Martin Edwards, editor
5/5 stars
This anthology of Christmas mysteries, published by British Crime Classics, is completely enjoyable. There are stories by both well known and currently obscure crime writers, from the Golden Age and slightly later. The collection is has a variety of stories, with murder, blackmail, theft, suspense, deathbed confessions, and the supernatural represented. While none were exceptional, all were solidly good, and I discovered several authors whose novels I now plan to read.
The stories are as follows:
"A Christmas Tragedy" by Baroness Orczy 4/5 stars
"By the Sword" by Selwyn Jepson 4/5 stars
"The Christmas Card Crime" by Donald Stuart 4/5 stars
"The Motive" by Ronald Knox 4/5 stars
"Blind Man's Hood" by Carter Dickson 4/5 stars
"Paul Temple's White Christmas" by Francis Durbridge 3/5 stars
"Sister Bessie" or "Your Old Leech" by Cyril Hare 4/5 stars
"A Bit of Wire Pulling" by E.C.R. Lorac 4/5 stars
"Pattern of Revenge" by John Bude 3/5 stars
"Crime at Lark Cottage" by John Bingham 4/5 stars
"'Twixt the Cup and the Lip" by Julian Symons 4/5 stars
The variety of the stories and authors is definitely worth five stars. The stories themselves average to four, bringing the book's rating to four and a half stars. I rounded it up to five.
