A review by kwil
The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries by Otto Penzler

5.0

I really look forward to reading this each year, and I still haven’t made it through all of the stories. The assortment is outstanding, with some pretty well-known tales (The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie, Christmas Party by Rex Stout) alongside some more obscure or forgotten titles (at least for me-I’d never heard of Ed Gorman’s The Christmas Kitten before, one of my favorites). The stories are divided into helpful categories (A Pulpy Little Christmas, A Scary Little Christmas, A Modern Little Christmas) and are short enough (a few are a mere 4 - 5 pages!) even St. Nick could steal a few moments away to enjoy one or two. Before each story is a short and usually insightful section about the author, and Penzler has written a wonderful introduction piece to start everything off. If you find yourself in need of a fast mystery fix amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, pick up The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries. It’s 654 pages of criminally entertaining yuletide delights.