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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/9905-Christmas-Mysteries.html
Mystery: December 11, 2019 Issue [#9905]




 This week: Christmas Mysteries?
  Edited by: eyestar~* Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

*Delight* *Snow5* Hiya mystery lovers. I am happy to be your guest editor!

What mysteries set at Christmas have you read?

I was seeking some Christmas gifts for my mother, who likes mystery novels, and as I was doing this newsletter I went searching for mysteries set around Christmas! It seems even this joyous holiday is appealing as a setting and time for crime and mystery! So here is what I found out! *Think*

Enjoy!


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Letter from the editor

*Treepine*
According to crime writer Martin Edwards, Christmas mysteries are an old tradition from the Golden Age of the 1930's. He was digging in the British Library where all publications of writing at the time were housed and came across many old manuscripts from before the war. And began a revival of Christmas themed mysteries that continues today.

Typical of the type of mystery written then was J. Jefferson Farjeon’s "Mystery in White" from 1937. It seems he perfected the style. In an earlier work of 1933 Anne Meredith wrote "Portrait of a Murderer" and it included the elements of the type:

..an English country house isolated in the country or little village, snowstorm, people all heading to family for Christmas holidays, a log fire to gather round, resentments seething under civility, murder, and a self appointed detective who usually is not a policeman.

Even Agatha Christie added to the theme in her Book "Poirot's Christmas", which I recently watched on youtube actually. *Smile* It was published in 1938, and had a multi-millionaire Simeon Lee gathering his family on Christmas eve and ending up dead. Indeed, those elements were present. *Smile*

I remember reading Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Blue Carbuncle" with its Christmas time essence.

After the war the trend continued with stories like "Murder for Christmas" by Francis Duncan. And in 1988, "Murder at the Old Vicarage" was written by Jill McGowan.

In 2017 Edward Marston wrote "A Christmas Railway Mystery" set in 1860 at Christmas Time. In 2016 an anthology "Murder Under the Christmas Tree" features mystery authors like Ian Rankin, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dorothy Sayers.
Even P.D. James added his flare to the fun with "The Mistletoe Murder and other stories."

Now Mysteries in the Christmas season have expanded and evolved, of course, and are still quite popular as shown by the number of new titles out there. Perhaps not in the classic tradition above, and yet.... shows that Christmas is not always a peaceful time and indeed can be pretty tense.

I found so many choices. Here are a few I am considering for my mom, who is an avid mystery buff and can usually figure out who done it...not always...but lots of time.

"A Christmas Return" by Anne Perry
"How the Finch Stole Christmas" by Dana Andrews: a Christmas carol with animals??
"The Knife Before Christmas" by Jacqueline Frost
"Eggs on Ice" by Laura Childs. I like the sound of this as it has the play Scrooge in it!
"Homicide for the holidays" with some clues to Al Capone? by Cheryl Honigford
Aw! "The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" by David Rosenfelt. Who can resist puppies?
mm. I like JD Robb so maybe "Festive In Death" or
"The Twelve Clues of Christmas" by Rhys Bowen"

*Star*I think my mom has read all the classics so..
Have you ever read any of these or other cool mysteries of the season? Do you have a favorite or a suggestion? I am counting on you mystery pros to help me out.*Wink*

Thanks for reading. *Xmastree*


Sources:
A list of best loved Christmas mysteries! At least that's what voters said!*Smile*
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8005.Christmas_Mysteries

https://www.toledolibrary.org/blog/holiday-themed-mysteries-that-are-so-good-you...

https://crimereads.com/christmas-mysteries-a-tradition-revived/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/best-new-mysteries-december-2017/




Editor's Picks

*Xmastree* A few Christmas Mysteries by our WDC authors! Have fun! *Snow2*

 
Image Protector
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Where's Santa? Open in new Window. (E)
Santa's been gone for a few days and it's the day before Christmas Eve! Where is he?!
#2106763 by Jade Amber Jewel Author IconMail Icon

 
Image Protector
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Snowman Open in new Window. (E)
Short story about a winters day, snowballs and a snowman.
#2179970 by Sumojo Author IconMail Icon

 Christmas Died At Logan (Chapter 1) Open in new Window. (13+)
A jaded private investigator gets dragged into a holiday murder mystery.
#2104481 by JW Fiction Author IconMail Icon

 Scuzzy O' Malley's Christmas Carol Open in new Window. (18+)
A Bartender's story of hard luck on Christmas Eve
#1743306 by George R. Lasher Author IconMail Icon

 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Open in new Window. (18+)
A family's Christmas eve tradition is a little too much to handle for its newest member.
#2178028 by Sam N. Yago Author IconMail Icon

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#1366235 by Not Available.

 
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Ask & Answer

*Snow4* So, have you enjoyed mysteries set at Christmas? Do you have a favourite? have you written any with a Christmas theme. Link them here and I will post! *Delight*

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