You can click on the cover and back cover links above to see bigger versions of Murder at Christmas to see what this paperback from the 1990s looked like. I reviewed The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries a couple days ago, but I thought this collection would capture some of the spirit of the season. If you check the Table of Contents below you’ll see what I mean. These stories were first published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Between The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries and Murder at Christmas there are plenty of Yuletide mysteries to keep us all entertained at this time of year. Happy Holidays!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“The Theft of the Christmas Stocking” by Edward D. Hoch
“‘Twixt the Cup and the Lip” by Julian Symons
“Death in the Christmas Hour” by James Powell
“Auggie Wren’s Christmas Story by Paul Auster
“Christmas Gift” by Robert Turner
“Rumpole and the Chambers Party” by John Mortimer
“Murder at Christmas” by C. M. Chan
“Father Crumlish Celebrates Christmas” by Alice Scanlan Reach
“A Matter of Life and Death” by Georges Simenon
“Miss Crindle and Father Christmas” by Malcolm Gray
That looks like a great collection, thanks George – I know I read the Auster because it was later adapted into the terrific little film Smoke starring Harvey Keitel and maybe the Mortimer but not the others – really do want to find it!
Sergio, MURDER FOR CHRISTMAS is a nifty holiday collection. And plenty of inexpensive copies are available online. I’m surprised that there isn’t any overlap with THE BIG BOOK OF CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES that I reviewed a couple days ago.
Now this one I read. I remember the Rumpole story.
George, I’m going to be looking for both “The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries” edited by Otto Penzler (mentioned in a previous post) and “Murder at Christmas” edited by Cynthia Manson. Thanks for posting about these collections.
I have this one, and reviewed it back in the spa days for The Perp, or maybe for Mystery News. Manson edited a ton of collections from EQMM and AHMM over the years.
“apa” not “spa”
Well, Manson was an editor at Davis/Dell Magazines. I mentioned this one on Fiction-L the other week, and decided to buy a copy as a result…
Jeff, Otto picked a different Rumpole Christmas story for THE BIG BOOK OF CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES.
Prashant, you’ll enjoy both MURDER AT CHRISTMAS and THE BIG BOOK OF CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES. Both are a lot of fun.
Rick, I think I picked up MURDER AT CHRISTMAS when you first reviewed it in DAPA-EM.
Todd, plenty of copies at inexpensive prices are available online.
I’ve read all the Rumpole stories, Christmas and otherwise. I should read them again.
Jeff, I’m tempted to go back and reread all the Rumpoles, too. But there’s just so many new books stacked up here waiting for me to read them. I’m conflicted.