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A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries
Two dead bodies and a Christmas stocking weaponised. A Postman murdered delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas tree growing over a forgotten homicide. It's the most wonderful time of the year, except for the victims of these shocking and often elaborate murders. When there's magic in the air, sometimes even the facts don't quite add up and the impossible can happen -- and it's up to the detective's trained eye to unwrap the clues and put together an explanation neatly tied up with a bow. Martin Edwards compiles an anthology filled with tales of seasonal suspense where the snow runs red, perfect to be shared between super-sleuths by the fire on a cold winter's night.
317 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2020
131 people are currently reading
709 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
356 books826 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
October 20, 2021
EXCERPT: 'After all,' said our host, 'it's Christmas. Why not let the skeleton out of the bag?'
'Or the cat out of the closet?' said the historian, who likes to be precise even about clichés. 'Are you serious?'
'Yes,' said our host. 'I want to know if it's safe for anyone to sleep in that little room at the head of the stairs.'
He had just bought the place. This party was in the nature of a house warming; and I had already decided privately that the place needed one. It was a long damp, high-windowed house, hidden behind a high hill in Sussex. The drawing-room, where a group of us had gathered around the fire after dinner, was much too long and much too draughty. It had fine panelling - a rich brown where the firelight was always finding new gleams - and a hundred little reflections trembled down it's length, as in so many small gloomy mirrors. But it remained draughty.
Of course, we all liked the house. It had the most modern of lighting and heating arrangements, though the plumbing sent ghostly noises and clanks far down into the interior whenever you turned on a tap. But the smell of the past was in it; and you could not get over the idea that somebody was following you about. Now, at the host's flat mention of a certain possibility, we all looked at our wives.
'But you never told us,' said the historian's wife, rather shocked, 'you never told us you had a ghost here!'
'I don't know that I have,' replied our host quite seriously. 'All I have is a bundle of evidence about something queer that once happened. It's all right; I haven't put anyone in that little room at the head of the stairs. So we can drop the discussion, if you'd rather.'
'You know we can't,' said the Inspector: who, as a matter of strict fact, is an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. He smoked a large cigar, and contemplated ghosts with satisfaction. 'This is exactly the time and place to hear about it. What is it?' - Taken from Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson.
ABOUT 'A SURPRISE FOR CHRISTMAS': Two dead bodies and a Christmas stocking weaponised. A Postman murdered delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas tree growing over a forgotten homicide. It's the most wonderful time of the year, except for the victims of these shocking and often elaborate murders. When there's magic in the air, sometimes even the facts don't quite add up and the impossible can happen -- and it's up to the detective's trained eye to unwrap the clues and put together an explanation neatly tied up with a bow. Martin Edwards compiles an anthology filled with tales of seasonal suspense where the snow runs red, perfect to be shared between super-sleuths by the fire on a cold winter's night.
MY THOUGHTS: This is one of the better collections of short stories that I have read in some time. All are set at Christmas, although Santa only features in one story.
The stories range from extremely short and pithy, to very long and rambling.
I was not particularly impressed by the first two stories, but once I got past them, there were several in a row that I absolutely adored. Overall this is an excellent collection. I have read stories by some of the authors before, other authors were new to me, as were all the stories.
Below is my rating for each story:
1. The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep by Catherine Louisa Pirkis ⭐⭐⭐
2. The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton ⭐⭐.5
3. Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. On A Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Give Me A Ring by Anthony Gilbert ⭐⭐⭐
11. Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons ⭐⭐⭐.5
12. The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My absolute favourite was the Ngaio Marsh story featuring Inspector Roderick Allyen, followed by the Margery Allingham story, On Christmas Day in the Morning.
If you are looking for a Christmas treat to dip into over the festive season, this is it, or it would make a wonderful gift for the mystery lover in your life.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#ASurpriseforChristmasandOtherSeasonalMysteries #NetGalley
I: @medwardsbooks @poisonedpenpress
T: @medwardsbooks @PPPress
#christmasfiction #cosymystery #crime #detectivefiction #historicalfiction #murdermystery #mystery #shortstories
THE AUTHOR: Kenneth Martin Edwards is a British crime novelist, whose work has won awards in the UK and the United States. As a crime fiction critic and historian, and also in his career as a solicitor, he has written non-fiction books and many articles.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries compiled by Martin Edwards for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Or the cat out of the closet?' said the historian, who likes to be precise even about clichés. 'Are you serious?'
'Yes,' said our host. 'I want to know if it's safe for anyone to sleep in that little room at the head of the stairs.'
He had just bought the place. This party was in the nature of a house warming; and I had already decided privately that the place needed one. It was a long damp, high-windowed house, hidden behind a high hill in Sussex. The drawing-room, where a group of us had gathered around the fire after dinner, was much too long and much too draughty. It had fine panelling - a rich brown where the firelight was always finding new gleams - and a hundred little reflections trembled down it's length, as in so many small gloomy mirrors. But it remained draughty.
Of course, we all liked the house. It had the most modern of lighting and heating arrangements, though the plumbing sent ghostly noises and clanks far down into the interior whenever you turned on a tap. But the smell of the past was in it; and you could not get over the idea that somebody was following you about. Now, at the host's flat mention of a certain possibility, we all looked at our wives.
'But you never told us,' said the historian's wife, rather shocked, 'you never told us you had a ghost here!'
'I don't know that I have,' replied our host quite seriously. 'All I have is a bundle of evidence about something queer that once happened. It's all right; I haven't put anyone in that little room at the head of the stairs. So we can drop the discussion, if you'd rather.'
'You know we can't,' said the Inspector: who, as a matter of strict fact, is an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. He smoked a large cigar, and contemplated ghosts with satisfaction. 'This is exactly the time and place to hear about it. What is it?' - Taken from Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson.
ABOUT 'A SURPRISE FOR CHRISTMAS': Two dead bodies and a Christmas stocking weaponised. A Postman murdered delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas tree growing over a forgotten homicide. It's the most wonderful time of the year, except for the victims of these shocking and often elaborate murders. When there's magic in the air, sometimes even the facts don't quite add up and the impossible can happen -- and it's up to the detective's trained eye to unwrap the clues and put together an explanation neatly tied up with a bow. Martin Edwards compiles an anthology filled with tales of seasonal suspense where the snow runs red, perfect to be shared between super-sleuths by the fire on a cold winter's night.
MY THOUGHTS: This is one of the better collections of short stories that I have read in some time. All are set at Christmas, although Santa only features in one story.
The stories range from extremely short and pithy, to very long and rambling.
I was not particularly impressed by the first two stories, but once I got past them, there were several in a row that I absolutely adored. Overall this is an excellent collection. I have read stories by some of the authors before, other authors were new to me, as were all the stories.
Below is my rating for each story:
1. The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep by Catherine Louisa Pirkis ⭐⭐⭐
2. The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton ⭐⭐.5
3. Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. On A Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Give Me A Ring by Anthony Gilbert ⭐⭐⭐
11. Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons ⭐⭐⭐.5
12. The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My absolute favourite was the Ngaio Marsh story featuring Inspector Roderick Allyen, followed by the Margery Allingham story, On Christmas Day in the Morning.
If you are looking for a Christmas treat to dip into over the festive season, this is it, or it would make a wonderful gift for the mystery lover in your life.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#ASurpriseforChristmasandOtherSeasonalMysteries #NetGalley
I: @medwardsbooks @poisonedpenpress
T: @medwardsbooks @PPPress
#christmasfiction #cosymystery #crime #detectivefiction #historicalfiction #murdermystery #mystery #shortstories
THE AUTHOR: Kenneth Martin Edwards is a British crime novelist, whose work has won awards in the UK and the United States. As a crime fiction critic and historian, and also in his career as a solicitor, he has written non-fiction books and many articles.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries compiled by Martin Edwards for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 5, 2022
Interesting collection of short stories, a genre that is rarely used today. Here Editor Martin Edwards has brought together some short stories from yesteryear, and most of them are quite pleasing. As with all short stories you wish some were longer and some were even shorter but nonetheless the work done by Edwards is Top Notch, plus before each story there is a brief biography of the authors and the story itself. A 3.5 effort.
December 13, 2022
Seasonal Mystery Shorts
Review of the Poisoned Pen Press (US) paperback (October 2021) of the original British Library Crime Classics (UK) paperback (October 2020)
This was my 2022 seasonal selection from the British Library Crime Classics (BLCC) series. The BLCC have made it an annual event to publish a Christmas-themed mystery or anthology. As with any themed selection of short stories, there will be some variety in the quality, but overall this was quite good and most of the stories held my interest. #2 was the only real dud.
The “Christmas Surprise” here was that story #11 had previously appeared in an earlier British Library Crime Classics anthology. Just lazy work by the editor or the intern slipped up?
