Hello readers!
I eagerly anticipate participating in the 20 Books of Christmas this year. I’m excited about the prospect of making a dent in my massive Christmas-themed mystery collection. Reading and reviewing a few books every month from September 1 to December 31 will reduce my Christmas book-themed TBR, which I always want to tackle. Still, I only get around to it too late, and then the mad crush of the end of the semester, Christmas, and my anniversary crowd out any dedicated reading.
The 20 Books of Christmas is a reading challenge hosted by That Happy Reader. You can read about the challenge and how to participate here.
I’m diving right in with the challenge, and I’ve picked 20 books off my TBR, ensuring a mix of old favorites and new releases. There’s a smattering of golden-age fiction and modern mysteries, which will keep reading Christmas mysteries from getting stale, and I hope it piques your curiosity.
As I dive into this challenge, I’m excited about the possibility of discovering new authors. Hopefully, you’ll find some old favorites and new authors to add to your holiday reading list, adding a sense of adventure to your reading journey.
You can check out my picks by clicking on the titles listed below. The links will take you to the Goodreads page, where you can read a short synopsis of the story.
Now, on to the books:
The List:
- The Night of Fear by Moray Dalton (1931) | REVIEW
- Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon (1937) | REVIEW
- Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer (1944) | REVIEW
- Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan (1949) | REVIEW
- Groaning Spinney a. k. a. Murder in the Snow by Gladys Mitchell (1950) | REVIEW
- The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (1960) | REVIEW
- The Twelve Deaths of Christmas by Marian Babson (1979) | REVIEW
- Murder on a Mystery Tour by Marian Babson (1985) REVIEW
- Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier (1993) | REVIEW
- Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn (1994) | REVIEW
- A Highland Christmas by M. C. Beaton (1999) | REVIEW
- The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict (2021) | REVIEW
- The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett (2023) | REVIEW
- Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah (2023) REVIEW
- Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson (2024) | REVIEW
After reading a book, I’ll link my review to this page next to the title.
Sometimes, a book doesn’t work out, or I don’t have access to it due to travel (especially during the holidays), so I picked alternate books or short stories to swap into the challenge.
The alternates:
So, did I miss any of your favorite Christmas-themed mysteries? Are you participating in the 20 Books of Christmas reading Challenge? What holiday themed reading are you doing this year?
Let me know in the comments below.
Golden Age of Detective Fiction 
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