This is the book that I will be reading Christmas short stories from this year...
The book was edited by Thomas Godfrey, with illustrations and cartoons by Gahan Wilson included. Godfrey provides an introduction for each story.
Two paragraphs from the dust jacket:
It has been said that Christmas brings out the best in everyone, and this has been especially true of mystery writers who seem to have been inspired to their best work by the holiday season.
So come to a unique yuletide celebration and rub elbows with such greats as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dame Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, and Ellery Queen, while Georges Simenon and Dame Ngaio Marsh drop a few hot coals into your stocking. Masters of suspense John Collier and Stanley Ellin will be on hand with a few terrifying tales to send shivers up your spine. Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, and Baroness Orczy also will be present with some surprise contributions. There will be a few laughs, too, with Damon Runyon, Wyndham Lewis, and Woody Allen, as well as visits with old and new masters of the genre such as Margery Allingham, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K. Chesterton, Edward D. Hoch, and H.R.F. Keating. John Dickson Carr will favor us with a locked room story, while O. Henry contributes some Christmas criminality from the Old West. We'll even go Christmas shopping with Robert Louis Stevenson.
George Kelley reviewed Murder for Christmas at his blog. He lists all the stories in his post.
18 comments:
A wonderful and varied collection, Tracy. The perfect holiday antidote for those predictable Hallmark Christmas movies!
Oh, this looks like a great collection, Tracy. That's a long list of some top writers, too. And there are definitely times when a short story is exactly what I'm looking to read. Verrry tempting!
I liked it, when I picked it up some years ago...nice of the publishers to put Godfrey's name in smaller print than Wilson's, no? Though I doubt Godfrey was Too upset. Like all the contributors aside from (occasionally funny) Woody Allen.
Jerry, I don't think I have ever seen a Hallmark Christmas movie. I got this one two years ago and had forgotten about it, so I am glad I located at this time.
Margot, I have already read some of the stories in this book (published in other books) but I am looking forward to trying some new authors.
Todd, mostly I am familiar with these authors but there are some that will be new to me. It is interesting to see how some Christmas stories get reprinted often in anthologies.
There are a lot of Christmas murder collections about but this one is completely new to me with some unusual authors. I love that cover!
Oh, this would be a wonderful read - I envy you, Tracy!
An interesting mix of choices here, but I'm mostly curious about going Christmas shopping with Robert Louis Stephenson. ;)
I am going to read some Christmas short stories and novellas too, but standalones. Will keep this one for next year, though!
Cath, I have always liked illustrated books, so that was part of my motivation in getting this book. Also Gahan Wilson's cartoons are always good.
Fanda, I have some Christmas novella I want to get to also, it all depends on how much time I have as to whether that happens.
Tracy, thanks for the shout-out for my review of MURDER FOR CHRISTMAS! I wrote the review a while ago, but it's a book that still holds up! http://georgekelley.org/forgotten-books-148-murder-for-christmas-edited-by/
George, there are several authors in this book that I have never read before: Baroness Orczy, Wyndham Lewis, Woody Allen, John Collier, James Mines, Lillian de la Torre and H.R.F. Keating. So that will be especially interesting.
That looks like a funny cover. Lot of tales of Christmas malfeasance ... eh?
Susan, I think there will be plenty of that. I hope I get them all read by the end of the year.
Hi Tracy, This anthology sounds great. I love Christmas stories and everyone from Rex Stout to Sir Arthur Connan Doyle to Margery Allingham and some I have not heard of who are worth checking out.
Kathy, it does look good to me too. The Rex Stout story is especially good, I have read it many times.
I thought I had this book with a different cover, but turns out to be a different collection with a similar title. This one looks good... Ideal holiday reading, short stories well suited to our Christmas lives.
Moira, it is a good collection of short stories, at least those I have read so far, and enough unfamiliar authors to make it more interesting.
Post a Comment