The cover image for this book is cropped from a 1930 UK Dunlop Tire advertisement which you can see here. [Posting the actual photo would have required buying a licence.]
1. The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep ** by Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1839-1910). Originally published in The Ludgate Monthly magazine in February 1893. Later collected in The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective (1894). This is apparently the first ever fictional professional female detective, working as part of an agency. Loveday Brooke is sent by her agency to investigate a theft during Christmas time. This “unfair mystery” is apparently typical of Pirkis’ style where the crime is unsolvable by the reader until Brooke explains it in the end. [Trivia: The complete book is in the public domain and can be read online at Wikisource.]
2. The Hole in the Wall * by G.K. Chesterton (1870-1936). Originally published in Harper’s Monthly Magazine October 1921 and later collected in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1922). I found this one rather dull and very hard to follow. There is a skating party at Christmas time and someone dies by falling through the ice or was it murder? [Trivia: Chesterton is best known as the writer of the Father Brown stories.]
3. Death on the Air *** by Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). Originally published in The Grand Magazine in 1937. Marsh’s regular sleuth Roderick Alleyn investigates a death at Christmas which involves a wireless radio set. This had a clever murder device, but the ending was a bit of a letdown.
4. Persons or Things Unknown **** by Carter Dickson, one of the pennames of John Dickson Carr (1906-1977). Originally published in The Sketch, Christmas 1938. Later included in The Department of Queer Complaints (1940). A historical mystery where a Christmas party at the host’s new home listen to an old story of an unsolvable murder from back in the days of Charles II in 1660.
5. Dead Man’s Hand ** by E.R. Punshon (1872-1956). Originally published in MacKill’s Mystery Magazine, March 1953. A murder and a theft of diamonds takes place in the depths of winter.
6. The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley penname of Vivian Ernest Coltman-Allen (1908-2006). Originally published in The Private Eye 1948. A private detective is hired to investigate an apparent haunting at a hotel on Christmas Eve.
7. Dick Whittington’s Cat *** by Victor Canning (1911-86). Originally published in the Evening Standard, December 22, 1950. A jewellery theft takes place during the middle of a Christmas pantomime performance of Dick Whittington and his Cat.
8. A Surprise for Christmas *** by Cyril Hare penname of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark (1900-1958). Originally published in 1956 and later collected in Best Detective Stories of Cyril Hare (1959). A murderous secret is unexpectedly uncovered when some children plan a Christmas surprise.
9. On Christmas Day in the Morning **** by Margery Allingham (1904-1966). Originally published in the Evening Standard, December 23, 1950. Allingham’s regular sleuth Albert Campion assists the police in investigating an apparent hit-and-run fatality on Christmas morning. A complication involving the delivery of Christmas cards is solved through a twist ending.
10. Give Me a Ring *** by Anthony Gilbert, penname of Lucy Malleson (1899-1973). Originally published in London Illustrated News, November 11, 1955. Novella length at 70+ pages. On Christmas eve, a young nurse unwittingly picks up a package on behalf of a criminal gang when she buys the exact ring which was to be a secret signal to identify the gang’s courier. Her doctor fiancé and lawyer-detective Arthur Crook set out to rescue her from the gang.
11. Father Christmas Comes to Orbins **** by Julian Symons (1912-94). Originally published in London Illustrated News, December 1963. A planned jewelry heist from a department store at Christmas time meets with all sorts of complications. Unsatisfactory Anthology Alert™ This is the exact same story as ’Twixt the Cup and the Lip already collected in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories (British Library Crime Classics 2018) where it was credited as found in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 1965.
12. The Turn-Again Bell *** by Barry Perowne, penname of Philip Atkey (1908-85). Originally published in The Sphere, November 12, 1959. This was a mystery about a haunting. The rector of a parish is on edge every Christmas due to a local legend that if the current rector hears a single bell toll at that time of year, it will be his last year of life. [Trivia: Perowne is best known as being a continuation writer for [author:E.W. Hornung|26514]’s series of Raffles – The Gentleman Thief stories.]
Trivia and Links
The British Library Crime Classic series are reprints of forgotten titles mostly from the 1920's & 1930's, which the series describes as the "Golden Age of Crime". They are up to over 100 titles now (as of late 2022) and you can see a list at the British Library Shop (for North America they are reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press). There is also a British Library Crime Classics Goodreads Listopia.
Review of the Poisoned Pen Press (US) paperback (October 2021) of the original British Library Crime Classics (UK) paperback (October 2020)
This was my 2022 seasonal selection from the British Library Crime Classics (BLCC) series. The BLCC have made it an annual event to publish a Christmas-themed mystery or anthology. As with any themed selection of short stories, there will be some variety in the quality, but overall this was quite good and most of the stories held my interest. #2 was the only real dud.
The “Christmas Surprise” here was that story #11 had previously appeared in an earlier British Library Crime Classics anthology. Just lazy work by the editor or the intern slipped up?
The cover image for this book is cropped from a 1930 UK Dunlop Tire advertisement which you can see here. [Posting the actual photo would have required buying a licence.]
1. The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep ** by Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1839-1910). Originally published in The Ludgate Monthly magazine in February 1893. Later collected in The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective (1894). This is apparently the first ever fictional professional female detective, working as part of an agency. Loveday Brooke is sent by her agency to investigate a theft during Christmas time. This “unfair mystery” is apparently typical of Pirkis’ style where the crime is unsolvable by the reader until Brooke explains it in the end. [Trivia: The complete book is in the public domain and can be read online at Wikisource.]
2. The Hole in the Wall * by G.K. Chesterton (1870-1936). Originally published in Harper’s Monthly Magazine October 1921 and later collected in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1922). I found this one rather dull and very hard to follow. There is a skating party at Christmas time and someone dies by falling through the ice or was it murder? [Trivia: Chesterton is best known as the writer of the Father Brown stories.]
3. Death on the Air *** by Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). Originally published in The Grand Magazine in 1937. Marsh’s regular sleuth Roderick Alleyn investigates a death at Christmas which involves a wireless radio set. This had a clever murder device, but the ending was a bit of a letdown.
4. Persons or Things Unknown **** by Carter Dickson, one of the pennames of John Dickson Carr (1906-1977). Originally published in The Sketch, Christmas 1938. Later included in The Department of Queer Complaints (1940). A historical mystery where a Christmas party at the host’s new home listen to an old story of an unsolvable murder from back in the days of Charles II in 1660.
5. Dead Man’s Hand ** by E.R. Punshon (1872-1956). Originally published in MacKill’s Mystery Magazine, March 1953. A murder and a theft of diamonds takes place in the depths of winter.
6. The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley penname of Vivian Ernest Coltman-Allen (1908-2006). Originally published in The Private Eye 1948. A private detective is hired to investigate an apparent haunting at a hotel on Christmas Eve.
7. Dick Whittington’s Cat *** by Victor Canning (1911-86). Originally published in the Evening Standard, December 22, 1950. A jewellery theft takes place during the middle of a Christmas pantomime performance of Dick Whittington and his Cat.
8. A Surprise for Christmas *** by Cyril Hare penname of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark (1900-1958). Originally published in 1956 and later collected in Best Detective Stories of Cyril Hare (1959). A murderous secret is unexpectedly uncovered when some children plan a Christmas surprise.
9. On Christmas Day in the Morning **** by Margery Allingham (1904-1966). Originally published in the Evening Standard, December 23, 1950. Allingham’s regular sleuth Albert Campion assists the police in investigating an apparent hit-and-run fatality on Christmas morning. A complication involving the delivery of Christmas cards is solved through a twist ending.
10. Give Me a Ring *** by Anthony Gilbert, penname of Lucy Malleson (1899-1973). Originally published in London Illustrated News, November 11, 1955. Novella length at 70+ pages. On Christmas eve, a young nurse unwittingly picks up a package on behalf of a criminal gang when she buys the exact ring which was to be a secret signal to identify the gang’s courier. Her doctor fiancé and lawyer-detective Arthur Crook set out to rescue her from the gang.
11. Father Christmas Comes to Orbins **** by Julian Symons (1912-94). Originally published in London Illustrated News, December 1963. A planned jewelry heist from a department store at Christmas time meets with all sorts of complications. Unsatisfactory Anthology Alert™ This is the exact same story as ’Twixt the Cup and the Lip already collected in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories (British Library Crime Classics 2018) where it was credited as found in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 1965.
12. The Turn-Again Bell *** by Barry Perowne, penname of Philip Atkey (1908-85). Originally published in The Sphere, November 12, 1959. This was a mystery about a haunting. The rector of a parish is on edge every Christmas due to a local legend that if the current rector hears a single bell toll at that time of year, it will be his last year of life. [Trivia: Perowne is best known as being a continuation writer for [author:E.W. Hornung|26514]’s series of Raffles – The Gentleman Thief stories.]
