Book Review: Murder In Midwinter

Summary (from Goodreads):

Midwinter. As snow falls softly outside and frost sparkles on tree branches, it’s time to curl up before a roaring fire, wrap your hands around a steaming mug of mulled wine, and forget your worries for now.

But as the temperature drops outside, malice is sharpening its claws … and murder walks abroad. In these classic stories of mystery and mayhem, let ten of the great crime writers in history surprise and delight you with twists and turns as shocking as an icicle in the heart.

Featuring stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, Cyril Hare, Anthony Berkeley, Ruth Rendell, Margery Allingham, Ellis Peters … and more.

My Thoughts:

“Murder in Midwinter”, edited by Cecily Gayford, is the fifth anthology in the “Murderous Christmas Stories” series.

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. So much so that I bought another of the books in the series, “A Very Murderous Christmas” (Book 3).

My favourite of the stories had to be “The Man from Nowhere” by Edward D. Hoch, which I hadn’t read before and made reference to one of the most interesting (at least to my mind), historical mysteries. That of Kasper Hauser. Also, “A Present for Ivo” deserves a mention, written by one of my most favourite authors, Ellis Peters. Not only could she write wonderful historical fiction and mysteries, but her more modern stories and mysteries are enjoyably captivating too.

I had thought that all the stories would be set in the midst of the Christmas season (because of Midwinter in the title of the book), but one of them, at least, was set outside the festive period, in February.

Rating:

Book Review: A Proper Family Christmas by Jane Gordon-Cumming

Summary (from Goodreads):

This particular family Christmas is going to change everybody’s lives. William isn’t into Christmas. He’d like to spend it alone in his vast old house with his cat. Haseley House could be a gold-mine in the right hands and the family want to make sure it does end up in the right hands! Hilary intends to ignore Christmas. With Daniel away, she won’t have to conceal how desperately she still misses Ben. But widows aren’t allowed to spend Christmas alone, and it sounds as if William might need her support. Frances, the nanny, was hoping for a break from spoilt little Tobias, but now she’s told they’re to stay with his eccentric grandfather in some spooky old house.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was funny and very enjoyable in parts. Light-hearted, entertaining and amusing, but too much happens in just three days. William and Scratch the Cat were my favourite characters. The cast list was fairly extensive, and the majority of them, whether intentionally or unintentionally so, were unlikeable, and by the end it felt a little bit like a farce. That being a good thing or bad thing will depend on how much you enjoy farces and satire (I don’t mind them). It would probably make a good play or TV adaptation.

Rating:

Book Review: The Brands Who Came For Christmas by Maggie Shayne

The Brands Who Came For Christmas is the first book in The Oklahoma Brands by Maggie Shayne.

Quick Review

A sweet romance and an engaging read with a cast of interesting characters. I would happily read more from this series and this author. 4 / 5

Summary (from Goodreads)

Caleb didn’t know that one night of bliss last spring with small town beauty Maya Brand had resulted in a pregnancy, until the blackmail attempt arrived on his desk in an unmarked envelope, complete with photos of Maya with a belly out to there.

When he learns the truth, Caleb rushes back to Big Falls, determined to make it right despite what the scandal will do to his high profile career–the family legacy he had never truly wanted.

All he wants is Maya, and their child.

But can a girl whose father abandoned and betrayed her, ever truly believe in the goodness of a man who left town the morning after their one night stand? How can he convince her that he hasn’t stopped thinking about her since then, much less, do so with the whole world watching? He has to prove himself to a woman he’s not even sure he’s worthy of. But he has no idea how.

Favourite Quote

“But honey, it’s that experience of getting it wrong that make me know what’s right.”

(From The Brands Who Came For Christmas by Maggie Shayne)

Review

A sweet romance with an engaging read with a cast of interesting, unpredictable characters. I’m not sure I understood the motivations of some of the characters (e.g. why Maya is so fixated on being accepted by the church ladies when they look at her whole family with such disdain) or how Caleb never managed to find a spare evening to sneak away to Big Falls in months when he couldn’t stop thinking of Maya…but that is what creates the conflict. I certainly felt the tension and awkwardness from both POVs when they are brought back together.

