laurenpedersen's review against another edition
3.0
Some stories were good, some I thought silly. It met the reading challenge category of “a book found on a library display”.
catladylover94's review against another edition
5.0
really good short christmas mysteries, easy read
duskyliterati's review against another edition
3.0
My second read for the Christmas Spirit challenge, is a collection billed as “stories of mistletoe and mayhem from 17 masters of suspense” compiled by Mysterious Bookshop (New York) owner Otto Penzler. Annually, from 1993 to 2009, Penzler commissioned a short story from a leading mystery writer. There were three requirements that had to be met:
the story must be a mystery, crime, or suspense story;
the story must occur during the Christmas season; and
part of action must occur at the Mysterious Bookshop.
These short stories were originally limited to a printing of 1,000 pamphlets and given to customers as Christmas presents.
While I was familiar with a few of the authors by name (Ed McBain, Anne Perry, and Mary Higgins Clark), I had not previously read any works by the 17 authors. I really don’t read too many mysteries, with Walter Mosley being a notable exception. Normally, when I read an anthology, if I’ve been really impressed by a particular short story, I’ll look at buying additional works by that author. Other than looking up a couple of authors on Wikipedia (e.g., George Baxt), none of the stories sparked further interest. One thing I wished had been included, was a short biography of each of the 17 authors for the uninitiated.
What did spark my interest was paying a visit to the Mysterious Bookshop the next time I’m in New York. Most of the stories took place in the original location of the store, with later stories taking place in the store’s new location. The bookstore sounds fascinating and was the reason I was interested in the book in the first place, because some of the action takes place in a bookstore.
the story must be a mystery, crime, or suspense story;
the story must occur during the Christmas season; and
part of action must occur at the Mysterious Bookshop.
These short stories were originally limited to a printing of 1,000 pamphlets and given to customers as Christmas presents.
While I was familiar with a few of the authors by name (Ed McBain, Anne Perry, and Mary Higgins Clark), I had not previously read any works by the 17 authors. I really don’t read too many mysteries, with Walter Mosley being a notable exception. Normally, when I read an anthology, if I’ve been really impressed by a particular short story, I’ll look at buying additional works by that author. Other than looking up a couple of authors on Wikipedia (e.g., George Baxt), none of the stories sparked further interest. One thing I wished had been included, was a short biography of each of the 17 authors for the uninitiated.
What did spark my interest was paying a visit to the Mysterious Bookshop the next time I’m in New York. Most of the stories took place in the original location of the store, with later stories taking place in the store’s new location. The bookstore sounds fascinating and was the reason I was interested in the book in the first place, because some of the action takes place in a bookstore.
jacquilynn's review against another edition
Dnf I disliked the first story and couldn't bring myself to keep reading
literarily_occupied's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐ / 3 stars
This was a neat little Anthology of short stories centered around the Christmas season and the common theme of a bookshop.
Some of the stories I really enjoyed while others were just okay but the history behind these stories and how they came to be is what really intrigued me; not to mention some of the biggest names in the mystery genre being involved.
A fast and easy read to enjoy this holiday season. It is described as being "a perfect Christmas gift for all ages" but be advised there is some use of strong language and I wouldn't recommend it for children.
This was a neat little Anthology of short stories centered around the Christmas season and the common theme of a bookshop.
Some of the stories I really enjoyed while others were just okay but the history behind these stories and how they came to be is what really intrigued me; not to mention some of the biggest names in the mystery genre being involved.
A fast and easy read to enjoy this holiday season. It is described as being "a perfect Christmas gift for all ages" but be advised there is some use of strong language and I wouldn't recommend it for children.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great collection of fun holiday mysteries all tied to The Mysterious Bookshop in NYC. It was full of whimsical stories and more serious stories and all levels of mystery, from murder most foul to a mysterious benefactor. Some of them were gimmicky -- one with characters named after Christmas concepts, such as Vick Zen, one with the most deliberately purple prose crossed with atrocious puns. Some were more serious. All in all, a nice "welcome back to more time to read" excursion for myself.
saycheeze37's review against another edition
3.0
I don't usually read mysteries but these were short and fun. I enjoyed the different writing styles of so many different authors in one book. It was a lot of fun.
diannel_04's review against another edition
I'm not a short story person but I thought I'd try this. Nope, not for me.
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
3.0
This was the December selection for the mystery book club to which I belong.
Otto Penzler owns The Mysterious Bookshop in New York. He commissions a Christmas story each year from an author, publishes it, and gives it out as a holiday gift to customers. The bookshop has to play some role in the story.
Seventeen of the stories are in this book. It was an amusing read. There is a story for every type of mystery reader.
Now, I have a new place to check out for hard-to-find mysteries!
Otto Penzler owns The Mysterious Bookshop in New York. He commissions a Christmas story each year from an author, publishes it, and gives it out as a holiday gift to customers. The bookshop has to play some role in the story.
Seventeen of the stories are in this book. It was an amusing read. There is a story for every type of mystery reader.
Now, I have a new place to check out for hard-to-find mysteries!
art_cart_ron's review against another edition
5.0
The origin of this book is such a wonderful piece of biblio-magic and the collection represents a decade and a half of loving contributions to readers of the mystery genre who travel from far and wide to support a specialty shop run by one of humanity's foremost experts on mystery writing. Before you even get to the stories, that's a wicked cool mark in the book's favor - - and the stories themselves very rarely disappoint. I've been introduced to a store I want to visit, and more than a dozen samples of writing that point me in the right direction when I'm choosing my next mystery novel to read.
Thank you, Otto Penzler, for this one-of-a-kind, and oh-so stinking cool, Christmas gift.
Thank you, Otto Penzler, for this one-of-a-kind, and oh-so stinking cool, Christmas gift.