Trivia and Links
The British Library Crime Classic series are reprints of forgotten titles mostly from the 1920's & 1930's, which the series describes as the "Golden Age of Crime". They are up to over 100 titles now (as of late 2022) and you can see a list at the British Library Shop (for North America they are reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press). There is also a British Library Crime Classics Goodreads Listopia.
December 4, 2022
This was a good collection with 12 short stories. I'd come across four of them in other seasonal collections. I enjoyed most and quite a few have jewellery theft at the center of the mystery. I recall another collection where that happened so maybe it's a common theme for these seasonal short stories. As usual, I'm not so much for ghost stories but there wasn't much of that so I was pretty happy. There are snow, cold winds and Christmas decorations here so I was satisfied. I even picked up a crossword word: burthened - archaic for burden.
A great quote from the consistently well-done forward by Martin Edwards that really set the theme and my whole vibe this time of year: In recent years bookshop shelves have overflowed with Christmas mysteries, their covers invariably blanketed with enough snow to cover a multitude of criminal sins.
My thoughts on each story follow:
The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep by Catherine Louisa Pirkis - A good story with a jewellery heist at the center and a female detective.
The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton - Not a favourite.
Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh - A very good story that I first read in Murder Under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford. Points for clever method and also family members completely unapologetic about their lack of grief over the tyrannical and abusive murder victim. Elements reminded me of Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson - Just okay for me. I first read this in Murder Under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford.
Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon - A jewel theft with murder and the truth comes out quite dramatically with no prodding at all. I mean absolutely none.
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley - Not a favourite.
Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning - A jewellery theft at the theatre made this an enjoyable and short tale.
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare - A long-ago murder is unearthed in this titular tale. A very neat story I'd read previously in Murder on a Winter's Night: Ten Classic Crime Stories for Christmas by Cecily Gayford.
On A Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham -A postman dies but there's a heartwarming thread in the story just the same. Overall a good little mystery that I first read in Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford.
Give Me A Ring by Anthony Gilbert - Not a favourite.
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons - A bookseller plans a jewel heist from a department store and the plan goes very wrong. He's undone by a very unlikely (but obvious in this story) source. Well done.
Favourite quote: "Stacey had two faults which had prevented him from rising high in his profession. One was that he drank too much, the other that he was stupid.
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne - A good story to end on. It felt more like a ghost/haunting story at first but there's a very good and sweet turn it takes at the end that was heartwarming and felt apropos for a seasonal read.
Recommended.
A great quote from the consistently well-done forward by Martin Edwards that really set the theme and my whole vibe this time of year: In recent years bookshop shelves have overflowed with Christmas mysteries, their covers invariably blanketed with enough snow to cover a multitude of criminal sins.
My thoughts on each story follow:
The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep by Catherine Louisa Pirkis - A good story with a jewellery heist at the center and a female detective.
The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton - Not a favourite.
Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh - A very good story that I first read in Murder Under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford. Points for clever method and also family members completely unapologetic about their lack of grief over the tyrannical and abusive murder victim. Elements reminded me of Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson - Just okay for me. I first read this in Murder Under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford.
Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon - A jewel theft with murder and the truth comes out quite dramatically with no prodding at all. I mean absolutely none.
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley - Not a favourite.
Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning - A jewellery theft at the theatre made this an enjoyable and short tale.
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare - A long-ago murder is unearthed in this titular tale. A very neat story I'd read previously in Murder on a Winter's Night: Ten Classic Crime Stories for Christmas by Cecily Gayford.
On A Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham -A postman dies but there's a heartwarming thread in the story just the same. Overall a good little mystery that I first read in Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford.
Give Me A Ring by Anthony Gilbert - Not a favourite.
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons - A bookseller plans a jewel heist from a department store and the plan goes very wrong. He's undone by a very unlikely (but obvious in this story) source. Well done.
Favourite quote: "Stacey had two faults which had prevented him from rising high in his profession. One was that he drank too much, the other that he was stupid.
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne - A good story to end on. It felt more like a ghost/haunting story at first but there's a very good and sweet turn it takes at the end that was heartwarming and felt apropos for a seasonal read.
Recommended.
January 27, 2025
Another fine collection of mysterious Christmas tidings put together by Edwards and the British Library Crime Classics series. We have everything from jewel robberies, to killer radio sets to Christmas ghosts who solve modern murders. The best of the stories are "The Hole in the Wall" by Chesterton, "Death on the Air" by Marsh, and " A Surprise for Christmas" by Hare. Even though I'd read the Marsh story previously, I still find it a nicely put-together little piece and the ending of Hare's story is well-done and leaves the reader considering what will happen next. ★★★ and 3/4 (rounded up here)
"The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep" ~Catherine Louisa Pirkis: Craigen Court is burgled and 30,000 pounds worth of jewels have disappeared. Loveday Brooke, first female professional detective, is called to take up the case--she is also interested in a black bag containing clerical garments and a strange note which has been left on a spinster's doorstep. Are the two connected?
"The Hole in the Wall" ~G. K. Chesterton: Lord vanishes from his holiday fancy dress house party. One of the guests heard strange banging noises in the middle of the night and then was awakened at dawn by a cry for help. Murder is soon suspected...but where is the body?
"Death on the Air" ~Ngaio Marsh: It's Christmas Day and Septimus Tonks intended to listen to the Christmas programs on his fancy wireless set. But he's found dead, leaning up against the radio cabinet as if to listen more closely. It appears he's been killed by his favorite hobby...but by whom and how? It's up to Chief Inspector Alleyn and Inspector Fox to answer those questions.
"Person or Things Unknown" ~Carter Dickson: A historical mystery in which the host of a holiday party invites his guests to investigate a supernatural death from the past--which took place, naturally, in a room where no one wants to sleep now.
"Dead Man's Hand" ~E. R. Punshon: A snowstorm gives cover to a man who has robbed and killed his employer. It looks like he might get away with it...but then his wife blurts out a sentence that will likely seal his fate.
"The Christmas Eve Ghost" ~Ernest Dudley: Craig, the detective, is asked to investigate the ghost of a dancing girl and winds up solving a murder.
"Dick Whittington's Cat" ~Victor Canning: The cat in question is an actor playing the part in a pantomime. When he singles out a couple for attention, he has a fall and the lady's bracelet disappears...is the cat the thief or is it her escort who has been attendance when several other bits of jewelry have gone missing?
"A Surprise for Christmas" ~Cyril Hare: When Jimmy Blenkiron's nieces and nephews decide to give him a surprise for Christmas, it turns from a pleasant sugarplum dream into a nightmare--all because they wanted to give him a Christmas tree.
"On Christmas Day in the Morning" ~Margery Allingham: Campion investigates the death of a postman who was hit by a car on Christmas morning. Did it really happen when and where it would seem it had to have happened? No matter which way the police look at it, it seems impossible.
"Give Me a Ring" ~Anthony Gilbert: Gillian is planning a lovely Christmas with her beau when she goes out to pick up a few last minute items. She gets lost in the fog, finds a little shop with a lovely ring she decides she wants, and winds up smack dab in the middle of a drug ring and she and her beau come close to celebrating their last Christmas together...or with anyone. Arthur Crook saves the day.
"Father Christmas Comes to Orbins" ~Julian Symons (same story appeared in The Christmas Card Crime & Other Stories under the title "Twixt the Cup & the Lip"): Mild-mannered bookshop owner, Mr. Rossiter Payne has an odd little hobby--jewel robberies. And when the Russian family jewels are put on display at Orbin's department store can't resist planning the perfect crime. But then things go wrong--if only he hadn't made that one comment to his shoe repair man.
"The Turn-Again Bell" ~Barry Perowne: The rector's son is set to get married on Boxing Day, but there is tension in the air (all three of the rector's sons had admired the fair Iris) and a dark legend attached to the church bells. Not really a mystery, but a dilemma is solved.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
"The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep" ~Catherine Louisa Pirkis: Craigen Court is burgled and 30,000 pounds worth of jewels have disappeared. Loveday Brooke, first female professional detective, is called to take up the case--she is also interested in a black bag containing clerical garments and a strange note which has been left on a spinster's doorstep. Are the two connected?
"The Hole in the Wall" ~G. K. Chesterton: Lord vanishes from his holiday fancy dress house party. One of the guests heard strange banging noises in the middle of the night and then was awakened at dawn by a cry for help. Murder is soon suspected...but where is the body?
"Death on the Air" ~Ngaio Marsh: It's Christmas Day and Septimus Tonks intended to listen to the Christmas programs on his fancy wireless set. But he's found dead, leaning up against the radio cabinet as if to listen more closely. It appears he's been killed by his favorite hobby...but by whom and how? It's up to Chief Inspector Alleyn and Inspector Fox to answer those questions.