With the fact that it is a romance, you know how the story is going to end, but I had no idea of the route the story would take to get there. Selene was my favourite character – witchy with a love of tarot, herbals potions, etc.  I thought she was magical! I also thought Bobby was a fun character. He could really find the silver lining in the darkest of stormclouds, I’m sure.

I would happily read more from this series (The Oklahoma Brands) as well as more from this author.

Rating

Book Review: The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories is a collection of four Christmas-themed stories by P.D. James.  I have reviewed each of the four stories in turn…

Summary from Goodreads

P. D. James was frequently commissioned by newspapers and magazines to write a short story for Christmas, and four of the best have been drawn from the archives and published here together for the first time. From the title story about a strained country-house Christmas party, to another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, plus two cases for detective Adam Dalgliesh, these are masterfully atmospheric stories by the acknowledged ‘Queen of Crime’.

Overall Review

Expertly written, engaging and atmospheric, this collection of four short stories are a wonderful addition to a wintry reading list! Highly recommended! 4.5 / 5

A note on the cover: I loved the cover. My copy was paperback, printed on very thick cardstock. Rather wonderfully the cover was double-sided with lino print-style artwork.

Overall Rating

4.5 / 5

The Mistletoe Murder

Summary

When an RAF pilot is shot down and killed early in WWII, his widow is invited to her estranged grandmother’s for Christmas. Looking for peace and healing, she accepts, but it is not quite the holiday she hoped for.

Favourite Quote

Bereavement is like a serious illness.  One dies or one survives, and the medicine is time, not a change of scene.

(From The Mistletoe Murder by P.D. James)

Review

Expertly written.  All the information needed to solve the crime was there from the beginning, yet it is not until the very end when you realise its worth. Clever and atmospheric, you could feel the tension in that country house that wartime Christmas.  Only once I finished the story did I realise how evilly the main character had been used by her own family, using her grief to their advantage. But equally, there’s no getting away from the fact the victim was the worst sort of person, and there is little sympathy to be found for such a man.

Rating

 

A Very Commonplace Murder

Summary

Ernest Gabriel takes atrip down memory lane, quite literally, by visiting his former place of work and recalls a local-interest crime story that unfolded before his very eyes…

Favourite Quote

He was surprised and a little disappointed by the court. He had expected a more imposing, more dramatic setting for justice than this modern, clean-smelling, business-like room.

(From A Very Commonplace Murder by P.D.James)

Review

Another cleverly written story, which on the face of it looks surprisingly bland, yet the mystery is actually terribly sinister. We are presented with a very interesting and remarkably accurate look into human reasoning and thought.  “I will do this because I am a good person…but…” Cue the reasons why doing the right thing is not a good idea or can negatively impact the person trying to be good.  Sigh.  But a great read!

Rating

The Boxdale Inheritance

Summary

Chief Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh goes to visit his godfather Hubery Boxdale and is asked to look into a murder which happened in 1902…

Favourite Quote

It was only surprising that the Canon had managed to live to seventy-one in a carnivorous world in which gentleness, humility and unworldliness are hardly conducive to survival, let alone success.

(From The Boxdale Inheritance by P.D. James)

Review

I’ve neither read one of P.D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh novels nor seen any of the TV adaptations, but I quite enjoyed this story and the next one. In The Boxdale Inheritance we are introduced to quite an eccentric cast of characters, and an interesting, engaging story. I guessed the culprit but it was an entertaining read to see if I was right.

Rating

The Twelve Clues of Christmas

Summary

Adam Dalgliesh is on his way to his Aunt’s Suffolk coast home for Christmas, when, a few miles from his destination, a stranger steps out in front of his car.  He needs the police…his uncle has committed suicide.

Favourite Quote

They took it remarkably calmly. Anyone would think people in this county kill themselves routinely at Christmas.

