'Twas the Knife Before Christmas

There's something about the holidays that pairs perfectly with murder — at least on the page.

Maybe it's the contrast: crackling fires and cold-blooded killers, wrapped gifts and buried secrets, family gatherings and someone who won't make it to dessert.

Christmas mysteries have been a tradition since the golden age of detective fiction. Georgette Heyer's Envious Casca (also known as A Christmas Party) set the template—a country house, a difficult patriarch, and a body before Boxing Day.

Cyril Hare's An English Murder added political intrigue to the snowbound estate.

P.D. James carried the torch with The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories, proving the genre still has bite.

Whether you're curled up by the fire or killing time between holiday obligations, these are books that deliver — cozy atmospheres, sharp plotting, and just enough darkness to cut through the sugarplums.

Consider this your reading list for snowy days ahead — courtesy of Culture Editor Laura LaVelle.

If you like mysteries, search for more on our Main Page.

Enter 'mystery' and separate the naughty from the nice.

Happy Holidays and Season's Readings,

-- The Wonder Shuffle Team

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