The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries


Book Description

The Edgar Award-winning editor collects sixty of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories—from Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy, to Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain. • “Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays." —The Washington Post This collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you’re in the mood for--suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural—can be found in these pages. FEATURING: - Unscrupulous Santas - Crimes of Christmases Past and Present - Festive felonies - Deadly puddings - Misdemeanors under the mistletoe - Christmas cases for classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, and Nero Wolfe.




Silent Nights


Book Description

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "Like an assortment of presents under a Christmas tree, there's something for everyone in this Yule-themed reprint anthology in the British Library Crime Classics series from Edwards." —Publishers Weekly Christmas is a mysterious, as well as magical, time of year. Strange things can happen, and this helps to explain the hallowed tradition of telling ghost stories around the fireside as the year draws to a close. Christmas tales of crime and detection have a similar appeal. When television becomes tiresome, and party games pall, the prospect of curling up in the warm with a good mystery is enticing—and much better for the digestion than yet another helping of plum pudding. Crime writers are just as susceptible as readers to the countless attractions of Christmas. Over the years, many distinguished practitioners of the genre have given one or more of their stories a Yuletide setting. The most memorable Christmas mysteries blend a lively storyline with an atmospheric evocation of the season. Getting the mixture right is much harder than it looks. This book introduces of readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards' selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans. The result is a collection of crime fiction to savor, whatever the season.




Murder for Christmas


Book Description

A holiday anthology for mystery fans highlights the works of such well-known favorites as Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, Stanely Ellin, and Ellery Queen. Reissue.




Christmas Mystery Short Story Collection


Book Description

5 gripping, enthralling mystery short stories in one great collection! BUY NOW! Poison In The Candy Cane A Santa Run. An Enemy. A Bunch of Candy Canes. Christmas is the perfect time for crime. Jordan loves Santa runs. He sees his foe Ruby. He knows she cheats. Can Jordan win the race? Or will something darker happen? If you love gripping, compelling amateur sleuth mystery short stories, you’ll love this! Christmas Innocence A Dark Private Eye. A Stalker. A Girl Who Isn’t What She Seems. Sometimes stalkers need dealing with. Francis stands at a Christmas Parade. He waits for a stalker. He wants to help a girl. Can Francis stop the stalker? Or is some bigger plan afoot? If you love dark gripping private eye mysteries short stories, you’ll love this. You Better Watch Out Christmas Songs. A Santa Flash Mob. An Assassin. An assassin’s work never ends, even at Christmas. Francesca hires a flash mob. She needs to get to the target. She listens to the songs. Francesca knows her time comes. Can Francesca kill the target? Or will something go horribly wrong? If you love fun, enthralling, action packed assassin crime short stories, you’ll love this! Christmas Theft A Family Secret. A Theft At Christmas. The Last Hope is a Private Eye. Private Eyes love Christmas and crime. Bettie loves her family. She receives a strange call. She worries about her nephew. Can she help her nephew before time’s up? If you love enthralling, gripping, Christmas-y private eye short stories, you’ll love this one! Trouble In Christmas A Sister In Need. A Possible Affair. A Distant In The Making. Family cases are never good. Betties heard from her sister. She knows it never happens. She worries for her family. Can Bettie help her sister and find the truth? Or will she be the one to shatter the family she loves? If you love suspenseful, addictive private eye short stories, you’ll love this! BUY NOW!




Bibliomysteries


Book Description

Specially commissioned by the Mysterious Bookshop, the “bibliomysteries” in this unique collection feature original stories by the genre’s most distinguished authors: Ian Rankin, Thomas Perry, Joyce Carol Oates, Megan Abbott, and Elizabeth George. If you like mysteries and you like books, what could be better than combining both worlds, with mysteries set against a background involving books? This collection of crime for bibliophiles includes stories about rare books, bookshops, libraries, manuscripts, magical books, collectors—in short, the wonderful universe that makes this precious object we all love so important and priceless. Ian Rankin sets his tale of the lost original manuscript of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the legendary Paris bookshop Shakespeare & Co., while F. Paul Wilson offers a book with remarkable powers. Joyce Carol Oates portrays an overly ambitious dealer in mystery fiction, while James Grady has the “Condor” working in the Library of Congress. Ste- phen Hunter tells a previously unknown story of Alan Turing set during World War I—involving a book that could change the history of the world—and Peter Lovesey writes about a box full of Agatha Christie titles that just may be priceless. Carolyn Hart’s story is about an astonishing inscription in a book, while Megan Abbott and Denise Mina add their Edgar-nominated stories to this stellar collection. Whether your taste is for the traditional mystery, something a little more hard-boiled, or the bizarre and humorous tale, you will find exactly your cup of tea in this outstanding collection of fifteen stories by the most distinguished mystery writers working today. Including stories by: Peter Lovesey, F. Paul Wilson, Lyndsay Faye, Bradford Morrow, R. L. Stine, Joyce Carol Oates, Thomas Perry, Elizabeth George, Carolyn Hart, Megan Abbott, Stephen Hunter, Denise Mina, James Grady, Ian Rankin, and James W. Hall.




