ŷ������

Nominations please! Please suggest books for our December 2019 group read. Please can you suggest books with a Christmas/winter theme?

The books can be written in/set in the GA period, or a little earlier or later.

As usual, just one nomination per group member. Also, only one book by any individual writer can be nominated per month.

I nominate The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay.

I would like to get Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon off my TBR list. I have a pristine copy in my bookcase (at least 2 years already ...)

Nomination withdrawn. Not Christmassy. :)

The Night of Fear

Together they looked down at the inert sprawling figure of a man fantastically dressed in red-and-white-striped pyjama trousers, with a red sash belt and a white silk shirt open at the neck.

A Christmas gathering of young and old in a great country house in England—a masquerade—and the lights are turned off for a game of hide and seek. Silence—then a man’s cry for “Lights!�� The lights come on, revealing Hugh Darrow, blind since the War, standing in the main hall, fresh blood dripping from his hands and covering his white Pierrot costume. He tells the story of having discovered a dead man, stabbed through the heart, lying in a curtained window embrasure next to the one in which he was hiding. The murdered man proves to be Stallard, one of the visitors, and a writer of mystery tales. There follows a thrilling tale in which the life of an innocent man hangs in the balance. A grand and baffling tale for the mystery lover.

The Night of Fear was originally published in 1931. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

I will nominate Murder at Melrose Court: A Country House Christmas Murder by Karen Baugh Menuhin


Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction.
It's 1920 and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep - why on his doorstep? Was it to do with the Countess? Was it about the ruby necklace? Lennox must go to Melrose Court, home to his uncle, Lord Melrose, to uncover the mystery. But then the murders start and it snows and suddenly everything becomes very complicated...

It's available free if you are signed up to Amazon Prime, in the UK at least - and it does sound quite fun.

Some great nominations so far, including several Christmassy ones! Thanks, everyone.

We have read The Santa Klaus Murder and Mystery in White here before, but they were 4 and 3 years ago respectively (Santa Klaus Murder was our very first group read, when we only had a small number of members!) so it's fine to nominate them again.

I think as a general rule of thumb a three-year gap is enough time to allow a book to be nominated again.

Rosina wrote: "It's available free if you are signed up to Amazon Prime, in the UK at least - and it does sound quite fun."

Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited?

Oops I missed the Christmas theme part. I'll withdraw my nomination. :)

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Oops I missed the Christmas theme part. I'll withdraw my nomination. :)"

Thanks, Carol - maybe renominate in January, or one to bear in mind for a buddy read? :)

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rosina wrote: "It's available free if you are signed up to Amazon Prime, in the UK at least - and it does sound quite fun."

Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited?"

Amazon Prime. The second in the series The Black Cat Murders: A Cotswolds Country House Murder is on Kindle Unlimited (of which I am not at this moment a member - waiting for the next 'trial period' offer, or a beach holiday).

Rosina wrote: "Amazon Prime. "

Thank you. I haven't taken advantage of this part of my Prime Membership, which I use almost entirely for the "free" shipping. As far as I can tell, that specific title doesn't qualify in the US, but I'm glad to know I might explore further in the future.

Rosina wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rosina wrote: "It's available free if you are signed up to Amazon Prime, in the UK at least - and it does sound quite fun."

Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited?"

Amazon Pr..."

I think that's Kindle Unlimited here. But it is $2.99 on Kindle.

Jan C wrote: "I think that's Kindle Unlimited here."

With this discussion, I have learned that with Prime you can select up to 10 books at a time that are offered on the program. But it's like checking them out from the library and you must return one if you want to read an 11th. This is a separate program from Unlimited. I haven't spent time since my earlier post seeing what is available, and to be honest I have so many unread books that I'm not anxious to look for any of those. Still, if one of my groups were going to discuss a title that is in the program, I wouldn't turn my nose up at it.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I think that's Kindle Unlimited here."

With this discussion, I have learned that with Prime you can select up to 10 books at a time that are offered on the program. But it's like che..."

I didn't know that there were books available with Prime. I, too, have more than enough books to read.

Murder at Melrose Court: A Country House Christmas Murder is on Kindle Unlimited in the US.

Jessica wrote: "I would like to get Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon off my TBR list."

I really enjoyed Mystery in White when I read it a few years ago!

Gladys Mitchell has two Christmas-themed mysteries in her Mrs. Bradley series: Dead Men's Morris from 1936 and Groaning Spinney from 1950. Morris is rustic and muddy (with lots of Oxfordshire dialect), Spinney is snowy and set in the Cotswolds. And Groaning Spinney has also been recently reprinted by Vintage as Murder in the Snow...