"Person or Things Unknown" ~Carter Dickson: A historical mystery in which the host of a holiday party invites his guests to investigate a supernatural death from the past--which took place, naturally, in a room where no one wants to sleep now.
"Dead Man's Hand" ~E. R. Punshon: A snowstorm gives cover to a man who has robbed and killed his employer. It looks like he might get away with it...but then his wife blurts out a sentence that will likely seal his fate.
"The Christmas Eve Ghost" ~Ernest Dudley: Craig, the detective, is asked to investigate the ghost of a dancing girl and winds up solving a murder.
"Dick Whittington's Cat" ~Victor Canning: The cat in question is an actor playing the part in a pantomime. When he singles out a couple for attention, he has a fall and the lady's bracelet disappears...is the cat the thief or is it her escort who has been attendance when several other bits of jewelry have gone missing?
"A Surprise for Christmas" ~Cyril Hare: When Jimmy Blenkiron's nieces and nephews decide to give him a surprise for Christmas, it turns from a pleasant sugarplum dream into a nightmare--all because they wanted to give him a Christmas tree.
"On Christmas Day in the Morning" ~Margery Allingham: Campion investigates the death of a postman who was hit by a car on Christmas morning. Did it really happen when and where it would seem it had to have happened? No matter which way the police look at it, it seems impossible.
"Give Me a Ring" ~Anthony Gilbert: Gillian is planning a lovely Christmas with her beau when she goes out to pick up a few last minute items. She gets lost in the fog, finds a little shop with a lovely ring she decides she wants, and winds up smack dab in the middle of a drug ring and she and her beau come close to celebrating their last Christmas together...or with anyone. Arthur Crook saves the day.
"Father Christmas Comes to Orbins" ~Julian Symons (same story appeared in The Christmas Card Crime & Other Stories under the title "Twixt the Cup & the Lip"): Mild-mannered bookshop owner, Mr. Rossiter Payne has an odd little hobby--jewel robberies. And when the Russian family jewels are put on display at Orbin's department store can't resist planning the perfect crime. But then things go wrong--if only he hadn't made that one comment to his shoe repair man.
"The Turn-Again Bell" ~Barry Perowne: The rector's son is set to get married on Boxing Day, but there is tension in the air (all three of the rector's sons had admired the fair Iris) and a dark legend attached to the church bells. Not really a mystery, but a dilemma is solved.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
January 14, 2021
Ho! Ho! Aargh!
What better time to be thinking about murder than when getting together with your loved ones for some festive cheer! This is another collection of vintage crime stories from Martin Edwards and the British Library, each with a Christmas theme. There are twelve in the book, as always with a mix of very famous authors like Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and GK Chesterton, along with some that are less well known, to me at least.
And, as always, the quality is somewhat mixed, although there are no real duds and a few standout stories among them. I gave six of them four stars, while three got the full five, so I’d say this was a pretty solid collection overall. The stories I ranked highest all came at the end, which left me feeling much more impressed than I was, perhaps, halfway through. I felt it was a bit of cheat to include a Julian Symons story that had turned up in the Christmas collection just a couple of years ago, though, giving it a different title this time. But that will only matter to geeks like me who read all of the crime anthologies the BL produces, and it is a good story!
As usual, here’s a flavour of a few of the ones I most enjoyed…
Dead Man’s Hand by ER Punshon. A servant and his wife plan to murder and rob their employer. This is a very short and quite slight story, but it uses the heavy snowfall in an intriguing way to provide cover for the murderer, and gives a nicely dark picture of evil and guilt.
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham. On Christmas morning, a postman is run down by a car and killed. The police think they know who the men were who were in the car, but it seems they couldn’t have done it since the postman was in a different place when they drove drunkenly through the village. It’s up to Campion to work out if they are the guilty ones, and if so, how it happened. This is quite an interesting take on breaking an unbreakable alibi, but what lifts it is the insightful and somewhat sad picture of how lonely Christmas can be for those without families around them.
Give me a Ring by Anthony Gilbert (aka Anne Meredith). On Christmas Eve, Gillian Hynde loses her way in a sudden London fog and steps into a shop to ask for directions. Unknowingly, she has walked into danger, and finds herself kidnapped and held captive. The story is mostly about her fiancé’s desperate attempts to find her, with the assistance of Arthur Crook, lawyer and scourge of the criminal classes – and apparently a successful series detective back in the day. This is a nearly novella-length thriller, very well written, fast-moving and high on suspense, especially since both Gillian and Richard, the fiancé, are likeable protagonists.
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne. An elderly rector is waiting for his son to come home on Christmas leave from the navy. The plan is that the son will marry his childhood sweetheart on Boxing Day, in the Rector’s ancient Norman church. But there is a legend that each Rector will at some time hear the church bell toll just once on Christmas Eve and this is a portent that he will not live to see the following Christmas. This is a beautifully written, perfect little story, admittedly with no actual crime in it but with all the right messages for Christmas, and it left me with a tear or two in my cynical eye, and a warm fuzzy feeling of goodwill to all mankind. Can’t be bad, eh?
So a good mix of style and tone, with everything from high octane thrills to more thoughtful festive fare. And proves it’s not always necessary to murder someone to enjoy yourself at Christmas...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
What better time to be thinking about murder than when getting together with your loved ones for some festive cheer! This is another collection of vintage crime stories from Martin Edwards and the British Library, each with a Christmas theme. There are twelve in the book, as always with a mix of very famous authors like Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and GK Chesterton, along with some that are less well known, to me at least.
And, as always, the quality is somewhat mixed, although there are no real duds and a few standout stories among them. I gave six of them four stars, while three got the full five, so I’d say this was a pretty solid collection overall. The stories I ranked highest all came at the end, which left me feeling much more impressed than I was, perhaps, halfway through. I felt it was a bit of cheat to include a Julian Symons story that had turned up in the Christmas collection just a couple of years ago, though, giving it a different title this time. But that will only matter to geeks like me who read all of the crime anthologies the BL produces, and it is a good story!
As usual, here’s a flavour of a few of the ones I most enjoyed…
Dead Man’s Hand by ER Punshon. A servant and his wife plan to murder and rob their employer. This is a very short and quite slight story, but it uses the heavy snowfall in an intriguing way to provide cover for the murderer, and gives a nicely dark picture of evil and guilt.
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham. On Christmas morning, a postman is run down by a car and killed. The police think they know who the men were who were in the car, but it seems they couldn’t have done it since the postman was in a different place when they drove drunkenly through the village. It’s up to Campion to work out if they are the guilty ones, and if so, how it happened. This is quite an interesting take on breaking an unbreakable alibi, but what lifts it is the insightful and somewhat sad picture of how lonely Christmas can be for those without families around them.
Give me a Ring by Anthony Gilbert (aka Anne Meredith). On Christmas Eve, Gillian Hynde loses her way in a sudden London fog and steps into a shop to ask for directions. Unknowingly, she has walked into danger, and finds herself kidnapped and held captive. The story is mostly about her fiancé’s desperate attempts to find her, with the assistance of Arthur Crook, lawyer and scourge of the criminal classes – and apparently a successful series detective back in the day. This is a nearly novella-length thriller, very well written, fast-moving and high on suspense, especially since both Gillian and Richard, the fiancé, are likeable protagonists.
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne. An elderly rector is waiting for his son to come home on Christmas leave from the navy. The plan is that the son will marry his childhood sweetheart on Boxing Day, in the Rector’s ancient Norman church. But there is a legend that each Rector will at some time hear the church bell toll just once on Christmas Eve and this is a portent that he will not live to see the following Christmas. This is a beautifully written, perfect little story, admittedly with no actual crime in it but with all the right messages for Christmas, and it left me with a tear or two in my cynical eye, and a warm fuzzy feeling of goodwill to all mankind. Can’t be bad, eh?
So a good mix of style and tone, with everything from high octane thrills to more thoughtful festive fare. And proves it’s not always necessary to murder someone to enjoy yourself at Christmas...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
October 22, 2021
Another enjoyable collection of vintage mystery stories related in some way to the Christmas season. Once again curated by Martin Edwards. Of the 12 stories, I rated 8 at 4, 4.5 or 5, and none lower than 3 so this was a successful and enjoyable read. Among my favorites: “The Turn-Again Bell,” not a mystery per se but an atmospheric story set in in a small village with a Norman church whose rector is awaiting his son’s return home for the holidays; “Give Me a Ring,” a complex crime story involving innocent people; “Death on the Air,” the death of a person no one likes; and “The Black Bag Left on a Doorstop,” which particularly appealed to me for its female detective in a story written in the 19th century.
Recommended to readers of Golden Age mysteries.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Recommended to readers of Golden Age mysteries.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 18, 2022
Holiday and winter themed short stories. This is Martin Edward's (editor) newest collection for the British Library Crime Classics.