(From The Twelve Clues of Christmas by P.D. James)

Review

This story felt a little but more of a lighter read than the others as Dalgliesh tried to make the crime appear a little more seasonal, fitting the case into “The Twelve Clues of Christmas”.  And it was this that I felt was the real star of the story, perhaps even more so than the crime and its solution.  An enjoyable read, and the humorous tone was certainly appreciated by this reader!

Rating

Book Review: Mystery In White by J. Jefferson Farjeon

Quick Review (read on for full review)

A fun, solid wintry classic crime read, perfect for reading over the Christmas holiday. 3 / 5

Summary (from Goodreads)

On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings a train to a halt near the village of Hemmersby. Several passengers take shelter in a deserted country house, where the fire has been lit and the table laid for tea – but no one is at home.

Trapped together for Christmas, the passengers are seeking to unravel the secrets of the empty house when a murderer strikes in their midst.

This classic Christmas mystery is republished for the first time since the 1930s, with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.

Favourite Quote

“Miss Noyes,” replied Lydia, “suppose this house belonged to you, and you returned to it after the world’s worst snowstorm, would you rather find your larder empty or seven skeletons?…”

(From Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon, page 79)

Review

I read this story for Festive Reads Fortnight 2019 but never got around to posting the review, so I waited a whole year so that I could as I thought it would seem quite out of season to do anything else.

Mystery in White is a fun, entertaining read.  Now, if you think from the summary or even the book cover, which is just so lovely, that this story is like Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, it is not. The stories are very much different.

The premise is very good and the isolated location and set up of what’s to come pulled me right into the story.  The cast of characters was interesting and varied. Each brought something different to the narrative, but that being said, I didn’t particularly warm to many of them. The setting was my favourite part of the story. Set one Christmas Eve in the 1930s, we are treated to a train ride, snowstorm and isolated country house. The story itself has a number of elements of the classic crime story: a locked room mystery, a murder, a list of suspects who hitherto have been strangers to one another, a little atmospheric spookiness…

The main problem I had with this story (and it is the same problem I had with the only other J. Jefferson Farjeon story I have read, The Z Murders – see my review here), is that the author has a habit of introducing new characters much later in the story than is often usual for a mystery.  And these characters are main characters around which the rest of the story seems to build. Most readers who enjoy mysteries, enjoy trying to solve it as the story unfolds, and that becomes a little difficult when important elements of the tale are deliberately withheld by the author.

However, it is still a fun read if you’re looking for a typically British golden age crime story, and I think it would be an entertaining choice if it was ever picked up for TV or film.

I’ve really been enjoying making a way through the British Library Crime Classics, and although Mystery in White is not my favourite out of the ones I’ve so far read, it was certainly worth a read, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Rating

Short Story Review: A Strange Christmas Game by Charlotte Riddell

I could find no relevant book cover to go with this review so I thought I would share a glimpse of Bedfordshire woodland…

Summary

Brother and sister John and Clare Lester inherit an old spooky house in the country. But when they start to hear strange noises, it sets them on a path to discover a terrible secret…

Favourite Quote

‘You pooh-pooh the existence of ghosts, and “only wish you could find a haunted house in which to spend a night,” which is all very brave and praiseworthy, but wait till you are left in a dreary, desolate old country mansion, filled with the most unaccountable sounds, without a servant, with none save an old caretaker and his wife, who, living at the the extremest end of the building, heard nothing of the tramp, tramp, bang, bang, going on at all hours of the night.’

(From A Strange Christmas Game by Charlotte Riddell)

Review

This short story was read as part of Festive Reads Fortnight 2020 at Sammi Loves Books.

I hadn’t read any of Charlotte Riddell’s work until this one, and only then did I learn that she published her writing under her husband’s name, J.H. Riddell. Hence why sometimes her works are attributed to that name.

