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Afraid of The Christmas Lights
Festive Shorts from the Biggest Stars in Crime Fiction
217 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
106 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
December 4, 2020
This was an enjoyable collection of 18 suspenseful short stories with a Christmas setting. Most of the writers were unfamiliar to me. There are links to their webpages where I will definitely pursue the past works of my favourites. This anthology is a follow up to a collection, Afraid of the Light. Profits for this book will be given to a charity for abused women. More women have been suffering in these lockdown months when escaping their homes is difficult. This is an excellent short story collection which should appeal to many during this upcoming holiday season.
December 11, 2020
This compilation of short stories has a mixture of everything...from humorous to strange. All centered around the Christmas holiday. I was attracted by authors I’ve read previously. But I enjoyed being given a taste of some new ones.
I love reading short stories! It’s easy to find a stopping point and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot of reading in a small amount of time! I didn’t realize I’d jumped right into Book 2, so I’ve added Book 1 to my TBR list.
Per the Amazon page...All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to frontline domestic abuse charities.
Thank you to Pigeonhole for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: December 1st 2020
Pages: 195
Recommend: Yes
@sophiehannahCB1 @VictoriaSelman @Phoebe_A_Morgan @elle_croft @katesboat @robert_scragg @MarkBillingham @JDelargyAuthor @NikiMackayBooks @adamsouthward @ThePigeonholeHQ
#AfraidOfTheChristmasLights #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #BookReview
I love reading short stories! It’s easy to find a stopping point and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot of reading in a small amount of time! I didn’t realize I’d jumped right into Book 2, so I’ve added Book 1 to my TBR list.
Per the Amazon page...All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to frontline domestic abuse charities.
Thank you to Pigeonhole for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: December 1st 2020
Pages: 195
Recommend: Yes
@sophiehannahCB1 @VictoriaSelman @Phoebe_A_Morgan @elle_croft @katesboat @robert_scragg @MarkBillingham @JDelargyAuthor @NikiMackayBooks @adamsouthward @ThePigeonholeHQ
#AfraidOfTheChristmasLights #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #BookReview
December 13, 2020
A fun, quick Christmas read
So happy to have found this book of short Crime Christmas stories. Enjoyed most of them on this Sunday afternoon
So happy to have found this book of short Crime Christmas stories. Enjoyed most of them on this Sunday afternoon
December 27, 2022
It's hard rating a book of short stories. Some were excellent and others were awful.
December 11, 2020
This is a fantastic anthology of short crime stories from some great crime writers, including Elle Croft, Mark Billingham, Phoebe Morgan, Sophie Hannah and Victoria Selman. Good for reading at any time but especially over the Christmas period, all profits from
Afraid Of The Christmas Lights
will go to charity.
Usually, I'm not fanatical about reading short stories, but all of these held my interest and packed a punch in their individual ways. They were all terrifically good but if pressed for a couple of standouts I would say that 'The Vigilante' by Clare Empson was exceptional with a memorable main character, and Phoebe Morgan's 'An Unexpected Present' also added brightness to my day. Each tale is very different in tone and style with varying degrees of darkness, scariness, and chill factor. Some were sad, disturbing, or weird, but all were compelling, enjoyable and well worth reading.
I read Afraid Of The Christmas Lights in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to the authors, and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Usually, I'm not fanatical about reading short stories, but all of these held my interest and packed a punch in their individual ways. They were all terrifically good but if pressed for a couple of standouts I would say that 'The Vigilante' by Clare Empson was exceptional with a memorable main character, and Phoebe Morgan's 'An Unexpected Present' also added brightness to my day. Each tale is very different in tone and style with varying degrees of darkness, scariness, and chill factor. Some were sad, disturbing, or weird, but all were compelling, enjoyable and well worth reading.
I read Afraid Of The Christmas Lights in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to the authors, and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
December 15, 2020
I received this ARC for honest review.
What a great thrill and suspense it was to read. What a great psychological thrill! This novel had everything in it. The thrill, the suspense, the psychological, and the twist is crazy. This novel will keep you thinking and guessing. When you think you right, well let me just say that you might be wrong. This had me all over the place. My heart beating so fast! I couldn't believe what I was reading. If had me in shock. Every page, every chapter was a page turner. I couldn't believe my eyes what I was reading. I highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. It will surprise you in every way.
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The storyline was very good!
