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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book. I love cozy country house murder mysteries and the Christmas setting was perfect for holiday reading! I love the golden age mysteries. I look forward to reading more of them.
The Santa Klaus Murder is a vintage mystery, set in a country home where the family, and a couple of others, are together to celebrate Christmas. Add in a murder and it should be a perfect read for me. Unfortunately, I found it rather lackluster.
It starts off slow, with members of the household telling their version of the events leading up to the murder. Sir Osmond was not a nice father, overbearing and holding the children's inheritance over their heads so that they would marry someone he deemed appropriate. Everyone had their own reasons for not liking the man. It definitely picked up once Colonel Halstock takes charge of the investigation, but it's still has a few too many problems for me to really recommend it.
- Just too many characters. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audio, but between the family, servants, kids, invited and uninvited guests, it was tough to keep track of who was who and what they're relationships were. Should I be aghast that Mr. A was actually in Miss C's room or not surprised? Whose kids are those again? Maybe because there were so many, I never really cared about any of them.
- Colonel Halstock has known the family for years, which is fine and worked well. However, a "friend" of one of the women shows up and offers to help in the investigation and he just kind of accepts it. Obviously, he's a good guy and no suspicion should be attached to him, even if he arrived pretty much immediately and is the ex(?) of one of the women. After all, how could an actor possibly fool you.
- Even for a mystery, some things are just harped on, like the timetable and which doors people went in and out of. And the doggone crackers. I got so tired of the crackers.
- One secondary character's actions seemed a little over the top, even given his position.
It just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, given the blurb.
It starts off slow, with members of the household telling their version of the events leading up to the murder. Sir Osmond was not a nice father, overbearing and holding the children's inheritance over their heads so that they would marry someone he deemed appropriate. Everyone had their own reasons for not liking the man. It definitely picked up once Colonel Halstock takes charge of the investigation, but it's still has a few too many problems for me to really recommend it.
- Just too many characters. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audio, but between the family, servants, kids, invited and uninvited guests, it was tough to keep track of who was who and what they're relationships were. Should I be aghast that Mr. A was actually in Miss C's room or not surprised? Whose kids are those again? Maybe because there were so many, I never really cared about any of them.
- Colonel Halstock has known the family for years, which is fine and worked well. However, a "friend" of one of the women shows up and offers to help in the investigation and he just kind of accepts it. Obviously, he's a good guy and no suspicion should be attached to him, even if he arrived pretty much immediately and is the ex(?) of one of the women. After all, how could an actor possibly fool you.
- Even for a mystery, some things are just harped on, like the timetable and which doors people went in and out of. And the doggone crackers. I got so tired of the crackers.
- One secondary character's actions seemed a little over the top, even given his position.
It just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, given the blurb.
Very good! The ending might’ve been a bit better, but I found it satisfying. I can see why some find it disappointing though.
I wish there was more info and suspicion thrown on the family. And because Philip Cheriton was the speaker for the first chapter, I thought he would have more of a role in the story.
I wish there was more info and suspicion thrown on the family. And because Philip Cheriton was the speaker for the first chapter, I thought he would have more of a role in the story.
The Melbury family has gathered at the family home for Christmas. Sir Osmond's sister thinks that no good can come of such a gathering, and she is proven correct when her brother is found murdered in his study on Christmas afternoon. It seems that all of the family and one of the guests have excellent motives. The guest who was dressed up as Santa Klaus had the best opportunity, but seemingly the least motive. Sir Osmond's neighbor and friend, Colonel Halstock, is the Chief Constable in charge of the case; a challenge for a man who can remember all of the suspects from when they were children.
This book is in an interesting format because different characters write different chapters leading up to the murder so the reader is presented with various perspectives of what happened in the days leading to Christmas. Once the murder occurs most of the remaining chapters are written by Colonel Halstock.
There were plenty of red herrings, the possibility of new wills or changing wills, family members hiding information or acting suspiciously to protect one another, and a beautiful secretary who the family feared because of her influence on Sir Osmond. I felt there were enough clues scattered about that the reader could accurately guess the identity of the murderer - nothing withheld by the investigators until the end.
Also, it did well as a Christmas mystery - country house, cold weather, Christmas trees, Christmas crackers, presents, and of course Santa Klaus.
This book is in an interesting format because different characters write different chapters leading up to the murder so the reader is presented with various perspectives of what happened in the days leading to Christmas. Once the murder occurs most of the remaining chapters are written by Colonel Halstock.
There were plenty of red herrings, the possibility of new wills or changing wills, family members hiding information or acting suspiciously to protect one another, and a beautiful secretary who the family feared because of her influence on Sir Osmond. I felt there were enough clues scattered about that the reader could accurately guess the identity of the murderer - nothing withheld by the investigators until the end.
Also, it did well as a Christmas mystery - country house, cold weather, Christmas trees, Christmas crackers, presents, and of course Santa Klaus.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thoroughly enjoyed this! I've always been a fan of Golden Age mysteries. I've read several and thought I'd gotten pretty good at guessing and figuring out who all the clues pointed to. I'm almost ashamed to say that I didn't guess this one until I was almost hit over the head with it. Many thanks to Lil's Vintage World for recommending this in one of her videos.
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
slow-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Suicide attempt
Thoroughly enjoyable. Terrifyingly ingenious or intellectual? No, but still interesting and of a form not dissimilar to Agatha Christie.
The Melburys gather at Flaxmere, the family estate, for Christmas. But things rapidly go awry when their patriarch, Sir Osmond Melbury, is found – by a guest dressed as Santa Klaus – with a bullet in his head on Christmas Day. Neighbor and Chief Constable, Col. Halstock, takes charge of the investigation, and quickly ascertains that virtually everyone in the family stands to gain by Sir Osmond’s death. But who had the opportunity? And who was ruthless enough to murder the man?
This is a classic locked-room mystery. There are plenty of suspects, not only family members, but two male guests (both apparently interested in marrying Sir Osmond’s youngest daughter), as well as his private secretary and other staff members. The investigation is hampered by the number of “little lies” (some not so little) that various people Halstock, in an effort to conceal or divert attention from one or more parties.
Hay was part of the group of novelists of the “golden age of British crime fiction.” This work was first published in 1936. Her works have recently been rediscovered and reissued. It moves a bit slowly by today’s standards for the genre, but I was engaged and interested throughout.
This is a classic locked-room mystery. There are plenty of suspects, not only family members, but two male guests (both apparently interested in marrying Sir Osmond’s youngest daughter), as well as his private secretary and other staff members. The investigation is hampered by the number of “little lies” (some not so little) that various people Halstock, in an effort to conceal or divert attention from one or more parties.
Hay was part of the group of novelists of the “golden age of British crime fiction.” This work was first published in 1936. Her works have recently been rediscovered and reissued. It moves a bit slowly by today’s standards for the genre, but I was engaged and interested throughout.