Several short mysteries with a Christmas theme. Some are decent but nothing really stands out. ( )

Overall, this is a fun anthology of 12 Christmas mysteries collected from the pages of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. It's quick, light reading to pick up and put down during a hectic season.

As the stories have initial copyright dates ranging from the 1940's through the 1980's they reflect a wide range of styles.

They also have a wide range of quality--my favorite was a 1953 gem by mystery icon Rex Stout. Other notable authors included in the collection are John D MacDonald and Margery Allingham. Unfortunately, one or two of the twelve stories were so painfully bad ,with such obvious plot lines, that I didn't bother to finish reading them. I have the unhappy feeling that these were included to make up the magical number of twelve, rather than on their literary merit.

Fun to read, but I don't think it will have a permanent place in my Christmas library. ( )

A great collection of short stories to read over the Christmas period. ( )