The Santa Klaus Murder

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder Despite its title,this British Library Crime Classics reissue of a 1936 novel isn’t just an entertaining Christmas read. It’s a fine example of the old-time country-house murder mysterywith loads of suspectslots of period atmosphereand much caustic wit. –Booklist Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings at their country residence Flaxmere. So when Sir Osmond Melburythe family patriarchis discovered–by a guest dressed as Santa Klaus–with a bullet in his head on Christmas Daythe festivities are plunged into chaos. Nearly every member of the party stands to reap some sort of benefit from Sir Osmond’s deathbut Santa Klausthe one person who seems to have every opportunity to fire the shothas no apparent motive. Various members of the family have their private suspicions about the identity of the murdererand the Chief Constable of Haulmshirewho begins his investigations by saying that he knows the family too well and that is his difficultywishes before long that he understood them better. In the midst of mistrustsuspicion and hatredit emerges that there was not one Santa Klausbut two.