The theme and setting was well put together. The characters was well put together in the story.
This story will have in a rollercoaster with all the spooky and secrets. Was so well put in the story.
Everything all in one book.
It was just perfect!
I highly recommend everybody get this and read it.
What a great read! This had me hooked from the beginning. What a Rollercoaster! The sitting, theme, and the Characters had me pulled so in. Everything was well put together and it was just perfect. This novel would have you guess and thinking all the way to the end. What a great thrill and suspense. I love a great suspense that would have me think and guessing. This novel did just that to me. To the point that am wrong. When the ending comes am on shock. I wouldn't of never believe or guess. Like OMG!
Highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. Its so good!
Can't wait for her next book.
What a great thrill and suspense it was to read. What a great psychological thrill! This novel had everything in it. The thrill, the suspense, the psychological, and the twist is crazy. This novel will keep you thinking and guessing. When you think you right, well let me just say that you might be wrong. This had me all over the place. My heart beating so fast! I couldn't believe what I was reading. If had me in shock. Every page, every chapter was a page turner. I couldn't believe my eyes what I was reading. I highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. It will surprise you in every way.
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The storyline was very good!
The theme and setting was well put together. The characters was well put together in the story.
This story will have in a rollercoaster with all the spooky and secrets. Was so well put in the story.
Everything all in one book.
It was just perfect!
I highly recommend everybody get this and read it.
What a great read! This had me hooked from the beginning. What a Rollercoaster! The sitting, theme, and the Characters had me pulled so in. Everything was well put together and it was just perfect. This novel would have you guess and thinking all the way to the end. What a great thrill and suspense. I love a great suspense that would have me think and guessing. This novel did just that to me. To the point that am wrong. When the ending comes am on shock. I wouldn't of never believe or guess. Like OMG!
Highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. Its so good!
Can't wait for her next book.
November 28, 2020
Short but extremely powerful stories from established writers, some of whom I have come across before, and others I haven't.
I don't usually read short stories, but when I do I am often pleasantly surprised and enjoy the clever way in which a whole story can be written with so few words! Occasionally I have read an anthology which has far from impressed me but with Afraid of the Christmas Lights I was bowled over by the punch each story had. Many were quite dark and many contained superb twists, and all of them had a link to the festive season.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. If you like thrillers and crime reads and anything with a sense of the dark side of human nature, then this is a read which will counteract the sweetness of all those Christmas chocolates!
I don't usually read short stories, but when I do I am often pleasantly surprised and enjoy the clever way in which a whole story can be written with so few words! Occasionally I have read an anthology which has far from impressed me but with Afraid of the Christmas Lights I was bowled over by the punch each story had. Many were quite dark and many contained superb twists, and all of them had a link to the festive season.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. If you like thrillers and crime reads and anything with a sense of the dark side of human nature, then this is a read which will counteract the sweetness of all those Christmas chocolates!
November 28, 2020
Some of my favourite authors amongst these including Victoria Selman, Phoebe Morgan and James Delargy. I’ve selected a few of the ones I enjoyed the most to review.
An Unexpected Present by Phoebe Morgan
I love the very dark humour in this story. Calmly wrapping up her dead husband in Christmas paper – ‘Marks and Spencer’s paper isn’t cheap’ she thinks, ‘I was glad I’d be able to put it to good use’, worrying that ‘the turkey isn’t going to cook itself’. This was hilarious in that I just murdered my husband but I mustn’t let dinner spoil kind of way. Absolutely brilliant.
Hunted by Victoria Selman
Victoria gives us another dark story but this one has a real twist at the end. Did you guess? Short and sweet.
Especially at Christmas by Adam Southward
The darkest story of all. Even I struggled to find any humour in this one. Very clever and absolutely chilling.
Fresh Meat by Elle Croft
We kind of all guessed what was going to happen but it didn’t matter. The moral of the tale is never mess with a crazy cat lady. And anyone on Pigeonhole knows that you NEVER mess with the cat. Loved this story.
The Switch by James Delargy
This is so cleverly written. The narrator is telling us about a woman who killed her husband and two small children and is about to be executed. No humour here. He is talking to her in her last few moments before they pull the switch. The bit where they shave her head before she is electrocuted really got to me (I had to Google why they do this). This story stands out from all the others because it is so poignant and sad. I am a huge fan of this author and rightly so. So glad we got rid of the death penalty in this country years ago. It makes me shudder how they can still do this in some states of the US.
