Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories Martin Edwards (Edited by)

I love reading anthologies and mystery stories are the best.  These are old English mysteries and they have their own flavor.  I enjoy them.

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 1st.

These are not sweet stories.  Even with a policeman at the gathering, death happens.  Christmas is not always a happy event when there are family problems.  Most of the time it does not end in death but these characters are too far gone in their hatred or quest for revenge to care.

My favorite is about a bookseller who robs on the side.  He dresses himself and his accomplices in Santa outfits to go to the department store to steal the jewels. They fit in but the robbery doesn't go down easily.  One is taken into custody right off the bat.  He was to set off a fire bomb, which he did.  But he was seen.  Then another man was seen by the boss and that turns into a shootout with another member of the team going down.  The mastermind escapes with the jewels and he's confident he's safe.  But one little thing has given him away...

Many of the stories are ironic.  As they say, crime doesn't pay.  These stories show you why.

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