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20000leagues's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
sharron_joy_reads's review
4.0
A short story collection by the current Queen of crime, there are 12 stories in this book.
There are gory murders, betrayals, nefarious deeds, unexpected twists and suspects galore, these are easily digestible short tales, a fun read and perfect to dip in and out of. A great collection of crime stories, different styles, locations, times but apart from twi all are set in the depths of winter and Christmastime. I loved the Hill and Jordan story, Tony Hill is one of my favourite fictional characters. There’s also a very famous detective duo story and the Santa one was brilliant and I’ve no doubt as happened in a few homes over the years!
No-one can spin a psychological thriller like Val, she is the mistress of dissecting the minds of criminals and victims alike. This does not disappoint, perfect slices of a chillingly sinister cake, perfect for a frosty winters night.
There are gory murders, betrayals, nefarious deeds, unexpected twists and suspects galore, these are easily digestible short tales, a fun read and perfect to dip in and out of. A great collection of crime stories, different styles, locations, times but apart from twi all are set in the depths of winter and Christmastime. I loved the Hill and Jordan story, Tony Hill is one of my favourite fictional characters. There’s also a very famous detective duo story and the Santa one was brilliant and I’ve no doubt as happened in a few homes over the years!
No-one can spin a psychological thriller like Val, she is the mistress of dissecting the minds of criminals and victims alike. This does not disappoint, perfect slices of a chillingly sinister cake, perfect for a frosty winters night.
tysuckz's review against another edition
3.0
Alright. Last few stories brought it up from a 2.5 to be honest. Maybe short stories aren't my thing. I usually love val mcdermids work but this just didn't do it for me. Felt like a chore reading some of the stories but I think it might just be because I can imagine some of them being incredible novels but instead they're like 20 pages max? Unsure but it was just okay!
laurel1985's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
j_slater's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
diaryofdifference's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
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As a whole collection of short stories, I quite enjoyed Christmas is Murder. As I do with every book that contains multiple stories, I rate them all individually and my final rating is the average rating of them all.
The collection wasn’t very Christmassy and festive as a whole, but it was very atmospheric, cold, spooky, and with a few stories indeed set during the holidays. This is the type of book you would read next to your fireplace, or Christmas tree, wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. It has a lot of twists and will keep you entertained until the very last story.
Huge thanks to the team at LoveReading, for sending me a copy of the collection.
Below is a breakdown of my thoughts and ratings for all the stories, and to end on a beautiful note, special credit to Angela Harding, who illustrated the cover. Her artistic style in “October, October” was so beautiful that as soon as I laid eyes on this cover, I could immediately guess who the creator was.
Happy Holidays - ★★★★
A great introduction to Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, although in retrospective, this is the only short story featuring them. I liked the plot and the immediate mystery. The only reason it’s not a 5 star is because I felt the ending was slightly rushed. However, despite that, I loved the mystery, the part where they profiled the killer and the Christmas spirit.
A Wife in a Million - ★★★★★
What an incredible short story that managed to touch on unemployment and what it can make a person do out of frustration. Very fast pace, with an unexpected twist at the very end.
A Traditional Christmas - ★★★★★
Amberley House is a place full of traditions. And when someone wants to change the status-quo, not everyone in the family will allow it. But where tradition comes into place, not all disputes are resolved in a traditional way. The story was spooky, with a twist at the end, and I really enjoyed it.
The Long Black Veil - ★★★★
“Everybody here in Mariott knows where and when Kenny Sheldon died, and most of them think they know why.”
I loved the small town vibe in this story, the atmosphere was intriguing and exciting. It was beautifully crafted into two different timelines, and with a short story, that can be quite hard to achieve, but Val McDermid did it beautifully!
The Girl who Killed Santa Claus - ★★★★
I found this story quite funny and wholesome. The girl knows Santa doesn’t exist, and when a burglar turns up to her house on Christmas Eve, everything escalates. One thing I didn’t expect from this collection of short stories was to make me laugh out loud, but I am so glad it did!
Holmes for Christmas - ★★★★
I was pleasantly surprised to see Holmes and Watson in action, especially with a nod to my lovely Balkans. It was a story inspired by the First World War assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrillo Princip. It was an interesting read and slightly longer than the rest of the stories.
