Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery

"Midwinter Murder" is a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie, plus one excerpt from her autobiography. I presume that all of the stories were set in wintertime; most were obviously so. I've read most of the stories before, but there were a few that I haven't come across before. They included stories featuring Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quin, and Parker Pyne. The stories mostly showed the detectives uncovering the truth rather than being puzzle mysteries. Still, I enjoyed reading these fun stories again. There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language.The stories included:Christmas at Abney HallThree Blind MiceThe Chocolate BoxA Christmas TragedyThe Coming of Mr. QuinThe Clergyman's Daughter/The Rose HouseThe Plymouth ExpressProblem at Pollensa BaySanctuaryThe Mystery of Hunters LodgeThe World's EndThe Manhood of Edward RobinsonChristmas AdventureI received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

At first glance, Agatha Christie’s Midwinter Murder, Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery, with its cover art depicting a snow-covered mansion and full moon on a frigid night, and with its back cover boasting “winter-themed stories” and “wintry whodunits,” leads the reader to believe that all the tales inside the book are about murders committed amid snowdrifts and icicles and Christmas trimmings. Well, think again. In some cases, winter and Christmas are insignificant, or not mentioned at all. And a few of the stories have nothing to do with murder. At the onset, Christie reminisces about her childhood holidays with Christmas at Abney Hall, but that hardly has anything to do with the rest of the book. What is chilling, however, at least to this reader, are the assortment of oddball characters populating this collection of strange tales, some of which feature Christie’s most famous detectives, with last names like Poirot, Marple and Pyne – all known for their razor-sharp observations of human behavior. And of course, there’s Christie herself, whose talents for mayhem and murder prove that she can be just as chilling and twisted as the culprits she brings to life on the printed page.

This was a nice collection of short stories. However, I had read almost all of them in another format. That was disappointing. As a gift to introduce someone to Christie's work, this does that.

good group of short stories. none rang my bell to remember for a long time but was worth the time spent.

As always, a good read and a surprise ending.

This is the best collection of Agatha Christie short stories I own. I loved every single one of them. I thought I'd read everything Christie wrote, but there were a few stories in this collection that I had never read. And, while I always loved her Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple characters, I never cared for the Tommy & Tuppence or Mr. Quinn characters UNTIL I read this compilation of tales which include a few of them. Most, but not all, of the stories are from the 1920s. This book is a perfect gift for yourself and also a perfect gift for other admirers of Christie. I consider this book a treasure and one I will read each Christmas for the rest of my days.

It helped me enjoy Agatha Cristie even more

Ms Christie never disappoints. One is always swept into her stories and not released until the very end. Bravo, and worth reading every Christmas.

I loved reading these short stories even though I have read them before in other publications. This is a a must have for real Agatha Christie collectors. I find her stories gently make you think and there isn't any serious blood and gore which makes you wince like many of today's mysteries. My only disappointment was the book didn't have a dust jacket which as someone who loves books I find a little bit strange and this edition therefore doesn't "quite" go with the other Agatha Christie books which line my shelves - hence I have deducted 1 star (though this is just a minor issue).

A series of short stories by Agatha Christie.I've never ventured into Agatha Christies work in book form although I've seen lots on TV.This book serves a a "taster", if you like and after reading this, I'm inclined to purchase something more substantial by her.You can dip in and out of it as you please, it's a very fine piece of work.Recommended.

Lovely book for any Agatha Christie fan. I have read the stories before but still enjoyed the book. Love the front cover.

I have read all her books I saved this one when we were in lockdown brilliant from start to finish.

It’s always a treat to read an Agatha Christie and here we have a lovely selection – some more Christmassy than others – to spend a wonderful few hours immersed in these stories.