Atmospheric, this story falls into the category of traditional or old fashioned ghost story. It’s not terribly scary, but it is interesting to read how John and Clare discover the secret of Martingdale, and then solve the secret.  The character of Clare is cleverly written.  She is very astute, though she also fulfils the role Victorians would have expected of a woman, by which I mean she screams on occasion and drops a glass in fright. 😉

It’s a very quick read, but certainly well-worth a look, especially if you like your ghost stories to be horror-free.

This short story wins ‘local interest points’ from me, as it is set in part in my home county of Bedfordshire.

Rating

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Sammi Loves Books Reading Challenge 2019 – I’ve chosen this book for challenge #3 in the list: a book set in a place you’ve lived / visited

Short Story Review: The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry

Quick Review (read on for full review)

Poignant and heart-warming, this story is hard to forget. 4 / 5

Summary (from Goodreads)

One dollar and eight-seven cents is all the money Della has in the world to buy her beloved husband a Christmas present. She has nothing to sell except her only treasure — her long, beautiful brown hair. Set in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, this classic piece of American literature tells the story of a young couple and the sacrifices each must make to buy the other a gift.

Favourite Quote

“…life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”

(From The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry)

Review

I read this story for Festive Reads Fortnight 2019 but never got around to posting the review, so I waited a whole year so that I could as I thought it would seem quite out of season to do anything but.

The Gift of The Magi is a sweet and sentimental read. It’s also very short, so short I happily read it online at my PC.  Poignant and heart-warming, it tells of the unselfish love between Della and Jim.  Money is tight but they go to extraordinary lengths to buy each other a present for Christmas.

It’s a lovely tale for Christmas, which reminds us that when it comes to gift-giving, it’s not the quantity of gifts which is important. This story is hard to forget…

Rating

Short Story Review: This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy

This Year It Will Be Different is from the short story collection of the same name by Maeve Binchy.  I listened to an audiobook version of this story, read by Kate Binchy.  (Book cover above from Goodreads)

Summary (my own)

A middle-aged woman, Ethel, is not looking forward to Christmas.  She’s reached a point where Christmas seems like too much hard work because her family has come to expect her to do everything for them (as well as go out to work), without offering to help.  But when her family realise that something’s amiss, they promise “this year it will be different”…

Favourite Quote

If she saw one more picture of a 47 year old woman, smiling at her out of magazine, with the body of an 18 year old, gleaming skin, 56 even teeth and shining hair, Ethel was going to go after her with a carving knife.

Review

I’ve not read (or listened) to any Maeve Binchy before.  These types of stories are not the usual type I’m drawn to, but I thought it would be interesting to give one of these Christmas stories a go.

There is so much involved with preparing the “perfect” family Christmas and if the work load falls only to one person, it’s no wonder that they become fatigued just thinking about it.  Listening to the story, I really felt for Ethel.  Her family has a selfish streak, which she accepts responsibility for, which I think is sad – and is probably one of the reasons she finds herself in this state of apathy.  After all, people don’t often know there is a problem unless they are told or made to taken responsibility for it.

When the family make their promise of, “this year it will be different”, on noticing that Ethel’s not her usual self, their solution was not one I expected.  And, it highlights the undercurrent of expectation that moves through their house.

The story was a short listen, at just under twenty minutes, but in that time, we are given a clear and crisp glimpse into Ethel’s character, as well as the personalities of the other family members.  It’s not a cheery Christmas story, but with the weight of expectation associated with this time of year, I think for some it is a realistic one.

Rating

Book Review: The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker by Michael Jecks

The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker is the tenth book in the Knight’s Templar series by Michael Jecks.

Quick Review (read on for full review)

An engaging Christmas tale that brings the medieval past to life.  Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Puttock are very likeable main characters, and the mystery is cleverly-written.  Highly recommended! 5 / 5

Summary (from back of book)

For Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, the Christmas of 1321 looks set to be one of great festivity.  As a reward for their investigative services, they’ve been summoned to Exeter to receive the prestigious gloves of honour in a ceremony led by the specially elected Boy-Bishop.  But the dead man swinging on the gallows as they arrive is a portentous greeting…

Within hours, they learn that Ralph – the cathedral’s glovemaker and the city’s beloved philanthropist – has been robbed and stabbed to death.  When Peter, a Secondary at the cathedral, collapses from poisoning in the middle of Mass, the finger of suspicion turns to him.  Yet if he was Ralph’s attacker, where are the missing riches now?  And did Peter commit suicide – or was he murdered too?

