From the title story about a strained country-house party on Christmas Eve, to another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, and two cases for James' poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh, each treats the reader to James' masterfully atmospheric storytelling, always with the lure of a mystery to be solved. James embraces the challenge of the short-story form, and ingeniously weaves the strands of plot, setting, characterisation and surprise to create a satisfying whole within only a few thousand words.

While she delights in the secrets that lurk beneath the surface at family gatherings, her Christmas stories also provide tantalizing puzzles to keep the reader guessing. James' prose illuminates each of these perfectly formed stories, making them ideal reading for the darkest days of the year. Four of the best of these have been drawn from the archives and published here. Jamess The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories. James was frequently commissioned by newspapers and magazines to write a special short story for Christmas. Nothing says the holidays quite like a very merry tale of murder, and thats precisely what you get with P.D. James embraces the challenge of the short-story form, and ingeniously weaves the strands of plot, setting, characterisation and surprise to create a satisfying whole within only a few thousand words.įrom the title story about a strained country-house party on Christmas Eve, to another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, and two cases for James’s poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh, each treats the reader to James’s masterfully atmospheric storytelling, always with the lure of a mystery to be solved.As the acknowledged 'Queen of Crime', P. Mistletoe Murders Ken Cuperus 4.29 51 ratings14 reviews When Emily Lane isn’t busy running her charming Christmas-themed store, Under the Mistletoe, located in the quaint tourist town of Fletcher’s Grove, she finds herself compelled to investigate not so quaint local murders.

James’s prose illuminates each of these perfectly formed stories, making them ideal reading for the darkest days of the year. Introducing the dark and broody Scotland Yard Detective Adam Dalgliesh - a gentleman, a poet, and a gifted detective. Yes, the name Fletcher’s Grove is a homage to. International Rights have been sold to Czech Republic/Motto, Finland/Otava. James was frequently commissioned by newspapers and magazines to write a special short story for Christmas. The Mistletoe Murders are also a not-so-subtle nod to the great small-town sleuths, especially a certain crime fighter from Cabot Cove, Maine.

JamesĪs the acknowledged ‘Queen of Crime’, P. The Mistletoe Murder and other stories by The Estate of P.D.

The mistletoe murders