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The Santa Klaus Murder
Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings at their country residence Flaxmere. So when Sir Osmond Melbury, the family patriarch, is discovered-by a guest dressed as Santa Klaus-with a bullet in his head on Christmas Day, the festivities are plunged into chaos. Nearly every member of the party stands to reap some sort of benefit from Sir Osmond's death, but Santa Klaus, the one person who seems to have every opportunity to fire the shot, has no apparent motive. Various members of the family have their private suspicions about the identity of the murderer, and the Chief Constable of Haulmshire, who begins his investigations by saying that he knows the family too well and that is his difficulty, wishes before long that he understood them better. In the midst of mistrust, suspicion and hatred, it emerges that there was not one Santa Klaus, but two.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1936
332 people are currently reading
3178 people want to read
About the author
Mavis Doriel Hay
15 books54 followersMavis Doriel Hay (1894-1979), who in early life lived in north London, was a novelist, who fleetingly lit up the golden age of British crime fiction. She attended St Hilda's, Oxford, around about the same time as Dorothy L Sayers was at Somerville.
She published only three detective novels, 'Murder Underground' (1934), 'Death on the Cherwell' (1935) and 'The Santa Klaus Murder' (1936). All three titles were well received on publication.
She was also an expert on rural handicraft and wrote several books on the subject including 'Rural Industries of England and Wales' with co-author Helen Elizabeth Fitzrandolph.
In 1929, she married her co-author's brother Archibald Menzies Fitzrandolph, a member of a wealthy and influential family of loyalist Canadians.
Archibald joined the RAF but was killed in a flying accident in 1943, one of a number of tragedies that struck Mavis. One of her brothers was killed aged 19 when his ship was sunk during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, her youngest sibling was killed when his Tiger Moth crashed in a Malayan jungle in 1939 and in 1940 a third brother lost his life working on the notorious Thailand-Burma railway after being captured by the Japanese.
When she set aside her mystery novels, Mavis took up a role as a researcher for the Rural Industries Bureau, which was established to encourage craft industries in deprived areas.
She was said to be so well-connected that she was able to arrange exhibitions in the homes of the aristocracy, connections to which had probably come about from one of Archibald's cousins marrying Sir John Dashwood and the fact that the cousin then became a lady-in-waiting at the court of King George V.
Her final book, 'Quilting' was published in 1972, just seven years before her death, which occurred in the village of Box in Gloucestershire.
Gerry Wolstenholme
July 2015
She published only three detective novels, 'Murder Underground' (1934), 'Death on the Cherwell' (1935) and 'The Santa Klaus Murder' (1936). All three titles were well received on publication.
She was also an expert on rural handicraft and wrote several books on the subject including 'Rural Industries of England and Wales' with co-author Helen Elizabeth Fitzrandolph.
In 1929, she married her co-author's brother Archibald Menzies Fitzrandolph, a member of a wealthy and influential family of loyalist Canadians.
Archibald joined the RAF but was killed in a flying accident in 1943, one of a number of tragedies that struck Mavis. One of her brothers was killed aged 19 when his ship was sunk during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, her youngest sibling was killed when his Tiger Moth crashed in a Malayan jungle in 1939 and in 1940 a third brother lost his life working on the notorious Thailand-Burma railway after being captured by the Japanese.
When she set aside her mystery novels, Mavis took up a role as a researcher for the Rural Industries Bureau, which was established to encourage craft industries in deprived areas.
She was said to be so well-connected that she was able to arrange exhibitions in the homes of the aristocracy, connections to which had probably come about from one of Archibald's cousins marrying Sir John Dashwood and the fact that the cousin then became a lady-in-waiting at the court of King George V.
Her final book, 'Quilting' was published in 1972, just seven years before her death, which occurred in the village of Box in Gloucestershire.
Gerry Wolstenholme
July 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews
April 16, 2022
*3.5 stars*
Sir Osmond Melbury is hanging onto life – (he has already suffered one stroke) – and to his money, and his influence. He maintains his influence by the subsidies he offers his children if they please him, and by the promise of a division of the spoils in his will when he dies.
He wants to act the part of a paterfamilias at a good old family Christmas – son, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters, grand-children, prospective fiancés and a few more for good measure, are all at the house, not to forget, of course, the secretary, servants and former servants.
There will be a visit from Santa Klaus, of course, though Sir Osmond would not want to play the creature. He would prefer to watch the faces of the recipients of his largesse. Perhaps that is why he retires to his study alone after the visit of Saint Nick, so that he can recall the look of pleasure on their faces. Or perhaps it is because he is expecting a mysterious telephone call. Or perhaps because he is expecting a visit from someone else dressed as Santa Klaus. I doubt, though, that he expected that someone would kill him!
A classic country house murder mystery, enjoyable, but could have done with less characters.
Sir Osmond Melbury is hanging onto life – (he has already suffered one stroke) – and to his money, and his influence. He maintains his influence by the subsidies he offers his children if they please him, and by the promise of a division of the spoils in his will when he dies.
He wants to act the part of a paterfamilias at a good old family Christmas – son, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters, grand-children, prospective fiancés and a few more for good measure, are all at the house, not to forget, of course, the secretary, servants and former servants.
There will be a visit from Santa Klaus, of course, though Sir Osmond would not want to play the creature. He would prefer to watch the faces of the recipients of his largesse. Perhaps that is why he retires to his study alone after the visit of Saint Nick, so that he can recall the look of pleasure on their faces. Or perhaps it is because he is expecting a mysterious telephone call. Or perhaps because he is expecting a visit from someone else dressed as Santa Klaus. I doubt, though, that he expected that someone would kill him!
A classic country house murder mystery, enjoyable, but could have done with less characters.
December 8, 2018
3.5★
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me at Christmastime nothing hits the spot like a good old family murder mystery!
I do assure everyone that I adore my husband & children. Mostly.
Mavis Doriel Hay only wrote three detective novels in total, & this was her final one. I can get the other two from another library in my area, but I am not sure I am going to bother.
There was a lot that was right with this novel.
Every character was a character & I didn't need to refer to the People in the Story list after the first couple of chapters. I liked the unconscious depiction of life in England & Christmas customs. There was a bit of humour - I'm honestly not sure how much was intentional!
Made me giggle.
But I didn't like the organisation of this novel. I found the multiple POV chapters very unnecessary and the book really started to drag. A lot of events and motives were highly implausible.
A further problem for me (& the Isis Imprint publishers should hang their head in shame) was there was a plot spoiler in the book blurb. I've removed it from quite a few editions on GR. Just be careful where you read before going in.
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me at Christmastime nothing hits the spot like a good old family murder mystery!
I do assure everyone that I adore my husband & children. Mostly.
Mavis Doriel Hay only wrote three detective novels in total, & this was her final one. I can get the other two from another library in my area, but I am not sure I am going to bother.
There was a lot that was right with this novel.
Every character was a character & I didn't need to refer to the People in the Story list after the first couple of chapters. I liked the unconscious depiction of life in England & Christmas customs. There was a bit of humour - I'm honestly not sure how much was intentional!
I nearly went off the deep end at that. The house seemed to be full of lunatics who never gave away anything they knew until it was just too late. But I did manage to tell the fool to explain himself.
Made me giggle.