Vintage mystery crime stories. New to me author's, this was a good way to get an introduction to them.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Vintage mystery crime stories. New to me author's, this was a good way to get an introduction to them.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 5, 2021
How does editor Martin Edwards do it? This is the fourth Christmas anthology I’ve read that he has compiled, and the quality remains pretty good! Are there some lesser entries? Of course; that will be true with any anthology. However, most are at least a good read. I especially enjoyed “The Death on the Air,” which featured Ngaio Marsh’s legendary Inspector Roderick Alleyn; Carter Dickson’s “Person or Persons Unknown,” Victor Canning’s “Dick Whittington’s Cat,” the clever “On Christmas Day in the Morning” by Margery Allingham, the novella-length “Father Christmas Comes to Orbins” by Julian Symons (which I’ve read before, but loved re-reading), and Barry Perowne’s poignant “The Turn-Again Bell.”
I’ll be checking out some longer works by some of the authors, as I didn’t get enough! In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll be checking out some longer works by some of the authors, as I didn’t get enough! In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2021
A collection of Christmas themed short stories. I found that most of them didn't have a particularly strong Chistmas theme, many just set at that time of year, (apart from one where two Father Chistmases play a prominent role), as such i
I feel it can be enjoyed at any time of year, even for people who are seasonal readers.
As with all anthologies, these are a little bit and miss; personally, I didn't particularly enjoy the first two, and I'd had high hopes for the G.K. Chesterton one. I really liked the Ngaio Marsh, the Cyril Hare and the E.R. Pynchon stories.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
I feel it can be enjoyed at any time of year, even for people who are seasonal readers.
As with all anthologies, these are a little bit and miss; personally, I didn't particularly enjoy the first two, and I'd had high hopes for the G.K. Chesterton one. I really liked the Ngaio Marsh, the Cyril Hare and the E.R. Pynchon stories.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
November 17, 2020
Some Christmas surprises are better than others. Here the not so good one was that the Julian Symons story,"Father Christmas Comes to Orbins", turns out to be the same as “Twixt the Cup and the Lip” which appeared in the BLCC 2018 offering, “The Christmas Card Crime”. One other problem for me was that the anthology gets off to a very stodgy start with a not-too-enthralling Catharine Louisa Pirkis, and an example of GK Chesterton at his most didactic.
Apart from the Symons, I had read the Marsh, Punshon, Allingham and Hare before, and jolly good they all are. The longest entry is by Anthony Gilbert, who is a favourite of mine, but this went on a bit and was rather thrillerish. Ernest Dudley is palatable here-no Dr Morelle-, and the Carter Dickson ghostly murder, and Victor Canning’s pantomime tale, were most enjoyable. But the little gem, the silver threepenny in the plum pudding, was the Barry Perowne story which leaves one in just the right Christmas spirit.
A recommendable seasonal read. Twelve short stories spanning the period 1893-1963.
Apart from the Symons, I had read the Marsh, Punshon, Allingham and Hare before, and jolly good they all are. The longest entry is by Anthony Gilbert, who is a favourite of mine, but this went on a bit and was rather thrillerish. Ernest Dudley is palatable here-no Dr Morelle-, and the Carter Dickson ghostly murder, and Victor Canning’s pantomime tale, were most enjoyable. But the little gem, the silver threepenny in the plum pudding, was the Barry Perowne story which leaves one in just the right Christmas spirit.
A recommendable seasonal read. Twelve short stories spanning the period 1893-1963.
December 12, 2021
I started reading the British Crime Library Classics a few years ago. I've learned that my favorites are the volumes of short stories edited by Martin Edwards (Editor). This volume includes twelve stories - one is actually a novella. Three of the contributors are women, and two are not native Brits but apparently they get things right as they each- Ngaio Marsh and Carter Dickson - lived in England for years.
There is not a single dud in this collection. I worried that the novella-length story- Give Me a Ring- would be a slog. But this is enough foreshadowing, that we know as soon as the naive, young Gillian HInde, a student nurse, gets turned around in the London fog, and enters a dubious business, something bad is sure to happen. There is a story by Catharine Pirkis, that introduces a "lady detective" who will figure in her future magazine stories. There are stories set in country homes, city department stores, and dive bars, and a country church, and all sorts of places in between. My favorite was the final story - The Turn-Again Bell - about a local legend about the church bell. On Christmas Eve, a single ring of the bell, which happened without anyone touching it, meant that the following year would be the last for the current Rector.
This is a collection that will satisfy readers who grave some Christmas mysteries to read in the waning days of December.
There is not a single dud in this collection. I worried that the novella-length story- Give Me a Ring- would be a slog. But this is enough foreshadowing, that we know as soon as the naive, young Gillian HInde, a student nurse, gets turned around in the London fog, and enters a dubious business, something bad is sure to happen. There is a story by Catharine Pirkis, that introduces a "lady detective" who will figure in her future magazine stories. There are stories set in country homes, city department stores, and dive bars, and a country church, and all sorts of places in between. My favorite was the final story - The Turn-Again Bell - about a local legend about the church bell. On Christmas Eve, a single ring of the bell, which happened without anyone touching it, meant that the following year would be the last for the current Rector.
This is a collection that will satisfy readers who grave some Christmas mysteries to read in the waning days of December.
Read
August 31, 2021I received a free publisher's advance review copy, via Netgalley.
Just as Santa’s bag contains a mixture of gift, this anthology has some stories that are better than others. Surprisingly few have much of anything to do with Christmas. I think after three previous entries in this series of Christmas/seasonal mysteries, Edwards may be running out of prospects. Here is my assessment of each of the stories in this collection:
Catharine Louisa Pirkis: The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep
This is an old story, first published in 1893. The protagonist, Loveday Brooke, is a “lady detective” based in London. In this quite short story, she uses nothing but her powers of observation and making logical connections to quickly solving the whodunnit of a Christmas Eve country house burglary. Pleasant enough.
G. K. Chesteron: The Hole in the Wall
An odd little tale in which an architect who is one of a party visiting a local lord solves the lord’s murder with his analysis of local history. There is nothing Christmas-y in the story. It’s not very interesting, but at least it’s short. And I was happy I read it for these two lines, at least as apt today than when they were written: “Modern intelligence won’t accept anything on authority. But it will accept anything without authority.”
Ngaio Marsh: Death on the Air
I’ve read all of Ngaio Marsh’s mystery novels, but I wasn’t familiar with this story. Marsh’s usual protagonist, Roderick Alleyn, is called in by the family physician when the patriarch is found dead in the early morning of Christmas day, clutching the dials of his custom-built wireless radio. Other than the day of the investigation, this has nothing to do with Christmas. But it turns out to be quite a clever murder method, and of an eminently deserving victim.
John Dickson Carr: Persons or Things Unknown
Carr is famous for his locked-room mysteries, and this is another, set just after the restoration of the monarchy in Britain. Another clever murder method, nothing to do with Christmas.
E. R. Punshon: Dead Man’s Hand
Ultra-short story of a planned robbery/murder undone with no effort by the police. More of a thought than a tale.
Ernest Dudley: The Christmas Eve Ghost
Entertaining story of turning the tables on a murderer and would-be con artist.
Victor Canning: Dick Whittington’s Cat
Until a few months ago, I’d never heard of Victor Canning. Thanks to some algorithm, I came across his delightful and very English comic novels featuring Mr. Finchley, which I highly recommend. In this short entertaining story, one of two men has pulled off a clever theft of a bracelet right off the hand of its owner, while at a Christmas panto. A little knowledge of both suspects leads to a quick solution.
Cyril Hare: A Surprise for Christmas
Cyril Hare’s An English Murder is one of my all-time favorite Golden Age mystery novels, so I was looking forward to this story. Set on Christmas day when the family is feeling its post-dinner cheer, it makes a surprising turn into murder. A very satisfying short tale.
Margery Allingham: On Christmas Day in the Morning
Albert Campion, the protagonist of Allingham’s outstanding mystery novels, helps a village police superintendent solve the case of the local postman’s apparent hit-and-run death. a scene with a local old lady in her tiny cottage makes the story with its Christmas spirit.
Anthony Gilbert: Give Me a Ring
Not a whodunnit, but a crackerjack thriller story. It all begins on Christmas Eve, as young Jill is out shopping for a home-cooked dinner with her fiancé. When she gets lost in a sudden descent of dense fog, she stumbles on exactly the wrong storefront to stop in for directions.
Julian Symons: Father Christmas Comes to Orbins
Hmm, I call foul. This was in a prior collection in this series, but then called Twixt the Cup and the Lip. This is a sign that maybe this series of Christmas mystery stories has run its course. Still, it’s an entertaining story about a meticulously-planned jewel heist at a London department store at Christmas—and how the best-laid plans can still fall apart.
