Crimson Snow A British Library Crime Classic
Crimson Snow brings together a dozen vintage crime stories set in winter. Welcome to a world of Father Christmases behaving oddly, a famous fictional detective in a Yuletide drama, mysterious tracks in the snow, and some very unpleasant carol singers. There s no denying that the supposed season of goodwill is a time of year that lends itself to detective fiction. On a cold night, it s tempting to curl up by the fireside with a good mystery. And more than that, claustrophobic house parties, with people cooped up with long-estranged relatives, can provide plenty of motives for murder. Including forgotten stories by major writers such as Margery Allingham, as well as classic tales by less familiar crime novelists, each story in this selection is introduced by the leading expert on classic crime, Martin Edwards. The resulting volume is an entertaining and atmospheric compendium of wintry delights."
Reviews
p.@softrosemint
This anthology might just have been the best out of the Christmas / winter crime anthologies by the British Library - so much so that I really regret not managing to fit in before Christmas. I will make sure to get a personal copy of it for next holiday season.
The short stories are very well selected - they always are but this time it has been especially well done. All are very cosy and bring the feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket near the fire with a hot drink in hand, listening to a story or watching the curated-for-the-holidays tv programme late night.
Favourite entries: "The Ghost's Touch" by Fergus Hume, "The Man with the Sack" by Margery Allingham, "Death in December" by Victor Gunn and "Mr. Cork's Secret" by Macdonald Hastings