But I didn't like the organisation of this novel. I found the multiple POV chapters very unnecessary and the book really started to drag. A lot of events and motives were highly implausible.
A further problem for me (& the Isis Imprint publishers should hang their head in shame) was there was a plot spoiler in the book blurb. I've removed it from quite a few editions on GR. Just be careful where you read before going in.
Season's Greetings my fellow readers & all the best for 2019!🎅
November 12, 2015
This is a good example of a Golden Age traditional mystery, set around the classic Country House party – this time set during Christmas, when the Melbury family meet up for Christmas at the family home, Flaxmere. However, rather than being a time of good cheer and festive feasting, virtually all the family members – plus two guests – have misgivings about this annual get together and, to add to all the various alliances and intrigue, Sir Oswald Melbury is considering changing his will.
It is fair to say that virtually every member of the house party has a reason to want Sir Oswald dead. He is a controlling and insensitive father, who has a tendency to meddle in the lives, and marriages, of his children. When he decides to obtain a Santa Klaus costume, so a member of the party can distribute gifts to the children, and servants, everyone is concerned that his plan goes well. When he is found dead in his study, it seems obvious that the murderer was staying under his roof.
This is an enjoyable Christmas mystery, with a good setting and a good cast of possible suspects and motives. Novelist Mavis Doriel Hay (1894-1979) was comfortable in the world of the aristocracy and this mystery has a good sense of authenticity and character about it. Although she only published three detective novels, 'Murder Underground' (1934), 'Death on the Cherwell' (1935) and 'The Santa Klaus Murder' (1936), I am pleased they are back in print. Very enjoyable if you enjoy mysteries set in that period between the wars, which is rightly termed the ‘Golden Age’ of British crime writing.
It is fair to say that virtually every member of the house party has a reason to want Sir Oswald dead. He is a controlling and insensitive father, who has a tendency to meddle in the lives, and marriages, of his children. When he decides to obtain a Santa Klaus costume, so a member of the party can distribute gifts to the children, and servants, everyone is concerned that his plan goes well. When he is found dead in his study, it seems obvious that the murderer was staying under his roof.
This is an enjoyable Christmas mystery, with a good setting and a good cast of possible suspects and motives. Novelist Mavis Doriel Hay (1894-1979) was comfortable in the world of the aristocracy and this mystery has a good sense of authenticity and character about it. Although she only published three detective novels, 'Murder Underground' (1934), 'Death on the Cherwell' (1935) and 'The Santa Klaus Murder' (1936), I am pleased they are back in print. Very enjoyable if you enjoy mysteries set in that period between the wars, which is rightly termed the ‘Golden Age’ of British crime writing.
December 16, 2020
It's really great that The British Library are reprinting these classic crime novels and whilst this wasn't the strongest from that goldern age, it was still a perfect mystery to enjoy over the festive period.
The idea that the only guest who didn't hold a grudge with Sir Osmond Melbury had the perfect opportunity to see him off by wearing a Santa costume at a family gathering was a great hook.
The book opens with various testimonies from a few of the family members which adds to a nice bit of unreliable narrator, the plot really gets going once Colonel Halstock takes up the account of the investigation.
The traditonal country house setting really helped set the mood, the only real negatives are the abundance of characters that can get confusing - though does make it difficult to work out the conclusion.
There's something reassuringly cozy with reading a Whodunnit at this time of year, I'll have to see what other titles are also available.
The idea that the only guest who didn't hold a grudge with Sir Osmond Melbury had the perfect opportunity to see him off by wearing a Santa costume at a family gathering was a great hook.
The book opens with various testimonies from a few of the family members which adds to a nice bit of unreliable narrator, the plot really gets going once Colonel Halstock takes up the account of the investigation.
The traditonal country house setting really helped set the mood, the only real negatives are the abundance of characters that can get confusing - though does make it difficult to work out the conclusion.
There's something reassuringly cozy with reading a Whodunnit at this time of year, I'll have to see what other titles are also available.
December 28, 2016
2.5*
“Well, I’m jiggered!” said Constable Mere. “We looked in that pile! I’d’ve said there couldn’t be a dead rat left in it, let alone Father Christmas’ Sunday suit!”
I was inspired by Moonlight Reader to pick this up. The Santa Klaus Murder is another installment of the British Library Crime Classics series that focuses on works by authors of the Golden Age of Mystery, who have been largely neglected in favour of such giants of the genre as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Gladys Mitchell, et. al.
The Santa Klaus Murder is set in a typical mystery setting: a country house, a family gathering for the holidays, a murder that was impossible to take place, and a lot of red herrings.
The story had all the markings of a perfectly cozy read, except....there were some darker themes that meandered through the book that gave this mystery an air of interest beyond the pure fun of solving the puzzle.
For example, one of the characters is suffering from PTSD, or shell-shock, and one of the interesting aspects of the novel was how his family cope with his altered self.
However, the topic was not given as much depth as for example Sayer's allocated to it in the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. Altogether, The Santa Klaus Murder remained a diversion, a light read.
As for the mystery, ... it dragged a bit and thanks to the incompetence of the investigators, some of the conclusions seemed a bit far-fetched. I would rather have all the facts and try and piece them together than be presented with new evidence just as the case is wrapped up. It always seems to be too convenient to the author (rather than the characters) when a conclusion is rushed.
One other note, tho, I loved the language that is used in this book. I could not decide whether it was just quaint or actually funny. The passing of time since its original publication in 1936 may have a lot to do with it, but some of the expressions that were used really made me smile.
Once Jenny reached the door she was so quick that I couldn’t help see her rush at him and throw herself incontinently into his arms.
“Well, I’m jiggered!” said Constable Mere. “We looked in that pile! I’d’ve said there couldn’t be a dead rat left in it, let alone Father Christmas’ Sunday suit!”
I was inspired by Moonlight Reader to pick this up. The Santa Klaus Murder is another installment of the British Library Crime Classics series that focuses on works by authors of the Golden Age of Mystery, who have been largely neglected in favour of such giants of the genre as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Gladys Mitchell, et. al.
The Santa Klaus Murder is set in a typical mystery setting: a country house, a family gathering for the holidays, a murder that was impossible to take place, and a lot of red herrings.
The story had all the markings of a perfectly cozy read, except....there were some darker themes that meandered through the book that gave this mystery an air of interest beyond the pure fun of solving the puzzle.
For example, one of the characters is suffering from PTSD, or shell-shock, and one of the interesting aspects of the novel was how his family cope with his altered self.
However, the topic was not given as much depth as for example Sayer's allocated to it in the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. Altogether, The Santa Klaus Murder remained a diversion, a light read.
As for the mystery, ... it dragged a bit and thanks to the incompetence of the investigators, some of the conclusions seemed a bit far-fetched. I would rather have all the facts and try and piece them together than be presented with new evidence just as the case is wrapped up. It always seems to be too convenient to the author (rather than the characters) when a conclusion is rushed.
One other note, tho, I loved the language that is used in this book. I could not decide whether it was just quaint or actually funny. The passing of time since its original publication in 1936 may have a lot to do with it, but some of the expressions that were used really made me smile.
Once Jenny reached the door she was so quick that I couldn’t help see her rush at him and throw herself incontinently into his arms.
