Mistletoe Mysteries
by Charlotte MacLeod (Editor)
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Description
Have yourself a mysterious little Christmas with fifteen whodunits from New York Times-bestselling authors Sharyn McCrumb, Mary Higgins Clark, and more! Peace on Earth isn't everyone's cup of tea in Charlotte MacLeod's 'A Cozy for Christmas.' Peter Lovesey's 'The Haunted Crescent' delivers a holiday ghost story with a twist. A training session for department-store Santas turns up Saint Nicks who are anything but angels in Isaac Asimov's 'Ho, Ho, Ho.' Marcia Muller's 'Silent Night' finds a show more tough private investigator searching San Francisco's Tenderloin district-and discovering something unexpected. A long-married couple's ship finally comes in-only to spring a mysterious leak-in Mary Higgins Clark's 'That's the Ticket.' Scottish superstition catches up with a cat burglar in Sharyn McCrumb's 'A Wee Doch and Doris.' These and many more stories will keep you turning pages and gathering evidence of yuletide mayhem. So when holiday shopping brings out your inner Grinch, hunker down with a hot toddy-and leave the murder to the experts. This festive collection includes stories by Charlotte MacLeod, Peter Lovesey, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Eric Wright, John Lutz, Howard Engel, Mary Higgins Clark, Bill Pronzini, Sharyn McCrumb, Henry Slesar, Edward D. Hoch, Aaron Elkins, Susan Dunlap, Isaac Asimov, and Marcia Muller. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This is another collection of Christmas themed mysteries, edited by Charlotte MacLeod. The collection contains several great stories by authors I know well and love. However, though most of the stories are great reads, some are not so great. I guess that happens when you have a collection of stories by different authors. I had never heard of many of the authors before this book, so I cannot compare these stories to their other works. In the case of those I did know, I found the stories in this volume as well done and as interesting as other works by them that I have read. One thing I did notice as I read, however, in some cases, there was not much of a mystery in the story. Many of these resembled feel-good, holiday stories we find show more everywhere. One good thing is the fact that the stories are short, so, if you do not particularly enjoy it, you are finished with the story quick enough.
The book provides a great way to read about and get into the holiday. I particularly enjoyed Asimov’s “Ho, Ho, Ho” which involved department-store Santa training with a twist, Mary Higgins Clark’s “That’s the Ticket, the story of a couple who finally hit it big in the lottery, and Marcia Muller’s “Silent Night”, where a tough PI spends Christmas looking for his run-away nephew. As with her other collection of Yuletide stories, Charlotte MacLeod inserted an intro before each story, which I personally could have done without. Some may have found this interesting, but I did not.
These stories were originally published years ago, with this a re-release, which is interesting to note. This does help me understand the stories better, as many did seem a bit outdated and strange for today. The stories will be interesting for those who recognize and/or enjoy the authors or for a reader looking for something written by well-known authors. I received this from NetGalley to read and review. show less
The book provides a great way to read about and get into the holiday. I particularly enjoyed Asimov’s “Ho, Ho, Ho” which involved department-store Santa training with a twist, Mary Higgins Clark’s “That’s the Ticket, the story of a couple who finally hit it big in the lottery, and Marcia Muller’s “Silent Night”, where a tough PI spends Christmas looking for his run-away nephew. As with her other collection of Yuletide stories, Charlotte MacLeod inserted an intro before each story, which I personally could have done without. Some may have found this interesting, but I did not.
These stories were originally published years ago, with this a re-release, which is interesting to note. This does help me understand the stories better, as many did seem a bit outdated and strange for today. The stories will be interesting for those who recognize and/or enjoy the authors or for a reader looking for something written by well-known authors. I received this from NetGalley to read and review. show less
I gave my mother this anthology of Christmas mysteries for the Sarah Kelling story, of course, although Mom was also a Sharon McCone fan. The 15 stories in here are:
A Cozy for Christmas by Charlotte MacLeod rates 4 stars from me. Although set at the same time as The Convivial Codfish, there's enough background information given that one need not have read the novel first. Apparently the book displeased some Sarah fans because Max got most of the action. This story lets fans know about Sarah's near-escape while Max was busy trying to track down a killer.
Kelling & Co. facts for fans who, as I do, have trouble remembering in which story they appear:
Sarah has second-best diamonds.
