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Murderous Christmas Stories #5
Murder in Midwinter: Ten Classic Crime Stories for Christmas
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.
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.
288 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2020
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358 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 6, 2023
I honestly found the story selection plodding and not that fun to read.
😞
Usually there are a couple of really good reads, a few average and then the dud, but it was just sadly average.
😞
Usually there are a couple of really good reads, a few average and then the dud, but it was just sadly average.
January 8, 2025
My first book of 2025! This was kindly gifted to me by my boyfriend, T. V. Knuckey. It's not often I read a collection of short stories, but it was a perfect read over a busy Christmas period as I dipped in and out of the different stories.
The first story by Dorothy L. Sayers was quite frankly the worst thing I have ever read. There were too many characters crammed into only 24 pages, and it really didn't read very well at all. So unnecessarily complicated and uninteresting. I don't mind saying these mean things about this story as the author of this one is long gone, having passed away in 1957.
Thankfully, the other stories were a lot better and much more readable.
The first story by Dorothy L. Sayers was quite frankly the worst thing I have ever read. There were too many characters crammed into only 24 pages, and it really didn't read very well at all. So unnecessarily complicated and uninteresting. I don't mind saying these mean things about this story as the author of this one is long gone, having passed away in 1957.
Thankfully, the other stories were a lot better and much more readable.
August 9, 2021
Una linda colección de relatos clásicos de terror.
January 14, 2022
I enjoyed 9 out of the 10 stories in Murder in Midwinter, all except the first story in the book by Dorothy L. Sayers, for which I dropped one star rating. Sorry Dot but I don’t think The Queen’s Square is your finest piece of writing! The editor should have buried this story in the middle of the book. This particular story, while only 24 pages long, has 22 named characters (yes I counted them) and a couple of unnamed characters including a vicar and a maid. For a short murder mystery story this is way too many suspects, and even a dodgy diagram plan of the ballroom doesn’t aid the plot. There I’ve got that out now!
Having said that, the other stories in the book are very enjoyable. I especially loved those by Ruth Randell, Ellis Peters and the final story in the book by John Mortimer which has inspired me to hunt out his Rumpole novels.
My advice is to skip the first story and enjoy the other 9. A great seasonal read for anytime of the year.
Having said that, the other stories in the book are very enjoyable. I especially loved those by Ruth Randell, Ellis Peters and the final story in the book by John Mortimer which has inspired me to hunt out his Rumpole novels.
My advice is to skip the first story and enjoy the other 9. A great seasonal read for anytime of the year.
December 28, 2022
Easy read but overall rather disappointing. None of the short stories were very good, especially considering their prestigious authors.
December 24, 2023
This is the best of the Christmas/Winter themed anthologies, edited by Cecily Gayford, so far. I enjoyed most of the stories.
My favourite was "A Present for Ivo" by Ellis Peters and Ruth Rendell's "Paintbox Place" was excellent. John Mortimer's Rumpole always makes me laugh.
My favourite was "A Present for Ivo" by Ellis Peters and Ruth Rendell's "Paintbox Place" was excellent. John Mortimer's Rumpole always makes me laugh.
December 20, 2020
I think I’ve been saying for at least the last couple of years that I’m surprised that there are enough Christmas crime stories out there to fill an anthology - and this year sort of proves my point. Only 3 out of the 10 stories are set at the festive season, although all are set in the winter and most feature snow. The stories are generally all entertaining, although at least a couple have turned up in other anthologies. I can’t say I had a favourite and none of them engendered a sense of Christmas spirit, but it’s a decent read for the dark days of December.
December 18, 2020
Ten stories from the classic authors of detecting, from Sayer, Rendell, Allingham, Doyle. What's not to like?
Some set the standard for later crime writers, as in the locked room genre (how was it done), the unexpected character as murderer (who dun it), the aristocratic sleuth. A few aged worse than others.
Conon Doyle's tale of Sherlock Holmes is one of the least memorable, but even a poor Holmes can be enjoyed for the author's mastery of the world he created.
Some set the standard for later crime writers, as in the locked room genre (how was it done), the unexpected character as murderer (who dun it), the aristocratic sleuth. A few aged worse than others.
Conon Doyle's tale of Sherlock Holmes is one of the least memorable, but even a poor Holmes can be enjoyed for the author's mastery of the world he created.
December 18, 2022
Mixed bag of short stories. I liked A Present for Ivo, Rumpole and the Health Farm Murder and Paintbox Place. Wanted to read a Xmas book. It wasn’t very Xmassy
March 20, 2022
This book consists of 10 short stories from such writers as Dorothy L Sayers, Ruth Rendell, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ellis Peters and John Mortimer et alia. I enjoyed this book which I started in January and promptly lost when over half way through, only to find in an unexpected place a couple of days ago minus its bookmark. I found the story I was part way through and picked it up again for bedtime reading.
