I was looking for at least one Christmas-themed book to read this year and since I enjoy mysteries, this sounded like it was right up my alley! Murder Under the Christmas Tree is a collection of ten classic crime stories, all centered around Christmas. The stories are:

• The Necklace of Pearls by Dorothy L. Sayers – A Lord Peter Wimsey story, this didn’t feature any murders but instead, a very clever theft. As a fan of Peter Wimsey, I found this to be fun.
• The Name of the Window by Edmund Crispin – Like with A Moving Toyshop, I was a little bit confused by this story. I think I understand it, but it feels more like a retelling of a story than a story, if that makes sense.
• A Traditional Christmas by Val McDermid – The opening lines “Last Night, I dreamed I went to Amberley” reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, but this seemed to try and take a humorous tone. Sadly, it wasn’t funny to me and I didn’t understand the Du Maurier reference because this had none of the themes or atmosphere of Rebecca.
• The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle – I’m pretty sure I’ve read this before! It’s a fun Sherlock Holmes story, if a bit more implausible than the others.
• The Invisible Man by G.K. Chesterton – I enjoyed this, but I’ve realised that you’re either a fan of Chesterton, or you’re not. This Father Brown mystery has an invisible killer and as usual, ends on a slightly poignant note.
• Cinders by Ian Rankin – A murder taking place at a Christmas show, this was a forgettable to me. I know I liked it well enough when I read it a couple of days back, but I’m not too sure what it’s about anymore.
• Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh – This is a bit longer than the other short stories, which means there’s more time for character development. The murder was clever – death by radio – but the reveal wasn’t extremely convincing to me.
• Person or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson – I really enjoyed this one! It’s a murder disguised as a ghost story, and somehow, the death and creepiness feels seasonally appropriate. The reveal was also fairly believable, and I think this is one of my favourite stories in the collection
• The Case is Altered by Margery Allingham – An Albert Campion short story, I enjoyed the characters and the setting of this! Campion being uncomfortable in a Christmas party was fun to watch. However, as with Flowers for the Judge, the ending of this let me down.
• The Price of Light by Ellis Peters – The Price of Light is a story set in the 12th century in a monastry, making it one of the more unique settings in this collection. I realised a few pages in that I’ve read a mystery involving Brother Cadfael before (One Corpse Too Many) and seeing this somewhat familiar character was a delight. I liked the mystery here, but the narrative style was a bit too detached for me.

As with any short story collection, there are some tales that I like more than others. Personally, I’m a bit surprised at how many authors I have read before, but since I’ve been trying to read more Golden Age mysteries, this is a good thing! From the stories here, I think I’d be interested in reading full length works from Carter Dickson and Margery Allingham, and of course, I need to read more from the authors I already know and like.

Feels like it’s going to be a busy reading year in 2022!