Welcome to Litsy!

Meant to read this one before Christmas but ran out of time, so it‘s my first read of 2024 instead. First published in 1949, it is from the era of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. I rather like the amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine, and enjoyed this slow burn of a story.

This is my January E-Book TBR read for my personal #5AMonth #ReadingChallenge

Expected cozy mystery, slow pace, character driven where clues and conclusion could be wordy for some readers but it worked perfectly for me. A Christmas party, different persons with different personalities were invited. Someone invited Mordecai Tremaine scared that something could happen in that party. Then, Father Christmas is found dead under the tree. 3/3.5⭐️

Several guests are invited to the home of Benedict Grame for a Christmas party. As the Christmas Eve festivities wind down, Grame is expected to dress as Father Christmas and leave presents on the tree for the guests. However, Father Christmas is unexpectedly found dead underneath the tree.

Finished this one this afternoon, accompanied by my new favorite hard candy! 😄
@andrew65 & @slategreyskies- these are so good!!

#LitsyLoveReads

I've been looking forward to trying this new coffee flavor and starting this book! Wednesday morning #coffeeandabook

Good murder mystery - enjoyed the way the story unfolded ( last two chapters answered every question). If you like Agatha Christie books (especially Poirot) you would probably enjoy this. Similar feel and style - I enjoyed MC Tremaine a bit more than Poirot 🙂

Last book for #WinterGames2021 - now on to #BookSpinBingo

Make a great day everyone -

#BFC2022 - thx for hosting @wanderinglynn

My book goal is to start #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks - I've never done this and it looks fun.
My Fitness goal is to start healthy eating/living - to feel better, look better and have more energy (my grandson is wearing me out 😂)

I've loved all the posts about today and the year being a blank slate -
Make a great day everyone - 💜

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks thanks for the tag
#ThinkPositiveBePositive

Thanks to #librarians everywhere -

Happy New Year everyone - 🌟

This one was pretty boring. I struggled to pay attention. I listened to the whole book and I don‘t know which character was the murderer… like I could tell you how the book ended and some other things, but 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I was really looking forward to this one, so I‘m disappointed. I actually switched to the audio so I could try and finish it.

#TeamGameSleigher +26pts
#AVeryMerryBingo
#AVeryMerryReadathon
#WinterCosy
#BookSpinBingo - 2 bingos

I hope to finish 2 books by end of year. After today I ought to have more reading time.
#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers

Make a great day everyone. ❄

Went ahead and did this now since the end of this week is really about family for me - will read as much as possible Saturday and Sunday!
Found 180 words for 1800 points - #WeeklyGame5 - #WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers (didn't black out picture since words hard to see 🙂)

Make a great day everyone - ❄

Going to try #BookSpinBingo this year - @TheAromaofBooks
Here's my list!
Looking forward to it -
Make a great day everyone - 🙂

So, I may have 30 holiday books on my TBR for December… no way I get to all of these, but I‘ll definitely try!

A few I don‘t think my holds will come in on time. Not shown are the 2 #LMPBC books I‘ll also need to read.

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers

On my May/June listening list

Invited for a grand country house Christmas party, Tremaine, a sentimental romantic, arrives in the midst of a delightfully seasonal snowstorm. Unfortunately, the amateur detective is dismayed to find malevolent undercurrents foreboding danger. A full roster of suspicious characters and red herrings made this enjoyable holiday mystery.

I immediately knew I would love the unassuming sleuth, Mordecai Tremaine. Thank goodness it is a series!

#festivespirit #christmasmystery
My first book by this author. I was entertained by the amateur detective or observer of human nature, Mordecai Tremaine. Although there are definitely personality differences, his talents are reminiscent of Hercule Poirot. It was slow to get into, but a light holiday read.
Breakfast of cherry pie, creme fraiche, and coffee. 🥧🍒☕️

#boxingday #murderforchristmas #catsoflitsy

Emmy is eying my the Crème fraîche in my bowl. Vermont made @Suet624 , of course!

End of day 4 of #DashingDecember : 4/14 books read (1 finished today) and 1516/4500 (466 pages read today) 284 pages behind schedule.

End of day 2 of #WinterSolstice : 3/9 books read 910/3150 (10 pages ahead of schedule)

#WinterGames #Readyourway #Crushtherush #ProgressitDecember #BookSpinBingo

Fourth book finished for #DashingDecember, third book for #WinterSolstice.

Rather underwhelmed by this one. Okay but nothing better than that, don‘t think I‘ll continue with the series.

#WinterGames #Progressitdecember #ReadYourWay #CrushtheRush #BookSPinBingo

Thank you so much for my self-care Christmas package, Chrissy! What a fun surprise! 😍

I‘m really looking forward to my festive murder mystery! 🎄🔪 And I didn‘t have a book light, yet, so that‘s perfect! Thank you for such a thoughtful gift! ❤️❤️❤️

This was a slow burner for me, but eventually I got into and enjoyed the mystery and all the many suspects trapped together for Christmas at a manor house. Love how much armchair detective Mordecai Tremaine adores romance novels, might have to look up some of his previous adventures! #WinterGames2020 #MerryReaders #HolidayRead @Clwojick 26pts

Not as much reading done today as I spent time with the Hubs, pushed through with Murder for Christmas, which turned out to be a good read.
#WinterGames2020 #MerryReaders @Clwojick 441pts.

