Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery

If you were looking for a quick read while you cuddle up by the fire for Christmas, this is the book you need.

"Midwinter Murders" embraces the winter ambiance, making it an ideal read for cozy nights. While it may not aim to redefine the genre, this novel channels the essence of classic Christie mysteries. It might not be a literary masterpiece, but it kindles a nostalgic warmth, earning its place among the author's standard yet beloved works.
The stories within "Midwinter Murders" unveil the signature brilliance of Christie, capturing the reader's attention with just the right blend of intrigue and familiarity. The narratives offer the comfort of tradition while sprinkling in the unexpected. While it doesn't break new ground, the book show more excels in delivering what Christie aficionados crave—an engaging set of mysteries that, like the winter chill, sends shivers down your spine.
The highlight of this collection is the immersion into a thematic exploration. Christie, through her mysteries, prompts readers to contemplate the intricacies of human nature. The mysteries force characters to reassess their beliefs, reflect on their mistakes, and look for the unexpected. In turn, it serves as a great prompt for readers to reflect on the beliefs that they may want to leave behind as we head into a new year. In its simplicity, "Midwinter Murders" becomes a literary vehicle for introspection, reminding us of the enduring appeal of Christie's storytelling.
In conclusion, "Midwinter Murders" is a delightful winter read, earning its stars for faithfully delivering the Christie experience in a holiday setting. While it might not be groundbreaking, it successfully captures the essence of classic mysteries, providing a comforting escape for those seeking a familiar yet enjoyable journey into the world of an Agatha Christie Christmas. show less

This is the final book in the seasonally themed collections of Agatha Christie short stories I’ve read. While the “seasonal” connection was a bit tenuous at times with the other three collections, here it is more pronounced, with several stories set during winter or Christmas.

THE MYSTERY OF HUNTER’S LODGE :

Point’s bout of influenza prevents him from traveling to Hunter’s Lodge, so an eager Hastings goes in his stead, on condition that he report all details to Poirot, and follow his instructions, making this a fun one. Japp is around to get in a few digs as well, but of course both he and Hastings are completely in the dark, while a bed-ridden Poirot is way ahead of them. Unfortunately, due to the lag in getting information show more to them, the culprit(s) temporarily get away. Only an of-stage moment of justice prevents this from being perfect. Still great fun.

THE WORLD’S END :

“I happened to bring some biscuits and a stick of chocolate on board with me…When I found there was no dinner to be got, I gave the lot to her. The lower classes always make such a fuss about going without their meals.” — The Duchess

I’ve really come to adore the stories featuring Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin, and this one is magnificent. Even more atmospheric than most of the Quin stories, Satterthwaite’s acquaintance with a rather stingy and rather irritating Duchess leads to him meeting a charming yet unconventional artist named Miss Carlton Smith. A sadness surrounds her, because her love, Alec Gerard has been imprisoned for a year, convicted of theft. A twisty, dangerous road up a mountain to a place called World’s End, a sudden snowfall that strands them at the top with a very unexpected group, one of whom is the mysterious Mr. Quin, and some wonderful description and mood make for a memorable short story. Christie at her zenith, in my opinion.

THE MYSTERY OF THE BAGHDAD CHEST :

A beautiful yet almost child-like woman of great allure leads to the murder of her husband by her lover. Or did someone else commit the crime? A plan for murder so ingenious in both method and execution that Poirot himself is appreciative of the artistry of it. He can’t help lament to Hastings that such cleverness was wasted on murder. Excellent.

THE COMING OF MR. QUIN :

On New Year’s Eve Satterthwaite is among a group that includes Alex Portal and his wife, Eleanor, whom Satterthwaite finds somehow strange — a blonde who has died her hair black. She possesses a hold of some kind that frightens her husband. Mention of a New Year’s Eve superstition, and the tale of a man whom they all knew, who committed suicide, brings about the entrance of Mr. Quin, who is supposedly stranded. But is he, really?

When Mr. Quin draws those present into recalling the events around the person’s suicide, an entirely different picture emerges. Whether it will be a condemning one, or give a second chance for happiness to two people isn’t clear until the final moments of another splendid Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin story.

SANCTUARY :

A man is found dying on the steps of an out of the way chapel. Who is he, and why is his last word uttered, Sanctuary? A fine little Miss Marple story, very enjoyable.

THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS :

A nifty Poirot story about a murder aboard a train, and a jewel theft. This one has Hastings and Japp, so it’s especially good, with some charming dynamics between the three friends. Poirot of course gets the better of Japp by solving the case. Very fun.

A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY :

“Here was a nice contented happy little married woman shortly going to be murdered.” — Miss Marple

Marple knows that accidents, even when they appear without doubt to be such, are not always so. Just an excellent Miss Marple entry in this collection, very well told. Great stuff.

PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY :

One of the best of the Parker Pyne stories. He is on vacation, very much trying to remain anonymous; his reputation as a problem solver appears to be more prevalent once he is outside of his own turf. Parker Pyne observes that other cultures appear to pay more attention to the ads in the paper than those back across the pond.

Of course, someone recognizes Parker and outs him. Soon he is roped into the affairs of a mother and son much to close, and a flirty but fabulous interloper of a girl with her wild dress and carefree manner that is threatening the mother/son dynamic because the boy likes the unsuitable girl and is trying to break free.

This one is utterly charming, with some twists and turns involving an even more outrageously unsuitable girl. It all ends on a boat, and is very satisfying. Great stuff.

THE CHOCOLATE BOX :

A famous one where Poirot recalls and old case that he considers a failure of his little grey cells to perform adequately. Enjoyable enough, but not one of my favorites among the Poirot stories.

THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON :

Just a terribly charming story first published in 1924. A young man wants to feel the adventure and passion of Bianca and Bill in the book he’s reading. But the girl he’s betrothed to is so practical she runs roughshod over him so he doesn’t do anything frivolous — for his own good, of course. She won’t even agree to marry him until all the more practical matters are settled.

With winnings from a contest, he secretly buys a two-seater car, just because he wants to, and feels a sense of freedom. When he accidentally gets in the wrong two-seater, and finds a priceless necklace in it, a wild and wonderful adventure ensues, involving an adventurous girl, and a tiny deception on Edward’s part that leads him to find his manhood. How will his beloved react when the milquetoast has suddenly become a man, and won’t stand for it any longer?

A sweet and charming, very old-fashioned romantic adventure. Lovely.

CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE :

Another charming one! This one involving Poirot and some kids. A winter bauble with Poirot that’s perfect for the good feeling we strive for when winter comes, and Christmas draws near.

THE CLERGYMAN’S DAUGHTER :

Tuppence makes a bet with Tommy that the next person to walk in and hire them will be a clergyman’s daughter. It’s a sure thing, of course — Tuppence has the inside track — but what follows is great fun, involving an inherited house which may be haunted, an invalid mother, a fun word puzzle, and maybe even a treasure. Why does a man from some paranormal society want to take the house off the hands of the clergyman’s daughter?

It’s all light and breezy fun, as are all of the Tommy and Tuppence short stories. As a bonus, there are some wonderful Christmas sentiments to conclude this one. Stories like this are why we love Tommy and Tuppence.

SUMMATION :

Another wonderful collection of stories, with something for everyone. Having picked up and read all four of the seasonally themed collections in hardcover, none of them were disappointing in the least. Great stuff which comes highly recommended! show less

I can't help but feel that this is a bit of a misnomer. Of the stories, I would say that few are definitively set in Mid Winter. There are a few that seem to be included on far more tenuous grounds. It's a mixture of tales, Miss Marple and Poirot feature, as do Tommy & Tuppence. The two that were the most intriguing were those that featured Mr Harley Quinn. I'd not come across either before.
Always a pleasure to spend time with Agatha, regardless of the looseness of the collection's theme.

‘’It was nearly dark. The house felt suddenly very quiet and empty. It was a lonely house, two miles from a village, two miles, as Molly put it, from anywhere. She had often been alone in the house before - but she had never before been so conscious of being alone in it.’’

Welcome to the wintry world of crime and mystery.

‘’The snow beat in a soft flurry against the window - panes. It made a whispery, uneasy sound.’’

Three Blind Mice: Utterly brilliant! The well-known Christie technique of using haunting childish rhymes that hide the essence of the mystery delivers an exciting story. A young couple decides to turn their estate into a guest house. The assembly of newcomers is very particular, not to the mention that they are show more in grave danger of being murdered. Two blind mice have already gone down. Who shall be the third?

‘’It was a wild night. Outside, the wind howled malevolently, and the rain beat against the windows in great gusts.’’

The Chocolate Box: Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings discuss one of the unsuccessful cases of our beloved Belgian detective over a chocolate box.

‘’There was what I can only describe as a curiously eerie feeling in the air. There seemed to be something weighing on us all. A feeling of misfortune.’’

A Christmas Tragedy: Miss Marple narrates the chronicle of a murder foretold by the evil disposition of the killer. A Christmas tragedy indeed…

‘’A good night for ghosts to walk’’, said Portal with a reckless laugh. ‘All the devils in Hell are abroad tonight.’

The Coming of Mr Quin: On New Year’s Eve, a group of upper-class people find themselves involved in a crime of sadness and strange visitors. This one was rather perplexing, requiring my utmost attention. Brilliant!

The Clergyman’s Daughter: Tommy and Tuppence, our quirky duo, are called to investigate a poltergeist case that threatens the happiness of a charming girl. This was a wonderfully spirited story but quite predictable.

‘’They are so busy knocking that they do not notice that the door is open.’’