Barry Perowne: The Turn-Again Bell
A touching story of the elderly rector of an 11th-century Norman church, local legends, and the spirit of Christmas.
The book ends on a high note, so if you are turned off by some of those early clunkers, keep reading.
Just as Santa’s bag contains a mixture of gift, this anthology has some stories that are better than others. Surprisingly few have much of anything to do with Christmas. I think after three previous entries in this series of Christmas/seasonal mysteries, Edwards may be running out of prospects. Here is my assessment of each of the stories in this collection:
Catharine Louisa Pirkis: The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep
This is an old story, first published in 1893. The protagonist, Loveday Brooke, is a “lady detective” based in London. In this quite short story, she uses nothing but her powers of observation and making logical connections to quickly solving the whodunnit of a Christmas Eve country house burglary. Pleasant enough.
G. K. Chesteron: The Hole in the Wall
An odd little tale in which an architect who is one of a party visiting a local lord solves the lord’s murder with his analysis of local history. There is nothing Christmas-y in the story. It’s not very interesting, but at least it’s short. And I was happy I read it for these two lines, at least as apt today than when they were written: “Modern intelligence won’t accept anything on authority. But it will accept anything without authority.”
Ngaio Marsh: Death on the Air
I’ve read all of Ngaio Marsh’s mystery novels, but I wasn’t familiar with this story. Marsh’s usual protagonist, Roderick Alleyn, is called in by the family physician when the patriarch is found dead in the early morning of Christmas day, clutching the dials of his custom-built wireless radio. Other than the day of the investigation, this has nothing to do with Christmas. But it turns out to be quite a clever murder method, and of an eminently deserving victim.
John Dickson Carr: Persons or Things Unknown
Carr is famous for his locked-room mysteries, and this is another, set just after the restoration of the monarchy in Britain. Another clever murder method, nothing to do with Christmas.
E. R. Punshon: Dead Man’s Hand
Ultra-short story of a planned robbery/murder undone with no effort by the police. More of a thought than a tale.
Ernest Dudley: The Christmas Eve Ghost
Entertaining story of turning the tables on a murderer and would-be con artist.
Victor Canning: Dick Whittington’s Cat
Until a few months ago, I’d never heard of Victor Canning. Thanks to some algorithm, I came across his delightful and very English comic novels featuring Mr. Finchley, which I highly recommend. In this short entertaining story, one of two men has pulled off a clever theft of a bracelet right off the hand of its owner, while at a Christmas panto. A little knowledge of both suspects leads to a quick solution.
Cyril Hare: A Surprise for Christmas
Cyril Hare’s An English Murder is one of my all-time favorite Golden Age mystery novels, so I was looking forward to this story. Set on Christmas day when the family is feeling its post-dinner cheer, it makes a surprising turn into murder. A very satisfying short tale.
Margery Allingham: On Christmas Day in the Morning
Albert Campion, the protagonist of Allingham’s outstanding mystery novels, helps a village police superintendent solve the case of the local postman’s apparent hit-and-run death. a scene with a local old lady in her tiny cottage makes the story with its Christmas spirit.
Anthony Gilbert: Give Me a Ring
Not a whodunnit, but a crackerjack thriller story. It all begins on Christmas Eve, as young Jill is out shopping for a home-cooked dinner with her fiancé. When she gets lost in a sudden descent of dense fog, she stumbles on exactly the wrong storefront to stop in for directions.
Julian Symons: Father Christmas Comes to Orbins
Hmm, I call foul. This was in a prior collection in this series, but then called Twixt the Cup and the Lip. This is a sign that maybe this series of Christmas mystery stories has run its course. Still, it’s an entertaining story about a meticulously-planned jewel heist at a London department store at Christmas—and how the best-laid plans can still fall apart.
Barry Perowne: The Turn-Again Bell
A touching story of the elderly rector of an 11th-century Norman church, local legends, and the spirit of Christmas.
The book ends on a high note, so if you are turned off by some of those early clunkers, keep reading.
December 8, 2021
A Magical Murder Mystery…
Looking for a Christmas read but also a murder mystery lover at heart? Well A Surprise For Christmas is just the perfect read!
Edwards has compiled an amazing anthology of Christmas themed short story mysteries to delight murderinos during this holiday season -
A Postman murdered while delivering cards on Christmas morning.
A Christmas pine growing over a forgotten homicide.
A Yuletide heist gone horribly wrong.
Each of these vintage mystery stories just keep getting better and better. There are twelve stories that were atmospheric, gothic, and classic. As dead bodies turn up, the stories become more immersive and addictive. This short story collection was the perfect short story read to indulge in, during these cold winter nights.
I enjoyed each one of these stories!
Looking for a Christmas read but also a murder mystery lover at heart? Well A Surprise For Christmas is just the perfect read!
Edwards has compiled an amazing anthology of Christmas themed short story mysteries to delight murderinos during this holiday season -
A Postman murdered while delivering cards on Christmas morning.
A Christmas pine growing over a forgotten homicide.
A Yuletide heist gone horribly wrong.
Each of these vintage mystery stories just keep getting better and better. There are twelve stories that were atmospheric, gothic, and classic. As dead bodies turn up, the stories become more immersive and addictive. This short story collection was the perfect short story read to indulge in, during these cold winter nights.
I enjoyed each one of these stories!
December 24, 2021
A nice collection of mysteries that take place at Christmastime. I liked being introduced to the various authors and how they used the short story format. Some of the stories I liked more than others.
October 12, 2021
Another delightful collection of Christmas and other wintery mysteries. After all, who hasn’t been driven almost to murder or theft to get that desired present during this season. A nice mixture of well-known mystery writers and others not so well known. Perfect for the season because you may not have the time to read a whole book, but shorter stories fit in nicely for when you want to get away (or indulge in some murderous fantasies) but you don’t have a lot of time.
Enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.
December 13, 2021
Another enjoyable festive collection from the editorial hands of Martin Edwards, with the usual mixture of tales from the 1890s to the 1960s.
Four of the stories particularly stood out in quality. Carter Dickson's "Persons or Things Unknown" (1938) is a very Dickson-ian historical mystery, featuring a locked room butchering from the 17th century. Anthony Gilbert's "Give Me a Ring" (1955) is a novella length thriller that opens with a retail-based case of mistaken identity on a foggy festive evening. The writing for this was superb. The Julian Symons story has (unintentionally?) appeared in a previous collection, under a different title, but is a great story so I'll forgive the oversight. And Barry Perowne's "The Turn-Again Bell" (1959) was a delightful end to the collection, even if it's not a typical mystery.
Alongside these, there are good stories by the detective heavyweights Chesterton, Marsh and Allingham, as well as short-but-clever stories by Punshon and Dudley. Which just leaves three stories that I wasn't so fond of!
Four of the stories particularly stood out in quality. Carter Dickson's "Persons or Things Unknown" (1938) is a very Dickson-ian historical mystery, featuring a locked room butchering from the 17th century. Anthony Gilbert's "Give Me a Ring" (1955) is a novella length thriller that opens with a retail-based case of mistaken identity on a foggy festive evening. The writing for this was superb. The Julian Symons story has (unintentionally?) appeared in a previous collection, under a different title, but is a great story so I'll forgive the oversight. And Barry Perowne's "The Turn-Again Bell" (1959) was a delightful end to the collection, even if it's not a typical mystery.
Alongside these, there are good stories by the detective heavyweights Chesterton, Marsh and Allingham, as well as short-but-clever stories by Punshon and Dudley. Which just leaves three stories that I wasn't so fond of!
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September 12, 2021I am sorry to say that I tried to read this story but was not able to finish it. I was not excited about the characters or the subject matter. Not my cup of tea.
December 25, 2021
3.5 stars - As with any short story collection, some are better than others - I was disappointed with the Chesterton story, but very much enjoyed the Cyril Hare, ER Punshon and Julian Symons contributions. Each was very different, only tangentially Christmas-themed, but intriguing (I gave brief updates on each story as I read, see above). I liked the Ngaio Marsh because it featured her series detective, Inspector Alleyn, and his Sgt. Fox, even if it went on a bit long about wireless set mechanics. She did a good job of painting a picture of the wretched victim, and the miserable family he bullied.
The Carter Dickson (pen name for John Dickson Carr) featured his usual woo-woo ghost story vibe, which I really don’t like - but the historical story he presents, about a mysterious murder that took place in Restoration times, was interesting. I’ve just sampled the first few chapters of “The Hollow Man”, the Reading the Detectives group read for January, and I’m beginning to think Carr (or Dickson), just is not to my taste! He seems most interested in bizarre locked room murder methods and supernatural details - not my thing at all. But in a short story format, he seems more entertaining, and he doesn’t get mired in strange descriptions of his characters (I find his character descriptions and dialogue rather bizarre in his Gideon Fell mysteries; I often feel like I can’t picture his characters in my mind, they seem like grotesques!)
