Crime for Christmas

by Richard Dalby (Editor)

The trinity cat / Ellis Peters --
A happy solution / Raymund Allen --
The adventure of the blue carbuncle / Arthur Conan Doyle --
An upright woman / H.R.F. Keating --
A book for Christmas / Christopher Hallam --
A pair of muddy shoes / Lennox Robinson --
The unknown murder / H.C. Bailey --
The buoy that did not light / Edgar Wallace --
A Christmas tragedy / Agatha Christie --
The ghost's touch / Fergus Hume --
The grotto / Pamela Sewell --
The show must not go on / David G. Rowlands --
Red lily / Dick Donovan --
The black bag left on a doorstep / C.L. Pirkis --
The grave by the handpost / Thomas Hardy --
Mr Wray's cash box / Wilkie Collins.

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

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Richard Dalby (1949-2017) was an editor and literary researcher.

Reviews

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any collection of short stories you get the great with the duds! All in all a good read, oddly I thought the book much older then it was! A good read for Christmas and the festive period.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foreword (Crime for Christmas) • (1991) • essay by Peter Cushing ✔
The Trinity Cat • (1976) • short story by Ellis Peters 4.25⭐
A Happy Solution • (1916) • short story by Raymund Allen 3⭐

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle • non-genre • [Sherlock Holmes] • (1892) • novelette by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.25⭐

An Upright Woman • (1970) • novelette by H. R. F. Keating 2⭐
A Book for Christmas • (1991) • short story by Christopher Hallam 3.25⭐
A Pair of Muddy Shoes • (1919) • short story by Lennox Robinson 4⭐
The Unknown Murderer • (1923) • novelette by H. C. Bailey 4⭐
The Buoy That Did Not Light • (1923) • short story by Edgar Wallace 3.5⭐
A Christmas Tragedy • (1930) • short story by Agatha Christie 5⭐
The Ghost's Touch • (1906) • short story by Fergus Hume 4⭐
The Grotto • (1991) • short story by Pamela Sewell 3⭐
The Show Must Not Go On • (1991) • short story by David G. Rowlands 2⭐
Red Lily • (1899) • novelette by Dick Donovan 3.25⭐
The Black Bag Left on a Door-Step • (1893) • short story by Catherine L. Pirkis 3⭐
The Grave by the Handpost • (1897) • short story by Thomas Hardy 4⭐
Mr. Wray's Cash Box • non-genre • (1852) • novella by Wilkie Collins 4⭐

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic collection of truly classic crime stories for the festive season.
From Hardy, Christie and Ellis Peters to Wilkie Collins.
There is something for everyone here.
Some are purely crime stories, some have a little spooky supernatural element which is perfect for Christmas time as there is a long tradition of ghost stories being told in Winter and at Christmas.
Some first printed in this volume and some not printed since their first publication such as "Mr. Wray's cash box" first published in 1852.
This truly does encompass some classics from the golden age of crime capers.
Some I enjoyed more than others but of course this is true of any anthology of this kind.
Definitely worth a read for some festive shivers.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime for Christmas (1991), an anthology edited by Richard Dalby, serves up sixteen tales of murder and mayhem for the holiday season. There are mysteries from such well-known authors as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters and Edgar Wallace as well as writers who may not be as familiar to current readers. Dalby even provides a story by Wilkie Collins that hadn't been reprinted since its first appearance at Christmas in 1852. There is a fair sampling of stories with something for everyone and, like most collections, some will tickle your fancy more than others. Overall, a solid selection of stories. ★★★

Here is a run-down of my favorites:

"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle": Doyle's Christmas offering for Holmes--featuring a hat, a goose, and a most valuable gem.

"An Upright Woman" by H. R. F. Keating: Where four would-be bank robbers break into the home of the bank manger who just happens to live next door to the bank. They plan to dig through the house into the bank's vault. The manager plays hero and gets knocked out. His wife is more than equal to the situation.

"The Ghost's Touch" by Fergus Hume: In which a schemer is caught in his own ghostly trap.

"Red Lily" by Dick Donovan: A man returns from the dead to accuse his "murderer" and claim the Red Lily for his bride.


First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm afraid I didn't rate this book very highly-in spite of the (several) well-known authors who contributed. Two or three were very good and I particularly liked the Thomas Hardy one but the book has now been consigned to the charity shop bag!