When Simon and Baldwin are asked to solve the riddles surrounding the deaths, they soon find that many of Exeter’s leading citizens are not what – and who – they first seem to be, and that the city’s Christmas bustle is concealing a ruthless murderer who is about to strike again…

Favourite Quote

At one corner Ralph passed a few poorer folk huddled around a brazier of charcoal.  In the glover’s opinion they looked little better than heathens standing with their hands outstretched to the flames like priests worshipping fire…

Review

First, let me begin by saying this is the first book I have read in the series – I have a number of the titles on my bookshelves but I wanted to read a medieval festive story so picked this one.  It reads perfectly as a standalone; I had no trouble getting acquainted with the main characters and didn’t feel like I needed to have read the preceding volumes prior to this one – but I shall be returning to read them all because this one was fantastic.

This is a cleverly written, complicated story showing the carefully intersected and interwoven lives of a community.  There is a lot going on here, and the cast of characters reflects that, as does the pace of the storytelling.  There is much action to be found, as well as twists and turns.  The identity of the culprit takes some fathoming out, but there are clues along the way if you’re astute enough to spot them.

I liked both Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Puttock.  I thought they were sensible and didn’t allow anyone else’s thoughts to interfere with their own conclusions.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading how Christmas was celebrated during the period.  It’s interesting that the tradition of the Boy-Bishop is reminiscent of the Roman festival of Saturnalia.

The story is well-researched (as attested to by the front matter in the book – a glossary, The Regulations for the Boy-Bishop at Exeter Cathedral after Bishop Grandisson (translated from the Latin by Margaret Cash), a cast of characters and an author’s note – but never once did I feel that it was too much, or too heavy-going.  The level of detail in the writing brings the early fourteenth century to life with ease.  I could clearly envisage where we were and who was there as we changed locations in and around Exeter and met all the different characters.

An engaging mystery.  I am looking forward to reading more from this series. Highly recommended!

Rating

 

Novella Review: Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Miss Kane’s Christmas is the first book in the Christmas Central series by Caroline Mickelson.

Quick Review (read on for full review)

A little twee and saccharine, perfect for a light-hearted, festive read.  A quick and uncomplicated story that’s certainly worth a read to get you ready for Christmas. 4 / 5

Summary (from Goodreads)

With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’.

Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?

Favourite Quote

“Of course not, we’re not going to save Christmas by resorting to petty theft and destruction of another person’s property.”

Review

A romance story set at Christmas is always going to come across as a bit twee and saccharine, and perhaps even predictable, but I think that rather adds to the charm of a festive read.  This story was quite enchanting and I could easily imagine it adapted for the TV.

I liked all the characters.  Carol was perky and enthusiastic and refused to let anything dampen her spirit (even though she was a guest in somebody else’s home and she didn’t understand taking over everything might come across as a bit rude).  I understood where Ben was coming from; he didn’t like the idea of lying to and then subsequently disappointing his children with regards to a mythical figure he believed didn’t exist.  The children were adorable.

It lost a star for the crazy three day whirlwind romance – that was the most unbelievable, unrealistic aspect of the story, which is saying something when there are talking elves and flying sleighs.  It didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story though.

This was an entertaining, quick read.  The story was light-hearted, uncomplicated and fun, and certainly well worth a read in the run-up to Christmas.

Would I read any more of the series?  Good question.  I enjoyed what I read in Miss Kane’s Christmas, and I don’t feel that I have to read more.  The story is written as a standalone (as are the others in the series).  However, I liked the world-building and the characters, so it is possible that I will visit again for Festive Reads Fortnight 2019.

Rating