December 20, 2016
This was a very good quit read!!I loved the period it's in the 1930's Witch was fun to read and the murder is cleverly performed, and it takes some thought to determine who the culprit is.(witch is why i'm giving it five stars i normally figure it out pretty quit) lots of red herrings abound in this enjoyable classic mystery.
Read
January 8, 2019The Hook Take away the title and that The Santa Klaus Murder is part of the The British Library Crime Classics, the picture that remains bids us "Welcome", please come inside for a cozy, comfy fire and good cheer. But you better watch out, because this Santa may not be jolly ol' St. Nick.
The Line - "Really, Colonel Halstock, really, when the children are to be put through the fourth dimension or whatever you call it, and terrified, poor little things, out of their lives, really, it is too much!”
The Sinker - A good old fashioned mystery right down to the map of the country manor, Flaxmere, on the opening page. The cast of characters is given, the stage is set and the fun begins. Not all guests arrive but most are on hand before Christmas morn. The first five chapters are told from their viewpoint, we think as it happens. It is not until the sixth chapter that we learn that their reports are the gathering of statements by Colonel Halstock, Chief Constable of Haulmshire. There's been a death, someone in the house is the culprit, and Santa is as suspect as anyone.
I adore these golden age mysteries with their picturesque dialog drawing the scene and leaving us clues. It has a locked room aspect, half-truths, and lots of could be murderers with motive. Like many stories of this ilk, the characters mingle throughout, socializing with each other, and the timing of who is who and who is where and who is doing what, is extremely important. A very slight difference here is the addition of children in the cast, though of course, none of these is suspect, but are questioned to the happenings of Christmas Day, just the same.
The British Library Crime Classics are gems.
The Line - "Really, Colonel Halstock, really, when the children are to be put through the fourth dimension or whatever you call it, and terrified, poor little things, out of their lives, really, it is too much!”
The Sinker - A good old fashioned mystery right down to the map of the country manor, Flaxmere, on the opening page. The cast of characters is given, the stage is set and the fun begins. Not all guests arrive but most are on hand before Christmas morn. The first five chapters are told from their viewpoint, we think as it happens. It is not until the sixth chapter that we learn that their reports are the gathering of statements by Colonel Halstock, Chief Constable of Haulmshire. There's been a death, someone in the house is the culprit, and Santa is as suspect as anyone.
I adore these golden age mysteries with their picturesque dialog drawing the scene and leaving us clues. It has a locked room aspect, half-truths, and lots of could be murderers with motive. Like many stories of this ilk, the characters mingle throughout, socializing with each other, and the timing of who is who and who is where and who is doing what, is extremely important. A very slight difference here is the addition of children in the cast, though of course, none of these is suspect, but are questioned to the happenings of Christmas Day, just the same.
The British Library Crime Classics are gems.
September 11, 2020
"So there we all were; as we were so unpleasantly forced to realize later on, nearly all of us with good cause for wishing Sir Osmond dead and few with any cause to wish him long life."
Well, this went on longer than necessary. As a Christmas themed murder mystery, this had all the things. A country house, an ill-tempered, bully of a patriarch, a handful of adult children uneasy with their inheritance prospects, a young secretary that adds to their unease. children that are mostly invisible save one annoyingly precocious one, a dash of servants, a seemingly locked room murder and law enforcement investigators who range from clever and thorough to eager but rather stupid. Literally everything but a dog lounging by a fire. So for that, I was very content and happy with this. I even give points for some very good misdirection.
But there were seemingly obvious questions that the reader is asking about far too long before the investigators got around to it . And I mean like a third of the book! There's a good deal of information withheld from the investigators by the family for inane reasons but those mostly served to cause delay and save one important instance, didn't much play into the murderer's plan. And this is all in aid of stringing this tale out far longer than necessary. The denouement was simple and tidy enough but this could have been done with less a third of this story.
This had some good lines that were highlight-worthy & memorable. My very favourite quote of the book really stood out:
"They love talking about points of view, but they are both far too young to understand the point of view of anyone over forty. They're pathetically young and that's partly what makes them both so charming. Being so nearly forty myself, I believe I really can get some inkling of how both the twenties, and the fifties and over, feel- though possibly that's just imagination and I'm really as self-centered as the rest."
I don't know if I'd strenuously recommend this. I suppose if you're really determined to read all the British Library Crime Classics (as is my plan), then definitely do. If you're looking for a cracking Christmas mystery, get around to it eventually.
Well, this went on longer than necessary. As a Christmas themed murder mystery, this had all the things. A country house, an ill-tempered, bully of a patriarch, a handful of adult children uneasy with their inheritance prospects, a young secretary that adds to their unease. children that are mostly invisible save one annoyingly precocious one, a dash of servants, a seemingly locked room murder and law enforcement investigators who range from clever and thorough to eager but rather stupid. Literally everything but a dog lounging by a fire. So for that, I was very content and happy with this. I even give points for some very good misdirection.
But there were seemingly obvious questions that the reader is asking about far too long before the investigators got around to it . And I mean like a third of the book! There's a good deal of information withheld from the investigators by the family for inane reasons but those mostly served to cause delay and save one important instance, didn't much play into the murderer's plan. And this is all in aid of stringing this tale out far longer than necessary. The denouement was simple and tidy enough but this could have been done with less a third of this story.
This had some good lines that were highlight-worthy & memorable. My very favourite quote of the book really stood out:
"They love talking about points of view, but they are both far too young to understand the point of view of anyone over forty. They're pathetically young and that's partly what makes them both so charming. Being so nearly forty myself, I believe I really can get some inkling of how both the twenties, and the fifties and over, feel- though possibly that's just imagination and I'm really as self-centered as the rest."
I don't know if I'd strenuously recommend this. I suppose if you're really determined to read all the British Library Crime Classics (as is my plan), then definitely do. If you're looking for a cracking Christmas mystery, get around to it eventually.
December 29, 2025
Such an enjoyable Golden Age murder mystery and a perfect one for Christmas time. I really had no idea who the murderer could have been until the end. I found the actual murderer slightly disappointing but the red herrings were all very enjoyable. 😂
November 23, 2023
Es una delicia regresar a la clásica novela de intriga inglesa, siempre es divertido y gratificante leer algo como esto.
Por supuesto se notan mucho ciertas influencias de otros escritores ingleses mucho más conocidos, pero no por eso deja de ser un libro fácil de leer pero, sobre todo, ingenioso.
Lo mejor del libro, a mi parecer, son los personajes, todos ellos tan snobs y más el protagonista, es decir, el muerto de esta historia, por supuesto todos los implicados o la mayoría de ellos, tienen motivos y oportunidad, así que la premisa es esa, sospechar de todos, sin embargo, aunque el autor realizó un gran trabajo, tuvo algunos fallos que hacen que el lector, sobre todo el que lee mucho sobre este género, no pueda pasar desapercibidos y por lo tanto me fue muy fácil poner a mi sospechoso principal casi desde el principio, no me equivoque, pero tampoco es que fuera tan difícil dar con el asesino, demasiado obvios los otros sospechosos.
Por otro lado, me gusto el estilo narrativo, una novela coral pero que les da su tiempo a los personajes indicados, eso me gustó y se hizo bien, creo que me habría gustado saber que fue de cada uno después pero solo es mi vena cotilla la que lo quiere saber.