Christmas Is Murder


Book Description

'No one can plot or tell a story like she can' Daily Express __________ The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is a master of the dark and sinister story, and these powers are demonstrated in full force in Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales. From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to an author who is haunted by the spiteful presence of a jealous writing partner, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous, never above suspicion. Follow Tony Hill and Carol Jordan as they track a deadly killer who is preparing to strike on Christmas Day, and lose yourself in a festive exclusive - a recently unearthed case for a classic detective duo, set as the lights are going out across Europe. These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the frosty winter draws in and each night gets darker than the last, written by one of our greatest living crime writers. __________ Praise for the Queen of Crime Val McDermid: 'Brilliant . . . Sensational . . . Unforgettable' Guardian 'Compulsively readable' Irish Times 'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review 'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express 'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail




Mimi Lee Cracks the Code


Book Description

One of BookRiot's Best Upcoming Cozy Mysteries for the Second Half of 2021! When murder follows Mimi Lee to her romantic island getaway, she puts on her best sleuthing hat with her sassy cat in tow in this adventurous cozy mystery by Jennifer J. Chow. Mimi Lee just found an extra perk to being a pet groomer at Hollywoof (other than cuddling animals all day long, that is). Pixie St. James, one of Mimi’s clients and the investor behind Hollywoof, has offered her and her boyfriend, Josh, a getaway at her vacation home, nestled on beautiful Catalina Island. With the island just outside of Los Angeles but still far enough from the hustle and bustle, Mimi, Josh, and their cat Marshmallow (who, of course, wouldn’t be caught dead in a dingy pet hotel) are excited for their relaxing stay. That is, until Pixie’s last renter, Davis D. Argo, turns up dead. Mimi and Josh’s romantic getaway immediately turns into an enormous buzzkill, especially when Pixie asks Mimi for help. The police suspect Pixie, and Mimi knows a thing or two about wrongful allegations. Mimi figures it couldn’t hurt to snoop a little since she’s already there, and soon discovers that a valuable item is missing. Except Pixie isn’t the only one in the neighborhood who has been robbed. There is something strange happening on the island, and Mimi won’t stop until she finds out what it is.




Midwinter Murder


Book Description

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.” —Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of the Dublin Murder Squad novels An all-new collection of winter-themed stories from the Queen of Mystery, just in time for the holidays—including the original version of “Christmas Adventure,” never before released in the United States! There’s a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter . . . It’s the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fire with these wintry whodunits from the legendary Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This chilling compendium of short stories—some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple—is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect holiday gift for mystery lovers. “Agatha Christie [is] the maestro of murder tales.” —People




The Christmas Eve Mystery


Book Description

Short stories, poems, and songs for Christmas Eve by David McCord, The Christmas Coat by Clyde Robert Bulla, Christmas Surprises adapted by Melissa Peterson, The Christmas Eve Mystery by Joan Lowery Nixon, On a Pallet of Straw by Langston Hughes, The Carol of the Brown King by Langston Hughes, The Christmas Mouse by Elisabeth Wenning, Silent Night, Giant Grummer's Christmas by William Dana Street, Why Trolls Don't Come to Evergreen Valley on Christmas Eve told by Eva Moore, The Tap-dancingest Tree-trimmingest Christmas Party Ever by6 Susan Sussman, A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore, A Christmas Song, and A Christmas Prayer by Ada V. Hendricks.




Aunt Eater's Mystery Christmas


Book Description

‘Aunt Eater is back to celebrate Christmas and, of course, to solve a mystery at every turn. In each of these four short, easy-to-read chapters, she finds a small, usually happy, sometimes silly set of circumstances that call for her brand of deductive reasoning and logic. Cushman keeps everything moving with his brisk, well-paced, yet accessible text and bright, lively watercolor illustrations of fully dressed animal characters and bustling activities. A festive addition to beginning-reader shelves.’—SLJ.