There are some good short stories in here, the odd one or two were slightly disappointing, but on the whole they were some good yarns, I strangely liked Ellis Peters "a present for Ivo" the best, Ellis Peters of Cadfael fame whose books I've read, but this one couldn't be as far removed from Cadfael if it tried! It was the tale of a young woman, Sara, who worked for the council and whose job it was in putting on the annual christmas party for the children of the local school. The museum was burgled and a irreplaceable history book was stolen. There were car chases when young Ivo, an orphan living with a delightful old lady in the village, was bungled into a car on his way home in the snow and the dark after the party. Needless to say Sara met with some adventures on the way to finding the book which included being kidnapped along with Ivo whom she had found, and then being shot at. Her knight in shining armour turned out to be her friend Tom, and by the look of the ending of this nice little tale, her soon to be husband and they were planning on going to adopt young Ivo! A nice feel good chrismas story!
The other 9 stories weren't bad either. All in all a nice bedtime read!
There are some good short stories in here, the odd one or two were slightly disappointing, but on the whole they were some good yarns, I strangely liked Ellis Peters "a present for Ivo" the best, Ellis Peters of Cadfael fame whose books I've read, but this one couldn't be as far removed from Cadfael if it tried! It was the tale of a young woman, Sara, who worked for the council and whose job it was in putting on the annual christmas party for the children of the local school. The museum was burgled and a irreplaceable history book was stolen. There were car chases when young Ivo, an orphan living with a delightful old lady in the village, was bungled into a car on his way home in the snow and the dark after the party. Needless to say Sara met with some adventures on the way to finding the book which included being kidnapped along with Ivo whom she had found, and then being shot at. Her knight in shining armour turned out to be her friend Tom, and by the look of the ending of this nice little tale, her soon to be husband and they were planning on going to adopt young Ivo! A nice feel good chrismas story!
The other 9 stories weren't bad either. All in all a nice bedtime read!
December 23, 2021
Mixed bag of stories, one or two better than the others, none of them very satisfying, as stories or as mysteries.
Discuss: the mystery (murder or otherwise) doesn't really thrive in the short form. There's no real chance to develop character or context and, consequently, all you're left with is the puzzle -- which usually manages to be both over-complicated and underwhelming.
The classic exceptions, of course, are the Sherlock Holmes stories (a lesser example of which is reproduced here), but I wonder if that's because each Holmes story is so obviously part of a bigger narrative thread, in which Conan Doyle is developing Holmes' character, the context of his method, and his late Victorian world, and (as the series went on) his relationship with Watson.
Most of the stories, even those by otherwise wonderful writers like Dorothy Sayers or Margery Allingham, are painfully thin: glorified puzzles or extended jokes.
The story I found most interesting -- a good, solid 3*-- was "Paintbox Place" by Ruth Rendell, but that was more like a whimsical little character study, than any sort of mystery. "A Present for Ivo" by Ellis Peters, was mildly amusing -- a grown-up Nancy Drew story, or a very special episode of Midsummer Murders. And "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" was Holmes, and any Holmes is better than no Holmes ...
As for the rest -- a solid "meh."
Discuss: the mystery (murder or otherwise) doesn't really thrive in the short form. There's no real chance to develop character or context and, consequently, all you're left with is the puzzle -- which usually manages to be both over-complicated and underwhelming.
The classic exceptions, of course, are the Sherlock Holmes stories (a lesser example of which is reproduced here), but I wonder if that's because each Holmes story is so obviously part of a bigger narrative thread, in which Conan Doyle is developing Holmes' character, the context of his method, and his late Victorian world, and (as the series went on) his relationship with Watson.
Most of the stories, even those by otherwise wonderful writers like Dorothy Sayers or Margery Allingham, are painfully thin: glorified puzzles or extended jokes.
The story I found most interesting -- a good, solid 3*-- was "Paintbox Place" by Ruth Rendell, but that was more like a whimsical little character study, than any sort of mystery. "A Present for Ivo" by Ellis Peters, was mildly amusing -- a grown-up Nancy Drew story, or a very special episode of Midsummer Murders. And "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" was Holmes, and any Holmes is better than no Holmes ...
As for the rest -- a solid "meh."
January 6, 2021
Actually a 3.5/5 stars
Murder in Midwinter
Ten classic crime stories for Christmas.
My first book of 2021 :)
I started this book at Christmas time and was really excited for it. I wanted this festive vibe, cold and snowy, with crimes and investigations.
This is exactly what this book is about and does the job very well.
