Murder for Christmas

Murder for Christmas was a delightful surprise. I stumbled upon this one while looking for holiday reads- preferably murder mysteries. For some reason the idea of a holiday mystery just appeals to me. And if the story hones in on the Christmas spirit, so much the better! This one definitely fit the bill. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie- I hope to correct that- but I imagine that fans of Christie would enjoy this one a great deal.  

This book has an interesting history. According to the blurb in the back this book was reissued a few years ago without a lot being known of the author, but the author's daughter saw it in a bookstore and came forward to reveal that the author name was a pseudonym for her father. There are several books in print now with Mordecai Tremaine as a protagonist, and if they are as good as this one I might be interested. 

Anyway Mordecai Tremaine is an amateur sleuth, and he just happens to have been invited to spend Christmas at the country house of Benedict Grame. He doesn't really know anyone there, he's only met Grame once before at a party, but Grame seems to enjoy inviting a wide range of guests to his home to enjoy a traditional country Christmas. What's more, Grame has a tradition of dressing as Father Christmas and dispensing gifts to his guests. It sounds delightful, but there is another reason for Tremaine to attend- Grame's confidant has specifically pleaded with Tremaine to attend as he suspects something is amiss. 

Upon arrival Tremaine soon discerns that something is amiss, when he meets Denys Arden and learns that her guardian is discouraging her from marrying the man she wishes to marry. From there we meet a varied and fascinating cast of characters, all of whom have secrets, and all of whom may be under suspicion when one of the guests turns up dead. The Christmas backdrop is in full display and the writing is superb- I was really pulled into this one, and the country house itself is awesome. This may be one of my favorite locked room mysteries. 

 Tremaine is an interesting character, he's older and has an eye for the ladies while being a sentimentalist at heart. He likes to read a romantic stories magazine to unwind, for example. And the descriptions are top notch- so atmospheric, they pulled me right in. I felt like I was a guest myself! I was sad when this ended, and while the conclusion stretched the limits of credulity for me a bit, I was enthralled by this and heartily recommend.