Christmas crimes: Stories from Ellery Queen's mystery magazine and Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazine

by Cynthia Manson (Editor), Jeffry Scott, Peter Lovesey

Christmas shopping isn't the only thing that's murder this year! It's homicide for the holidays as Signet delivers this delightful mystery anthology. So let slay bells ring and cyanide-spiked eggnog flow on this nasty Noel--and what is that strange ticking sound coming from that beautifully wrapped gift? Authors include Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Georges Simenon, and nine others. Original.

Winter's tale / Ann Cleeves --
To wake the dead / John Dickson Carr --
Theft of Santa's beard / Edward D. Hoch --
Believing in Santa / Ron Goulart --
Case is altered / Margery Allingham --
Maigret's Christmas / Georges Simenon --
Appalachian blackmail / Jacqueline Vivelo --
Grist for the mills of Christmas / James Powell --
Inspector Tierce and the Christmas visits / Jeffry Scott --
Pass the parcel / Peter Lovesey --
Never two without three; or, a Christmas tragedy / Agatha Christie --
Ghost of Christmas past / Robert Richardson.

Ellery Queen's mystery magazine
Alfred Hitchcock's mystery magazine

edited by Cynthia Manson.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Cynthia Manson is a literary agent, formerly Director of Marketing at Davis Publications, publishers of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazines. She has also edited several anthologies.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology was quite a mixed bag.

~A Winter's Tale by Ann Cleeves, 3*
~Appalachian Blackmail by Jacqueline Vivelo, 4*: Amusing family tale reminiscent of James Thurber
~Never Two Without Three; or, A Christmas Tragedy by Agatha Christie, 3*
~To Wake the Dead by John Dickson Carr, 4*: Creepy
~Grist for the Mills of Christmas by James Powell, 4*: Darkly funny
~Believing in Santa by Ron Goulart, 3*
~Pass the Parcel by Peter Lovesey, 4*
~The Theft of Santa's Beard by Edward D. Hoch, 2*: Repetitive boringness with an abrupt ending
~The Case is Altered by Margery Allingham, 4*
~Inspector Tierce and The Christmas Visits by Jeffry Scott, 3*
~The Ghost of Christmas Past by Robert Richardson, 4*: A Sherlock Holmes story!
~Maigret's Christmas by Georges Simenon, 2*: This one story is almost a third of the book-much too long.

[electrajoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granny square to match cover
https://photos.app.goo.gl/unzj6f1Z8zU...

[Sallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR pile for a looooonnnnnggg time. Tis the season to read it!