This collection of Agatha Christie short stories is a nice grab bag of all things Christie. I'd probably recommend it for die-hard fans or people, who would like to get into reading Agatha Christie books. Both her most famous characters and her signature writing style make their way into this collection.

However, for being someone who enjoys the occasional Christie novel, this book didn't do too much for me. I didn't feel like any of these stories were especially exciting or different from other stories and I didn't even think they were all that seasonal (some more than others).

Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery
By: Agatha Christie
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow Paperpacks
@harpercollins
@williammorrowbooks

October marks 100 years of Agatha Christie. Her cozy-mysterious-who-done-it stories and characters stand the test of time. Today a collection of her short stories titled Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery is being published.

The short stories included are:

▪️Three Blind Mice
▪️The Chocolate Box
▪️The Christmas Tragedy
▪️The Coming of Mr. Quin
▪️The Clergyman’s Daughter/The Red House
▪️The Plymouth Express
▪️Problem at Pollensa Bay
▪️Sanctuary
▪️The Mystery Hunter’s Lodge
▪️The World’s End
▪️The Manhood of Edward Robinson
▪️Christmas Adventure

The Chocolate Box, The Plymouth Express, The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge, and Christmas Adventure involve Christie’s famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. The Christmas Tragedy and Sanctuary are Christie’s other well known character, Miss Marple. The Coming of Mr. Quin and The World’s End involves a lesser known character, Mr. Quin.

Three Blind Mice was my favorite in this collection. It has major ‘And Then There Were None’ vibes. Thank you to @netgalley and Harper Collins/William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Agatha Christie is a must read in the fall and winter! This is the perfect book to add to your collection!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I am a big fan of Agatha Christie so I was very much looking forward to reading this. I didn’t really realize this was a collection of short stories beforehand but it was a nice change of pace.

When I think of “midwinter” I picture, if not
Christmas, then at least cold, dark and snowy. Of all the stories, Three Blind Mice and Christmas Adventure (the first and last, I believe) felt the most wintery. I especially liked the snowbound atmosphere of Three Blind Mice and the little twist in Christmas Adventure. For pure mystery purposes I think I liked the Plymouth Express the best. Almost all the stories are the classic Agatha Christie locked room-style setup, and a couple of them have a “mystical” element which was unusual but interesting.

My favorite story of all of them was neither wintery nor particularly a mystery: the Manhood of Edward Robinson. A classic misadventure of miscommunication and mistaken identities, it reminded me of a (thoroughly modernized version of a) shortened Shakespearean farce. It was a little out of character from the rest of the stories but I actually felt the diversion from the theme renewed my interest in the mysteries.

Several of the stories show their age and the language feels a little dated but these were written mostly in the 1920s and 30s; frankly for being a century old they’re still very readable and relatable. This really makes me want to renew my acquaintance with a “full length” Christie :)

What’s more cozy than curling up in a big armchair with a collection of mysteries from the master? Midwinter Murder includes twelve chilling Agatha Christie tales perfect for dark and snowy nights. Fan favorites Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple appear, as well as lesser-known characters like Tommy and Tuppence, Mr. Parker Pyne, and Mr. Harley Quin. Murder, disguise, mystery, and romance: this book has it all.

The collection opens with Christie’s memories of “Christmas at Abney Hall.” I’ve always found her autobiographical writing to be charming and this excerpt is no exception. She recalls celebrating the holidays as a child with all the food and fun that involved. It makes you want to be there with her, or at least cuddled up with tea and some scones. (All that talk of food makes me hungry!)

Here are short summaries and ratings for each of the twelve stories:

“Three Blind Mice,” 4 stars
Molly and Giles open a guest house at the family manor and their first guests arrive in the midst of a snowstorm. Unbeknownst to them the guest house address has been found at the scene of a murder. Someone is taking revenge for a crime that happened during the war. When Sergeant Trotter shows up to investigate, everyone is fair game. This was my favorite story of the bunch! A perfect little mystery.

“The Chocolate Box,” 3 stars
M. Hercule Poirot tries to convince his partner Captain Hastings that he isn’t always perfect by telling him about the mystery of the chocolate box. A Belgian man dies suddenly before he can be named to a prominent political post. The culprit used his sweet tooth against him, poisoning his favorite chocolates. Can Poirot determine who committed the crime? I have to confess Poirot isn’t my favorite, but fans of his are sure to enjoy this story.

“A Christmas Tragedy,” 3 stars
Miss Jane Marple tells her friends about a case involving a man who wants to kill his wife. Two people have recently died at the Keston Spa Hydro and Mr. Sanders plans to do away with his wife after overhearing a guest say that deaths always come in threes. And when the crime is discovered he seems to have the perfect alibi. Enter Marple. A clever tale for fans of this lady detective.

“The Coming of Mr. Quin,” 3 stars
Friends gather at a New Year’s Eve party held in a house where a man once killed himself. Mr. Satterthwaite, one of the visitors, observes that a fellow guest may be in danger. Suddenly Mr. Harley Quin shows up and helps uncover a long-buried truth. What really happened in Royston house? A story with a sentimental ending.