Por lo demás es un libro muy entretenido, que se deja leer rápido y fácil y que me hizo pasar un muy buen rato, además es el primero de este género que me permite terminarlo después de mi bloqueo lector, así que eso siempre es una buena noticia
Por supuesto se notan mucho ciertas influencias de otros escritores ingleses mucho más conocidos, pero no por eso deja de ser un libro fácil de leer pero, sobre todo, ingenioso.
Lo mejor del libro, a mi parecer, son los personajes, todos ellos tan snobs y más el protagonista, es decir, el muerto de esta historia, por supuesto todos los implicados o la mayoría de ellos, tienen motivos y oportunidad, así que la premisa es esa, sospechar de todos, sin embargo, aunque el autor realizó un gran trabajo, tuvo algunos fallos que hacen que el lector, sobre todo el que lee mucho sobre este género, no pueda pasar desapercibidos y por lo tanto me fue muy fácil poner a mi sospechoso principal casi desde el principio, no me equivoque, pero tampoco es que fuera tan difícil dar con el asesino, demasiado obvios los otros sospechosos.
Por otro lado, me gusto el estilo narrativo, una novela coral pero que les da su tiempo a los personajes indicados, eso me gustó y se hizo bien, creo que me habría gustado saber que fue de cada uno después pero solo es mi vena cotilla la que lo quiere saber.
Por lo demás es un libro muy entretenido, que se deja leer rápido y fácil y que me hizo pasar un muy buen rato, además es el primero de este género que me permite terminarlo después de mi bloqueo lector, así que eso siempre es una buena noticia
January 22, 2016
This book had quite a few problems, although it was enjoyable enough just to breeze through.
1) Way too many characters. The front page of the book has a list of them with a very short description which is very handy but made less useful by the fact that each character is referred to in multiple different ways that require you to check through the opening list. This makes it very hard to keep track of each character's motivations, movements etc and means only a few get much interesting characterisation. In general a lot of the characters are extraneous - for example, there are 4 kids in this book, only 1 of whom ever does anything even vaguely relevant - and some of the characters totally disappear after a certain point. This makes the impact of any particular clue a lot less because you had to try and remember everyone involved.
2) Strange way of revealing information. There was very little police work done and so many of the revelations came from characters giving a new statement and saying their old one was total lies or just that they missed out something major. Often this isn't really provoked by anything, they just do. Other clues aren't resolved for ages because the police simply don't question people properly. This also leads to a lot of trouble keeping straight what the current story is - multiple people apparently kept pacts to lie for each other for very little reason and so after one person gives their story they've often contradicted the other person's. It's not super confusing but it does leave you feeling like you're not really following a process of investigation, just waiting it out. It's also notable that the book opens with multiple chapters from different characters' points of view but it turns out they're documents that exist within the story, but they only make an appearance 2/3rds of the way through - and the main character takes ages to read them even then! So he makes multiple claims which you know are untrue but aren't hidden, which is confusing. And again it'd have been avoided if the people involved had actually said everything they'd experienced.
3) The ending doesn't solve anything! This is the most important point, probably. Everything gets wrapped up in 3-4 pages and it doesn't explain some really major things, most notably why the Santa Claus costume was adopted as part of the murder in the first place! It also doesn't really give conclusions for many of the characters. The book is *full* of red herrings and then the ending just ties together a bunch of obscure stuff. Massive ending spoilers follow.
It's weird because it wasn't unenjoyable and I did have some fun for what it was. But there are plenty better stories and that ending was just naff.
1) Way too many characters. The front page of the book has a list of them with a very short description which is very handy but made less useful by the fact that each character is referred to in multiple different ways that require you to check through the opening list. This makes it very hard to keep track of each character's motivations, movements etc and means only a few get much interesting characterisation. In general a lot of the characters are extraneous - for example, there are 4 kids in this book, only 1 of whom ever does anything even vaguely relevant - and some of the characters totally disappear after a certain point. This makes the impact of any particular clue a lot less because you had to try and remember everyone involved.
2) Strange way of revealing information. There was very little police work done and so many of the revelations came from characters giving a new statement and saying their old one was total lies or just that they missed out something major. Often this isn't really provoked by anything, they just do. Other clues aren't resolved for ages because the police simply don't question people properly. This also leads to a lot of trouble keeping straight what the current story is - multiple people apparently kept pacts to lie for each other for very little reason and so after one person gives their story they've often contradicted the other person's. It's not super confusing but it does leave you feeling like you're not really following a process of investigation, just waiting it out. It's also notable that the book opens with multiple chapters from different characters' points of view but it turns out they're documents that exist within the story, but they only make an appearance 2/3rds of the way through - and the main character takes ages to read them even then! So he makes multiple claims which you know are untrue but aren't hidden, which is confusing. And again it'd have been avoided if the people involved had actually said everything they'd experienced.
3) The ending doesn't solve anything! This is the most important point, probably. Everything gets wrapped up in 3-4 pages and it doesn't explain some really major things, most notably why the Santa Claus costume was adopted as part of the murder in the first place! It also doesn't really give conclusions for many of the characters. The book is *full* of red herrings and then the ending just ties together a bunch of obscure stuff. Massive ending spoilers follow.
It's weird because it wasn't unenjoyable and I did have some fun for what it was. But there are plenty better stories and that ending was just naff.
December 11, 2023
Perfecto si te gustó "Navidades trágicas", de Agatha Christie☺️
December 19, 2023
Briti Raamatukogu Krimiklassika eesti keeles
Review of the Tammerraamat Estonian language paperback (November 13, 2019) translated by Matti Piirimaa from the English language original The Santa Klaus Murder (Original 1936/Reprint 2015)
[Arvustus Eesti keeles]
Lugesin Jõulumõrv inglise keeles mõni aasta tagasi, kui Briti Raamatukogu Krimiklassika andis selle esmakordselt välja kui The Santa Klaus Murder. Olen teinud viimastel aastatel kombeks lugeda igal jõuluajal Briti kuldajastu müsteeriumi klassika ja sel aastal leidsin selle tõlke minu eesti pärandikeeles.
Mulle meeldis sellel lugemisel Jõulumõrv veelgi rohkem, kuna mul oli lahendusest natuke mälu ja sain siis nautida kuidas mõrvarit ja meetodit peideti raamatu süžees. Ma ei leidnud selles tõlkes ühtegi viga. Tõlge voolas väga sujuvalt ja andis 20. sajandi alguse atmosfääri väga hästi edasi. Väga vähesed eestikeelsed sõnad olid tõlkes minu jaoks uued, smaragd (emerald) oli ainus mis silma paistis, ja see on isegi saksa keele laensõna.
Trivia ja viide
Briti Raamatukogu Krimiklassika sari on 1920. ja 1930. aastate unustatud pealkirjade kordustrükid (sarja kirjeldatakse kui "kuldaega"). Neid on praegu kuni 50 raamatut (2020. aasta alguse seisuga) ja kõige ajakohasemat nimekirja saate vaadata Briti Raamatukogu kaupluses (Põhja-Ameerika jaoks on neile kordustrükki kirjastus nimega Poisoned Pen Press).