A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas by Robert Scragg
Us Pigeons love a doggy tale just as much as we love a kitty tale (as long as the animals don’t get hurt) so this one was perfect. Never let your morals get in the way when someone hurts an animal. They must get their just desserts. Brilliant.
The Vigilante by Clare Empson
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, along comes my favourite. David loves Charles Dickens. A Victorian superhero. I read this story with tears in my eyes ( I admit I’ve been very emotional since hearing that the Bristol Zoo of my childhood memories is closing – well re-locating but that’s not the point). I digress. How beautiful and sad and totally original.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
An Unexpected Present by Phoebe Morgan
I love the very dark humour in this story. Calmly wrapping up her dead husband in Christmas paper – ‘Marks and Spencer’s paper isn’t cheap’ she thinks, ‘I was glad I’d be able to put it to good use’, worrying that ‘the turkey isn’t going to cook itself’. This was hilarious in that I just murdered my husband but I mustn’t let dinner spoil kind of way. Absolutely brilliant.
Hunted by Victoria Selman
Victoria gives us another dark story but this one has a real twist at the end. Did you guess? Short and sweet.
Especially at Christmas by Adam Southward
The darkest story of all. Even I struggled to find any humour in this one. Very clever and absolutely chilling.
Fresh Meat by Elle Croft
We kind of all guessed what was going to happen but it didn’t matter. The moral of the tale is never mess with a crazy cat lady. And anyone on Pigeonhole knows that you NEVER mess with the cat. Loved this story.
The Switch by James Delargy
This is so cleverly written. The narrator is telling us about a woman who killed her husband and two small children and is about to be executed. No humour here. He is talking to her in her last few moments before they pull the switch. The bit where they shave her head before she is electrocuted really got to me (I had to Google why they do this). This story stands out from all the others because it is so poignant and sad. I am a huge fan of this author and rightly so. So glad we got rid of the death penalty in this country years ago. It makes me shudder how they can still do this in some states of the US.
A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas by Robert Scragg
Us Pigeons love a doggy tale just as much as we love a kitty tale (as long as the animals don’t get hurt) so this one was perfect. Never let your morals get in the way when someone hurts an animal. They must get their just desserts. Brilliant.
The Vigilante by Clare Empson
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, along comes my favourite. David loves Charles Dickens. A Victorian superhero. I read this story with tears in my eyes ( I admit I’ve been very emotional since hearing that the Bristol Zoo of my childhood memories is closing – well re-locating but that’s not the point). I digress. How beautiful and sad and totally original.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
December 9, 2020
I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.
This was a great selection of festive stories all with a crime theme. The stories were written by some well known crime writers including: Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Rachael Blok, Heather Critchlow, Sara Collins (Goodreads Author), Elle Croft (Goodreads Author), James Delargy, Clare Empson, Jo Furniss (Goodreads Author), Sophie Hannah (Goodreads Author), T.E. Kinsey (Goodreads Author), N.J. Mackay, S.R. Masters (Goodreads Author), Phoebe Morgan (Goodreads Author), Dominic Nolan, Robert Scragg (Goodreads Author), Victoria Selman, Kate Simants (Goodreads Author), Adam Southward (Goodreads Author), Harriet Tyce (Goodreads Author).
I bought this ebook from Amazon, the profits from the book are being used to support frontline domestic abuse victims.
I really enjoyed the stories and it's the sort of book that you can dip in and out of at random. I binge read them though and as usual was reading more than one book at once.
I can thoroughly recommend them and why not grab a copy to help support this worthy cause at the same time.
This was a great selection of festive stories all with a crime theme. The stories were written by some well known crime writers including: Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Rachael Blok, Heather Critchlow, Sara Collins (Goodreads Author), Elle Croft (Goodreads Author), James Delargy, Clare Empson, Jo Furniss (Goodreads Author), Sophie Hannah (Goodreads Author), T.E. Kinsey (Goodreads Author), N.J. Mackay, S.R. Masters (Goodreads Author), Phoebe Morgan (Goodreads Author), Dominic Nolan, Robert Scragg (Goodreads Author), Victoria Selman, Kate Simants (Goodreads Author), Adam Southward (Goodreads Author), Harriet Tyce (Goodreads Author).
I bought this ebook from Amazon, the profits from the book are being used to support frontline domestic abuse victims.