“The Clergyman’s Daughter,” 3 stars
Miss Monica Deane, daughter of a clergyman, runs a guest house to support her and her mother. But when the house suddenly acquires a poltergeist, she turns to Blunt’s Brilliant Detectives for help. Tommy and Tuppence take on the case and find that a hidden treasure may be at the middle of this mystery. Tommy and Tuppence are a fun and lighthearted pair, which bleeds over onto this case.

“The Plymouth Express,” 3 stars
A woman is found stabbed to death in a train compartment and Poirot is called in to solve the case. The Honorable Mrs. Flossie Carrington was caught in an unhappy marriage, and while headed to a house party she changes her plans and leaves her maid waiting for her at a train station. Was the strange man in her carriage responsible for killing her? A clever crime lies at the center of this tale.

“Problem at Pollensa Bay,” 2 stars
Mr. Parker Pyne is on vacation in Majorca and books a room in the Hotel Pino d’Oro. There he meets Mrs. Adela Chester and her adult son Basil. Mrs. Chester is upset by how modern Basil’s new girlfriend is and finds out that Mr. Parker Pyne is a certified problem solver. She begs him to help, so he asks both women to try and get along for Basil’s sake. But what will happen when Basil falls in love with an even more outrageous woman? A light story that plays on stereotypes of women. Not among my favorites.

“Sanctuary,” 3 stars
Vicar’s wife “Bunch” Harmon, Miss Marple’s niece, finds a dying man in church who asks her for sanctuary. The man’s relatives show up to claim his personal effects, but Bunch becomes suspicious when they seem a little too eager. She asks her aunt for help and together they come up with a plot to catch the man’s killer. Another clever Marple tale.

“The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge,” 2 stars
Poirot is asked to solve the murder of Harrington Pace but he’s sick with the flu, so his partner Captain Hastings goes instead. He interviews Pace’s relatives and housekeeper and can’t figure out who the murdered is. After Hastings sends him the evidence Poirot is able to solve the crime. The ending of this story put me off, as did Poirot’s very high opinion of his own intelligence. But it will likely be a hit with Poirot fans.

“The World’s End,” 2 stars
Mr. Satterthwaite is in Corsica spending time with the thrifty Duchess of Leith when they meet her cousin Naomi Carlton. The group takes a car trip to a place called World’s End where they happen upon Mr. Harley Quin. Quin once again averts disaster by helping reveal some truths. Christie described Quin as a catalyst, and indeed he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

“The Manhood of Edward Robinson,” 3 stars
This story is quite different from the rest, following clerk Edward Robinson who only wants a bit of romance and adventure in his life. His common-sense fiancée Maud doesn’t approve of his extravagant desires, so when he wins a newspaper contest he decides to buy a fancy car without telling her. He takes it out for a ride, not knowing he’s in for an exciting evening. A fun little story – who doesn’t like a bit of romance and adventure?

“Christmas Adventure,” 2 stars
Miss Endicott hosts a house party for a group of young people and Hercule Poirot. The young people decide to trick Poirot by planning a fake murder, but something goes wrong. Will Poirot be able to solve the case and reunite a pair of lovers? Again, Poirot is not my favorite so this story wasn’t for me. But is certainly fits the winter theme!

Bottom line: All in all, this collection has something for every fan of Christie. I’d recommend spreading them out, as many involve similar themes/plots and can get repetitive when read back to back. But I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Christie’s work.

Agatha Christie is the best mystery writer and this book of short stories is wonderful. Miss Marple and other classic characters in winter stories. Perfect for holiday or new year gift and wonderful to read on a chilly day. The book has a dozen short stories and I ended up reading thru the book in one day. Great and totally worth the cost!

As always Agatha Christie never disappoints.
A must read. Throughly enjoyed & read in one sitting. If your looking for an excellent mystery this read is definitely it. Kudos Agatha!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Midwinter Murder is an entertaining collection of Agatha Christie short stories, all focused around the winter season and the holidays. Fans of Christie will recognize recurring characters and motifs that are present in many of her works. I was unfamiliar with a most of the stories in this collection, so it was a lot of fun to read the new-to-me pieces. In typical Christie fashion, the stories are atmospheric and filled with plenty of snappy dialogue to keep readers engaged and guessing at solutions.

I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this collection, so I can pull it out each autumn/winter for some fun seasonal reading.

I've been obsessed with Agatha Christie for years, so I requested this as soon as I saw it. It's a great collection with many short stories can be read individually or all at one time. It's a must read for any AC fan or anyone who loves cozy type mysteries.

This is just the best little winter (or Halloween) collection of Agatha Christie stories! The locked room mystery has been so popular lately so this collection is coming out just in time! I keep telling everyone Agatha Christie is the queen of the locked room mystery and now i have the perfect sampler to recommend to someone who wants to give her a try!

Definitely a book you want to curl up next to the fire with on a snowy day!

This collection is a good reminder of why Christie is called the Queen of Crime. Her plots and characters manage to seem both familiar and original at the same time. Even her short fiction which can be read in a single sitting is satisfyingly well-developed. The winter connection is important in some of the stories, incidental in others. But as the subtitle says, they all seem perfect to be read in front of a roaring fire on a snowy evening.