I give this caveat should you decide to include one of the titles for nomination: Gladys Mitchell, like Harriet Rutland, is an author one seems to either greatly enjoy or greatly dislike. Me, I like GM's writing so much I devoted a tribute website to her and her 82 books.

Which would you like to nominate, Jason?

Susan wrote: "Which would you like to nominate, Jason?"

Hi Susan -- I'll nominate Dead Men's Morris from 1936. It's been years since I looked at it, but remember that it has its share of British folklore and a rustic setting that might appeal to readers. Mrs. Beatrice Bradley is also her early, eldritch self here. Her character tended to mellow by the 1950s of Groaning Spinney.

Thanks --

Jason wrote: "Susan wrote: "Which would you like to nominate, Jason?"

Hi Susan -- I'll nominate Dead Men's Morris from 1936. It's been years since I looked at it, but remember that it has its sha..."

Its available on Kindle Unlimited in the US.

Do the Mrs. Bradley's need to be read in order?

Thanks, Jason.

Nominations so far:
Dead Men's Morris

The Santa Klaus Murder

The Night of Fear

Mystery in White

Murder at Melrose Court: A 1920s Country House Murder

Jason wrote: "Susan wrote: "Which would you like to nominate, Jason?"

Hi Susan -- I'll nominate Dead Men's Morris from 1936. It's been years since I looked at it, but remember that it has its sha..."

Does that have a Christmas/winter theme?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Does that have a Christmas/winter theme?"

Hello -- Yes, it opens with Mrs. Bradley visiting her nephew Carey Lestrange on his farm for Christmas -- her gift to him is a stuffed boar's head -- and the plot runs through the winter into Spring, finishing at Whitsun and a celebration of Morris dancing.

Sandy wrote: "Do the Mrs. Bradley's need to be read in order?"

Hi Sandy -- No, the mysteries are all stand-alone, and there are very few references to earlier cases or characters (besides Mrs. Bradley) in each one. Some characters recur through the series, but no prior background is needed.

I have not yet read anything by Moray Dalton, so I'm glad to see The Night of Fear on the list! She's an author I would be happy to discover. Thanks for nominating this title, Susan.

Jason wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Does that have a Christmas/winter theme?"

Hello -- Yes, it opens with Mrs. Bradley visiting her nephew Carey Lestrange on his farm for Christmas"

Great! I saw she was visiting, but I must have missed the "for Christmas" part.

Some great nominations so far. I haven't read anything by Moray Dalton, but the books have recently been re-published and I like trying these long, out of print, authors. Some are worth discovering. The great thing about the nominations thread, is you often choose to read books other than the winner. I certainly have a couple of titles which will add to my winter reading.

Yes. great nominations! I will put up
the poll around October 10 when I have access to a PC again (on holiday and just on my phone with little Wi-Fi access at the moment) so you have a few more days for any additional nominations.

Have fun, Judy X

Have a good holiday Judy. Mine is just coming to the end with a long journey home tomorrow.

Chaz wrote: "Jill wrote: "I will nominate Murder at Melrose Court: A Country House Christmas Murder by Karen Baugh Menuhin


Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of..."

Me, too - actually, they all sound promising, I usually have a few holiday-themed comfort reads I do at this time of year, and humor is key! So, I’ll try them all at some point!

Judy wrote: "Yes. great nominations! I will put up
the poll around October 10 when I have access to a PC again (on holiday and just on my phone with little Wi-Fi access at the moment) so you have a few more day..."

Have a great time!

Jill wrote: "Have a good holiday Judy. Mine is just coming to the end with a long journey home tomorrow."

Hope you’ve had a nice time - travel safely!

Thanks, Susan, Susan and Jill. Jill, hope you had a good holiday.

Our poll is now open!

/poll/show/1...

A tie at the moment - so, if you haven't voted yet, please do!

/poll/show/1...

We have a winner. Our December group read will be Murder at Melrose Court: A Country House Christmas Murder by Karen Baugh Menuhin.

Full results:
Murder at Melrose Court: A Country House Christmas Murder (Heathcliff Lennox Book 1) 10 votes, 45.5%
The Night of Fear 6 votes, 27.3%
Dead Men's Morris (Mrs. Bradley, #7) 3 votes, 13.6%
Mystery in White 2 votes, 9.1%
The Santa Klaus Murder 1 vote, 4.5%

But the ones who want to read Mystery in White (I'm still reading it!) and The Santa Klaus Murder can check out the old threads.

Good point, Jan. Yes, all our old threads remain open, to be reactivated at any time!

Murder at Melrose Court: A 1920s Country House Murder is available on kindle unlimited and is currently £1.99 to buy.

Susan wrote: "Murder at Melrose Court: A 1920s Country House Murder is available on kindle unlimited and is currently £1.99 to buy."

Yes, and last night only $2.99 on kindle, free for kindle unlimited.