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another erudite Christmas-themed short story compilation from Richard Dalby, and a good companion piece to his ghost story anthologies. This one has a strong mix of classic and more contemporary authors, and generally hits more than it misses. I was able to skip THE HAPPY SOLUTION, THE UNKNOWN MURDERER and THE GHOST'S TOUCH as I'm already familiar with them; the last being particularly good.

THE TRINITY CAT sees Ellis Peters breaking from Cadfael to offer something more contemporary, with a moggy as its lead; I liked it a lot. The Sherlock Holmes story is a very familiar mainstay but always worth a re-read. Keating's AN UPRIGHT WOMAN is very filmic, painting a domestic picture before things unexpectedly go into thriller territory most effectively.

A BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS is by Christopher Hallam and probably the weakest here, a dullish tale of a criminal bookseller. A PAIR OF MUDDY SHOES, by Lennox Robinson, has more promise with some ghostly touches that work, while Edgar Wallace's THE BUOY THAT DID NOT LIGHT is a classic-era story of murder at sea with an obligatory twist. Always more than welcome is Christie, whose A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY is a typically involved and inventive Miss Marple mystery set at a health hydro.

The new two are a minor couple of contemporary tales: THE GROTTO is a story of the supernatural in the form of Father Christmas, while THE SHOW MUST NOT GO ON is a Reggie Fortune pastiche with an unexpected twist of genre at its climax. Dick Donovan's RED LILY is a nice romantic tale with an exotic background and emotionally dramatic crime, while THE BLACK BAG LEFT ON A DOORSTEP is a chance for female sleuth Loveday Brooke to do what she does best, with much entertainment stemming from the pen of C.L. Pirkis.

Last up are two Victorian stories, beginning with Hardy's THE GRAVE BY THE HANDPOST. Not much crime here, but an effective rural tragedy with some good atmospherics. My favourite of the lot is the Wilkie Collins novella that closes the anthology, MR WRAY'S CASH BOX, which feels very Dickensian in its story of a colourful cast engaging with crime, romance, humour, and some genuine feel-good moments. It's a delight which never outstays its welcome.

[Tom Donaghey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime For Christmas (1991) edited by Richard Dalby. Even though this collection is almost 35 yore old, the stories are timeless, as all great tales are. There are thrills, scares, mysterious doings, and surprise ending abound. Like any collection there are stories that are funnier, deadlier, more creative and better written but if the stories stood alone, each would be a true special present.
The great writers of the genre are represented here. Christie, Conan Doyle, Edgar Wallace, Wilkie Collins and even Thomas Hardy for the more classical reader. Tossed in with the brilliant tales are almost a dozen more to amuse and entertain you. There is even a spooky ghost story to help set the mood around your open hearth. While I don’t have that, we do like to make a small campfire late in the day out in the back of the house at Christmas to gain some of the atmosphere. Either way you will find some good tales to entertain children, old folks and all between who want to hear a good Christmas tale that isn’t “A CHRISTMAS CAROL.”
You may not know all the stories, or even the authors, but this is a jolly wonderful collection that will entertain for years to come. I personally read at least one of these stories each Christmas and need find them not interesting.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of short stories that were written many years ago; some back in the 1800's, some in the early 1900's and the thirties and forties. For the most part I enjoyed them, but the language and style of writing of some of the ones written in 1800's and early 1900's were a bit hard to get through because the style is so different.

I especially enjoyed Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple; I always loved tales about them growing up. I also enjoyed C.L Pirkis' female detective, Loveday Brooke. This was written in 1893, and the idea of a respected female detective during that era was quite interesting. I would like to find more of her tales.

The only one I didn't really enjoy was Mr. Wray's Cash Box. This was written in 1852, and after about 30 pages I gave up. It written about the time Charles Dickens was popular, and I never cared for his style either. If you like short stories, mysteries, and don't mind some outdated (but mostly entertaining) prose, then you will like this book.

[Chloe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just plain awful. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the only good stories were the ones by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. As to the other stories, the editor seems to have picked the most terribly written and inappropriate stories he could find (Dear Mr Dalby, suicide hasn't been considered a crime since 1961, so Thomas Hardy's The Grave by the Handpost should have no place in an anthology about crime published in 1991). The only other saving grace was the cover, which was a large part of the reason I bought this book, to be honest.

[Amberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started and finished date - 05.07.25 to 07.07.25.
My rating - Two Stars.
This book was okay read but I found this book to be bit boring and dull also I think people who like the Christmas card crime and other stories by Martin Edwards may like is book. The cover of book was fine. The writing was hard to follow but it took some time to get used to and the ending was fine. The mystery was okay but it needed to flash out bit more and the atmosphere was fine but it bit bland. The paced of plot was bit rush and this book has unsteady paced. I don't like the characters and they needed most them well flash out

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

See Bev's review.

I didn't find these stories outdated, just "period pieces," and a very nice sampling of all the authors. I really didn't care for "The Blue Carbuncle", a Sherlock Homes mystery, or Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in "A Christmas Tragedy", but the other 14 short stories in this collection were really nice. 280 pp.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories with a Christmas theme. Many of them from the golden age of mystery/detective fiction. And some are better than others. But overall, a good selection of enjoyable stories.

[Mike Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent collection of short stories on a loose Christmas theme.
Nothing to shout about but nothing to complain about either.
Nice to have on the bedside table and dip in and out of in between other books.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of stories by well-known mystery writers that pleasantly enhance your season.

[Veronica Freeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable collection of detective stories. I particularly enjoyed Wilkie Collins's story 'Mr. Wray's Cash Box'. The book was a perfect read for a cosy evening.

[Carla Barroso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foi aconselhado num post em que pedia que me indicassem alguns livros que se passassem ou tivessem como pano de fundo a quadra natalícia.

Não apreciei tanto este livro como o anterior. Para começar já tinha lido alguns contos, nomeadamente o da Agatha Christie e o de Arthur Conan Doyle, pelo que a resolução foi fácil. Junta-se a isto as restantes histórias que, infelizmente, também não exigem muito das nossas células cinzentas. Destaco no entanto, a personagem Reggie Fortune de H.C. Bailey, uma espécie de “arma da Providência”, e a escrita de Wilkie Collins, belíssima e que nos seus apartes para apresentar as personagens, não se torna maçador, muito pelo contrário. Se já tinha em mente ler The Moonstone e The Woman in White, agora quero mesmo pegar neles!

Apesar de achar os casos muito fáceis, é uma leitura leve e que dá para descontrair, que é exactamente o que costumo procurar em livros deste género.

Emprestado e pouco se perde com isso: É um livro interessante para conhecer mais autores do género, mas este não é propriamente um género que goste de ter na estante. Serve o seu propósito, mas não me imagino a reler.

[David Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The foreword of this book calls itself a collection of short mysteries from classic English authors from the past and the present. The past is the late nineteenth and very early twentieth centuries. The present is 20 years ago since this book came out in early 1990's. The collection does have some classic authors from the genre including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. There are also several contemporaries of Doyle who appeared in The strand and various other magazines of the times. I can't say that I was that familiar with a lot of the authors.

As might be expected, a lot of the stories might appear dated in their attitudes to women and social standings. I prefer to look at them as more accurate look at the times. It shows how far we have progressed in these areas. Another thing that can be seen from these stories is how writing styles have changed. What was considered the norm at the time, often seems awkwardly phrased now.

Overall, a nice look back at short mysteries from the early days of the genre.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection was given to my mom in one of those chain-mail book exchanges. It was good for reading while distracted since most of the stories were pretty short. The final piece, by Wilkie Collins reminded me I've meant to read The Moonstone since I was in 8th grade and saw a dramatization on Masterpiece Theatre. Collins was a pal of Dickens, and is really quite funny. The premise of the tale, Mr. Wray's Cashbox, is that a thespian of poor skill manages to prove himself a sculptor of remarkable skill when he sneaks into the church at Stratford on Avon and takes a plaster cast of Shakespeare's bust. Very insightful treatment of how we grow attached to things, how an obsession can take hold, and how no one but those of like mind to the possessor can understand it in the least. Others would make good campfire stories, for those who live places where they could camp at Christmastime!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of Christmas mysteries. Most of them are from the late 19th - early 20th century. One of the fun things about a collection like this is discovering once-popular-now-obscure writers. (I just couldn't get interested in the Wilkie Collins story, although I liked "The Moonstone" and some of his other novels.)

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

808.83 A collection of 16 English mystery/crime short stories with a Christmas theme. Sleuths include A. Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, and H.C. Bailey's Reggie Fortune. Also included is a novella by Wilkie Collins reprinted for the first time since 1852.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice variety of short stories

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection really hit the spot!

[Tonya Mathis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love many of the older authors. Really enjoy the shorter stories every now and again.