I’ve enjoyed other British Library Crime Classics story collections, and will continue trying them out - it’s a delightful way to sample new authors, and see favorite GA authors try out a different format.
The Carter Dickson (pen name for John Dickson Carr) featured his usual woo-woo ghost story vibe, which I really don’t like - but the historical story he presents, about a mysterious murder that took place in Restoration times, was interesting. I’ve just sampled the first few chapters of “The Hollow Man”, the Reading the Detectives group read for January, and I’m beginning to think Carr (or Dickson), just is not to my taste! He seems most interested in bizarre locked room murder methods and supernatural details - not my thing at all. But in a short story format, he seems more entertaining, and he doesn’t get mired in strange descriptions of his characters (I find his character descriptions and dialogue rather bizarre in his Gideon Fell mysteries; I often feel like I can’t picture his characters in my mind, they seem like grotesques!)
I’ve enjoyed other British Library Crime Classics story collections, and will continue trying them out - it’s a delightful way to sample new authors, and see favorite GA authors try out a different format.
November 16, 2021
This is a superb collection of short stories all set at Christmastime. There is a good mix across the twelve tales and the book includes work by Margery Allingham, G.K. Chesterton, and Julian Symons. Quite a few of the authors were new to me so this was a good introduction to their writing. My favourite story was "The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep" by Catherine Louisa Pirkis, and I also really enjoyed "Dead Man's Hand" by E.R. Punshon. Mystery and short story enthusiasts will treasure this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
October 21, 2021
A Surprise For Christmas is a collection of Christmas, classic mystery short stories from British Library Crime Classics. With the pretty cover, the stories inside are a great way to start the holiday season.
There were stories from authors I have read before and others new to me that I want to check out further works of. Each story has a brief introduction to the author. The stories vary in length, style, and tone. A couple of the stories could be described as crime/suspense.
There is a story by Ngaio Marsh that feels so complete and A Surprise For Christmas by Cyril Hare is short but wickedly sweet. My only complaint is that not all of the stories had much of a Christmas feel but Martin Edwards explains in the introduction that this is the fourth anthology for British Library Crime Classics so there probably aren't many left.
I really liked getting to read some authors again and I have some new ones to add to my list.
There were stories from authors I have read before and others new to me that I want to check out further works of. Each story has a brief introduction to the author. The stories vary in length, style, and tone. A couple of the stories could be described as crime/suspense.
There is a story by Ngaio Marsh that feels so complete and A Surprise For Christmas by Cyril Hare is short but wickedly sweet. My only complaint is that not all of the stories had much of a Christmas feel but Martin Edwards explains in the introduction that this is the fourth anthology for British Library Crime Classics so there probably aren't many left.
I really liked getting to read some authors again and I have some new ones to add to my list.
December 22, 2022
A very average selection of winter themed stories. It would have been better without the dreary entries from G K Chesterton and Anthony Gilbert.
November 3, 2021
This is the fourth collection of holiday crime stories (following Crimson Snow, Silent Nights, and The Christmas Card Crime & Other Stories) published in the British Library Crime Classics series. This series, edited by author Martin Edwards, has been a wonderful way to re-introduce long-lost (read: out of print) authors of the Golden Age of mystery from the early to mid-twentieth century and I've thoroughly enjoyed both the novels as well as the many short stories. If you love mysteries, and short stories, you'll treasure these books.
December 19, 2023
A good series of short stories which I enjoyed. The British Crime Library is a really Good series of books I can heartily recommend them.
September 12, 2021
Anytime a new British Library Crime Classics comes out is like Christmas. A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries (bit of a mouthful, that), edited by Martin Edwards, is like a box of Christmas crackers. There's something for everyone, and twelve stories in total, one for each day of Christmas. There are the usual authors - Gilbert (as Malleson), Allingham, and Chesterton, but also a Loveday Brooke by Pirkis that I hadn't seen before, and a Cyril Hare that I had, but still enjoyed. Like most anthologies, some of the stories are stronger than the others, and this isn't one of the better Christmas collections by BLCC, but it's well-worth a read, especially on a snowy Winter's night. 3.75 out of 5 stars I received an advance copy from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
December 5, 2022
This, the fourth holiday offering, was an odd collection. It started with a bang: "The Black Bag Left on the Doorstep" by Catherine Louisa Perkins, originally published in 1893, introduces her series character, Loveday Brooke, a lady detective. I thought she was a great character, and would enjoy reading more of the stories starring her, if they ever find the light of day again.
The other standout story, for me, was the titular "A Surprise for Christmas" by Cyril Hare, originally published in 1956. The surprise is rather nasty indeed, and the story has a pitch-perfect ending, IMO.
The rest of the lot were a mix of series characters (Father Brown, Inspector Alleyn, Albert Campion) and some kinda sub-par efforts, IMO. There was also a DNF for me - "Give me a Ring" by Anthony Gilbert. I DNFed my first title in this series by this same author under a different pen name, so it's likely that this author just isn't for me.
Most confusing was the inclusion of the exact same story in this collection as in the previous one, albeit under a different title. "'Twixt the Cup and the Lip" (in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories) and "Father Christmas Comes to Orbins" in this collection are exactly the same story. I don't know if this was a misprint or just an oversight? Either way, that's pretty poor.
The other standout story, for me, was the titular "A Surprise for Christmas" by Cyril Hare, originally published in 1956. The surprise is rather nasty indeed, and the story has a pitch-perfect ending, IMO.
The rest of the lot were a mix of series characters (Father Brown, Inspector Alleyn, Albert Campion) and some kinda sub-par efforts, IMO. There was also a DNF for me - "Give me a Ring" by Anthony Gilbert. I DNFed my first title in this series by this same author under a different pen name, so it's likely that this author just isn't for me.
Most confusing was the inclusion of the exact same story in this collection as in the previous one, albeit under a different title. "'Twixt the Cup and the Lip" (in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories) and "Father Christmas Comes to Orbins" in this collection are exactly the same story. I don't know if this was a misprint or just an oversight? Either way, that's pretty poor.
May 6, 2022
This was a good book of short stories, but I was a bit disappointed with the Christmas aspect of them. Namely, there really wasn't one. About the only "Christmas" aspect was a brief mention of the fact that it was Christmas at the beginning of each story, then the story simply went on. It was that way in every story in the book. The mention of Christmas in most of the stories could have been left out completely and it wouldn't have made a difference in the story itself. So, if you enjoy mysteries, this is a good book of short mysteries that I highly recommend. But, if you want your mysteries with a Christmas flavor, this isn't the book for you.
December 30, 2020
Had to skip a few stories for being boring but over all a great read for Christmas. Last story the best by far.
February 11, 2022
I have read a few other collections of this ilk, not as many as I would have liked. Just for my own logging needs, I had decided to list individual stories with their summary, what I thought of them etc. This takes some doing because I did not jot them down when I read them the first time. I had to peruse them faster and remind myself of my reactions based on the story itself. That is why this review is making an appearance now and not earlier in the year.
The Black Bag Left on the Doorstep - Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1893)
This was quite surprising for the year it was written in. I did not expect the kind of narrative that followed. I have not read any other books by the author and found the style quite different.
We have a woman detective being sent out to solve the puzzle of a robbery in a country home. It involves class distinctions knowledge of things we could not have, but the ending does not make the reader feel too bad about not putting the pieces together. (3 stars)
The Hole in the wall - GK Chesterton (1921)
This was a little longer than I would have liked. There is a lot of buildup with regards to the people assembled at a masquerade party. The story seems to be heading one way but ends up finding a more sensible solution as the ultimate conclusion.
The characters were given quirks as traits to keep them straight in the narrative, and it was not a bad story, with the atmosphere of the dark and icy night as a backdrop. (3 stars)
Death on the air - Ngaio Marsh (1937)
I felt like the title was one I had read from the author. I had found a few books by this author somewhere in 2012 before my use of Goodreads, so I cannot say for sure. That said, The story was new to me, and I did not expect the ending.
