called a "cosy." On a holiday r/t NY-DC it offered distraction from the miserable countryside flying past Amtrak windows. But not much. Gesundheit !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2022
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before. It’s a funny, clever mix between a mystery and a farce. I could almost picture Noel Coward or Oscar Wilde writing it. The whole set up is quite wildly improbable and the amateur detective (a psychic expert) is perhaps a little too insightful, but all the disparate people and elements of the plot make for a darn good story. The tone is quite light throughout with an edge of sinister and there are some great characters. I enjoyed the snowbound element as well. It makes for an eerie atmosphere both inside and outside the house.
June 12, 2017
Mystery in White (1937) by J. Jefferson Farjeon finds a train full of people stuck in an unexpectedly heavy winter storm as they are on their way to various Christmas destinations.. It's a situation very familiar to fans of the Golden Age mystery story. But Farjeon gives the scenario a deft twist from that of Christie's Orient Express. Instead of keeping everyone snugly in place on the trapped train, he sends them out into the wintry whiteness. After they've been stuck for what seems an eternity, the passengers—David Carrington and his sister, Lydia; clerk Robert Thomson; chorus girl Jessie Noyes; Edward Maltby, of the Royal Psychical Society; and an old bore named Hopkins —all decide to leave their carriage in search of another (hopefully snow-free) train at the nearby the Hemmersby station.
But the weather is worse than expected and they become hopelessly lost in the swirling white landscape. When Jessie twists her ankle on a particularly tricky bit of ground, the adventurers are lucky enough to find a house where they can ask for refuge. Except no one's at home. The door is unlocked and, desperate for shelter, they go on in and find an unusual sight--there are fires blazing in the fireplaces, the table is set for tea, and the kettle is on the boil. No one in their right mind would get tea all ready only to leave the house in the middle of a snow storm. So where is their host? That's not the only question facing the stranded travelers. Why is there a knife in the middle of the floor? Who killed the man on the train? {What man, you say? Hold on...} And who is "Smith," the little Cockney who suddenly appeared at the door as well? He says that he wasn't on the train--so where did he come from?
Back to the man on the train. Hopkins was the last to leave the compartment. He had fully expected to remain on the train, unlike the "lunatics" (as he referred to his fellow passengers). That was before he noticed one of the train's guards staring into the next compartment....at a dead man. While the guard and other passengers all stood around gaping at the body, Hopkins decided to try and get to Hemmersby and find a policeman. Or so he said. Then Maltby reveals that he tripped over another dead body as he was making his way to Valley House (as their shelter is known). Maltby and David Carrington take the lead in investigating the mysterious happenings--both those that occurred on the train they left behind and those that involve the house. Fortunately, they are able to unravel it all and bring about a conclusion that is satisfactory to almost everybody...except the killer, of course.
Farjeon loads his mysterious Christmas tale with all sorts of unlikely things--from psychic tremors that tell of past misdeeds in the house to unlikely connections among the cast to the police's ability to swallow the tale that Maltby ultimately spins them (to protect the innocent--you know). But--the tale is such great fun and is such a wild bobsled of a ride through Farjeon's winter wonderland that one can suspend one's disbelief in psychic happenings. And the psychic episodes are brief enough that they don't detract from the mystery. A thoroughly enjoyable romp through the 1930s countryside.
Added bonus: the spiffy introduction by Martin Edwards. So glad he and The British Library are bringing these forgotten vintage mysteries back to us.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
But the weather is worse than expected and they become hopelessly lost in the swirling white landscape. When Jessie twists her ankle on a particularly tricky bit of ground, the adventurers are lucky enough to find a house where they can ask for refuge. Except no one's at home. The door is unlocked and, desperate for shelter, they go on in and find an unusual sight--there are fires blazing in the fireplaces, the table is set for tea, and the kettle is on the boil. No one in their right mind would get tea all ready only to leave the house in the middle of a snow storm. So where is their host? That's not the only question facing the stranded travelers. Why is there a knife in the middle of the floor? Who killed the man on the train? {What man, you say? Hold on...} And who is "Smith," the little Cockney who suddenly appeared at the door as well? He says that he wasn't on the train--so where did he come from?
