For the Classic Mysteries blog and podcast this week, may I present all my readers here with a gift: a list of twelve mysteries that may help instill a bit of the Christmas spirit into the stoutest Grinch. I would hope that you'd take your list down to your favorite mystery bookstore, whose staff, I'm sure, would be happy to help you fill your shopping basket with these books. Believe me, those bookstores really can use your support. Another reason for me to celebrate: this is podcast # 600 - give or take a couple of the early ones. We're at about 11 1/2 years of doing the podcast; the blog came a year or so later.
That said, and in an effort to keep the size of this post to a level where it really is readable, let me urge you to listen to today's podcast (#600!!), which contains brief descriptions of each of the twelve books, along with other useful information about the Twelve Reading Days of Christmas. Then, as you wish, please look at the links below. For each book, I have provided a link to my original podcast review. For all but one of them, I have also provided a link to each book's original post on this blog. The exception is Ngaio Marsh's Tied Up in Tinsel, which was reviewed on the podcast before the blog began, meaning I have nowhere to link.
This is being posted about two weeks ahead of the holiday, so I'm hoping many of you will take advantage of the opportunities to add to your collections and to enjoy what I suppose is a more murderous way to greet the season. May we all have something to celebrate during this season.
The twelve books:
1. Agatha Christie, Murder for Christmas click for podcast click for blog post
2. Rex Stout, "Christmas Party." In And Four to Go. click for podcast click for blog post
3. Georgette Heyer, Envious Casca click for podcast click for blog post
4. Nicholas Blake, Thou Shell of Death click for podcast click for blog post
5. T. Jefferson Farjeon, Mystery in White click for podcast click for blog post
6. Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet click for podcast click for blog post
7. Ngaio Marsh, Tied Up in Tinsel click for podcast Blog post unavailable. Sorry!
8. Charlotte Macleod, Rest You Merry click for podcast click for blog post
9. Mavis Doriel Hay, The Santa Klaus Murder click for podcast click for blog post
10. Francis Duncan, Murder for Christmas click for podcast click for blog post
11. Martin Edwards (ed.), Crimson Snow click for podcast click for blog post
12. John Mortimer, A Rumpole Christmas click for podcast click for blog post
I do hope you'll get the chance to read and enjoy at least a few of these. I'm off to celebrate with the world's friendliest mouse at Disney World. See you next week!
Thanks very much for this, Les. What a lovely idea!
Posted by: D | December 09, 2018 at 09:22 PM
Hello,Les.
I'm Japanese and I listen to your podcast to improve my English skills.
I'm a big fan of you and your program;-)
I bought 'Murder for Christmas' at Book Depository. I cannot wait to read it!
I'm so looking forward to listening to your next podcast. Thank you.
Posted by: Leaf40 | December 10, 2018 at 04:22 AM