Ancient and Modern - ★★★★★
Wow, this story was something else! The raw emotion and the vivid descriptions blew me away. The emotional love story between Ellie and Alan. And when Alan is killed in a traffic collision, the unfair justice system strikes and brings Ellie so much pain and not nearly enough justice. Then the ultimate plot twist happens and I am so impressed by how the author manages to piece everything together so neatly. This is my favourite short story in the collection so far, without a shadow of a doubt.
The Devil’s Share - ★★★★★
Waterfalls, a barrel of whiskey and a secret lying dormant for 50 years is a hell of a good plot for a story. I enjoyed this one so much, the present and the past meeting in a very powerful way, with great characters. I quite liked the fact that George Orwell was indirectly involved in the story as well, and our character inadvertently helped him finish “1984”. A lovely story with a slightly sad ending that touched my heart.
Ghost Writer - ★★★★★
Intriguing story with a paranormal element. Gavin wants to be a writer, but for the love of God, cannot think of a plot line. One day, he goes to a writing course and meets Natasha. She can’t write, but she has the best story ideas and they start working as a tandem. I won’t say what happens next to keep the suspense up and avoid any spoilers, but I liked the plot twist and the ending as well. Very spooky and completely unexpected. Also, the author has a weird fascination with people dying on bicycles, it seems. :)
White Nights, Black Magic - ★★★★
Very cold story, like the Russian winter nights, but full of emotion. I was invested in the long distance love story of the two doctors, and how revenge is a syringe best served cold.
Heartburn - ★★★
Short and sweet, and a very evil story. It took me a moment at the end and then I gasped. What a reveal, and how cleverly executed (pun intended). I enjoyed this one, but it was slightly too short, and a bit underwhelming, except for the very end.
Four Calling Birds - ★★★★
Lovely story about the harsh reality miners were facing during the reign of the Iron Lady. A story about four ladies working as Bingo callers and the change of management that creates all sorts of chaos. Despite this chaos, I saw a son, whose love for his parents and justice is so strong, he is willing to do everything to make things right again.
As a whole collection of short stories, I quite enjoyed Christmas is Murder. As I do with every book that contains multiple stories, I rate them all individually and my final rating is the average rating of them all.
The collection wasn’t very Christmassy and festive as a whole, but it was very atmospheric, cold, spooky, and with a few stories indeed set during the holidays. This is the type of book you would read next to your fireplace, or Christmas tree, wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. It has a lot of twists and will keep you entertained until the very last story.
Huge thanks to the team at LoveReading, for sending me a copy of the collection.
Below is a breakdown of my thoughts and ratings for all the stories, and to end on a beautiful note, special credit to Angela Harding, who illustrated the cover. Her artistic style in “October, October” was so beautiful that as soon as I laid eyes on this cover, I could immediately guess who the creator was.
Happy Holidays - ★★★★
A great introduction to Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, although in retrospective, this is the only short story featuring them. I liked the plot and the immediate mystery. The only reason it’s not a 5 star is because I felt the ending was slightly rushed. However, despite that, I loved the mystery, the part where they profiled the killer and the Christmas spirit.
A Wife in a Million - ★★★★★
What an incredible short story that managed to touch on unemployment and what it can make a person do out of frustration. Very fast pace, with an unexpected twist at the very end.
A Traditional Christmas - ★★★★★
Amberley House is a place full of traditions. And when someone wants to change the status-quo, not everyone in the family will allow it. But where tradition comes into place, not all disputes are resolved in a traditional way. The story was spooky, with a twist at the end, and I really enjoyed it.
The Long Black Veil - ★★★★
“Everybody here in Mariott knows where and when Kenny Sheldon died, and most of them think they know why.”
I loved the small town vibe in this story, the atmosphere was intriguing and exciting. It was beautifully crafted into two different timelines, and with a short story, that can be quite hard to achieve, but Val McDermid did it beautifully!
The Girl who Killed Santa Claus - ★★★★
I found this story quite funny and wholesome. The girl knows Santa doesn’t exist, and when a burglar turns up to her house on Christmas Eve, everything escalates. One thing I didn’t expect from this collection of short stories was to make me laugh out loud, but I am so glad it did!