Mrs. Gates is their favorite boarder.
Mrs. Gates has a show more favorite Queen Anne chair in Sarah's library.
When Mrs. Gates' granddaughters were small, tidying her workbag was their greatest treat.
Here's where what kind of Wasp Sarah is is described.
Mr. Snowfjord has Max's old basement room.
Jennifer LaValliere is engaged.
Sarah knew Miss Waltham from one of her first mother-in-laws civic committees.
Here's where we get Sarah's opinion of a photo of her Cousin Mabel and an alligator.
There's a line about Uncle Jem which may reflect either Max or the other's opinion of him.
I give The Haunted Crescent by Peter Lovesey 4 stars too. An ex-policeman is spending Christmas Eve in a haunted house that's part of the Royal Crescent in Bath, England. The ghost haunts the house because of a still-unsolved murder that took place over 150 years ago.
Christopher and Maggie by Dorothy Salisbury Davis is set during the Great Depression. Christopher is a traveling stage magician and Maggie his temporary assistant. I might rate it more than three stars if I could figure out if there's any significance to the last line.
Kaput A collector of oral history listens to an old man tell him about a murder mystery he lived through decades earlier. three stars. show less
A Cozy for Christmas by Charlotte MacLeod rates 4 stars from me. Although set at the same time as The Convivial Codfish, there's enough background information given that one need not have read the novel first. Apparently the book displeased some Sarah fans because Max got most of the action. This story lets fans know about Sarah's near-escape while Max was busy trying to track down a killer.
Kelling & Co. facts for fans who, as I do, have trouble remembering in which story they appear:
Sarah has second-best diamonds.
Mrs. Gates is their favorite boarder.
Mrs. Gates has a show more favorite Queen Anne chair in Sarah's library.
When Mrs. Gates' granddaughters were small, tidying her workbag was their greatest treat.
Here's where what kind of Wasp Sarah is is described.
Mr. Snowfjord has Max's old basement room.
Jennifer LaValliere is engaged.
Sarah knew Miss Waltham from one of her first mother-in-laws civic committees.
Here's where we get Sarah's opinion of a photo of her Cousin Mabel and an alligator.
There's a line about Uncle Jem which may reflect either Max or the other's opinion of him.
I give The Haunted Crescent by Peter Lovesey 4 stars too. An ex-policeman is spending Christmas Eve in a haunted house that's part of the Royal Crescent in Bath, England. The ghost haunts the house because of a still-unsolved murder that took place over 150 years ago.
Christopher and Maggie by Dorothy Salisbury Davis is set during the Great Depression. Christopher is a traveling stage magician and Maggie his temporary assistant. I might rate it more than three stars if I could figure out if there's any significance to the last line.
Kaput A collector of oral history listens to an old man tell him about a murder mystery he lived through decades earlier. three stars. show less
Was fun to read during the busy holidays- Seasonal, easy reading.
Short-story anthology of christmas-themed mystery and crime fiction. Generally entertaining, but no real stand-outs.
Includes:
Asimov, Isaac,
--Ho! Ho! Ho!
Clark, Mary Higgins,
--That's the Ticket
Davis, Dorothy Salisbury,
--Christopher and Maggie
Dunlap, Susan,
--Ott on a Limb
Elkins, Aaron,
--Dutch Treat
Engel, Howard,
--The Three Wise Guys
Hoch, Edward D.,
--The Touch of Kolyada
Lovesey, Peter,
--The Haunted Crescent
Lutz, John,
--The Live Tree
MacLeod, Charlotte,
--A Cozy for Christmas
McCrumb, Sharyn,
--A Wee Doch and Doris
Muller, Marica,
--Silent Night
Pronzini, Bill,
--Here Comes Santa Claus
Slesar, Henry,
--The Man Who Loved Christmas
Wright, Eric,
--Kaput
Includes:
Asimov, Isaac,
--Ho! Ho! Ho!
