Another Little Christmas Murder by Lorna Nicholl Morgan

This classic 1947 mystery, Another Little Murder, was reissued in 2017 with the title Another Little Christmas Murder. With a large cast of characters trapped in a snowbound location, it is fast paced and witty.

Dylis Hughes is a young businesswoman travelling through Yorkshire. With heavy snow falling, a few wrong turns and a narrowing road force her into a snowbank. Luckily, approaching headlights arrive to rescue.

Inigo Brown invites her to spend the night at his Uncle's home a few miles ahead. Tall and handsome, she accepts. Indeed, the letter from his elderly uncle asked him to "please, bring a friend."

The house named Wintry Wold looks neglected in the snow. A van stuck in a drift blocks the entrance, and Inigo's car also slides into a ditch.

His Aunt Theresa welcomes them. A bit of glamour, she is his Uncle's new much younger wife. They meet Vauxhall, the butler/chauffer, and family friend Mr. Carpenter. His Uncle is ill right now, can't be disturbed. The van men have gone to find help as the phone is down. Three other strangers arrive whose car also broke down, and in a night filled with shuffling noises in the darkened halls, Dylis stumbles into the bedroom of Uncle Warner - very much well - and wanting to see his nephew.

A storm has iced the morning over, and someone has tampered with all the cars. They are all stuck until the thaw, as a teary-eyed Theresa tells them sick Uncle Warner has died in the night. Two more men arrive, looking for shelter, who slept the night in their cars. As they clear the snow, Inigo and Dylis hope someone in town is coming to help solve these mysterious goings on.

This has a lot of atmosphere, some thrills in the night, a lot of complications, and eventually a satisfying ending where no one is who they say they are. Just as a reader likes it.

There is no detective to direct them; the couple are on their own.

Lorna Nicholl Morgan wrote another mystery, The Death Box, also reissued in 2017.

This was breezy and a fun read. I certainly did not know where it was going, and my best guess (although brilliant) was not correct.

How illicit pornographers work into this, I will let you discover for yourself!

Not actually Christmastime, but a classic winter mystery of detection, characters, and a little romance. Recommended.

Widely available in print, eBook and audio.

1947 / Tradeback / 256 pages