Review based on an ARC from NetGalley.

This collection of winter themed stories from the esteemed Agatha Christie will be welcomed by her fans, readers new to her works, and those who enjoy mystery tales.

With twelve intriguing stories, readers will be able to wile away a few evenings as the days get shorter. I enjoyed and recommend this title. It was a delight to discover some new Christies.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A nicely curated selection of short stories, perfect for Christie diehards and new fans who want a little taste of her long running detectives as well as a selection of one-off characters to warm the winter season.

An all-new collection of winter-themed stories from the Queen of Mystery, just in time for the holidays—including the original version of “Christmas Adventure,” never before released in the United States!

Also included in this collection is "Three Blind Mice", the short story that her play "The Mousetrap" is based on.

There’s a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter . . . It’s the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fire with these wintry whodunits from the legendary Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This chilling compendium of short stories—some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, The Beresfords, and Harley Quin, is a perfect holiday gift for classic mystery lovers.

As a huge fan of Agatha Christie, I have read all of these before and own most of them. However, this did not take away from my enjoyment of this collection.
Recommended for classic mystery fans.

3.5/5⭐️

I requested this as soon as I saw the title!! I love Christie’s works. Midwinter Murders is a collection if winter themed short stories featuring Christie’s classic characters - Poirot, Marple, Tuppence and other lesser known characters. Comprises of 12 stories, each unique, quirky and well framed but they did not intrigue me like her other works + they aren’t that compelling like I expected. My most favourite was Three Blind mice and least favourite was Sanctuary! A decent winter themed read.

Thank you Harper Collins, Netgalley for the ARC. This is my own honest opinion.

A short story collection written by mystery maven Agatha Christie perfect for wintertime. Each story has a winter theme with some set during the holidays making this an especially good Christmas read. Readers will be thrilled to see some familiar faces such as Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Parker Pyne, and Hercule Poirot throughout solving mysteries. Not all the stories involve murders, but don’t fret because some do. If you are an Agatha Christie fan, you cannot miss out. Be sure to check out Midwinter Murder asap!

Agatha Christie has been one of my favorite authors since I was 12. Her stories are always intriguing and amusing. Even when I can guess whodunit, the ambience, characters and plot twists are worth reading. Since Dame Agatha passed away in 1976, there can’t be any new books by her own hand (Poirot may live on, but it’s not the same). This new collection is fantastic. All set in the winter, on or around Christmas, and many featuring snow, it brings together stories about all her recurring characters, and some standalones. Poirot (my fave), Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Parker Pyne and the mysterious Mr. Quinn all solve cases more or less serious. The Clergyman’s Daughter and Problem at Pollensa Bay are more lighthearted. Others, like my favorite story here, A Christmas Tragedy, involve murders and dead bodies. The endings, as always, are unexpected. Incredibly, I’d never read the books featuring Mr. Quinn (but I will now, the two tales included here are fantastic) and the funny Christmas Adventure is the first official publication in the US of a great Poirot story. Midwinter Murder is a solid collection that lifelong readers will enjoy, but that will also work as an introduction for those who have never read anything by the author.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ HarperCollins Publishers!

Some good mysteries from Dame Christie. Most of course I have read before so had a vague idea of who done it. I hadn't read some of them, so it was nice to be exposed to those. The ones I hadn't read, the mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Midwinter Murder is a collection of 12 short stories plus an autobiographical Christmas vignette introduction by Dame Agatha Christie herself. Due out 20th Oct 2020 from HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

These stories span publication dates from the 1920s through 1954 (with the exception of the autobiography excerpt from 1977). Christie's perennial sleuths are represented with appearances by Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy & Tuppence, Harley Quinn, Parker Pyne, and a corking Walter Mitty-esque adventure story. I had read all of them before, but it's a lot of fun to re-read them again.

With the uncertainty and upheaval going on in the world today, sometimes the temptation to retreat into a vanished safe world where the murders are bloodless, the characters are civilized, and the violence is remote is irresistable. These stories will make wonderfully entertaining fireside comfy-chair reading for old Christie fans and new alike.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

"Midwinter Murder" is a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie, plus one excerpt from her autobiography. I presume that all of the stories were set in wintertime; most were obviously so. I've read most of the stories before, but there were a few that I haven't come across before. They included stories featuring Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quin, and Parker Pyne. The stories mostly showed the detectives uncovering the truth rather than being puzzle mysteries. Still, I enjoyed reading these fun stories again.

The stories included:
Christmas at Abney Hall
Three Blind Mice
The Chocolate Box
A Christmas Tragedy
The Coming of Mr. Quin
The Clergyman's Daughter/The Rose House
The Plymouth Express
Problem at Pollensa Bay
Sanctuary
The Mystery of Hunters Lodge
The World's End
The Manhood of Edward Robinson
Christmas Adventure

I will never say no to more Agatha Christie. Classic mystery lovers will enjoy this book. There's nothing quite like a cozy mystery in the winter!