Advent starts tomorrow. The Bath Christmas Market opened two day ago. The buildings are illuminated at night and there are crowds everywhere. So, I’ve started to read my way into the Christmas spirit.

I’ve also been stocking up on new-to-me Urban Fantasies that I plan to escape into in the New Year.

Anyway, heere’s what I’ve read and bought this week and what’s up next.

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This week, I’ve been reminding myself of how much pleasure I get from reading well-crafted short stories. I’ve escaped into the Kinsmen universe, revisited Ray Bradbury’s astonishing imagination and been entertained by a 1991 collection of Christmas crime stories. I tried out a Christmas-themed horror novella and spent another Christmas with Meg Langslow and her family, waiting to see who would get murdered this year.

Two weeks ago, Christine Sinclaire’s husband slipped off the roof while hanging Christmas lights and fell to his death on the front lawn.
Desperate to escape her guilt and her grief, Christine packs up her fifteen-year-old son and the family cat and flees to the cabin they’d reserved deep in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds to wait out the holidays.
It isn’t long before Christine begins to hear strange noises coming from the forest. When she spots a horned figure watching from between frozen branches, Christine assumes it’s just a forest animal—a moose, maybe, since the property manager warned her about them, said they’d stomp a body so deep into the snow nobody’d find it ’til spring.
But moose don’t walk upright like the shadowy figure does.
They don’t call Christine’s name with her dead husband’s voice.

Having enjoyed Lindy Ryan’s ‘Bless Your Heart‘, I decided to try ‘Cold Snap’ her horror novella about grief and guilt at Christmas.

It was an ambitious story that dealt graphically with the overwhelming impact of trauma, grief and guilt on a newly widowed mother’s mental health. The cover art was striking, and the narrator was skilled. 

Unfortunately, I thought the novella fell short of its ambition and, after a strong start, gradually collapsed in on itself, leaving me feeling disengaged and unconvinced.

My review is HERE

Celebrating Ray Bradbury’s centenary, this collection commemorates his finest crime stories – tales as strange and wonderful as his signature fantasy.
Time travellers…dark carnivals…living automata…and detectives? Honouring the 100th birthday of Ray Bradbury, renowned author of Fahrenheit 451, this new, definitive collection of the master’s less well-known crime fiction features classic stories and rare gems, a number of which became episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Ray Bradbury Theater, including the tale Bradbury called ‘one of the best stories in any field that I have ever written’.
Is it murder to destroy a robot if it looks and speaks and thinks and feels like a human being? Can a ventriloquist be incriminated by the testimony of his own dummy? Can a time traveller prevent his younger self from killing the woman they both loved? And can the survivor of a pair of Siamese twins investigate his own brother’s murder? No other writer has ever rivalled the imagination and narrative gifts of Ray Bradbury, and the 20 unforgettable stories in this collection demonstrate this singular writer’s extraordinary range, influence and emotional power.

When I discovered Ray Bradbury’s short stories as a teenager, fifty or so years ago, they lit up my imagination and changed how I thought about short stories. 

The stories in ‘The Illustrated Man‘ and ‘The Golden Apples Of The Sun‘ fascinated me because, although most of them had a sting in the tail that gave the immediate satisfaction of a new twist or a bizarre idea, they had an atmosphere about them, regardless of their content, that said ‘The world is not what it appears to be. It’s darker than it seems; stranger than you admit. Its real face can be seen out of the corner of your eye, but only if you dare to look.” 

I wasn’t sure I could go back to those stories. I’m not a teenager any more. I worried that I might not be able to see now what I saw then. Then I came across this anthology of crime stories, assembled for Bradbury’s centenary and decided to give them a try. I’m glad I did. I’m not sure that they really are crime stories, although a lot of them are about murder or the desire to murder, but they all have that feeling of being invited to go somewhere strange, to see the world from a different angle.

My review of the collection and the individual stories is HERE.

In a distant future world, Kinsmen—small powerful groups of genetically and technologically advanced families—control vast financial empires. They are their own country, their own rulers, and their only limits are other Kinsmen. The struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport: in business, on the battlefield…and sometimes in the bedroom. 
Claire Shannon is a killer…and her weapon is her mind.

Born on a planet torn by war for over 300 years, Claire is a soldier: a psycher, with the ability to read, control, and destroy the minds of enemy psychers and to infiltrate the biological network where they battle to death.

When Claire’s faction loses the war, she barely escapes extermination from both sides, as her talent brands her as too dangerous to society. By so-deeply burying her ability that she avoids detection, Claire is instead deported to Rada as a refugee, where she must find work to remain. She finds a job as personal assistant to Venturo Escana, a premiere kinsman; one of Rada’s most wealthy entrepreneurs—and most powerful psychers.

She thought she had left war behind, but now she must hide her skills and her growing feelings from Venturo…and this battle might just cost her everything…

I discovered Ilona Andrews’ Kinsmen universe last week when I read, ‘Silent Blade‘. I was hungry for more so I read ‘Silver Shark‘. I was delighted to find that this was even better than the first story. It was harder edged. It benefitted from being told from the point of view of refugee from a recently ended war that had been waged for seventy years, The story was tense and action-packed. I loved the visualisation of the Bionet as a virtual battlefield with real life consequences.