There are 10 different stories, 10 different writers, and I enjoyed most of them. My fave had to be by Arthur Conan Doyle (the Sherlock fan in me cannot get enough of it🔎).
However, in this kind of book, it’s best to keep in mind we might not enjoy all of the stories. That’s what happened to me but to be honest, I enjoyed 7 or 8 stories out of 10 😊
Murder in Midwinter
Ten classic crime stories for Christmas.
My first book of 2021 :)
I started this book at Christmas time and was really excited for it. I wanted this festive vibe, cold and snowy, with crimes and investigations.
This is exactly what this book is about and does the job very well.
There are 10 different stories, 10 different writers, and I enjoyed most of them. My fave had to be by Arthur Conan Doyle (the Sherlock fan in me cannot get enough of it🔎).
However, in this kind of book, it’s best to keep in mind we might not enjoy all of the stories. That’s what happened to me but to be honest, I enjoyed 7 or 8 stories out of 10 😊
February 2, 2024
A compilation which just gives you the stories, no introduction, no discussion of the author, no discussion of the stories. And that's fine, but I prefer getting a little bit about the author as you tend to in the British Library Crime Classics series.
Over half of the authors in this collection were known to me before I started the book. Actually I've read a number of the stories before, a couple of them very recently. Luckily for me they were stories that I'd enjoyed.
So worth reading, but if you enjoy Christmas crime stories, I would check before buying whether you've read them all before elsewhere.
Over half of the authors in this collection were known to me before I started the book. Actually I've read a number of the stories before, a couple of them very recently. Luckily for me they were stories that I'd enjoyed.
So worth reading, but if you enjoy Christmas crime stories, I would check before buying whether you've read them all before elsewhere.
February 6, 2021
I've never read anything by John Mortimer and found the story really enjoyable and quite funny. Sherlock Holmes never fails to entertain and I was transported back to the winter of discontent in another story. There's enough red herrings to keep UK trawlers in business for a number of years and and interesting discourse on 1920s chocolate liqueurs. Read, enjoy and reread.
December 31, 2021
Reading Murder in Midwinter felt like I stepped back in time when I subscribed to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine throughout the 1990s and early-2000's. I enjoyed the nostalgic reading experience, in addition to the festive and winter-themed whodunits from classic crime and mystery writers. My favorites included Arthur Conan Doyle, Edward D. Hoch, and Ellis Peters.
February 17, 2021
This was a bit of a mixed bag with regard to the quality of the stories. There were some exceptional ones as well as some that I really didn’t enjoy (see my notes) on the whole though it was a really good book and I enjoyed it.
August 16, 2021
Didn’t know what to expect, I just randomly picked this off the library shelf. Not all stories are murder mysteries, there are conmen, puzzles, and quite a bit of trickery as well. I enjoyed the last 2 stories the most, a real delight to read. Overall, not a bad book to tucked into this Christmas.
December 26, 2021
Midwinter... It's time for snow, a cup of tea and fall to mysterious murders. The book includes ten good and cosy murder stories by the masters of the genre. My favourite is the Sherlock Holmes story, the Adventure of the Beryl Coronet.
January 31, 2021
I liked the book although I did find some of the stories hard to get in to but I would recommend it to others
November 6, 2021
An excellent collection of short stories from Doyle, Sayers, Allingham and Berkely through to Ellis Peters and John Mortimer. Not a dud among them.
November 16, 2021
Great fun - enjoyable festive treat
November 21, 2021
Classic little murder mystery stories.
Lovely easy read on a dark afternoon with a cup of tea.
Lovely easy read on a dark afternoon with a cup of tea.
December 12, 2021
Great little book full of short stories. Not all ‘ Christmas’ stories per se but good nonetheless. Some I enjoyed more than others but still good. ☺️
January 24, 2022
I enjoyed the last story and the sherlock holmes but the rest were a challenge to finish!
February 15, 2022
A good read
Good fun, I enjoyed it. Well written stories from entertaining authors. I would recommend. Great for the Christmas holidays. Enojye
Good fun, I enjoyed it. Well written stories from entertaining authors. I would recommend. Great for the Christmas holidays. Enojye
December 9, 2022
Good selection of cosy christmas murder/crime stories
January 7, 2023
Really enjoyed reading the variety of stories from a variety of different authors over the festive season - skipped Conan- Doyle as I have read it before.
January 9, 2023
Really enjoyed the choices of short story in this volume. Loved the Rumpole of the Bailey story the best, clever and funny.
May 3, 2023
A good chance to sample new authors and enjoy stories from old favourites.
December 28, 2023
A mix of some very good and some very average mysteries. I particularly liked the very clever chocolate box murder.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews