The 4th Annual Christmas Murder Mystery Thread!!

From American Thanksgiving we turn our thoughts to Christmas… specifically, the Christmas Murder Mystery thread, which is now in its fourth edition. As you gear up for (or attempt to avoid) the holiday season, pick up a Christmas-themed mystery (or other Christmas book… we’re not fussy) and set the scene for the holidays.

Here are some books participants read last year:



The Virago Book of Christmas, ed. Michelle Lovric
An English Murder, by Cyril Hare
Hark! The Herald Angel Screamed, by Mignon Ballard
Ten Lords a-Leaping, by CC Benison
Crime at Christmas, by C.B.H. Kitchin
Away in a Manger, by Rhys Bowen
The Mischief of the Mistletoe, by Lauren Willig

Want more ideas? Here are some sources:

Previous threads:
2015 http://www.librarything.com/topic/206112
2014 http://www.librarything.com/topic/183070
2013 http://www.librarything.com/topic/161380

The Christmas mystery section of Cozy-mystery.com (link provided by lindapanzo):
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Holiday-Mystery-Books/Christmas-Mystery-Book-List.ht....

The LibraryThing tagmash for Christmas mysteries:
http://www.librarything.com/tag/Christmas,+mystery

But we’re not just about Christmas mysteries here on the Christmas mystery group read! If you have unread Christmas gifts – whether they be books people picked for you or those bought with gift cards or holiday cash – take this opportunity to read them before you get more book gifts.

Enjoy!

I will be reading The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay, which I received as a Christmas gift last year.

Of note for next year, perhaps, is Crimson Snow, a collection of "winter mysteries" edited by Martin Edwards: https://poisonedpenpress.com/books/crimson-snow-a-british-library-crime-classic/

I also recommend the collection Silent Nights, also edited by Martin Edwards.

I was planning to read The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini for the Random Cat this month and so will include it here too.

I have an audio of a christmas novella by Stuart MacBride called Twelve Days of Winter that I will be listening to, and I also have The 12 Days of Christmas a light Christmas romance by Trisha Ashley that I am planning on reading in December.

Oh huzzah! I'm up to There Came Both Mist and Snow in the Appleby series! I'll be reading that.

I also discovered yesterday that Gods and Beasts, the third book in the Alex Morrow series by Denise Mina, begins a week before Christmas. Just in case you're working on that series...

>6 rabbitprincess: Oh dear, I am working on that series and that is my next book and it is sitting on my shelf - now, I'm wondering if I can fit it in next month or not!

For anyone reading the Deborah Crombie Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid series, Water like a stone takes place at Christmas.

I'm planning to read Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer, which is set at Christmas.

Well, I'm not sure about a mystery, but I am planning to read:
A Christmas Home / Greg Kincaid.

I'll be reading Silent Nights edited by Martin Edwards, a book of Christmas mysteries!

>11 luvamystery65: That was a good collection! Great cover, too.

After I finished my 2016 category challenge, I set up a mini challenge for myself and Christmas books are one of my two mini challenge categories.

So far, I've read:

--The Mistletoe Murder by P.D. James--a new collection of P.D. James Christmas stories. Only 4 stories but one must've been published at Christmas and wasn't Christmas-themed
--A Christmas Message by Anne Perry--the brand new book in the annual Christmas mystery series from Anne Perry.
--We Wish You a Murderous Christmas by Vicki Delany--I love this year-round Christmas series set in Rudolph, NY. This is the second in the series and just came out a few weeks ago.

I'm also hoping to get to The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver and also Silent Nights, a collection of Christmas mysteries edited by Martin Edwards. I'd also like to read the new Debbie Macomber book, Twelve Days of Christmas.

I couldn't wait until December to start to listen to my first Christmas mystery. Twelve Days of Winter by Stuart MacBride is a collection of twelve stories that the author has cleverly woven together. The audio version was read by Ian Hanmore and his Scottish accent enhanced these stories set in the seedy streets of a large city in Scotland. I enjoyed these stories that were dark, twisted and very violent - pretty much what I have come to expect from Stuart MacBride, but I would caution those that haven't read this author that he doesn't hesitate to show violence or expose the grimy underside of life.

