The Usual Santa's, A short story collection by multiple authors - 5 stars [Christmas in July)

[Theresa]

I adore mysteries and romances set a Christmas! And great themed cover art, like here, will sucker me in to ones that barely include the holiday in their plots and settings. This collection had the added bonus of featuring only short stories written by Soho Crime's excellent stable of writers, many of whom I read and love already.

Soho Crime publish detective, procedural, and noir, in both contemporary and historical settings, thus delivering in this single volume a great variety. I did not find a true clunker in the bunch, and in fact found more than the usual number of short mysteries I can see myself revisiting every Christmas. I also discovered several authors whose series I plan to check out. [At the end is a very handy bibliography is all Soho Crime's titles.]

Historical mystery highlights:

Sujata Massey takes us to Bombay in 1921 with attorney Perveen. Loved the setting and world depicted, and a bloodless crime.

Cara Black sends us to Montmartre, Paris, in 1896, just after the Dreyfus trial, to a meeting of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes amidst political machinations.

Martin Limon brings us to Seoul in 1970s during the height of the Cold War and how a simple bit of anti-pilfering policy enforcement sheds light on the intricate relations between South Korean crime lords, local police, government influence and the US military peace keeping forces.

Gary Corby gives us a Christmas Eve with Machiavelli, the Borgias, and a tricky political situation.

Stephanie Barron has Jane Austen solving a burglary on New Years Eve.

Contemporary mystery highlights:

Helen Tursten's Elderly Lady has a rather pro-active way of achieving a peaceful Christmas...perfect for those of us who are a touch malicious.

Kaaberbøl and Friis have Nina Borg pulled into a rather grim nativity, and ultimately saving the futures of several immigrants.

Colin Cotterill delivers deliciously ironic Christmas justice in Thailand.

Teresa Dovalpage brings us to Havana and a long-awaited Christmas revenge.

And Mick Herron in his eponymous short story brings us a group of 8 santas...or is that really 9?... on a memorable Christmas Eve in a typical shopping mall.

[Joanne]

Love the cover art!