The Plymouth Express: The little grey cells of Poirot are called in to solve the murder of a woman found in a first-class compartment of the Plymouth Express.

Problem at Pollensa Bay: Majorca in the winter. What could be more enticing? Add a questionable social circle, a mother who behaves like a dictator, an oppressed young man and the suspicious behaviour of a potential gold digger. In my opinion, this story was rather boring and had nothing to offer to the collection.

Sanctuary: A man mortally wounded is discovered in a church by Miss Marple’s brightest goddaughter. Is it a suicide or a well-planned murder? The two women form the perfect dup and London hides all the answers.

The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge: Captain Hastings replaces Poirot when a crime is committed in an isolated manor in the moors of Devonshire. But not even influenza can stand in the way of our Belgian genius.

The World’s End: An isolated village in Corsica hides the secret of a strange theft and a man who was wrongly accused. A very atmospheric story.

The Manhood of Edward Robinson: Yes, this story is as weird and melodramatic as its title. A brilliant example of social satire.

Christmas Adventure: A bunch of teenagers believe they are a match for Hercule Poirot.

Yeah, right.

Twelve stories to be read in the heart of winter, in the company of a hot cup of cocoa.

‘’After all, said Poirot reflectively, ‘it was an experience! I, who have undoubtedly the finest brain in Europe at present, can afford to be magnanimous!’’

Many thanks to William Morrow and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less

Despite the title, the majority of the short stories in this Agatha Christie collection deal do not deal with murder, and, in several of them, you hardly notice they’re set in winter at all. But, except for the somewhat predictable Walter Mitty-esque “The Manhood of Edward Robinson” and the also predictable “Problem at Pollensa Bay,” they’re all gems. (I normally love the character Parker Pine, but not in “Problem at Pollensa Bay.”)

I particularly loved Hercule Poirot in “Christmas Adventure,” which I’d read before, and “The World’s End.” And while Miss Jane Marple, Christie’s other stalwart detective, also gets an outing, I better enjoyed stories featuring some of the lesser lights in the Christie universe. show more And for true Christie fans, the novella Three Blind Mice that kicks off this collection eventually became The Mousetrap: A Play, which ran continuously from 1952 until COVID-19 closed the London theaters in March 2020 — the longest run in history. What a twist ending! show less

This collection of twelve short stories feature some of Christie's well-known characters (Poirot, Marple and some lesser known ones. It was a pretty mixed bag, and none of the twelve were exceptional. A few were downright boring. All in all, a diverting enough read but nothing I would return to.

a very high quality collection overall. with a good mix of poirot, marple, and others as well. this definitely has my favorite christie stories to date in here, and might be my favorite of her books thus far as well. a really good mix. it's weird to see how different mysteries are today versus back then. her police detectives freely discuss the evidence, for example, and that shapes the entire way of sleuthing and solving. anyway, this was really fun.

three blind mice - a recently married couple opens a b&b and the initial guests get snowed in. a cop skis in when it's determined that one of them may be in danger and the tension and the accusations start to build. this is the best christie i've read to date. this was pretty air tight and show more only a bit of classism and misunderstanding of mental health don't hold up here. excellent story and storytelling. and not miss marple or hercule poirot but one of her singular ones, which i think i might like better overall. 4 stars.

chocolate box - this was a poirot and the premise is he's telling hastings the story of one mystery he got wrong or didn't figure out. he sure was close, though. pretty fun, 2.5 stars.

a christmas tragedy - this was miss marple, who i haven't been impressed by in the past. but this was a pretty good one. not totally sure the solving of the crime makes 100% sense and is feasible, but it was still pretty good. 2.5 stars.

the coming of mr quinn - neither marple nor poirot, but also not particularly good. 1 star.

the clergyman's daughter - a really short and fun one. the only other tommy & tuppence i read i really didn't like, but this was great. 3.75 stars.

the plymouth express - this was a poirot and perhaps my favorite of his stories so far. clever but not over the top clever. (only one possible plot hole that could throw the entire thing off the rails, so to speak, but i'll forgive it.) 3.25 stars

problem at pollensa bay - this was like a little amusing excursion. it wasn't so much a mystery as a trick and it doesn't take into account how much of an asshole it makes the man look, but it was fun all the same. 2.75 stars.

sanctuary - this one was alright but nothing too special; 2 stars.

the mystery of hunter's lodge - i liked the solving of this one but am not sure why hastings puts up with poirot. 2.25 stars.

the world's end - this is actually one of the more beautifully written ones, but it mostly didn't hold my attention; 1.5 stars.

the manhood of edward robinson - another fun little excursion that was really enjoyable. 3.25 stars.

christmas adventure - fun twist to this one. 2.75 stars.

this narrator can adeptly do many different dialects of the english accent, french/belgian accent, american accent, and i'm sure there was more. well done. show less