Classic Christmas Crime Stories

by Various

Christmas is not always the season of goodwill. As this hugely entertaining collection shows, it can also be the season of mysterious deaths, hidden poison bottles and blunt instruments...

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, cloth-bound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. The stories in Classic Christmas Crime Stories have been selected and introduced by writer David Stuart Davies.

This collection of ten stories from the golden age of British crime writing features festive whodunits by Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. There are unexplained deaths by all manner of suspect means from famous writers such as Baroness Orczy and Marjorie Bowen, and dastardly Christmas crimes to be solved from esteemed crime writers such as Robert Barnard, Nicholas Olde and H. R. F. Keating. Each story is brilliantly plotted – some deliciously tense, others laced with humor – and each is bound to thoroughly entertain.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of gems in this little volume!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about the bustle and chaos of the lead-up to Christmas that makes me crave the restoration of order that a good mystery provides. This collection of festive mysteries and other crime stories was just what I wanted to read in the middle of December!

I enjoyed nearly all of the stories ("The Case of the Seven Santas" by H. R. F. Keating got really tedious after a while, for me). My favorites, in the order in which they appear, were:

+ "The Blue Carbuncle" by A. Conan Doyle (already one of my absolute favorite Sherlock Holmes short stories)

+ "The Case of the Dead Wait" by Peter Lovesey

+ "Markheim" by Robert Louis Stevenson

+ "Death on the Air" by Ngaio Marsh

+ "Stuffing" by Edgar Wallace

[Pim Jansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some lovely whodunnit stories!

[Koen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classis Christmas Crime Stories
ISB 978 1 5290 9756 6
This collection first published in 2023 by Macmillan Collectors Library

• The Blue Carbuncle, written by Arthur Conan Doyle. **** Stars review.
• Boxing Unclever, written by Robert Barnard. ** Stars review.
• Cambric Tea, written by Majory Bowen. **** Stars review.
• The invisible Weapon, written by Nicolas Olden. **** Stars review.
• Murder under the Mistletoe, written by Margery Allingham. *** Stars review.
• Happy Christmas, written by David Steward Davies. **** Stars review, amazing short story and only four pages!
• The Case of the Dead Wait, written by Peter Lovesey. **** Stars review.
• Markheim, written by Robert Louis Stevenson. *** Stars review.
• The Case of the Seven Santas, written by H. R. F. Keating. ** stars review, bit of a lame story.
• Death on the Air, written by Ngaio Marsh. **** Stars review, quality writing, including all the details and nothing left out.
• Stuffing, written by Edgar Wallace. *** Stars review.

Below the main characters per short story:

The Blue Carbuncle
Written by Arthur Conan Doyle
**** Stars review.

Sherlock Holmes.
Watson.
Peters, the Commissionaire.
The Blue Carbuncle, stolen from the Countess of Morcar.
Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock’s housekeeper.
Mr. Henry Baker, owner of the hat and the goose in question.
Mr. Breckinridge, a salesman in Covent Garden.
James Ryder, Head Attendant at the. Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Boxing Unclever
Written by Robert Barnard.
** Stars review.

Sir Adrian Tremanyen, telling a story which I couldn’t comprehend.

Cambric Tea
Written by Majory Bowen.
**** Stars review.

Dr. Bevis Holroyd, doctor visiting Strangeways Manor House.
Sir Harry Strangeways, who claims being poisoned by his wife.
Lady Strangeways, formerly engaged to be married with Dr. Holroyd.
Garth Deane, the Strangeways’ secretary.

The invisible Weapon
Written by Nicolas Olden
**** Stars review

Mr. Roland Hern, private detective
Lord Grumby,
Henry Whelk, local engineer installing the heating apparatus.
Blanco Persimmon, consulting firm engineer.

Murder under the Mistletoe
Written by Margery Allingham
*** Stars review

Superintendent Stanislaus Oates
Mr. Albert Champion, Stanislaus’ old friend.
Sampson, a crook found murdered in a garage.
Lady Larradine, acquaintance of Mr. Champion.
Miss Fiona Poole-Poole, daughter of Janice Poole-Poole.
Brigadier Athole.

Happy Christmas
Written by David Steward Davies.
**** Stars review, amazing short story and only four pages!

Edna Burrows, living at 12 Thornhill Avenue.

The Case of the Dead Wait
Written by Peter Lovesey
**** Stars review, neatly written and good plot.

Laura Thyme, gardener and Rosemary Boxer her friend.
Jane and Michael Eadington, two of Laura’s oldest friends and Laura was asked to watch over their house for the Holidays.
Gertrude Appleton, neighbor.
Douglas Boon, caroler and farmer at Blackberry Farm who died after apparently eating a mince pie.
His wife Kitty.
Colin Price, also a caroler and currently a gardener.
Ben Black, again a caroler and found dead in Gertrude’s greenhouse.

Markheim
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson
*** Stars review

The Case of the Seven Santas
Written by H. R. F. Keating.
** stars review, bit of a lame story.

Mrs. Craggs, former cleaning lady.
Tiny Tom, the valet.
Mr. Ebenezer, murdered in his chair.
Mr. Hummbugg, the inspector.
A young woman called Fifi Yettercumb.
Miss Marylee Jacob.
Nephew Fred (Frederick Ebenezer).
Mr. Hon. Robert Crayshett-Clark.
Mr. Parst.
Mr. Pressent, totally dressed in green except for his pink bowtie.
Mrs. Bonny Feswick.

Death on the Air
Written by Ngaio Marsh
**** Stars review, quality writing, including all the details and nothing left out.

Mr. Septimus Tonks, found dead next to his wireless set on the 25th of December.
Emily Parks, the under-housemaid who found him.
Chase, the butler.
Mr. Richard Hislop, Mr. Tonks’ secretary.
Mr. Guy Tonks, eldest child, Arthur and Phillipa.
Mr. Meadows, the doctor.
Mrs. Isabel Foreston-Tonks, his wife.
Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn.
Inspector Fox, a tall thick-set officer.
Mr. Curtis, the divisional surgeon.
Detective-Sergeant Davies, fingerprint expert.

Stuffing
Written by Edgar Wallace
*** Stars review.

[Juliet Ruston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little book of Christmas Stories ideal for reading with a cuppa and a mince pie or if you want something for after Christmas lunch. There are 11 short stories from well known authors like Conan Doyle,Stevenson and more.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent classic short and clippy seasonal crime stories.

[Stephanie Miceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb collection of short Christmas mysteries. Not one miss in the entire book. Highly entertaining!!

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting little collection. No standout 5 star stories, but my two favourites were The Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Case of the Dead Wait by Peter Lovesey.

[Simon Pert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely presented book with a great collection of short stories. A great festive read.

[Bob Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun Christmas crime tales though not all classics.

[Steven Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short stories about crime during the holiday season.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely little collection

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best read among the compiled collection is Ngaio Marsh's "Death on the Air", 4.5 stars, and the same for Nicholas Olde's "The Invisible Weapon".

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some plum duffs and some Christmas crackers.

[rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wild swing between excellent and just alright. I received this for Christmas and was somehow done with it by Boxing Day. Some stories are entertaining and hard to put down (The Death on Air and Lovesey's Dead Wait were excellent); some are easy to lose track of and just not engaging. I think the collection is well curated, with a diversity of seriousness and setting considering the Christmas unifying factor. The favorite was hands down The Death on Air by Roderick Alleyn, it truly kept me on my toes until the very end.