Murder in the Falling Snow: Ten Classic Crime Stories (Vintage Murders)

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Though the stories are certainly classics, some of them haven't quite maintained their appeal and intrigue into our modern times. T. Meade and Robert Eustace, possibly the standout story here for me, but I remembered it fairly well from reading it somewhere else, possibly in one of the British Library collections. Outstanding is The Chopham Affair by Edgar Wallace, in which a smooth-talking conman finally picks the wrong mark. Following the workings of the great mind of Sherlock Holmes is always enjoyable, and here we have The Adventure of Abbey Grange, a satisfactory case that allows Holmes to display his superiority and magnanimity, and Dr Watson his common sense and general dullness.

I don't think I am being unfair by saying that even though some of these authors are well-known and respected the particular stories in this book are hardly their best work. JANICE HALLETT, THE SUNDAY TIMESIt's only the afternoon, but dusk is already falling and a log fire burning in the grate. I enjoyed some of these tales, but it seemed quite an uneven and random collection and not really very wintry at all. This series of books, being a collection of murder stories by well known authors, is a regular Christmas present for my wife. Off the Tile by Ianthe Jerrold - a good story that I came across in another anthology: Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries.Some of the stories are a little obscure, but I really enjoyed The Chopham Affair, The Adventure of the Abbey Grange and The Mystery of Felwyn Tunnel. Some have what I consider to be the prerequisite of a really good short story, namely a beginning, a middle and an end with a sting in the tail which, however mild, leaves me with pause for thought. In The Mystery of Felwyn Tunnel by LT Meade and Robert Eustace, our narrator investigates the mysterious deaths of two signalmen on a remote section of the mountainous Welsh railway.

I would have like a little biographical section about each author and some mention as to why each story was chosen. Loved the plots and characters, such of which would not look out of place on a television adaptation now. The sub-title "Ten Classic Crime Stories" gives it away that Cecily Gayford put these stories together. The Adventure of Abbey Grange' by Conan Doyle - Sherlock Holmes chooses to play judge and jury, after his detective work is done . I really enjoyed Mr Pontings Alibi by the latter, twistingly clever, designed to fox the reader and just great fun to read!I had read the four longest entries before but was quite happy to read them all again ; the remaining six very short stories were fine. The Mystery of Fellwyn Tunnel' by L T Meade and Robert Eustace - a railway signalman dies in mysterious and ghostly circumstances, but scientific investigator John Bell is not convinced . My favourites in this were the Sherlock Holmes (which I've read many times), The Chopham Affair, and Haunted House, but my absolute favourite was The Mystery of Felwyn Tunnel, which is very like The Signalman by Charles Dickens, a story that I love.

Perhaps a bit more than just the title and author, even just the date first published (even the credits at the back of the book only mentions 4 of the stories and no dates), would have been the icing on the cake. All of these classic stories have their merit, but I think the seasonal theme is sometimes stretched a little too far, with one of the stories set in late October – cold though the featured lonely signal box no doubt is! Several of these stories have been published in various other anthologies and I had certainly read some of them before. The seasonal murder book market is flooded and there’s a whiff of barrel scraping here but, despite that, some major authors are included. But for shivers down the spine, the opener Haunted House by Gladys Mitchell is well worth reading by candlelight before turning in on Christmas Eve.So bundle up, grab a glass of mulled wine, and get ready to be puzzled, astonished and entertained by these festive stories of murder and mayhem.