[English language review]
I read Jõulumõrv in English a few years ago when it was first re-issued by British Library Crime Classics as The Santa Klaus Murder. I've made it a tradition in recent years to read a British Golden Age mystery classic every Christmas time and this past year I actually found one in translation in my heritage language of Estonian.
I enjoyed Jõulumõrv even more in this second reading as I did have some memory of the solution and could watch for how the plot was constructed to hide the murderer and their method. I did not find any fault in it. The Estonian translation also flowed very smoothly and conveyed the early 20th century atmosphere very well. Very few Estonian words were new to me in the translation, smaragd (emerald) was the only one that stood out, and that is even a loan word from German.
Trivia and Link
The British Library Crime Classic series are reprints of forgotten titles from the 1920's & 1930's (which the series describes as the "Golden Age"). They are up to 50 titles now (as of early 2020) and you can see the most up-to-date list at the British Library Shop (for North America they are reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press).
Review of the Tammerraamat Estonian language paperback (November 13, 2019) translated by Matti Piirimaa from the English language original The Santa Klaus Murder (Original 1936/Reprint 2015)
[Arvustus Eesti keeles]
Lugesin Jõulumõrv inglise keeles mõni aasta tagasi, kui Briti Raamatukogu Krimiklassika andis selle esmakordselt välja kui The Santa Klaus Murder. Olen teinud viimastel aastatel kombeks lugeda igal jõuluajal Briti kuldajastu müsteeriumi klassika ja sel aastal leidsin selle tõlke minu eesti pärandikeeles.
Mulle meeldis sellel lugemisel Jõulumõrv veelgi rohkem, kuna mul oli lahendusest natuke mälu ja sain siis nautida kuidas mõrvarit ja meetodit peideti raamatu süžees. Ma ei leidnud selles tõlkes ühtegi viga. Tõlge voolas väga sujuvalt ja andis 20. sajandi alguse atmosfääri väga hästi edasi. Väga vähesed eestikeelsed sõnad olid tõlkes minu jaoks uued, smaragd (emerald) oli ainus mis silma paistis, ja see on isegi saksa keele laensõna.
Trivia ja viide
Briti Raamatukogu Krimiklassika sari on 1920. ja 1930. aastate unustatud pealkirjade kordustrükid (sarja kirjeldatakse kui "kuldaega"). Neid on praegu kuni 50 raamatut (2020. aasta alguse seisuga) ja kõige ajakohasemat nimekirja saate vaadata Briti Raamatukogu kaupluses (Põhja-Ameerika jaoks on neile kordustrükki kirjastus nimega Poisoned Pen Press).
[English language review]
I read Jõulumõrv in English a few years ago when it was first re-issued by British Library Crime Classics as The Santa Klaus Murder. I've made it a tradition in recent years to read a British Golden Age mystery classic every Christmas time and this past year I actually found one in translation in my heritage language of Estonian.
I enjoyed Jõulumõrv even more in this second reading as I did have some memory of the solution and could watch for how the plot was constructed to hide the murderer and their method. I did not find any fault in it. The Estonian translation also flowed very smoothly and conveyed the early 20th century atmosphere very well. Very few Estonian words were new to me in the translation, smaragd (emerald) was the only one that stood out, and that is even a loan word from German.
Trivia and Link
The British Library Crime Classic series are reprints of forgotten titles from the 1920's & 1930's (which the series describes as the "Golden Age"). They are up to 50 titles now (as of early 2020) and you can see the most up-to-date list at the British Library Shop (for North America they are reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press).
September 27, 2015
3.5 stars I received this from Net Galley
This is a golden oldie Christmas mystery story and I am so glad. It was books like this that sparked my interest in reading. I always envisioned staying in an English manor house where nobody seems to do anything but have a good time. There are activities and lots of food and, oh yes, a murder.
As the family gathers at Christmas time, the old man contemplates changing his will. You know what that means. Someone has to murder him. Who does and why is the book's storyline. I love the Christmas references and the old time glamour. It's on my bucket list to visit an English manor although I'm not sure why. Someone always ends up dead.
If you like a blast from the past then you'll enjoy this cozy Christmas story.
This is a golden oldie Christmas mystery story and I am so glad. It was books like this that sparked my interest in reading. I always envisioned staying in an English manor house where nobody seems to do anything but have a good time. There are activities and lots of food and, oh yes, a murder.
As the family gathers at Christmas time, the old man contemplates changing his will. You know what that means. Someone has to murder him. Who does and why is the book's storyline. I love the Christmas references and the old time glamour. It's on my bucket list to visit an English manor although I'm not sure why. Someone always ends up dead.
If you like a blast from the past then you'll enjoy this cozy Christmas story.
April 2, 2017
I actually read this a little while ago, delighted to find an unknown-to-me Golden Age mystery writer. Now, having read and moderately enjoyed it a second time thanks to Netgalley, I don't know whether it's my fault or the book's that I honestly can't remember whodunnit…. It could just be my brain. I do have the memory of a goldfish.
The murder of a crotchety patriarch on Christmas Day, when the entire family is gathered as well as a few extras, leads to an interesting investigation. It's a country house murder with a Yuletide twist. In the classic approved style, everyone – Sir Osmond Melbury's children, in-laws, sister, and guests – has at least some motive to kill him, and equally strong reasons why they would not, and alibis flex and stretch and snap. And one thing that drove me a little crazy about the investigation – though I suppose things were handled very different in the 30's – was that it seemed to take days for anyone to get around to questioning the children in the house. It just seemed nonsensical that the police stalled out over who distributed the Christmas crackers to the children – and yet no one seemed to ever ask said children about it. It never seemed to occur to anyone.
The investigation on the whole was (I hope!) far from realistic. It took, again, days for the police to search the grounds and outbuildings, and when they did it was a half-as- -er -baked job of it. And while it's normal in any mystery novel (or tv show or film) for people to neglect or outright refuse to tell the police certain things, here it was taken to a kind of silly level.
"When you sent for me yesterday afternoon," Caundle explained; "I came up here through the village and by the back drive—much quicker for me than going round by the main gate—and just before I turned into the drive a car came out of it, turned into the road and passed me. Now that's a bit odd?" I inquired why the dickens he didn't tell me yesterday. "It didn't strike me at the moment as odd".
A car leaving the estate immediately after a man was shot? And you didn't think it was odd? Really?
And part of the investigative technique in this – put in motion by a layman, to whom I'll come back – was to have several of the people who were on the scene write up part of their point of view on what happened. This is how the book begins, though then it settles into just one first-person angle. The thinking behind having people write a report is "they would be partly off their guard when they sat down to write" … but … that makes no sense. In a real live interview, an interrogator can surprise a witness, spark memories, pull out unintentional confession and whatnot. But for someone to sit down with a pen or a typewriter and put down in print their take on a situation – well, they're going to be editing themselves. The recipient of the report will never see the "oops, didn't mean to say that" and "wait, that gives away more than I wanted" first drafts crumpled up in people's waste baskets or crumbling to ash in their fireplaces.