Ah, I started it a couple of days ago, not realizing I would finish before December. It was short and quick and I finished yesterday, but here is my Christmas read (but not a mystery):

A Christmas Home / Greg Kincaid
3.5 stars

24-year old Todd is “disabled” - that is, he is not as smart as most people. He works at the local animal shelter, training the dogs and helping get them adopted. But the economy is bad and the small town that runs the shelter will have to be closed at the end of the year, only a few weeks away, as there is no longer any money to run it. Todd is confused and scared and isn’t sure what he’ll do.

This was a cute story. I picked it up before realizing that it’s actually the third in a series that appears to follow Todd and his dog named Christmas. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll back up and read the other books in the series.

I've read a Christmas book by a mystery writer, Mary Higgins Clark, but it wasn't a mystery. Nor do I think it should be called a "suspense" as the dust cover describes it. I hadn't read a book by MHC for years so I wasn't aware that she has a cozy mystery series. All Through the Night is apparently part of that series with the same primary characters, Alvirah and Willy, 60 something lottery winners.

Now that she doesn't have to clean houses for a living Alvirah has tuned amateur sleuth and occasional newspaper columnist. The plot revolves around a baby that was left on church steps one cold winter night and a chalice that was stolen from the church that same night. A quick cozy read for the Christmas season. 3 stars

I listened to the audio of Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson. It's part of the Longmire series and takes place on Christmas Eve of 1988. Walt and Lucien Connally help an injured child get to Denver Children's Hospital during a winter storm.

My ladies book group do this and this year we are reading High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides.

I read A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry.

I'm currently listening to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, narrated by Simon Vance. It's a reread, but it was featured in Spirit of Steamboat so I thought I would listen to it.

Making my way slowly through Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries

>20 luvamystery65: Simon Vance as narrator would make that an excellent version of A Christmas Carol. I'll keep a watch for that one.

Finished The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay, which is both a Christmas mystery and a Christmas present (from last year).

I love this cover! It's so pretty.

I finished Silent Nights last night. It's a tremendous collection of Christmas stories from a number of "golden age" mystery authors. I'm definitely going to try to fit in some of their full length books soon. I've read plenty of Agatha Christie but not many from Nicholas Blake or Leo Bruce, for instance.

>23 lindapanzo: I'm halfway through that one! I left it at work. If I get to work early, I stay in the car and read as long as I can. I took it out of my purse to get my badge and I forgot to put it back in.

I finished I am Half-Sick of Shadows, a Flavia de Luce mystery. It is, in my mind, a perfect Christmas mystery. It even includes the traditional country house in which everyone is stranded after a big snowstorm.

I'm currently reading Light in a Dark House by Jan Costin Wagner, which I hadn't realized was a Christmas mystery when I'd started, but now I see that the last part of the book takes place over Christmas.

Just finishing up There Came Both Mist and Snow. I do enjoy Michael Innes. He gives good dialog!

I'm reading Envious Casca, Georgette Heyer's English-country-house-at-Christmas murder mystery. Really liking it so far!

I read Christmas in Harmony by Philip Gulley, which had Christmas but no murder.

Then I downloaded a library e-book that came up in a catalog search for "Christmas" because involves someone who disappeared at Christmas, but the action in the book actually takes place a few months later. . . however I'm really liking Sign Off by Patricia McLinn, so I've found a new author I like for whatever season.

I just finished Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley which is far from a murder mystery, but very enjoyable and set the Christmas mood perfectly!

I finished for my Christmas reading this month, Silent Nights edited by Martin Edwards. There were a couple I had read before, but mostly new to me Golden Age mystery stories set at Christmas. I listened to The Chimes by Charles Dickens, narrated by Richard Armitage and A Christmas Carol narrated by Simon Vance. The Chimes was new to me. I enjoyed it very much. The Christmas Carol was mentioned in the novella, Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson.

As usual, this was great fun! Thank you RP for hosting this again.

I started Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan yesterday. It started off with a house party full of unhappy, secretive people, and now someone has gone and murdered "Father Christmas"! (*cue the suspenseful music*)