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A review by cj_mo_2222
Midwinter Mysteries: A Christmas Crime Anthology by Linda Stratmann, Gaynor Torrance, Sean Gibbons, David Field, Graham Brack, M.J. Logue, Marilyn Todd, Kim Fleet, J.C. Briggs, Keith Moray
4.0
"Midwinter Mysteries" includes eleven short stories all with a Christmas theme. Some are set in the past and some in the present, but all are entertaining in their own way. When you have such a varied collection of stories like this, there will always be some you like more than others. I was already familiar with most of the authors who contributed to the collection from their full-length novels, but there were a few authors who were new to me. Collections like this are perfect for discovering new authors and I enjoy short stories set around the holidays.
Graham Brack has become one of my favorite authors. I love his Josef Slonsky novels so I'm not surprised his story "Away in a Manger" is my favorite of the book. Brack packs plenty of Slonsky's wit in this short story set at a Nativity play in Prague. I also really enjoyed Marilyn Todd's "Will Power" featuring London photographer Julia McAllister. I've read one of Todd's novels and liked reading more about Julia and her unique way of helping others. Two other stories in the collection that I really liked are from authors I hadn't read before. Kim Fleet's "Secret Santa" features PI Eden Grey and I was surprised at the author's ability to develop such a complex plot in a short story. The other story I want to mention is "The Christmas Ghost" by Linda Stratmann. This is a sweet story set in 1871 Brighton England in which Mina Scarletti helps a sad old woman who misses her son.
I highlighted a few of my favorites, but there are several other great stories in this collection. Even though Christmas mysteries are usually on the lighter side, a couple of the stories would have been better with a little more substance. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. Fans of any of these authors will be happy to have the chance to "spend Christmas" with their favorite characters as well as meeting new characters from unfamiliar authors.
I received this book through NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
Graham Brack has become one of my favorite authors. I love his Josef Slonsky novels so I'm not surprised his story "Away in a Manger" is my favorite of the book. Brack packs plenty of Slonsky's wit in this short story set at a Nativity play in Prague. I also really enjoyed Marilyn Todd's "Will Power" featuring London photographer Julia McAllister. I've read one of Todd's novels and liked reading more about Julia and her unique way of helping others. Two other stories in the collection that I really liked are from authors I hadn't read before. Kim Fleet's "Secret Santa" features PI Eden Grey and I was surprised at the author's ability to develop such a complex plot in a short story. The other story I want to mention is "The Christmas Ghost" by Linda Stratmann. This is a sweet story set in 1871 Brighton England in which Mina Scarletti helps a sad old woman who misses her son.
I highlighted a few of my favorites, but there are several other great stories in this collection. Even though Christmas mysteries are usually on the lighter side, a couple of the stories would have been better with a little more substance. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. Fans of any of these authors will be happy to have the chance to "spend Christmas" with their favorite characters as well as meeting new characters from unfamiliar authors.
I received this book through NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.