Back to the man on the train. Hopkins was the last to leave the compartment. He had fully expected to remain on the train, unlike the "lunatics" (as he referred to his fellow passengers). That was before he noticed one of the train's guards staring into the next compartment....at a dead man. While the guard and other passengers all stood around gaping at the body, Hopkins decided to try and get to Hemmersby and find a policeman. Or so he said. Then Maltby reveals that he tripped over another dead body as he was making his way to Valley House (as their shelter is known). Maltby and David Carrington take the lead in investigating the mysterious happenings--both those that occurred on the train they left behind and those that involve the house. Fortunately, they are able to unravel it all and bring about a conclusion that is satisfactory to almost everybody...except the killer, of course.
Farjeon loads his mysterious Christmas tale with all sorts of unlikely things--from psychic tremors that tell of past misdeeds in the house to unlikely connections among the cast to the police's ability to swallow the tale that Maltby ultimately spins them (to protect the innocent--you know). But--the tale is such great fun and is such a wild bobsled of a ride through Farjeon's winter wonderland that one can suspend one's disbelief in psychic happenings. And the psychic episodes are brief enough that they don't detract from the mystery. A thoroughly enjoyable romp through the 1930s countryside.
Added bonus: the spiffy introduction by Martin Edwards. So glad he and The British Library are bringing these forgotten vintage mysteries back to us.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
December 19, 2021
This is the first mystery I've read by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon and I can tell you that I am going to be reading a lot more of him.
A group of passengers on a train find themselves stranded in a snowstorm. They consist of four young people: a brother and sister, a young male clerk and a young showgirl. Two other people are with them, a middle aged man and an elderly man.
The group can wait until the train is cleared or brave the blizzard themselves and hope to find another train or other mode of transportation to get them to their destination.
None of them enjoy the prospect of spending the night on a train, so they decide to leave and plow through the snow to the next station.
This turns out to be a foolhardy attempt, because they are soon lost in the snow, and purely by accident they blunder into a house. The door is open and the house is empty, but it appears to have been recently occupied: the lights are on; a fire is blazing in the fireplace and tea is getting ready to boil.
But where are the residents? Nowhere to be seen. As uncomfortable as it is for honest people to "break in" to a house, they see no other option as the snow is continuing to pile up outside and their chances of finding the train they left an hour ago being next to impossible.
Many positive elements to this story:
The main characters are well developed and multi-faceted. They inspire sympathy and create a believable ingredient since their personalities are convincing with no one person being the stooge or butt, even though certain of them start out that way. Less savory characters enter into the story at later times.
The dialogue never drags. The banter between each character flows with wit.
As to the story line, Farjeon's mystery is well plotted with surprising, but believable developments that keep the suspense at a steady pace. The story is eerie with possible supernatural overtones, making this mystery not just about murder, but a good helping of ghost story elements as well.
And it takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas making it a great cozy winter read.
I will looking out for more of this author. Farjeon was well known in his time (he died in 1955) but much of his work is out of print. Luckily certain publishers, like the British Crime Library and HarperCollins' Collins Crime Club have reissued many of his detective fiction.
A group of passengers on a train find themselves stranded in a snowstorm. They consist of four young people: a brother and sister, a young male clerk and a young showgirl. Two other people are with them, a middle aged man and an elderly man.
The group can wait until the train is cleared or brave the blizzard themselves and hope to find another train or other mode of transportation to get them to their destination.
None of them enjoy the prospect of spending the night on a train, so they decide to leave and plow through the snow to the next station.
This turns out to be a foolhardy attempt, because they are soon lost in the snow, and purely by accident they blunder into a house. The door is open and the house is empty, but it appears to have been recently occupied: the lights are on; a fire is blazing in the fireplace and tea is getting ready to boil.
But where are the residents? Nowhere to be seen. As uncomfortable as it is for honest people to "break in" to a house, they see no other option as the snow is continuing to pile up outside and their chances of finding the train they left an hour ago being next to impossible.
Many positive elements to this story:
The main characters are well developed and multi-faceted. They inspire sympathy and create a believable ingredient since their personalities are convincing with no one person being the stooge or butt, even though certain of them start out that way. Less savory characters enter into the story at later times.
The dialogue never drags. The banter between each character flows with wit.
