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 mystery, with loads of suspects, lots of period atmosphere, and 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 Melbury, the family patriarch, is discovered―by a guest dressed as Santa Klaus―with a bullet in his head on Christmas Day, the festivities are plunged into chaos. Nearly every member of the party stands to reap some sort of benefit from Sir Osmond's death, but Santa Klaus, the one person who seems to have every opportunity to fire the shot, has no apparent motive. Various members of the family have their private suspicions about the identity of the murderer, and the Chief Constable of Haulmshire, who begins his investigations by saying that he knows the family too well and that is his difficulty, wishes before long that he understood them better. In the midst of mistrust, suspicion and hatred, it emerges that there was not one Santa Klaus, but two. ....Hay has made it very understandable and easy to read, weaving humor and British scenarios throughout. As the story goes on, readers will enjoy the suspense, and also the interesting and odd characters that make up the Melbury family. Hay did an excellent job creating her characters, and they seem very real, bringing new meaning to the much used phrase you can't pick your relatives....For readers who are looking for a light, fun suspense novel, The Santa Klaus Murder is a good choice. It is a great read for the Christmas season, not only because it takes place over the holiday, but also because even avid readers are busier at Christmas time and this novel goes fast. -- " BellaOnline " The Santa Klaus Murder by author Mavis Doriel Hay is a classic British cozy with a Christmas theme. Written in 1936 and long out of print, it is being released as part of the British Library's Crime Classics series. It is an intelligent, well-written mystery with plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing but plenty of clues to point the way. At times, I found it a bit draggy and, at others, confusing, but over all a nice mystery just in time for the holidays. -- " Library Thing " The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Hay is a delightfully old fashioned murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. When Sir Oswald Melbury is murdered on Christmas day all the Christmas visitors are under suspicion and each of them has his or her own motive for wanting the man dead. -- " NetGalley " The Santa Klaus Murder is a mystery novel set in England in 1935. The first chapters, which cover the days leading up to the murder, are reports written by various members of the family. Each described what happened on a certain day and why certain people would or would not have a motive to kill. Once the murder occurred, the story was written primarily from the viewpoint of the detective. I enjoyed this format as it allowed us to get into the thoughts of several characters and better understand the family dynamics....There were clues, and many of them were in those reports about the days leading up to the murder. The detective didn't get these reports until later, so the reader had the advantage of knowing more information. Using this information, you can quickly identify the few, actual suspects. Then it was simply a matter of narrowing down who was involved. The detective steadily followed up the clues he found, but he had a harder time of it. Almost everyone was hiding things from him. The mystery kept me curious until the end even though I had most of it worked out before the detective....There was no sex. There was a minor amount of bad language and a few uses of name calling (referring to a person as a certain equine animal). Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to those who enjoy old-style puzzle-mysteries with interesting formats. -- " NetGalley " Author Mavis Doriel Hay does a nice job weaving in the family skeletons and dissensions by having Colonel Halstock interview each of the family and the lead servants. She shows us the motive each of the family may have had without simply telling us, and she also lays several false trails and red herrings. (Personally I suspected the actual culprit from the beginning because of the way he was introduced.)I'm not crazy about murder mysteries but do enjoy the odd British country house weekend novel and this was a fine example, but with the twist of a dead body in the study with a gun! -- " More Books Than Time " 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 mystery, with loads of suspects, lots of period atmosphere, and much caustic wit. It e