The Mysterious Book Shop is located in Manhattan. Every year the store commissions a story for the holiday season that,
1-takes place over Christmas,
2- involves a crime, and
3- has at least one scene in the Mysterious Bookshop.

This is a compilation of some of these stories. This is a great book for crime and mystery enthusiasts. The novellas pull you in quick, and capture you attention. Two of my favorites were Snowflake Time by Laura Lipman and The Gift of the Wise Guy by Rob Hart.

Thank-you to NetGalley and Hybridge Audio for the advance listener copy. I enjoyed listening to these compelling stories. I highly recommend this book, it had some very intriguing stories.

While I am admittedly not a huge fan of the short story, I've had good luck with Otto Penzler's curated collections over the years, so gave this one a try. I loved that the stories all featured The Mysterious Bookshop directly, and especially loved when Otto himself appeared! The stories were a mixed bag, as always seems to be the case in anthologies as far as my reading tastes are concerned. There were several here that I really loved, and it helped that so many of the authors were ones I was already familiar with, I suspect. I particularly enjoyed the dark humor sprinkled throughout so many of the tales. It's a great introduction to a lot of really top-notch authors, if you weren't already familiar, and if you were it's an even greater trip back into their mysterious stories!

This was such a fun read. I enjoyed the short stories and how they were all based around Christmas, crimes and the Mysterious Bookshop. Finding out that Otto is the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York and also created these stories made it even better! Brilliant of him because I already plan to visit his shop since I'm less than two hours away!

I love Christmas-themed mysteries so I was excited to be granted access to the audiobook Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Netgalley. The book is edited by Otto Penzler and contains twelve short tales set in the Mysterious Bookshop, a real bookstore that I now really really want to visit someday. But, that aside, the stories are written by various authors, some well-known like Jeffrey Deavers as well as many authors I was unfamiliar with previously like David Gordon but whose work I will definitely be checking out in the future. If I had to choose a favourite tale, I’d probably say A Christmas Puzzle by Ragnar Jonasson but, honestly, I enjoyed them all. The stories cover many subgenres from noir to cozy so there’s something here for pretty much every mystery fan. The book is narrated by Jennifer Pickens and Graham Rowat, both of whom do an excellent job of expressing the nature of the stories from the dark and suspenseful like Jeffrey Deaver’s A Christmas Party to the humour of Here We Come A-Wassailing by Thomas Perry. A fun group of stories to help get you into, well, maybe not the spirit of the season per se but, shall we say, the mystery of it.

Thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook is exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop
Edited by Otto Penzler
Narrated by Jennifer Pickens and Graham Rowat
A compilation is always a bit hit or miss and this book is no exception. Be advised that if you’re looking for cozies, you are in the wrong place. A couple of these stories were so grim that I couldn’t even finish them. One was by Lyndsay Faye, usually one of my favorite authors. The story by Loren D. Estleman was pretty funny if you’re a Nero Wolfe fan. The Thomas Perry story was hilarious. I never heard of Rob Hart but his story, the Gift of the Wise Guy was very good although maybe a bit predictable. Ragnar Jonasson and Martin Edwards also had good entries. Another unknown to me was David Gordon with the story Sargent Santa. It was very enjoyable too.
Overall, it was worth a listen and the narrators were also good.

Absolutely Loved! This is an excellent compilation of stories, each unique and satisfying. The mysteries are clever and entertaining...extremely well written. The audio version is superb. I recommend this for ALL readers!

n December I try to only read Christmas books, and I've been known to overindulge in fluffy, romantic, sugary-sweet holiday novels so I like to have some "palette" cleansers. A few years ago I read a Christmas thriller with a serial killer and since then I've included a few darker crime novels set at Christmas.

I love Christmas anthologies so when I saw this collection of crime fiction, I knew I had to check it out.

I listened to the audiobook and it was okay. I wish that the narrators had swapped back and forth as sometimes it was difficult to know when one story ended and another started as the person reading the stories sounded the same from one story to the next. The narrators did well giving voices to the different characters when there was dialogue but when it was just the text (even when it was the thoughts of the characters) it was the same voice from one story to the next.

As for the stories, I enjoyed them. I'm familiar with a few of the authors - Laura Lippman, Jeffrey Deaver, and Thomas Perry - having read some of their other works. Interestingly, my mystery book club is going to be reading Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead and he has a short story in this anthology.

My favorite story was the one about the very expensive bottle of cognac. It's a bit comical which was a nice change of pace as some of the earlier stories were dark and one was even a little depressing. If you enjoyed The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict, then you will enjoy Ragnar Jonasson's A Christmas Puzzle as it features a word puzzle. If you like classic literature then there is a little tribute to Charles Dickens with a ghost story. In the short story, Dickens' final (unfinished) novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood is featured and there are mentions of Wilkie Collins.

