The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries

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Description

The biggest Big Book since The Big Book of Pulps- Otto Penzler's The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries, an unparalleled gathering of the biggest names from the past one hundred years of crime fiction. The most complete collection of holiday whodunits ever assembled, from Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle to Mary Higgins Clark and Sara Paretsky. Deck the halls with cops and crooks! Just in time for the holiday season, master of mystery Otto Penzler delivers his latest anthology, The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries. Featuring sixty holiday tales by the likes of Isaac Asimov, Marjorie Bowen, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stanley Ellin, Edward D. Hoch, Andrew Klavan, Ed McBain, Ellis Peters, Ellery Queen, Damon Runyon, Jonathan Santlofer, Julian Symons, and Donald E. Westlake. The stories cover virtually all categories and sub-genres, including suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, and police procedural.

Reviews

Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays. . . . One of the joys of the collection is how many are delightfully funny. . . . Note that many of these stories turn on simple theft, of diamonds or candlesticks or a lottery ticket; they hark back to simpler days before the modern thriller began to provide endless serial killers and ax murderers for our edification. To read todays talented crime writers can be a pleasure, but its good to be reminded that they build on the work of others whose talents remain undimmed."
The Washington Post

[A] magnificent collection of any kind of Christmas murder that mystery fans could ever desire.
The Plain Dealer, Grade: A+

Pure malicious deliciousness.
The Christian Science Monitor

Myfavorite mystery peddlerhas put together his best collection ever. . . . If you love mysteries, and enjoy the holidays (or even if you don't), you'll love The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries.
Nina Sankovitch, Huffington Post

Less noisy but just as entertaining as The Twelve Days of Christmas. . . . Includes many of the best Yuletide whodunits of the past 100 years.
Richmond Times-Dispatch

[Penzler] knows this turf.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A feast of 59 (loosely) Christmas-themed stories for mystery and crime-fiction lovers.
The Seattle Times

None of these arresting holiday tales turns out at all the way you might expect. . . . [The book] could last a diligent reader all the way to Easter.
The Virginian-Pilot

A future classic. . . . Penzler, the prime minister of crime fiction, delivers the goods once again with . . . a collection of holiday whodunits thatll have you eyeing the department-store Santa with suspicion.
Book Page

More femmes fatales, double crossing and deceit than you can shake a peppermint candy cane at. . . . Entertaining and interesting. It should rightfully become a perennial gift, no matter the occasion.
PopMatters

Penzler mines the rich vein of American and British Christmas stories from the 19th to the 21st centuries for this impressive collection of 59 short stories featuring authors still in their prime as well as others mostly forgotten by today's readers. . . . A representative and entertaining selection of yuletide stories that mystery fans might like to see on Christmas morn.
Publishers Weekly

Theres something for everyone. . . . Mystery readers will not be able to resist.
Library Journal

Author Bio

OTTO PENZLER is the editor of eleven other Vintage Crime/Black Lizard anthologies, including The Big Book of Pulps, The Big Book of Black Mask Stories, and, most recently, The Big Book of Ghost Stories. He lives in New York City.