I really enjoyed the stories and it's the sort of book that you can dip in and out of at random. I binge read them though and as usual was reading more than one book at once.
I can thoroughly recommend them and why not grab a copy to help support this worthy cause at the same time.
January 4, 2021
Afraid of the Christmas Lights is a collection of crime/thriller stories based around Christmas time and is perfect if you like your Christmas books to have a bit of an edge!
I'd not read any of these authors before but there are now a few I definitely want to read more from!
The stories start off Christmassy but then you remember this is a crime book and they all take a darker turn or have some sort of twisted, gruesome ending. I loved it!
Like all short story collections I enjoyed some stories more than others, I liked the majority of them, there were only a couple that weren't for me!
Stand out favourites were Breadwinner, a twist on divorce proceedings by Sophie Hannah, Bad Guy by Kate Simants which is all about a terrible prank going wrong and Especially At Christmas by Adam Southward which was particularly dark and twisted!
I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for something different to read at Christmas, plus profits from the books are donated to domestic abuse charities so you are helping to support a brilliant cause at the same time! After reading I immediately purchased the first book from this series, Afraid of The Lights, and hopefully there will be more of these books in the future!
I'd not read any of these authors before but there are now a few I definitely want to read more from!
The stories start off Christmassy but then you remember this is a crime book and they all take a darker turn or have some sort of twisted, gruesome ending. I loved it!
Like all short story collections I enjoyed some stories more than others, I liked the majority of them, there were only a couple that weren't for me!
Stand out favourites were Breadwinner, a twist on divorce proceedings by Sophie Hannah, Bad Guy by Kate Simants which is all about a terrible prank going wrong and Especially At Christmas by Adam Southward which was particularly dark and twisted!
I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for something different to read at Christmas, plus profits from the books are donated to domestic abuse charities so you are helping to support a brilliant cause at the same time! After reading I immediately purchased the first book from this series, Afraid of The Lights, and hopefully there will be more of these books in the future!
December 10, 2020
Christmas and crime a good combination. I loved these short stories.
Enjoyable read for Christmas time. Good authors and my god! what wild imagination they have to come up with these stories. Some are darn creepy but so much fun.
I highly recommend these Christmas short stories. Fast read too!
Enjoyable read for Christmas time. Good authors and my god! what wild imagination they have to come up with these stories. Some are darn creepy but so much fun.
I highly recommend these Christmas short stories. Fast read too!
December 9, 2020
A great little book to either dip into over the festive period when you have had too many chocolates, or devour in one sitting.
I particularly liked the snappiness of some of the stories, punchy and straight to the point!
There are some authors who I have read novels by, and yet more new authors for me to look up.
All in all a great little book.
We need more Christmas crime books.
I particularly liked the snappiness of some of the stories, punchy and straight to the point!
There are some authors who I have read novels by, and yet more new authors for me to look up.
All in all a great little book.
We need more Christmas crime books.
December 17, 2020
It mystifies me that the vast majority of fiction with Christmas themes is either romances or mysteries. There are very few novels in comparison, so at this time of year I find myself reading mysteries, an occasional romance and some YA books. This collection is described as "festive". I would hesitate to use this adjective for this collection. A majority of these short stories feature murders, often brutal, and not cozy Agatha Christies of the "oh look! There's a body in the garden" variety. I was surprised by this. I am a great fan of psychological mysteries and police procedurals, and avoid those that are too overtly violent. The best thing about this series is that the proceeds from the sales of this collection benefit organizations fighting domestic abuse.
December 5, 2020
This is a great little book to keep close to hand (or eye) during the lead up to/Christmas holidays, and all profits from Afraid Of The Christmas Lights will go to support two front-line charities*
I was part of an advance readers group on the Pigeonhole Book Club that got early access to this anthology of short stories from some great crime writers, including Elle Croft, Mark Billingham, Phoebe Morgan, Val McDermid and Victoria Selman. Not a huge fan of short stories usually, I feel that by their nature they don't really have enough time for plot or character development which can lead them to being quite predictable.
However recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic I have found it harder to concentrate while reading (disaster!) and these little stories actually really helped, both by being short enough to hold my concentration, and good enough to kindle my interest, all the while impressing me with the punch they each packed in a limited number of words. One or two, in particular 'The Vigilante' by Clare Empson left me feeling like I had read an entire book centred around the main character and a special appearance from Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne also managed to cheer up a grey November day.
