It’s holiday season and the windows of
bookshops are filled with the latest bestsellers and perennial favorites.
They’re nestled amongst scarlet poinsettias, silver and gold Christmas bells
and pine wreaths the color of jade. Customers browse the shelves, trying to
find the perfect read for family and friends.
The section playing host to mysteries is
crowded as buyers read the front page, the blurbs at the back, study the cover,
and try to make a decision—which whodunit is best for an elderly aunt—not the
cozy type, what about the nephew who seems stuck on horror? The daughter, who
has just turned fourteen and who suffers from her first major crush? The last
is easy—a romantic mystery is right for her.
courtesy of Frankiphotographer Dreamstime Stock Photos
Has
the aunt read Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
or the Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
by Agatha Christie or The Adventures of
the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? The latter would be found in
a short story collection titled A
Treasury of Sherlock Holmes. Does she remember O’Henry? His A Chaparral Christmas Gift is available
as an audio-book at audible.com. A
Classic Christmas Crime includes short stories by P.D. James, Peter
Lovesey, Robert Barnard and Simon Brett among other authors. The Big book of Christmas Mysteries
edited by Edgar Award Winner Otto Penzler offers the gift of Ed McBain, Colin
Dexter, John D. MacDonald, Ellis Peters and a banquet of tales mysterious.
Then there’s the classic Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark and O Little Town of Maggody and A Holly Jolly Murder by Joan Hess, and Jerusalem Inn written by Martha Grimes.
Anne Perry’s A Christmas Hope and Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine
Harris.
The closest I’ve come to writing about the
Holidays was a play I titled Ten Minutes
to the Nativity. Have you written a mystery or romance that takes place
during this special time of the year?
5 comments:
Thanks for the recommendations, Elise! I've written a Christmas short story every year for the past three years, only one of which is a mystery, set in my Mendenhall Mystery series: "McKell's Christmas." The other two short stories are of a more romantic bent, something completely unusual for me. This year, I ran out of time, so instead I compiled all three into a mini-collection called "Christmas Magic: Three Romantic Holiday Tales."
Now, I'm going to go look up some of your recommendations.
Elise, Sometime ago, I did write a Christmas story set in a greenhouse filled with poinsettias. Thanks for the reminder--will have to take another peek at that. Also in my current murders by Design Series, the second book, The Monet Murders takes place at Christmas time. Spoiled, trophy wife Ilona Alexander's cook has been shot in the head, and Ilona is all upset. Not about the cook, about how she's going to provide a feast for her invited guests. After all, Ilona has her social position to think about. 'Tis the season! Or maybe 'tisn't. Thanks for your post. I enjoyed it.
Love the list, Elise! Thanks!!
O. More books on my TBR list. I have two Christmas stories. Both first drafts. Sigh. One is a everything goes wrong holiday and the other is a Christmas ghost kinda thing.
Marcelle: Sounds as if Christmas inspires short stories for you to write. Lovely.
I have a feeling Ilona is great fun for you to write, Jean.
Deck the shelves and eReaders with lots of books everyone.
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