Meanwhile, a layman inserts himself into the investigation in a manner which I would think would ping the radar of modern investigators. "Now I want you to ask Miss Melbury and Miss Portisham to do the same for Tuesday and Christmas Day. I don't know them well enough to ask them and I don't want to approach them as your emissary." Is there anything else you'd like? "By persisting in the assumption that you're agreeing with everything he suggests, he hypnotises you into doing so. That's the only way I can explain why I trusted him as I did in this case, although I met him with a feeling of suspicion which I didn't shake off for a long time." Wait, Sir Osmond received a letter on Christmas morning? Why did no one mention this to the police? Oh – didn't think it was important. Well, like a car driving away from the scene of the crime, why would it be?
I wanted to like the characters, but there wasn't a whole lot to them, and for some – like the youngest daughter – what there was could be rather annoying. Actually, I kept mixing up Sir Osmond's youngest daughter with his oldest granddaughter. There sometimes wasn't much to choose between them. One of the other daughters was married to a man suffering from shell shock, who took advantage of the holiday to reconnect with an old beau. She is lauded at one point for standing by her erratic husband: it "was really a very honourable determination to stand by her husband and give him what help she could" … it was not, however, quite so hono(u)rable for her to keep leading the old flame on and on. Not pretty.
There was a somewhat annoying red herring, an obnoxious precocious child (who finally was questioned), a pair of Santas, and lots of forgetfulness and covering up before it's all concluded. And no, I still can't remember how it ended…
The murder of a crotchety patriarch on Christmas Day, when the entire family is gathered as well as a few extras, leads to an interesting investigation. It's a country house murder with a Yuletide twist. In the classic approved style, everyone – Sir Osmond Melbury's children, in-laws, sister, and guests – has at least some motive to kill him, and equally strong reasons why they would not, and alibis flex and stretch and snap. And one thing that drove me a little crazy about the investigation – though I suppose things were handled very different in the 30's – was that it seemed to take days for anyone to get around to questioning the children in the house. It just seemed nonsensical that the police stalled out over who distributed the Christmas crackers to the children – and yet no one seemed to ever ask said children about it. It never seemed to occur to anyone.
The investigation on the whole was (I hope!) far from realistic. It took, again, days for the police to search the grounds and outbuildings, and when they did it was a half-as- -er -baked job of it. And while it's normal in any mystery novel (or tv show or film) for people to neglect or outright refuse to tell the police certain things, here it was taken to a kind of silly level.
"When you sent for me yesterday afternoon," Caundle explained; "I came up here through the village and by the back drive—much quicker for me than going round by the main gate—and just before I turned into the drive a car came out of it, turned into the road and passed me. Now that's a bit odd?" I inquired why the dickens he didn't tell me yesterday. "It didn't strike me at the moment as odd".
A car leaving the estate immediately after a man was shot? And you didn't think it was odd? Really?
And part of the investigative technique in this – put in motion by a layman, to whom I'll come back – was to have several of the people who were on the scene write up part of their point of view on what happened. This is how the book begins, though then it settles into just one first-person angle. The thinking behind having people write a report is "they would be partly off their guard when they sat down to write" … but … that makes no sense. In a real live interview, an interrogator can surprise a witness, spark memories, pull out unintentional confession and whatnot. But for someone to sit down with a pen or a typewriter and put down in print their take on a situation – well, they're going to be editing themselves. The recipient of the report will never see the "oops, didn't mean to say that" and "wait, that gives away more than I wanted" first drafts crumpled up in people's waste baskets or crumbling to ash in their fireplaces.
Meanwhile, a layman inserts himself into the investigation in a manner which I would think would ping the radar of modern investigators. "Now I want you to ask Miss Melbury and Miss Portisham to do the same for Tuesday and Christmas Day. I don't know them well enough to ask them and I don't want to approach them as your emissary." Is there anything else you'd like? "By persisting in the assumption that you're agreeing with everything he suggests, he hypnotises you into doing so. That's the only way I can explain why I trusted him as I did in this case, although I met him with a feeling of suspicion which I didn't shake off for a long time." Wait, Sir Osmond received a letter on Christmas morning? Why did no one mention this to the police? Oh – didn't think it was important. Well, like a car driving away from the scene of the crime, why would it be?
I wanted to like the characters, but there wasn't a whole lot to them, and for some – like the youngest daughter – what there was could be rather annoying. Actually, I kept mixing up Sir Osmond's youngest daughter with his oldest granddaughter. There sometimes wasn't much to choose between them. One of the other daughters was married to a man suffering from shell shock, who took advantage of the holiday to reconnect with an old beau. She is lauded at one point for standing by her erratic husband: it "was really a very honourable determination to stand by her husband and give him what help she could" … it was not, however, quite so hono(u)rable for her to keep leading the old flame on and on. Not pretty.
There was a somewhat annoying red herring, an obnoxious precocious child (who finally was questioned), a pair of Santas, and lots of forgetfulness and covering up before it's all concluded. And no, I still can't remember how it ended…
September 28, 2019
Mavis Doriel Hay’s first novel, Murder Underground (1934), had an interesting North London boarding house setting, but lacked any sense of mystery. By the time she wrote The Santa Klaus Murder (1936), she had mastered the mystery element...but unfortunately lost the setting.
What we have here is a fairly routine country house gathering of minor gentry accompanied by an equally routine gathering below stairs. A baronet is murdered and no less a personage than the Chief Constable of Haulmshire is brought in to solve the case. Which he eventually does.
My theory that it was a collective conspiracy of the beastly gentry is unfortunately proved wrong, since I think it might have been more interesting than the actual denouement. But there you go.
Despite the sensational title, The Santa Klaus Murder is a rather mild-mannered novel that’s quite readable, has a certain period charm, but could usefully have been left in the obscurity it so recently enjoyed.
What we have here is a fairly routine country house gathering of minor gentry accompanied by an equally routine gathering below stairs. A baronet is murdered and no less a personage than the Chief Constable of Haulmshire is brought in to solve the case. Which he eventually does.
My theory that it was a collective conspiracy of the beastly gentry is unfortunately proved wrong, since I think it might have been more interesting than the actual denouement. But there you go.
Despite the sensational title, The Santa Klaus Murder is a rather mild-mannered novel that’s quite readable, has a certain period charm, but could usefully have been left in the obscurity it so recently enjoyed.
November 24, 2018
Dreadfully dry and drawn out. All characters could easily have been guilty and I wouldn't have cared. Crazy slow pacing. Only truly engaging for a few chapters.
December 15, 2017
Strukturiert aufgebauter Krimi mit dem Flair der 40er Jahre - spannend und unterhaltsam!
Letztes Jahr um die Weihnachtszeit kam ebenfalls eine Neuauflage eines Krimiklassikers heraus mit "Geheimnis in weiß", das mir richtig gut gefallen hatte. Natürlich war ich jetzt neugierig, ob mich diese Neuauflage genauso begeistern kann.
Die Aufmachung mit dem bedruckten Leineneinband sieht wirklich toll aus und fühlt sich auch schön an! Es ist sogar biegsam, das ist echt was besonderes und sehr handlich beim lesen.
Das Buch ist kapitelweise aus der Sichtweise der verschiedenen involvierten Personen geschrieben. Zu Anfang wird sehr expliziet auf die Charaktere eingegangen und das ist auch gut so. Denn die Verwandtschaft des reichen und ermordeten Sir Osmond ist zahlreich zu Weihnachten angereist - wie jedes Jahr - und man merkt hier schon gewisse Spannungen, die unter den potenziellen Erben herrschen.