Each of these little tales is very different in tone and style and one or two just didn't hit home for me, but, as they were so short, it didn't feel like I'd lost anything by spending the time to read them, as you might with a full novel - also, no pressure to add it to the dreaded 'did not finish' pile that all reviewers hate to consign a book to. The rest were various combinations of dark, scary, funny, chilling, sad, disturbing, sometimes predictable - sometimes not. All in all a really enjoyable mixed bag.
At just £1.99 on Kindle at the moment, if you're a fan of crime stories you should really buy this book. And of course, the profits all go to the following charities, so even more reason to give it a try!
ESDAS: Educates professionals, communities, victims and even perpetrators on the nature of domestic abuse. They offer practical measures, such as legal advice and transport, to enable survivors to find a safe place to live.
Rights of Women: Helps women understand their legal rights and access a range of support services to which they are entitled.
I was part of an advance readers group on the Pigeonhole Book Club that got early access to this anthology of short stories from some great crime writers, including Elle Croft, Mark Billingham, Phoebe Morgan, Val McDermid and Victoria Selman. Not a huge fan of short stories usually, I feel that by their nature they don't really have enough time for plot or character development which can lead them to being quite predictable.
However recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic I have found it harder to concentrate while reading (disaster!) and these little stories actually really helped, both by being short enough to hold my concentration, and good enough to kindle my interest, all the while impressing me with the punch they each packed in a limited number of words. One or two, in particular 'The Vigilante' by Clare Empson left me feeling like I had read an entire book centred around the main character and a special appearance from Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne also managed to cheer up a grey November day.
Each of these little tales is very different in tone and style and one or two just didn't hit home for me, but, as they were so short, it didn't feel like I'd lost anything by spending the time to read them, as you might with a full novel - also, no pressure to add it to the dreaded 'did not finish' pile that all reviewers hate to consign a book to. The rest were various combinations of dark, scary, funny, chilling, sad, disturbing, sometimes predictable - sometimes not. All in all a really enjoyable mixed bag.
At just £1.99 on Kindle at the moment, if you're a fan of crime stories you should really buy this book. And of course, the profits all go to the following charities, so even more reason to give it a try!
ESDAS: Educates professionals, communities, victims and even perpetrators on the nature of domestic abuse. They offer practical measures, such as legal advice and transport, to enable survivors to find a safe place to live.
Rights of Women: Helps women understand their legal rights and access a range of support services to which they are entitled.
December 9, 2020
Ok people sing it with me….. All I want for Christmas is …..a…clue, oooh oooh baby.
Alright, so I know thats not right but I guarantee you still sang it with me. It’s my opening line for you to check out this book. OMG this book……no words, seriously. (Yet somehow below you will find I still mustered some up).
An anthology of short crime stories written by some really awesome and famous authors. Let me tell you, I zoomed through this. Some of these stories.... holy poop! They are going to stay with me forever. Last night I stayed up just thinking of one of them over and over and couldn’t get it out of my head.
Thing is, every single one of them are like that. I’d tell you which ones are my favorites but I can’t, they are all so marvelous. I also have to tell you I picked up some new authors to check out and follow, on top of purchasing a few more books. (Like I need more).
I can’t gush about this book enough, its perfect. So for all you crime and mystery lovers who are sick of the mushy made-for-tv holiday books (like the ones I keep reading and posting) this book is for you. Full of crime, intrigue, and some really messed up people, you have got to grab a copy of this NOW. It is so totally worth the read.
Oh and even better, all proceeds from this compilation of stories go to frontline domestic abuse charities, so it’s worth grabbing just for that reason alone.
5 Stars, or should I say daggers?
Alright, so I know thats not right but I guarantee you still sang it with me. It’s my opening line for you to check out this book. OMG this book……no words, seriously. (Yet somehow below you will find I still mustered some up).
An anthology of short crime stories written by some really awesome and famous authors. Let me tell you, I zoomed through this. Some of these stories.... holy poop! They are going to stay with me forever. Last night I stayed up just thinking of one of them over and over and couldn’t get it out of my head.
Thing is, every single one of them are like that. I’d tell you which ones are my favorites but I can’t, they are all so marvelous. I also have to tell you I picked up some new authors to check out and follow, on top of purchasing a few more books. (Like I need more).