This is a closed room mystery where the tyrant of a home is found dead with strange markings on his fingers. There are many players in the narrative, family and family adjacent, who all felt the wrath of the head of the family and definitely wanted him dead. (4 stars)
Persons or Things Unknown - Carter Dickson (1938)
This was a slower story, with a cozy gathering deciding to embark on a ghost story. The story is of a maiden who is fated to have rivals for her hand, and one of them dies mysteriously. It is not as much a mystery as a closed room spooky story that has an interesting ending. I found it surprising and equally plausible! (3 stars)
Dead Man's hand - E.R.Punshon (1953)
This was my kind of story. It begins on a snowy night, and it takes a couple of paragraphs to figure out the current state of things. Once the norm is established, the rest of the story just flies past. It is not a mystery in any sense of the word. It does fit the location and season of the story, so my rating still stands (5 stars)
The Christmas Eve Ghost - Ernest Dudley (1948)
The story has a more traditional mystery beginning, more like the first one than any of the others. We have a worried woman approach a detective for advice. The ending was pretty obvious, and the setup reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes story I will not mention by name. Despite that, I did not dislike the case. (3 stars)
Dick Whittington's Cat - Victor Canning (1950)
In the beginning, with the 'cat' being a central plot point, I almost did not make any sense of the events on the page. Once that was clarified, I was a lot more interested in the story. It is not much of a mystery, but the pacing was was just right, and the reveal quite dramatic. Given how quickly things had moved, I would not have expected to be as tickled by the ending as I was. (4 stars)
A Surprise for Christmas - Cyril Hare (1959)
This was probably my favourite of the lot. Once again, not a mystery, so that may be saying something about what I like from such old narratives. It seems like an average Christmassy household until the husband and wife start to talk. Their conversation reveals something to us, and even before the ending came, I saw it coming. Despite this, I really liked the way the story unfolded. (5 stars)
On Christmas Day in the Morning - Margery Allingham (1950)
I received one of the author's reprints as my first (one of three) physical arcs. I found those short stories decent, but this was slightly more fun. The postman has been found dead, and his whereabouts before the event is very important to determine the next course of action. The mystery is solved in bits and pieces, and there is no way the readers could guess before we are told. It is an easy read in some ways, laying out the rest of the clues in an orderly fashion. (3 stars)
Give Me a Ring - Anthony Gilbert (1955)
This is more of a misadventure than a mystery. We begin with a woman stumbling onto the wrong lane in the fog and ending up in the crosshairs of a functioning gang. What happens next takes a lot of pages to get done. The actions of everyone involved was quite interesting, but I just wish it had been slightly shorter. (3 stars)
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins - Julian Symons (1963)
Once again, not a mystery but the different parts of a heist. The planning, the execution and the fallout. I have been watching old black and white movies of such scenarios on Netflix and really enjoyed them. This is along the same vein. The ending helped decide my rating. (3 stars)
The Turn-Again Bell - Barry Perowne (1959)
This is more of a family drama, and we see a certain sequence of events happen without a logical explanation. I guess, since we aren't made to look out for the answer, it could qualify as an actual mystery. (3 stars)
I liked this book better at second perusal and when thinking about it. Even with the individual rating, I give the whole collection a slightly better rating.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The Black Bag Left on the Doorstep - Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1893)
This was quite surprising for the year it was written in. I did not expect the kind of narrative that followed. I have not read any other books by the author and found the style quite different.
We have a woman detective being sent out to solve the puzzle of a robbery in a country home. It involves class distinctions knowledge of things we could not have, but the ending does not make the reader feel too bad about not putting the pieces together. (3 stars)
The Hole in the wall - GK Chesterton (1921)
This was a little longer than I would have liked. There is a lot of buildup with regards to the people assembled at a masquerade party. The story seems to be heading one way but ends up finding a more sensible solution as the ultimate conclusion.
The characters were given quirks as traits to keep them straight in the narrative, and it was not a bad story, with the atmosphere of the dark and icy night as a backdrop. (3 stars)
Death on the air - Ngaio Marsh (1937)
I felt like the title was one I had read from the author. I had found a few books by this author somewhere in 2012 before my use of Goodreads, so I cannot say for sure. That said, The story was new to me, and I did not expect the ending.
This is a closed room mystery where the tyrant of a home is found dead with strange markings on his fingers. There are many players in the narrative, family and family adjacent, who all felt the wrath of the head of the family and definitely wanted him dead. (4 stars)
Persons or Things Unknown - Carter Dickson (1938)
This was a slower story, with a cozy gathering deciding to embark on a ghost story. The story is of a maiden who is fated to have rivals for her hand, and one of them dies mysteriously. It is not as much a mystery as a closed room spooky story that has an interesting ending. I found it surprising and equally plausible! (3 stars)
Dead Man's hand - E.R.Punshon (1953)
This was my kind of story. It begins on a snowy night, and it takes a couple of paragraphs to figure out the current state of things. Once the norm is established, the rest of the story just flies past. It is not a mystery in any sense of the word. It does fit the location and season of the story, so my rating still stands (5 stars)
The Christmas Eve Ghost - Ernest Dudley (1948)
The story has a more traditional mystery beginning, more like the first one than any of the others. We have a worried woman approach a detective for advice. The ending was pretty obvious, and the setup reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes story I will not mention by name. Despite that, I did not dislike the case. (3 stars)
Dick Whittington's Cat - Victor Canning (1950)
In the beginning, with the 'cat' being a central plot point, I almost did not make any sense of the events on the page. Once that was clarified, I was a lot more interested in the story. It is not much of a mystery, but the pacing was was just right, and the reveal quite dramatic. Given how quickly things had moved, I would not have expected to be as tickled by the ending as I was. (4 stars)
A Surprise for Christmas - Cyril Hare (1959)
This was probably my favourite of the lot. Once again, not a mystery, so that may be saying something about what I like from such old narratives. It seems like an average Christmassy household until the husband and wife start to talk. Their conversation reveals something to us, and even before the ending came, I saw it coming. Despite this, I really liked the way the story unfolded. (5 stars)
On Christmas Day in the Morning - Margery Allingham (1950)
I received one of the author's reprints as my first (one of three) physical arcs. I found those short stories decent, but this was slightly more fun. The postman has been found dead, and his whereabouts before the event is very important to determine the next course of action. The mystery is solved in bits and pieces, and there is no way the readers could guess before we are told. It is an easy read in some ways, laying out the rest of the clues in an orderly fashion. (3 stars)
Give Me a Ring - Anthony Gilbert (1955)
This is more of a misadventure than a mystery. We begin with a woman stumbling onto the wrong lane in the fog and ending up in the crosshairs of a functioning gang. What happens next takes a lot of pages to get done. The actions of everyone involved was quite interesting, but I just wish it had been slightly shorter. (3 stars)
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins - Julian Symons (1963)
Once again, not a mystery but the different parts of a heist. The planning, the execution and the fallout. I have been watching old black and white movies of such scenarios on Netflix and really enjoyed them. This is along the same vein. The ending helped decide my rating. (3 stars)
The Turn-Again Bell - Barry Perowne (1959)
This is more of a family drama, and we see a certain sequence of events happen without a logical explanation. I guess, since we aren't made to look out for the answer, it could qualify as an actual mystery. (3 stars)
I liked this book better at second perusal and when thinking about it. Even with the individual rating, I give the whole collection a slightly better rating.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
December 17, 2021
Love mysteries and suspense? Enjoy holiday/winter themed short stories? I recommend Martin Edwards' newest collection for the British Library Crime series. The series includes novels and short story collections. (I have read several in this series, but not all by any means!)
The stories included in this collection are as follows:
The Black Bag Left On a Doorstep by Catharine Louisa Pirkis
The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton
Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson
Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley
Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham
Give Me a Ring by Gilbert Lucy Malleson
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne
I found the collection to be a blend of familiar authors and new-to-me authors. Most of the stories stayed within the mystery/suspense genre. A couple, however, flirted with other genres or sub-genres. For example, stories that focused on crimes from the criminal point of view. One story is definitely ALL thriller. (Give Me a Ring was a LONG thriller-esque story that kept me turning pages.)
I enjoyed almost all of the stories within this collection. (Perhaps with the exception of Father Christmas Comes to Orbins. I don't know WHERE I've read the story before. Perhaps in another Christmas-themed collection. But I didn't enjoy it the first time around. A few paragraphs in, I was THAT STORY AGAIN???
Still for the most part I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection for those that enjoy this genre.
The stories included in this collection are as follows:
The Black Bag Left On a Doorstep by Catharine Louisa Pirkis
The Hole in the Wall by G.K. Chesterton
Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson
Dead Man's Hand by E.R. Punshon
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley
Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham
Give Me a Ring by Gilbert Lucy Malleson
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne
I found the collection to be a blend of familiar authors and new-to-me authors. Most of the stories stayed within the mystery/suspense genre. A couple, however, flirted with other genres or sub-genres. For example, stories that focused on crimes from the criminal point of view. One story is definitely ALL thriller. (Give Me a Ring was a LONG thriller-esque story that kept me turning pages.)
I enjoyed almost all of the stories within this collection. (Perhaps with the exception of Father Christmas Comes to Orbins. I don't know WHERE I've read the story before. Perhaps in another Christmas-themed collection. But I didn't enjoy it the first time around. A few paragraphs in, I was THAT STORY AGAIN???
Still for the most part I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection for those that enjoy this genre.
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