Ich bin trotzdem manchmal etwas durcheinander gekommen, denn manchmal werden die Personen mit Vornamen, manchmal mit Nachnamen erwähnt, was für mich etwas Verwirrung gestiftet hat.
Aber dennoch kommt man gut mit und die Handlung entwickelt eine sehr eigenwillige und durchaus fesselnde Atmsophäre. Es ist wirklich durch und durch Krimi, denn alles bezieht sich auf die Ermittlung des Mörders innerhalb der Familie und den anwesenden Personen auf dem Anwesen in Flaxmere. Dabei gibt es immer wieder Hinweise und ich war lange am miträtseln, welche Indizien nun mit dem Verbrechen zusammenhängen und welches die falschen Fährten sind.
Man erfährt zwar viel über alle Betroffenen, bleibt aber doch außen vor, denn die hauptsächliche Perspektive übernimmt Colonel Halstock, der ermittelnde Kommissar. Er geht dabei sehr akribisch und strukturiert vor und entwickelt einige Verdachtsmomente, die aber immer wieder verworfen werden müssen. Irgendwie scheint das alles nicht so recht zusammenzupassen, aber am Ende ergibt alles ein logisches und gut durchdachtes Bild.
Mir hat dieser "alte" Krimi jedenfalls sehr viel Spaß gemacht, vor allem auch durch den Charme der 40er Jahre. Einziges Manko ist wirklich die Vielfalt an Figuren, durch die ich nicht immer alles so gut durchblicken konnte. Man muss sich hier beim Lesen schon konzentrieren und gut aufpassen.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Letztes Jahr um die Weihnachtszeit kam ebenfalls eine Neuauflage eines Krimiklassikers heraus mit "Geheimnis in weiß", das mir richtig gut gefallen hatte. Natürlich war ich jetzt neugierig, ob mich diese Neuauflage genauso begeistern kann.
Die Aufmachung mit dem bedruckten Leineneinband sieht wirklich toll aus und fühlt sich auch schön an! Es ist sogar biegsam, das ist echt was besonderes und sehr handlich beim lesen.
Das Buch ist kapitelweise aus der Sichtweise der verschiedenen involvierten Personen geschrieben. Zu Anfang wird sehr expliziet auf die Charaktere eingegangen und das ist auch gut so. Denn die Verwandtschaft des reichen und ermordeten Sir Osmond ist zahlreich zu Weihnachten angereist - wie jedes Jahr - und man merkt hier schon gewisse Spannungen, die unter den potenziellen Erben herrschen.
Ich bin trotzdem manchmal etwas durcheinander gekommen, denn manchmal werden die Personen mit Vornamen, manchmal mit Nachnamen erwähnt, was für mich etwas Verwirrung gestiftet hat.
Aber dennoch kommt man gut mit und die Handlung entwickelt eine sehr eigenwillige und durchaus fesselnde Atmsophäre. Es ist wirklich durch und durch Krimi, denn alles bezieht sich auf die Ermittlung des Mörders innerhalb der Familie und den anwesenden Personen auf dem Anwesen in Flaxmere. Dabei gibt es immer wieder Hinweise und ich war lange am miträtseln, welche Indizien nun mit dem Verbrechen zusammenhängen und welches die falschen Fährten sind.
Man erfährt zwar viel über alle Betroffenen, bleibt aber doch außen vor, denn die hauptsächliche Perspektive übernimmt Colonel Halstock, der ermittelnde Kommissar. Er geht dabei sehr akribisch und strukturiert vor und entwickelt einige Verdachtsmomente, die aber immer wieder verworfen werden müssen. Irgendwie scheint das alles nicht so recht zusammenzupassen, aber am Ende ergibt alles ein logisches und gut durchdachtes Bild.
Mir hat dieser "alte" Krimi jedenfalls sehr viel Spaß gemacht, vor allem auch durch den Charme der 40er Jahre. Einziges Manko ist wirklich die Vielfalt an Figuren, durch die ich nicht immer alles so gut durchblicken konnte. Man muss sich hier beim Lesen schon konzentrieren und gut aufpassen.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
January 1, 2016
I specifically chose this 1936 title (newly published in US) because it was of a classic mystery era. Adjusting to earlier writing styles and conventions usually isn't an issue for me, but this one posed challenges. The first five chapters leading up to the murder are each presented from a different character's perspective, and we later learn these were written accounts requested by the acting constable. Perhaps if this had been framed as such at the outset it would have helped, but either way they are disjointed and somewhat belabored. It's also difficult to track characters and relationships, as one chapter will refer to them by titles/last names and another by first names.
After the reveal of the crime, the flow improves somewhat, but oddly there are problems both with over-explaining details such as timetables, movements, and motives and with not providing enough shading to invest in the characters.
A disappointment.
After the reveal of the crime, the flow improves somewhat, but oddly there are problems both with over-explaining details such as timetables, movements, and motives and with not providing enough shading to invest in the characters.
A disappointment.
December 5, 2019
Actually 3.5 stars. An enjoyable country house mystery.
December 22, 2016
A decent 3 1/2 star mystery. This cozy Christmas mystery is set in the 1930's in the countryside outside Bristol. The Melbury family led by Sir Osmond gathers together, and there are plenty of additional guests. Of course, there's a murder in the library - actually the study - and it's the family patriarch who is dead. Almost everyone is a suspect, and various possibilities are considered. The Christmas holiday makes investigating a bit more complicated as some people are away for the holiday.
Fortunately, the authors provides a list of characters in the front of the book.At the conclusion, all of the clues that led the police to identify the suspect, are provided at the end. This is a technique I haven't seen done quite so extensively at the end of a crime novel but it worked. This is a part of the new British Library Crime Classics series, and well worth reading by fans of the genre.
Fortunately, the authors provides a list of characters in the front of the book.At the conclusion, all of the clues that led the police to identify the suspect, are provided at the end. This is a technique I haven't seen done quite so extensively at the end of a crime novel but it worked. This is a part of the new British Library Crime Classics series, and well worth reading by fans of the genre.
December 20, 2015
Quite good holiday murder mystery. Hay made me suspect several people at various times but I didn't guess the solution! I did find the cast of characters a bit hard to sort out at first but after the first 30 pages or so, I had gotten them straight in my mind.
December 23, 2016
This was fun. And incredibly odd.
June 29, 2023
A selfish, curmudgeonly old coot invites his children — both favored and disinherited — along with their partners to a Christmas holiday with all the trimmings. Needless to say, the old man gets killed, and the chief constable of the fictional Haulmshire joins forces with a handsome, charming actor to solve the crime. Let me admit that I guessed the perpetrator completely wrong.
Author Mavis Doriel Hay deftly tackles what could easily have been a cliché: a stately home, an awful old man, his put-upon children and grandchildren and a Christmas crime. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and can’t wait to read another.
Author Mavis Doriel Hay deftly tackles what could easily have been a cliché: a stately home, an awful old man, his put-upon children and grandchildren and a Christmas crime. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and can’t wait to read another.