Preparing for the post Holiday quiet.

A nice, slow morning today.

Murder in a country house on Christmas Eve ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #WinterGames #MerryReaders #HolidayReads

I picked this up because it‘s the holiday season and thought it would be fun. I wasn‘t wrong! I read it quickly, in just a day. The mystery was not obvious but also not impossible to solve, which is exactly what I like in a mystery. I also liked the cast of characters and the writing style.

Finished this one last night and I really enjoyed it. It took me over a week to read which is odd for a little book, but I loved the main character, Mordecai Tremain, what a name! I‘m tempted to find out whether there are more books with him in, but I need to get my the pile down a bit more before I do!!

Trying to read this, which I think will be fun, for my reading group. But am far too distracted by the BBC version of His Dark Materials!! I think we‘ll get to meet Iorek the armoured bear this episode, so excited!!!

My wife gave me this book for Christmas 🎄 I was very excited to read it, but the first 150 pages are interminably slow. Things pick up after the murder. My wife and I enjoy the My Favorite Murder podcast, so “stay sexy don‘t get murdered,” as they say! ☠️

A nice cozy Christmas mystery. It was slow-paced but short, and I liked how the author described scenes and characters.

This fit the bill for an Xmas mystery. Nothing earth shattering, but a pleasant read. I did not see the solution coming. 👍🏾

Christmas reading 🎄 I have low expectations of this based on reviews, but I'll give it a try and see if I enjoy the setting if not the mystery.

Another year, another lack lustre Christmas crime novel... got a bit lost with characters being referred to by their first name by some people and the surnames by others. Plot had promise but the pace was plodding, the reveal was good but didn‘t save it.

I wish my library hold for this book had come in just a week or two earlier, but I'm still enjoying this English country house murder mystery.

It really makes me appreciate how short most of Agatha Christie's books are, though. Why are short, sharp, concise mysteries such a lost art?

Thanks to @jessberk13 , I will be joining in on the #LRC for 2018 🙌🏾 #LitsyReadingChallenge2018

I'm curious about this reissued murder series from the late 1940s. Hopefully it holds up well today😊 #jingleshelves

I didn‘t quite get this one pre-read in time to put in a stocking but hopefully will finish in time to leave it behind.

I enjoyed this cozy. I read Christmas mysteries for the atmosphere almost more than the plot and this was a Dickensian house party with a murder and plenty of characters and twists. Some on litsy have found this boring but it was exactly what I thought it would be- a Christmas houseparty murder in a 1940s English manor house. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading this fun cozy Mordecai Tremaine mystery sent to me as part of #SecretSantaGoesPostal by the lovely @Megnogged very fun read so far!

@Megnogged Wow is all I can say!!! (Not really)- you absolutely pegged me!!! Here is also a shot of Whiskey smelling the chocolate (have I posted my love of Tim Tams??) the Dachshund card, scarf and dia de los muertos tote💀❤️Amazing!!! The books all very excited to read - that Sherlock graphic by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss with the sherlock socks- I screamed a little!!! You are a truly amazing stalker and gift giver- i am beyond thrilled😍👏

@KCorter OH MY GOODNESS WHAT AN AMAZING #secretsantagoespostal!! I screamed when I saw Wraith! My poor husband every time I open a box from an exchange!! Thank you!!!!

This is a holiday story you read for the Christmas setting and because the cover is so beautiful. I didn‘t much care for the main character - he even annoyed me a bit, but I think he was supposed to. He had high standards to live up to though since I am so invested in Louise Penny‘s Inspector Gamache.

Summers getting started ☀️ hopefully this Christmas mystery is more enjoyable than the last one I read...

🎄🔎🎄 I did so desperately want to love this one. It started out so well. A Christmas house party, eclectic assorted guests with agendas, a romance loving sleuth, and a murder. Yet, the novel fell a little flat for me and had a slow pace with the sleuthing being rather obvious, as if Tremaine was working off a checklist. Followed up with a rushed ending.

Still, it has a marvelous cover going for it. 🎅🏻

#whodunit #mystery #christmasread

Four books on my Kindle with #snowoncover : two Christmas mysteries to read this month and two favorites, both of which I've read twice.

#jingleshelves
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @bookloo

A fire, fuzzy socks, and a Christmas mystery...what more could you want on a cold winter‘s night? What is your favorite Christmas mystery? #christmas #christmasbooks #amreading

#readingstats Can not believe how close we are getting to 2018

🔎”And there was, thought Mordecai Tremaine, no smoke without fire”.

I can completely appreciate the nod to Agatha Christie in this sentence by Francis Duncan.

🎄🎅🏻Meanwhile, I decided it was time for the Christmas desk decor to come out of hiding from the bottom cabinet drawer.

#Whodunit #ChristmasMystery #ItsABeautClark #YouSeriousClark

🎄I took today off in preparation of the holiday ramp up... and have prepared by reading this all day and buying myself Cyber Monday Sale books. 🤦🏽‍♀️
#holidayfailure #merrychristmastome #ornamentlesstree

Made my contribution to small business Saturday at the #indiebookstore ... 1 for my husband and a couple of gifts ( not pictured )... and murder for me #PoisonedPen

Look folks I know I am supposed to be getting into the Christmas boxes today but with this weather I am considering putting a palm tree up instead and a hammock and reading the whole month....🌴