[issybird]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

So, if you will, might we all use spoiler tags this month only when discussing spoilers?

Sure. I'll just make some general comments here, though, nothing spoilery.

I'm about three-quarters of the way through. I'm glad we chose this. It's been a fun read for December and not too challenging at a busy time; it also lends itself to being picked up and put down at odd moments. I expect to finish it by the end of the month.

I used to love mysteries but have gone off them. That said, I enjoyed meeting old friends when I cracked this and stories were a good way to get back into the groove, as none lasts long enough to stale. As you'd expect from a book of this sort, some were more to my taste than others and I some were just better than others, frankly; the Meredith Nicholson story dragged and has not stood the test of time, as Penzler said in his introduction. I didn't care for the Holmes's pastiches, but I'm not a Holmes fan. Also, I think I was looking for cozy or uplift in a Christmas story and some of the stories that were tawdry or tragic didn't sit as well, but they added to the overall appeal of the book, as too much of a kind would have staled. As you'd also expect, there were homages to a few classic Christmas tales and I thought they were a tad too predictable; but again, I think the collection would have been lacking without them.

That all sounds negative, which is not what I meant or my reaction. It's easier to discuss flaws than strengths, especially not getting into particulars. One standout for me was Peter Lovesey's Haunted Crescent;

Spoiler:

I didn't see the twist at the end coming at all.

I giggled at the Westlake story. Too many goodies to mention, really. This is a superior collection with something for almost everyone.