I can’t gush about this book enough, its perfect. So for all you crime and mystery lovers who are sick of the mushy made-for-tv holiday books (like the ones I keep reading and posting) this book is for you. Full of crime, intrigue, and some really messed up people, you have got to grab a copy of this NOW. It is so totally worth the read.
Oh and even better, all proceeds from this compilation of stories go to frontline domestic abuse charities, so it’s worth grabbing just for that reason alone.
5 Stars, or should I say daggers?
December 23, 2025
“Afraid Of The Christmas Lights” (AOTCL) is an anthology of crime stories set around, or thematically around, Christmas. It comprises 18 short stories written by a powerhouse group of crime and thriller authors. The collection is edited by Miranda Jewess and Victoria Selman.
This is, collectively, a fabulous group of stories. Some focus on crimes to be solved or dealing with crimes that have occurred (or perhaps are about to occur). Each story is quite different from the others which keeps the book fresh throughout. Some are relatively straightforward tales and others have some of the most excellent twists in the tail. Each story is relatively short too (I read it on my Kindle so am guessing the longest would have been approx 20pages long) which encourages the “just one more”. Generally in a short story collection there are some stand outs and some that are less memorable - but AOTCL has 18 out of 18 very good stories.
My favourites were, in no particular order, “Driving Home For Christmas” by Rachael Blok, “Fresh Meat” by Elle Croft, “The Breadwinner” by Sophie Hanna, “Missteps” by N J Mackay, “A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas” by Robert Scragg, “Hunted” by Victoria Selman, and “Bad Guy” by Kate Simants.
AOTCL gets 5 festive felonies out of 5.
This is, collectively, a fabulous group of stories. Some focus on crimes to be solved or dealing with crimes that have occurred (or perhaps are about to occur). Each story is quite different from the others which keeps the book fresh throughout. Some are relatively straightforward tales and others have some of the most excellent twists in the tail. Each story is relatively short too (I read it on my Kindle so am guessing the longest would have been approx 20pages long) which encourages the “just one more”. Generally in a short story collection there are some stand outs and some that are less memorable - but AOTCL has 18 out of 18 very good stories.
My favourites were, in no particular order, “Driving Home For Christmas” by Rachael Blok, “Fresh Meat” by Elle Croft, “The Breadwinner” by Sophie Hanna, “Missteps” by N J Mackay, “A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas” by Robert Scragg, “Hunted” by Victoria Selman, and “Bad Guy” by Kate Simants.
AOTCL gets 5 festive felonies out of 5.
December 21, 2020
This book is a collection of short stories by some of the famous authors in the world of crime thriller. All of them are themed around Christmas. However, they hardly provide the cozy or romantic aura of the festive season. Rather these stories are ruthless and gruesome descriptions of crimes and their punishments. My favorite story is The Breadwinner. The story is about a divorce case hearing in a courtroom during the Christmas season.
If you are looking for something other than your regular cozy or romantic holiday read, then you must try this book. The stories are unique and suspenseful. Also very helpful to bring you out of your reading slump.
Also, I loved the vibrant cover of the book.
If you are looking for something other than your regular cozy or romantic holiday read, then you must try this book. The stories are unique and suspenseful. Also very helpful to bring you out of your reading slump.
Also, I loved the vibrant cover of the book.
December 11, 2020
An excellent collection of short stories written by a group of extremely talented crime writers. I LOVED the previous anthology "Afraid of the Lights" and this was just as good, if not better.
The collection also raises money for domestic abuse charities so I am considering it as Christmas gifts for a few family/friends. There's not one bad story and there are a real range of styles and plots. Even some humour too! Definitely something in here for everyone.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for access to this great book. I really hope there is another one in the works!
The collection also raises money for domestic abuse charities so I am considering it as Christmas gifts for a few family/friends. There's not one bad story and there are a real range of styles and plots. Even some humour too! Definitely something in here for everyone.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for access to this great book. I really hope there is another one in the works!
December 28, 2020
If you weren't convinced about spending 99p on this bitesized book of crime shorts, surely the fact that all profits from sales will be donated to domestic abuse charities will be what sways you?