Clark, Mary Higgins,
--That's the Ticket
Davis, Dorothy Salisbury,
--Christopher and Maggie
Dunlap, Susan,
--Ott on a Limb
Elkins, Aaron,
--Dutch Treat
Engel, Howard,
--The Three Wise Guys
Hoch, Edward D.,
--The Touch of Kolyada
Lovesey, Peter,
--The Haunted Crescent
Lutz, John,
--The Live Tree
MacLeod, Charlotte,
--A Cozy for Christmas
McCrumb, Sharyn,
--A Wee Doch and Doris
Muller, Marica,
--Silent Night
Pronzini, Bill,
--Here Comes Santa Claus
Slesar, Henry,
--The Man Who Loved Christmas
Wright, Eric,
--Kaput
Early stories from some excellent writers, Muller Pronzini and Lutz stand out.
This was a wonderful collection.
A collection of Christmas mystery tales, by Isaac Asimov, Mary Higgins Clark, Peter Lovesey, Marcia Muller, Howard Engel, Sharyn McCrumb, Eric Wright, and more.
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Author Information
Charlotte MacLeod was born in Bath, New Brunswick, Canada on November 12, 1922. She immigrated to the United States in 1923 and became a naturalized citizen in 1951. She attended the School of Practical Art, now the Art Institute of Boston. She was a staff artist and copywriter at Stop and Shop supermarkets from 1945 to 1952. She also worked at show more N.H. Miller & Co. advertising firm from 1952 to 1982 starting as a copy chief and ending up as a Vice President. She wrote two series under her own name, a Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery series and the Peter Shandy Mystery series. She also wrote two series under the pseudonym Alisa Craig, the Madoc and Janet Rhys Mystery series and the Grub-and-Stakers series. She also wrote Had She But Known: A Biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart and a dozen juvenile books. She won five American Mystery awards and a Nero Wolfe award. She edited the anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings. She is the co-founder and past president of the American Crime Writers League. She died on January 14, 2005 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Mistletoe Mysteries
- Original title
- Mistletoe Mysteries
- Original publication date
- 1989
- People/Characters
- Sarah Kelling Bitterson (A Cozy for Christmas); Max Bittersohn (A Cozy for Christmas); Brooks Kelling (A Cozy for Christmas); Theonia Sorpende Kelling (A Cozy for Christmas); Mrs. Gates (A Cozy for Christmas); Charles Chelsea Charles (A Cozy for Christmas) (show all 19); Eugene Porter-Smith (A Cozy for Christmas); Jennifer LaValliere (A Cozy for Christmas); Virginia Carboy (A Cozy for Christmas); Mr. Snowfjord (A Cozy for Christmas); Miss Waltham (A Cozy for Christmas); General Purslane (A Cozy for Christmas); Mrs. Purslane (A Cozy for Christmas); Mrs. Levitz (A Cozy for Christmas); Christopher (traveling magician, Christopher and Maggie); Maggie (his temporary assistant, Christopher and Maggie); the McCoy brothers (Christopher and Maggie); the sheriff of Mingo County (Christopher and Maggie); Duncan Bane (a tourist attraction for his stories, Kaput)
- Important places
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA (A Cozy for Christmas); Bath, Somerset, England, UK (The Haunted Crescent); Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (Kaput)
- First words
- So Max has gone off with another woman? (A Cozy for Christmas)
A ghost was seen last Christmas in a certain house in the Royal Crescent. (The Haunted Crescent)
And now, my grown-up friends and all my little pals, our revels are almost over, as Shakespeare said. (Christopher and Maggie)
Loneliness was bad, he said. (Kaput) - Quotations
- [regarding a suitable first Christmas gift for Max's mother] Max thought they just ought to forget the whole thing, but Sarah was far too thoroughly schooled in how easy it was to start family feuds among the multitudinous K... (show all)ellings to risk one with the Bittersohns.
(A Cozy for Christmas) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)After a moment's reflection, Sarah did the same. (A Cozy for Christmas)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The haunting of the Royal Crescent is at an end. (The Haunted Crescent)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Just plain Willie Smith. (Christopher and Maggie)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The waiter told me to hang on, Duncan Bane was always there, he said, but I had a feeling that Bane would just as soon not talk to me anymore. (Kaput) - Disambiguation notice
- Please do not combine individual stories with the complete anthology. This is important because many of the stories are available in multiple anthologies, and also as single titles.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 813.08720833 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Mystery fiction Collections
- LCC
- PS648 .D4 .M57 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Collections of American literature Prose (General)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 251
- Popularity
- 128,763
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (3.55)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 4