As to the story line, Farjeon's mystery is well plotted with surprising, but believable developments that keep the suspense at a steady pace. The story is eerie with possible supernatural overtones, making this mystery not just about murder, but a good helping of ghost story elements as well.
And it takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas making it a great cozy winter read.
I will looking out for more of this author. Farjeon was well known in his time (he died in 1955) but much of his work is out of print. Luckily certain publishers, like the British Crime Library and HarperCollins' Collins Crime Club have reissued many of his detective fiction.
February 23, 2021
This book aggravated me. So, there will probably be some sort of spoilers in this review. Be warned.
I chose to read this book over the holidays because it promised to be a nice vintage Christmas mystery. It sounded fun. Then almost from the first page it hinted at a ghostly overtone but pulled back from a bit. Okay, so at least one person was going to be seeing ghosts everywhere. Not my favorite plot device, but okay. Then slowly, slowly the supernatural plot hinted at took over the whole story. It became nothing more than a Christmas ghost story. The author takes the time to chronicle just about every character's journey from skeptic to ardent believer in ghosts. I, personally found that extremely aggravating and unnecessary. The mystery would have been just fine without all that added in. Then after the dramatic ghostly climax, the author suddenly pulls away from the ghostly explanation altogether and dumps us back on a perfectly explainable mystery. It was just too little too late and felt as if the author couldn’t make up his mind what genre he wanted to be writing. It was just irritating. But if you like a book that is marked one way, builds up to an entirely different conclusion, and then changes the conclusion after it’s solved, this is the book for you. I didn’t like it.
Content…
There were quite a number of ‘mild’ curse words throughout the book.
I chose to read this book over the holidays because it promised to be a nice vintage Christmas mystery. It sounded fun. Then almost from the first page it hinted at a ghostly overtone but pulled back from a bit. Okay, so at least one person was going to be seeing ghosts everywhere. Not my favorite plot device, but okay. Then slowly, slowly the supernatural plot hinted at took over the whole story. It became nothing more than a Christmas ghost story. The author takes the time to chronicle just about every character's journey from skeptic to ardent believer in ghosts. I, personally found that extremely aggravating and unnecessary. The mystery would have been just fine without all that added in. Then after the dramatic ghostly climax, the author suddenly pulls away from the ghostly explanation altogether and dumps us back on a perfectly explainable mystery. It was just too little too late and felt as if the author couldn’t make up his mind what genre he wanted to be writing. It was just irritating. But if you like a book that is marked one way, builds up to an entirely different conclusion, and then changes the conclusion after it’s solved, this is the book for you. I didn’t like it.
Content…
There were quite a number of ‘mild’ curse words throughout the book.
November 26, 2022
Pues... Ok. Para pasar el rato o leer en el tren, no está mal. Tampoco es nada del otro mundo.
Del estilo de la época. Grupo de desconocidos que el día de nochebuena coinciden en un tren donde ocurre un asesinato. Tras abandonar el tren una nevada los obliga a refugiarse en una casa donde también hay crímenes y misterio.
Tiene un toque de ciencia paranormal que bueno, no estaba mal del todo. Los personajes y la trama un poco meh.
En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque se deja leer.
**Popsugar 2022 categoría 28. Un libro ambientado durante una celebración, fiesta, vacaciones (Pascua, Navidad, San Valentín, Halloween, etc.)
Del estilo de la época. Grupo de desconocidos que el día de nochebuena coinciden en un tren donde ocurre un asesinato. Tras abandonar el tren una nevada los obliga a refugiarse en una casa donde también hay crímenes y misterio.
Tiene un toque de ciencia paranormal que bueno, no estaba mal del todo. Los personajes y la trama un poco meh.
En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque se deja leer.
**Popsugar 2022 categoría 28. Un libro ambientado durante una celebración, fiesta, vacaciones (Pascua, Navidad, San Valentín, Halloween, etc.)
December 8, 2019
An Heiligabend bleibt ein Zug mitten im Nirgendwo aufgrund starkem Schneegestöber stecken. Mehrere Passagiere machen sich auf den Weg, um einen anderen Bahnhof zu erreichen, in der Hoffnung, dort einen Zug erwischen zu können. Der Schneesturm nimmt jedoch zu und die Passagiere müssen Zuflucht in einem einsamen Haus suchen - das voller unerklärlicher Geheimnisse steckt. Und dann passiert auch noch ein Mord...