December 22, 2023
The Melburys gather at Flaxmere, the family estate, for Christmas. But things rapidly go awry when their patriarch, Sir Osmond Melbury, is found – by a guest dressed as Santa Klaus – with a bullet in his head on Christmas Day. Neighbor and Chief Constable, Col. Halstock, takes charge of the investigation, and quickly ascertains that virtually everyone in the family stands to gain by Sir Osmond’s death. But who had the opportunity? And who was ruthless enough to murder the man?
This is a classic locked-room mystery. There are plenty of suspects, not only family members, but two male guests (both apparently interested in marrying Sir Osmond’s youngest daughter), as well as his private secretary and other staff members. The investigation is hampered by the number of “little lies” (some not so little) that various people Halstock, in an effort to conceal or divert attention from one or more parties.
Hay was part of the group of novelists of the “golden age of British crime fiction.” This work was first published in 1936. Her works have recently been rediscovered and reissued. It moves a bit slowly by today’s standards for the genre, but I was engaged and interested throughout.
This is a classic locked-room mystery. There are plenty of suspects, not only family members, but two male guests (both apparently interested in marrying Sir Osmond’s youngest daughter), as well as his private secretary and other staff members. The investigation is hampered by the number of “little lies” (some not so little) that various people Halstock, in an effort to conceal or divert attention from one or more parties.
Hay was part of the group of novelists of the “golden age of British crime fiction.” This work was first published in 1936. Her works have recently been rediscovered and reissued. It moves a bit slowly by today’s standards for the genre, but I was engaged and interested throughout.
Want to read
December 3, 2022Whelp... my loan on the e-book from the library just expired and others have this on hold so I guess I'll have to read this another time.. :( I was only a few chapters in though but enjoying it!
December 31, 2025
A delightful Christmas mystery set in a country house. I appreciate that the reader is provided with all the necessary information to solve the crime, including a small map. This provides all the ingredients for a classic mystery novel: a disliked, wealthy family patriarch, an assortment of family members, a secret will, and confusing witness statements. I liked the characters and the different narratives. The detective and his assistant seemed a little strange to me (why would you let a civilian with a motive of his own help with the investigation); I thought there must be a previous installment, but I guess not.
January 6, 2023
A good old fashioned murder mystery. A dysfunctional family, a will, a murder, all set in the wonderful English countryside. Enjoyable, maybe a slightly disappointing ending.
December 12, 2016
Recommended for classic mystery fans who need a break from peace and goodwill to all. 3/5 stars.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
If you're looking forward to reading a classic murder mystery, your heart lifts when you open the book and the first thing you see is a map of the ground floor of a country house which is basically the Cluedo (Clue for those of you in the US) game board. :-)
It's not just its country house-cut-off-from-civilisation setting which makes this a classic; this book is very much of its time. It was written in 1934 and the characters divide neatly into upper-class great and lesser twits, lower-class gold diggers and middle class people muddling through to figure out what the heck's going on. The tone was so cut-glass it reminded me more of The Famous Five than Christie.
The plot is well-handled and unravels at a good pace. However, there were too many characters for me to have a good handle on who was where when what occurred. It didn't help that the waters were further muddied by several characters having a nickname in addition to their "official" one.
This is a perfectly enjoyable, intellectual puzzle murder mystery. I'm giving it three stars because its so cookie-cutter in many ways. All the characters are playing the roles you'd expect of them and feel very flat, like paper dolls the author is pushing around her Cluedo board. Despite the author's efforts to create tension between the family members, there was a distinct lack of drama. People get together, have slight disagreements, there's some eyebrow raising and pointed coughing to indicate they're irked, someone gets shot, everyone gets a bit flustered, it all get resolved. The end.
Overall: this is Christmassy, but in a good "antidote to schmaltz" way. If you enjoy watching a Christie TV adaptation over the festive period, I'd suggest making time for this seasonal classic too.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
If you're looking forward to reading a classic murder mystery, your heart lifts when you open the book and the first thing you see is a map of the ground floor of a country house which is basically the Cluedo (Clue for those of you in the US) game board. :-)
It's not just its country house-cut-off-from-civilisation setting which makes this a classic; this book is very much of its time. It was written in 1934 and the characters divide neatly into upper-class great and lesser twits, lower-class gold diggers and middle class people muddling through to figure out what the heck's going on. The tone was so cut-glass it reminded me more of The Famous Five than Christie.
The plot is well-handled and unravels at a good pace. However, there were too many characters for me to have a good handle on who was where when what occurred. It didn't help that the waters were further muddied by several characters having a nickname in addition to their "official" one.
This is a perfectly enjoyable, intellectual puzzle murder mystery. I'm giving it three stars because its so cookie-cutter in many ways. All the characters are playing the roles you'd expect of them and feel very flat, like paper dolls the author is pushing around her Cluedo board. Despite the author's efforts to create tension between the family members, there was a distinct lack of drama. People get together, have slight disagreements, there's some eyebrow raising and pointed coughing to indicate they're irked, someone gets shot, everyone gets a bit flustered, it all get resolved. The end.
Overall: this is Christmassy, but in a good "antidote to schmaltz" way. If you enjoy watching a Christie TV adaptation over the festive period, I'd suggest making time for this seasonal classic too.
December 15, 2014
Aunt Mildred, sister of Sir Osmond Melbury, declared that no good could come of the Melbury family's Christmas gatherings at their country residence, Flaxmere. She did not realise how prophetic her words were to be.
Sixteen members of the family plus servants and a few other guests arrived to celebrate the festive season. Sir Osmond had organised for a Santa Klaus to distribute presents to everyone but Santa's suit, ordered in good time, did not arrive. Another was hastily ordered and specially delivered so everything was set to go with a swing.
Sir Osmond then visited his study but did not return and the door was discovered to be locked when his family went to look for him. Fortunately the adjacent library had a communicating door so entry was made that way but when Sir Osmond was discovered, he had a bullet hole to his head.
The police are called and investigations reveal that most of the family, apart from the youngsters, had something to gain by Sir Osmond's death. Suspicion, therefore, falls on each of them in turn but the murder remains a mystery.
The story is related by various members of the house party and as such this helps to maintain the suspense throughout. After one or two false trails, details emerge that change the police thinking and eventually, as in all good mysteries, the perpetrator of the crime is unmasked.
Mavis Doriel Hay provides a very 1930s seasonal setting, which is one very definitely to be read whilst awaiting the visit of Santa ... but do be careful!
Sixteen members of the family plus servants and a few other guests arrived to celebrate the festive season. Sir Osmond had organised for a Santa Klaus to distribute presents to everyone but Santa's suit, ordered in good time, did not arrive. Another was hastily ordered and specially delivered so everything was set to go with a swing.
Sir Osmond then visited his study but did not return and the door was discovered to be locked when his family went to look for him. Fortunately the adjacent library had a communicating door so entry was made that way but when Sir Osmond was discovered, he had a bullet hole to his head.
The police are called and investigations reveal that most of the family, apart from the youngsters, had something to gain by Sir Osmond's death. Suspicion, therefore, falls on each of them in turn but the murder remains a mystery.
The story is related by various members of the house party and as such this helps to maintain the suspense throughout. After one or two false trails, details emerge that change the police thinking and eventually, as in all good mysteries, the perpetrator of the crime is unmasked.
Mavis Doriel Hay provides a very 1930s seasonal setting, which is one very definitely to be read whilst awaiting the visit of Santa ... but do be careful!
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