Outstanding Holiday Mystery Anthology
Crimson Snow
A British Library Crime Classic
by Martin Edwards
Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 03 Jan 2017
Review
Crimson Snow is an exemplary collection of tales from both well known authors and less familiar hidden gems. Poisoned Pen Press does an excellent job of gathering an assortment of thrilling and unusual tales, and Martin Edwards, as always, provides fascinating introductory material before each story. Don’t be deceived. While this excellent anthology features many tales set during the holiday season, it is easily enjoyed year round. If you are a mystery enthusiast, you absolutely must add this British Library Crime Classic to your collection.
I’m hard pressed to choose which story I enjoyed most. Death in December featuring curmudgeonly Chief Inspector Ironsides Cromwell offers readers a manor house ghost story, complete with murder and a disappearing body. The Man with the Sack challenges Albert Campion to find stolen jewels and save a fledgling romance. Mr Cork’s Secret tasks the popular insurance investigator with solving a murder, finding missing gems, redeeming one thief and preventing another from escaping…and these are just the beginning. The wide range of tales is extremely satisfying. I highly recommend Crimson Snow to anyone who enjoys classic mysteries.
5/5
I received a copy of Crimson Snow from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Description
Crimson Snow brings together a dozen vintage crime stories set in winter. Welcome to a world of Father Christmases behaving oddly, a famous fictional detective in a Yuletide drama, mysterious tracks in the snow, and some very unpleasant carol singers. There’s no denying that the supposed season of goodwill is a time of year that lends itself to detective fiction. On a cold night, it’s tempting to curl up by the fireside with a good mystery. And more than that, claustrophobic house parties, with people cooped up with long-estranged relatives, can provide plenty of motives for murder. Including forgotten stories by major writers such as Margery Allingham, as well as classic tales by less familiar crime novelists, each story in this selection is introduced by the leading expert on classic crime, Martin Edwards. The resulting volume is an entertaining and atmospheric compendium of wintry delights.