Many of my favourite authors were to be found in this book & I have discovered several new writers who's work I want to check out. Perfect reading if you want a festive read, but don't want to go down the romance route. Whether you're a lover of all things Christmas or a bah humbug there's something for everyone 🎅
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
Many of my favourite authors were to be found in this book & I have discovered several new writers who's work I want to check out. Perfect reading if you want a festive read, but don't want to go down the romance route. Whether you're a lover of all things Christmas or a bah humbug there's something for everyone 🎅
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
January 13, 2021
RA
These stories were drawn together for an important cause, and it was nice to see downtrodden women turn the tables in several of them. The central story, Heavenly Peace, was understated but very powerful. The Switch is a subtle story of a woman in the electric chair; a woman whose willpower has its own justice: brilliant! The very tender Charles Dickens themed story, in which we see the nighttime of London and a tormented soul exposed is superb. The brief Hunted cleverly shows how a surprising twist can be put in very little space. There are some very good stories in this collection, but I'm giving four stars as there was some drivel, like the Secret Santa story; and the opening story by Mark Billingham was disappointingly flat.
These stories were drawn together for an important cause, and it was nice to see downtrodden women turn the tables in several of them. The central story, Heavenly Peace, was understated but very powerful. The Switch is a subtle story of a woman in the electric chair; a woman whose willpower has its own justice: brilliant! The very tender Charles Dickens themed story, in which we see the nighttime of London and a tormented soul exposed is superb. The brief Hunted cleverly shows how a surprising twist can be put in very little space. There are some very good stories in this collection, but I'm giving four stars as there was some drivel, like the Secret Santa story; and the opening story by Mark Billingham was disappointingly flat.
November 28, 2020
I enjoyed the opportunity to read along with this anthology with Pigeonhole. There were some excellent festive short stories with only a couple that I didn’t enjoy as much. I would recommend reading this as it will give you the opportunity to see authors familiar to you and introduce you to others. Thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review and the proceeds from sales go to a great cause.
November 28, 2020
This was a fantastic anthology of short crime stories all with a Christmas theme. It is rare to find a collection where each story is of such a high quality for me there were no weak stories though I still had a few favourites. The Vigilante by Clare Empson was brilliant, beautifully written and atmospheric. I thoroughly recommend this anthology and it's raising money for frontline domestic abuse charities so also for a great cause!
November 28, 2020
I read this with Pigeonhole over 9 days. I enjoyed the majority of these stories, some more than others. They were well written with a mixture of genres so all in all a good collection. Recommended reading if you enjoy short stories.
December 10, 2020
Beautifully written and pretty diverse. I really enjoyed every single story by every author.
I will be recommending this book to friends.
I will be recommending this book to friends.
December 27, 2023
A selection of festive short stories from some well known authors and some new to me. Some were better than others but I enjoyed the book.
December 1, 2020
This collection of stories all had a touch of Christmas thrown in, though not all were Christmas tales. Most of the stories were good. All were well written. My favourite was An Unexpected Present-Phoebe Morgan and Just Kids-S R Masters. 4 and a half stars over all.
November 28, 2020
There are some fab short stories in this anthology. There was only one that I disliked.
Thanks to Pigeonhole for the read.
All money raised for this goes to charity
Thanks to Pigeonhole for the read.
All money raised for this goes to charity
January 26, 2021
Interesting book, very different stories but a great mix of writers.
December 31, 2020
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this Ebook from Pigeonhole in exchange for my honest review.
I really liked this book! There are some very dark Christmas stories but also some very funny moments. All of the stories are from great authors and its a definite alternative to traditional Christmas novels!
My favourite quote:
"Who the hell would do Santa in? The tooth fairy? Jack Frost?"
I really liked this book! There are some very dark Christmas stories but also some very funny moments. All of the stories are from great authors and its a definite alternative to traditional Christmas novels!
My favourite quote:
"Who the hell would do Santa in? The tooth fairy? Jack Frost?"
December 27, 2020
3.5-4*
My thoughts: A wonderful set of short stories which you can dip into as and when or sit and read until the end. I read them in a couple of sessions. A pretty good standard throughout and some new-to-me authors I’ll be checking out for their lengthier offerings. The book supports two good causes which allows the reader a small opportunity to do some good whilst enjoying a terrific set of short stories to read.
My thoughts: A wonderful set of short stories which you can dip into as and when or sit and read until the end. I read them in a couple of sessions. A pretty good standard throughout and some new-to-me authors I’ll be checking out for their lengthier offerings. The book supports two good causes which allows the reader a small opportunity to do some good whilst enjoying a terrific set of short stories to read.
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