Holmes for Christmas - ★★★★
I was pleasantly surprised to see Holmes and Watson in action, especially with a nod to my lovely Balkans. It was a story inspired by the First World War assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrillo Princip. It was an interesting read and slightly longer than the rest of the stories.
Ancient and Modern - ★★★★★
Wow, this story was something else! The raw emotion and the vivid descriptions blew me away. The emotional love story between Ellie and Alan. And when Alan is killed in a traffic collision, the unfair justice system strikes and brings Ellie so much pain and not nearly enough justice. Then the ultimate plot twist happens and I am so impressed by how the author manages to piece everything together so neatly. This is my favourite short story in the collection so far, without a shadow of a doubt.
The Devil’s Share - ★★★★★
Waterfalls, a barrel of whiskey and a secret lying dormant for 50 years is a hell of a good plot for a story. I enjoyed this one so much, the present and the past meeting in a very powerful way, with great characters. I quite liked the fact that George Orwell was indirectly involved in the story as well, and our character inadvertently helped him finish “1984”. A lovely story with a slightly sad ending that touched my heart.
Ghost Writer - ★★★★★
Intriguing story with a paranormal element. Gavin wants to be a writer, but for the love of God, cannot think of a plot line. One day, he goes to a writing course and meets Natasha. She can’t write, but she has the best story ideas and they start working as a tandem. I won’t say what happens next to keep the suspense up and avoid any spoilers, but I liked the plot twist and the ending as well. Very spooky and completely unexpected. Also, the author has a weird fascination with people dying on bicycles, it seems. :)
White Nights, Black Magic - ★★★★
Very cold story, like the Russian winter nights, but full of emotion. I was invested in the long distance love story of the two doctors, and how revenge is a syringe best served cold.
Heartburn - ★★★
Short and sweet, and a very evil story. It took me a moment at the end and then I gasped. What a reveal, and how cleverly executed (pun intended). I enjoyed this one, but it was slightly too short, and a bit underwhelming, except for the very end.
Four Calling Birds - ★★★★
Lovely story about the harsh reality miners were facing during the reign of the Iron Lady. A story about four ladies working as Bingo callers and the change of management that creates all sorts of chaos. Despite this chaos, I saw a son, whose love for his parents and justice is so strong, he is willing to do everything to make things right again.
brodie_rose's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
bgg616's review
4.0
Val McDermid is one of the best writers of Scottish noir, although her most well known series featuring Tony Hill is set in the north of England. The first story in the collection features Hill, but for me, Hill doesn't have the chance to really "do his thing" in this format. The stories I enjoyed most were the stories of revenge. While catching perpetrators of crimes is satisfying, I particularly like stories of revenge. Several of her stories feature lesbian couples, and/or lesbian protagonists.
Like most short story collections, some are better than others. One of my favorite revenge stories was the final one - Four Calling Birds. In a mining community where the miners have lost their jobs, four women find a way to support their families. Traditionally, the Bingo Hall caller was a man. When he leaves, these women push for the four of them to share the job. As time goes by, changes are proposed. That is when resistance and revenge comes in.
I enjoy Christmas and winter mysteries. I am particularly fond of many of the classic British Christmas mysteries. McDermid is another option for readers who want to expand their repertoire of Christmas mysteries.
Like most short story collections, some are better than others. One of my favorite revenge stories was the final one - Four Calling Birds. In a mining community where the miners have lost their jobs, four women find a way to support their families. Traditionally, the Bingo Hall caller was a man. When he leaves, these women push for the four of them to share the job. As time goes by, changes are proposed. That is when resistance and revenge comes in.
I enjoy Christmas and winter mysteries. I am particularly fond of many of the classic British Christmas mysteries. McDermid is another option for readers who want to expand their repertoire of Christmas mysteries.
austra_pro's review
3.0
Tāds pašķidrs krājums, pāris okayish stāsti, lielākā daļa bōring, vienīgi pēdējais ļoti labs. Un lielākai daļai vispār nekāda sakara ar ziemu vai Ziemassvētkiem, tā ka nezinu, vai ir smuki - tā maldināt potenciālo lasītāju ar nosaukumu. Trīs zvaigznes, jo esmu dāsna, bet pārsvarā vairāk tā uz divām. Priekš stāstiem pārāk pliekani.