Murderous Christmas Stories books in order

Murderous Christmas Stories is a British Library Crime Classics anthology series collecting vintage crime fiction with a festive theme, drawing on work by Golden Age and mid-century mystery writers including Margery Allingham.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Murder under the Christmas Tree 2016 Margery Allingham Buy
2 Murder on Christmas Eve 2017 Margery Allingham Buy
3 Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season 2017 Margery Allingham N/A
4 A Very Murderous Christmas 2018 Margery Allingham Buy
5 A Very Murderous Christmas: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season 2018 Margery Allingham N/A
6 Murder at Christmas 2019 Margery Allingham Buy
7 Murder at Christmas: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season 2019 Margery Allingham N/A
8 Murder in Midwinter 2020 Margery Allingham Buy
9 Murder on a Winter’s Night 2021 Margery Allingham Buy
10 Murder in the Falling Snow 2022 Margery Allingham Buy

The Murderous Christmas Stories series is part of the British Library Crime Classics publishing program, which has revived a large body of Golden Age and vintage crime fiction since the 2010s. These seasonal anthologies collect short stories and novellas with Christmas settings or themes, drawing from the rich tradition of the British crime magazine and annual.

The series began with Murder under the Christmas Tree (2016) and has appeared annually, offering a different selection of festive crime fiction each year. The anthologies cover a wide range of tones, from the cozy country house story to darker, more atmospheric pieces set in the depths of winter. Margery Allingham’s work appears alongside that of other writers from the Golden Age canon.

For readers who enjoy classic crime fiction and the particular atmosphere of the Christmas mystery – a tradition stretching back to Dickens and the Victorian ghost story – these annual collections have become a reliable seasonal fixture. Each volume stands alone and the books can be read in any order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Murderous Christmas Stories series?

There are ten books in the Murderous Christmas Stories series, published between 2016 and 2022.

What is the first book in the Murderous Christmas Stories series?

The first book in the Murderous Christmas Stories series is Murder under the Christmas Tree, published in 2016.

Who are the authors typically featured in the Murderous Christmas Stories anthologies?

The series draws primarily on Golden Age and mid-century British crime writers, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and many others whose work appeared in magazines and collections from the 1920s through the 1960s. The British Library Crime Classics series has been a major force in bringing this material back into print.

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