Mir hat dieser winterliche Krimi richtig gut gefallen. Sprachlich war er am Anfang etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, da das Buch Anfang 1930 geschrieben wurde und erst vor kurzem vom Kiwi-Verlag wiederentdeckt wurde. Der Krimi ist jedoch so unaufgeregt und unblutig, transportiert aber gleichzeitig so eine tolle weihnachtliche Stimmung dass ich schnell in der Geschichte gefangen war. Die Charaktere waren alle toll ausgearbeitet und der Autor hat es geschafft, mit seinen Worten Bilder in meinem Kopf zu erzeugen. Ich habe permanent mitgerätselt und Theorien aufgestellt, die am Ende jedoch durch eine tolle und komplexe Aufklärung durchweg wiederlegt wurden.
Für mich war das Buch perfekt für die Vorweihnachtszeit und auch meiner Lesepartnerin @catinkaandbooks ging es ähnlich. Ich kann es euch sehr empfehlen, jedoch muss man solche alten Krimis mögen. Für mich gibt es 4 / 5 ⭐
Mir hat dieser winterliche Krimi richtig gut gefallen. Sprachlich war er am Anfang etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, da das Buch Anfang 1930 geschrieben wurde und erst vor kurzem vom Kiwi-Verlag wiederentdeckt wurde. Der Krimi ist jedoch so unaufgeregt und unblutig, transportiert aber gleichzeitig so eine tolle weihnachtliche Stimmung dass ich schnell in der Geschichte gefangen war. Die Charaktere waren alle toll ausgearbeitet und der Autor hat es geschafft, mit seinen Worten Bilder in meinem Kopf zu erzeugen. Ich habe permanent mitgerätselt und Theorien aufgestellt, die am Ende jedoch durch eine tolle und komplexe Aufklärung durchweg wiederlegt wurden.
Für mich war das Buch perfekt für die Vorweihnachtszeit und auch meiner Lesepartnerin @catinkaandbooks ging es ähnlich. Ich kann es euch sehr empfehlen, jedoch muss man solche alten Krimis mögen. Für mich gibt es 4 / 5 ⭐
January 9, 2017
Novela del género clásico de misterio al estilo de Agatha Christie. Al principio cuesta entrar en la historia pero luego tanto el misterio como sobre todo la resolución del caso me han parecido ingeniosos.
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December 13, 2025If you asked me to pick my favourite modes for a Christmas murder mystery, I'd probably go for 'rollicking' and 'eerie', so of course I enjoyed this, which manages to be both. Six mismatched travellers in a snowbound train, blessed to live in the days before health & safety, simply hop off, promptly get lost in the blizzard, and find refuge in an isolated cottage, where nobody is at home – but the kettle is on and the table laid. An upstairs door is locked, until it isn't. A suspicious Cockney appears. Martin Edwards' introduction describes modish siblings Charles and Lydia as the protagonists, but that's only true in the sense that Ian and Barbara were the first protagonists of Doctor Who; they're soon overshadowed by the older psychic researcher Mr Maltby, whose gnomic pronouncements and certainty that everything was unfolding as it ought also put me in mind sometimes of a less orthodox Father Brown, occasionally of Priestley's time plays. Indeed, as much as I enjoy vibes-based detection, I started to wonder if this wasn't starting to push too far against the obligations of the detective story; was Maltby going to be exposed as an absolute bullshitter? To answer that would be telling, but from the merciless ribbing of the bore Hopkins to that hauntingly festive location (which as one character notes, is exactly the sort of place one dreams of spending Christmas, if only it weren't for the bodies and such), I liked this a great deal.
December 24, 2023
This is the firts book I've ever read by this author. More books to come soon...
December 7, 2025
I found this an entertaining enough read but it had a dated feel about it which grated at times. It was one of those cosy murder reads that embraced just about everyone’s favourite tropes but that for me was the problem along with the almost impossible ‘reveal’ at the end.
So if you want to experience how murder mysteries were written in the 1930s this could be for you otherwise try something more modern.
It’s a short read so there’s plenty of time to read this in the festive season.
So if you want to experience how murder mysteries were written in the 1930s this could be for you otherwise try something more modern.
It’s a short read so there’s plenty of time to read this in the festive season.
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