December days are made for snuggling up with a good book and a Christmas mystery might be just the ticket. Here are a few of our favourite Cosy Crime reads for the season
Another Little Christmas Murder by Lorna Nicholl Morgan (Sphere)
Set in the run-up to Christmas, this Golden Age mystery has the classic setting of a snowbound English country house party. Young, intrepid Dylis Hughes is driving through Yorkshire on the way back to London when her car breaks down. She accepts help from a passing motorist, Inigo Brown, and agrees to seek refuge at his uncle’s house, Wintry Wold.
Once there, Dylis is surprised by the strange behaviour of Inigo’s (very young) aunt, who has only recently married his much older uncle. Dylis’ suspicions are fully awakened when Inigo’s uncle dies suddenly in the night and other strangers arrive at the house to ask for shelter from the blizzard. Are
all these unexpected guests who they claim to be? Dylis and Inigo decide to investigate, and the result is an exciting mystery tinged with romance, which will keep you guessing until the end.
ALSO TRY: A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer (Arrow)
The mistletoe is hung at Lexham Manor, but Christmas cheer is lacking among the guests. Perhaps the grumpiest of the lot is their host, Nathaniel Herriard, and when he is murdered, each guest falls under suspicion in this clever locked-room puzzle.
Five more cosy crime novels for keen Christmas bookworms
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, a short story collection by Agatha Christie
Mystery in White, by J Jefferson Farjeon
The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay
Carol, by Patricia Highsmith
The Long Shadow, by Celia Fremlin
If you’re looking for a festive read for December, you might enjoy our feature A Winter’s Tale by Miranda Mills in our latest issue. Whether you’re looking for seasonal anthologies, winter feast inspiration, spooky season reads, stories for snow days or childhood classics, there’s a page-turner waiting for you.
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