If you are looking for something Christmasy to read but don't really go for the Hallmark-worthy romantic novels, this anthology should be on your list.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/10/christmas-crimes-at-mysterious-bookshop.html

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop 🎄🔍
If you love mysteries with a festive twist, this collection is a treat! Featuring 12 short stories, all connected to a charming bookshop, it offers quick, captivating reads perfect for the holiday season. The way the bookshop ties all the tales together makes it even more delightful. 📚✨
While not every story stood out, the variety kept things engaging. It's a solid pick for mystery lovers looking for something quick and seasonal.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is a collection of 12 short stories. They were al fun and left me wanting more. I could have read whole book about all of them. Loved.

This book was okay I think I was just expecting more of a mystery type story and most had no mystery. Glad I was able to listen and all. I just don't think I was the reader for this

This was a great collection! It has some really strong writers in here. I loved how the Mysterious Bookshop was always involved in the stories it really helped bring the collection together. I really liked the order that the stories were told. The book flowed together really well. I'm happy there were 2 narrators for the audiobook, they both did a fantastic job.

I need to make my way over to NYC to go see the Mysterious Bookshop in person one day!

❄️❄️❄️❄️
Step into the enchanting world of The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery specialty bookstore on the planet! At the heart of this literary gem lies an annual tradition that will thrill any book lover: the commissioning of original short stories exclusively for its patrons. Imagine discovering a bookstore with this delightful custom! Sounds like fun.

“The Christmas Crimes at The Mysterious Bookshop” is a collection of these specially crafted tales. Within its pages, you’ll encounter a mix of gripping dark mysteries and clever, humorous takes on crime that will keep you turning the pages. Each story is just the length to draw you in and ignite your imagination. I found the first tale to be quite riveting! While some stories shine brighter than others, each showcases the talent of respected authors, making this anthology a true treasure for mystery and short story enthusiasts.

Thanks to the authors, Otto Penzler and HighBridge Audio, for this gifted audiobook provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#ChristmasCrimesatTheMysteriousBookshop #NetGalley #OttoPenzler #LauraLippman #LyndsayFaye #RagnarJónasson #TomMead #JefferyDeaver #ThomasPerry

What a fun mix of cozy, clever, and spooky mysteries! Each story was a perfect bite, none too long or overpowering over the others. I loved both narrators of the audiobook and found them to be interesting and engaging. I also loved the different characterizations of the bookshop and Otto, and found the way each story used the bookshop to be intriguing and kept me waiting for the next story! Overall a wonderful, quick listen! Thanks Netgalley!

What in the world did I just read?This was not at all what I expected. This was a series of 12 short stories, they each had a Christmas and Halloween feel to them. My favorites were “Black Christmas” by Jason Starr, “The Christmas Party” Jeffery Deaver, “A Christmas Puzzle” Ragnar Jónasson

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of short stories involving a mysterious bookshop. While the audio was enjoyable and even relaxing at times, nothing really stood out to me with these stories. They were very basic and even predictable.

Overall a fun book, it's easy to digest, and the premise of the collection is very wholesome. Some of the stories had be smiling, others grosed out in a fun way.
While I love a good mystery, I think maybe I'm not the correct audience for this title. The tropes are never ending, Which can be good and bad but makes sense being its a community submitted book. the writing style is a little dated, not in a hard to understand way, but in a way that my grandpa could appreciate. Which is who I think this book would be great for. Or any other elder adult who doesn't mind a little political incorrectness and crass humor. Could be a little more christmass-y, but I cant have it all.

This is a very lovely book of short stories. Each story must be set around Christmas, involved a suspicious crime, and have some setting relationship to the bookshop. The stories vary in length. Each is unique and all are cozy mysteries. I quite enjoyed reading a short story when my time was more limited. The stories are better if listened to individually and not back-to-back.

It was such a perfect blend of holiday charm and mystery that kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish. This collection of short stories, all set around Christmas, manages to deliver suspense, humor, and clever twists. Each tale involves a crime or suspicion of one, and I loved how they were all partially set in The Mysterious Bookshop itself, which added a cozy and familiar touch. Some personal favorites were "A Midnight Clear" by Lyndsay Faye and "The Christmas Party" by Jeffery Deaver, both of which had me on edge with their brilliant suspense.

The narration in the audiobook was spot-on, making each story even more captivating, and the pacing was perfect for building tension in the right moments. Whether you're a mystery lover or just looking for something festive and intriguing for the holiday season. Christmas Crimes at The Mysterious is a fantastic pick. It's a great listen for those quiet winter nights, and each story feels like a little present in itself!

Thank you to Otto Penzler, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun book! I'm usually not one to enjoy short stories but these were very well done overall! They were all quick reads and all so different! Male authors are new to me so reading/listening to mysteries from a male perspective was quite the ride! The stories were much more focused on facts vs. emotions and relationships which was refreshing to read and made for a less mentally draining read.

Would highly recommend to my male friends who enjoy mysterys!