The Mistletoe Murder: And Other Stories Paperback – Large Print, October 25, 2016

It's P.D. James. That's all you have to know.

This was my first experience with P.D. James. I'd always heard good reports and I feel they have been correct. I enjoyed the stories and was quite impressed at how well written they were. James gives an introduction to the short story and what components need to be considered and then shows how to use those components for a succinct and well written story. A joy.

It was a treat. In short story form it is really hard to be clever. P.d gets the reader acquainted with some early Daglish. Reading this was a Christmas treat.

Wanted to give for a gift. Was wrapped in plastic but jacket cover had what looked to be a food smear. The book binding was bent at the top and looks more used than new. Can't give as gift but I will keep to read myself and try to find the book somewhere else.

Had a colossal amount of fun! And have no idea as to why anyone would give those short stories less than 5 stars. What more can anyone expect from murder stories in short form?They are all clever, in their own different styles. They contain truly surprising plot twists, P.D. James' always impeccable prose, tangible atmosphere (she's an author known for that), and many ingenious references to her own body of work, to tropes of mystery writing and to Agatha Christie's cozy puzzles.The second story, A Very Commonplace Murder, actually reminded me of the inner dialogues in many of Chekov's short stories - anything that reminds you of Chekov has to be high quality. Also, there is at least one body in the library. How can anyone not love a body in the library?Oh, how I wish wish wish that PD James had written more short stories!

And then was surprised and I'm no dolt. I've never read this author prior to this book but I will seek out others.

Ordinarily I don't like short mystery stories but since these had been written by P.D. James I couldn't resist. It was wonderful to read these wonderfully written stories that did the usual James' method of drawing you in and then gradually building to a grand climax. The fact that she could do that with a short story was wonderful in itself. I will long remember the one about the lone gentlemen who worked in a filing office for a number of years and from his upstairs apartment could watch a woman's daily trek home each day nor another about the holly and mistletoe that gave away the identity of the murderer. These are wonderful vignettes for P.D. James readers. I plan on giving some as Christmas gifts this year.

These short stories are perfect. Not only are the mysteries entertaining but crafted so exquisitely they could be considered master classes in writing. While Ms. James acknowledges the Golden Age of detective stories and mysteries, these stories are her own. She draws in the reader to find the clues and figure out who-done-it while she adds her own twist.

Several shorts in one book which is brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this with a twist as always from PD James.

Sehr spannend, meisterhaft erzählt. Ein Muss für jeden, der englische L`Krimis mit Atmosphäre mag!

The late PD James was an author that wrote amazing mysteries and this small uncollected short stories cannot be passed by. The stories capture your attention immediately to keep you guessing right until the very end. Her stories are most intriguing and very interesting that it's difficult to put in a pause even for hot tea and cookies! Seriously, this is a fabulous collection.I was pleasantly surprise to discover "The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories," that have that combination of a chilling cold-blooded murder. The short format means that some parts of the stories feel like they could have used more fleshing-out, but her prose is enchanting and her haunting plots sprinkled with four very different kinds of murder."The Mistletoe Murder": After being widowed in the early days of World War II, a young woman is invited to the lavish estate of her elderly grandmother for the Christmas season, along with her cousin and a smug "wingless" RAF officer. When the houseguest is found bludgeoned to death, the protagonist must unravel who did it -- and the answer--well you need to find out for yourself!"A Very Commonplace Murder": Ernest Gabriel revisits a crime committed when he was younger, involving a secret affair and a woman's brutal stabbing and rape. Chilling."The Boxdale Inheritance": Chief Superintendant Dalgleish is called in by his godfather to investigate a possible sixty-seven-year-old crime. Intriguing."The Twelve Clues of Christmas": En route to his aunt's on Christmas Eve, Dalgleish is stopped by a man who claims his uncle has committed suicide (and left a very rude note). But of course, he discovers half-burned scraps of paper that hint at murder, and twelve clues will reveal who did it.The murder stories here are pretty varied -- motive, narration, method and even the time period it took place in are all different -- but James never lost sight of the evil that lies at the core of her every murder. She is a spectacular writer!I love her Dalgleish series which continues the familiarity of a well-worn character in this little book.These small, four short story collection are a delightful surprising addition to James' other collections. If you love P.D. James and enjoy the best of mysteries, then this small collection will not disappoint.

Contos, à moda policial mais antiga, estilo Agatha Christie, como a própria autora define. Lê-se com prazer e rapidamente. Gostei bastante.

Excellent collection of short stories. Nice murder mysteries in a few pages. Relaxed reading - up to the usual standard of P D James