Rick Robinson beat me to reviewing a traditional Christmas mystery book (Campion at Christmas, you can read Rick’s fine review here), but better late than never. P. D. James’s Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales (2017) features “The Murder of Santa Claus” to add some macabre events to the Holiday Season. Winter also plays a role in “The Yo-Yo,” a tale where a young boy witnesses a murder that is dismissed as an accident. “The Victim” features a perfect crime…with a twist. “The Girl Who Loved Graveyards” recounts a crime in the past. The motive for murder in “A Very Desirable Residence” is…a very desirable residence. “Mr. Millcroft’s Birthday” proves that Senior Citizens can be sharper than their younger, greedy family members. I found Sleep No More a satisfying reading experience with a dash of ho, ho, ho! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword vii
The yo-yo — (THE VERDICT OF US ALL, 2006) 3
The victim — (WINTER’S CRIMES 5, 1973) 27
The murder of Santa Claus — (GREAT DETECTIVES, 1984) 61
The girl who loved graveyards — (WINTER’S CRIMES 15, 1983) 113
A very desirable residence — (WINTER’S CRIMES 8, 1976) 143
Mr. Millcroft’s birthday — (THE MAN WHO…, 1992) 165
Don’t remember reading this and I thought I had read all of her books.
Patti, I found SLEEP NO MORE at a Library Book Sale for a quarter. Well worth it!
Thanks. I read her previous Christmas collection – The Mistletoe Murders – but this one totally passed me by. Just downloaded it from the library.
Jeff, I have THE MISTLETOE MURDERS around here somewhere. If I find it, I’ll review it next Christmas.
I like James, so I’ll look for this one. Thanks too for the nod.
Rick, you kicked off the Christmas mystery posts (although it was an accident). Sorry about the Seahawks. I have to reevaluate the Arizona Cardinals who I considered in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals.