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Murder for Christmas
Mordecai Tremaine Mystery #1
Francis Duncan

Sourcebooks Landmark
October 10, 2017/ ISBN 978149251703
Genre

Reviewed by Jen Oliver 

Murder for Christmas has amateur detective, Mordecai Tremaine, show up to Benedict Grame’s Christmas Eve party. Grame has been known to have these specialized Christmas parties, complete with dinner, a Christmas tree, and presents. What Grame was not expecting was a dead body on Christmas Eve. Mordecai is set to see what he can discover whodunit and why all because he has an interest in people and observes all around him.

Murder for Christmas was originally written in 1949 and has a very Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot feel to it. Mordecai’s character is well done and clearly shows how he quietly takes in everything around him and will question people about his observations.

There are several characters that are developed enough to give people many motives for the murder and the murder of others. The setting of a Christmas party in a rather nice home is perfect for this type of murder mystery. It allows for a gathering of just enough people who know each other and have reasons to dislike each other. There are enough small factors that are introduced in the beginning that show up later in the murder details.

If you are a fan of the classic Agatha Christie type mysteries, then you will enjoy Murder for Christmas. It might be a classic telling of a mystery but it still works 70 years later. Even through this was written several years ago, it will still bring joy to mystery readers.

Reviewed 2017
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