A New England college hosts a counterfeiting scrooge, an angelic chorister falls to earth, a tight-fisted patriarch realizes his days are numbered, and a politician presents his wife with an explosive gift. In Christmas Stalkings, bestselling mystery author Charlotte MacLeod gathers fellow partners in crime for a collection of capers that will keep you reading—and guessing—all through the night. Spend the twelve days of Christmas enjoying tales of holiday mayhem. From secrets in a snowy graveyard to schemes in the Deep South to mischief in Manhattan, this stocking full of cozy stories is to die for.This festive anthology includes thirteen stories by Charlotte MacLeod, Reginald Hill, Elizabeth Peters, Medora Sale, John Malcolm, Dorothy Cannell, Bill Crider, Patricia Moyes, Evelyn E. Smith, Eric Wright, Mickey Friedman, Robert Barnard, and Margaret Maron.

‘Christmas Stalkings‘, a collection of thirteen Christmas-themed short stories by well-known crime writers, was a fun way to read myself into the spirit of Christmas.  Even though some of the stories are about murders, they’re pleasantly free of violence and gore. A number of them are ‘Christmas Special’ appearances by the detectives who made their writers famous. Some are amusing. Most are clever. All of them are well-written. If you’re looking for a collection of short stories that you can did into as you sip your eggnog and open yourself up to Christmas, I recommend ‘Christmas Stalkings‘.

My review isHERE.

Two of Meg’s cousins, members of Mother’s vast Hollingsworth clan, are getting married, and both have chosen Caerphilly for their Christmas destination wedding . . on the same day, in the same venues. But while they’re cousins they’re also lifelong enemies. Mother’s efforts to keep the peace are wearing her down, and the battling brides (and their mothers) are making the holiday season miserable for everyone. So Meg steps in to keep the peace. And it was going badly even before she stumbles over the murdered body of the wedding photographer.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of suspects. The photographer has been hitting on many of the guests, bridesmaids . . . possibly even one or both of the brides. He’s also been slinking about and taking candid shots that are unflattering, embarrassing . . . occasionally even incriminating.
Can Meg help the local police nab the killer in time for the weddings to go on as planned? Unless, of course, the killer was one of the brides or grooms, in which case she needs to identify the killer in time to reveal their identity when she hears those fateful words, “If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else forever hold your peace.”

‘Five Golden Wings‘ was a relaxing read. I thought it was a big improvement on last year’s Rockin’ Around The Chickadee’. The bridezilla humour worked. The murder victim was so unpleasant that I was looking forward to them turning up as a corpse even before anyone had done them any harm.

This time, although Meg was present for all the goings-on, she wasn’t actively trying to solve the murder. True, she still stumbled upon things that put her at risk and, of course, she found the body, but, for once, she managed to live by her mantra of ‘Not my circus. Not my monkeys‘ most of the time. I liked her as an observer and commentator better than as a protagonist. It allowed more room for the other characters. 

The story kept my wife and me entertained for a few evenings this week, providing more than a few smiles along the way. The final chapter, where Donna Andrews wrapped everything up and put a bow on it, ran a little long, but that didn’t spoil the book. 

This week, I picked up two new-to-me Urban Fantasies, a winter-themed thriller and a winter-themed Merrily Watkins mystery from the sales, plus a book recommended to me by Nic at DragonRambles.com

When Aidan Lloyd’s bleak funeral is followed by a nocturnal ritual in the fog, it becomes all too clear that Aidan, son of a wealthy farmer, will not be resting in peace. Aidan’s hidden history has reignited an old feud, and a rural tradition begins to display its sinister side. 
It’s already a fraught time for Merrily Watkins, her future threatened by a bishop committed to restricting her role as diocesan exorcist for Hereford. Suddenly there are events she can’t talk about as she and her daughter, Jane, find themselves potentially on the wrong side of the law. 
In the city of Hereford, DI Frannie Bliss, investigating a shooting, must confront the apparent growth of organised crime, also contaminating the countryside. On the Welsh border, the old ways are at war with the modern world. As the days shorten and the fog gives way to ice and snow, a savage killing draws Merrily Watkins into a conflict centred on one of Britain’s most famous medieval churches, its walls laden with ancient symbolism.

Merrily Watkins is a vicar, living with her teenage daughter in huge haunted vicarage in the picture- postcard village of Ledwardine, who constantly encounters crime with supernatural trimmings, related to local folklore. I’ve had the first book ‘Wine of Angels‘ (1998) on my shelves for a while but I’ve decided to jump into the series with the penultimate novel ‘All of a Winter’s Night‘ (2017) partly because it was on sale and partly because I’m in the mood for spooky midwinter novels. I’ll be reading it as part of my ‘Spell It Out’ festive reading challenge.

When she arrived in New York on her 18th birthday, carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe, an unidentified murder victim. 
Ruby Jones is also trying to start over; she travelled halfway around the world only to find herself lonelier than ever. Until she finds Alice’s body by the Hudson River. From this first, devastating encounter, the two women form an unbreakable bond. 
Alice is sure that Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her life – and death. And Ruby – struggling to forget what she saw that morning – finds herself unable to let Alice go. Not until she is given the ending she deserves. 
Before You Knew My Name doesn’t ask whodunnit. Instead, this powerful, hopeful novel asks: who was she? And what did she leave behind? The answers might surprise you.

‘Before You Knew My Name‘ (2021) was recommened to me by Nic at dragon rambles.com when we were discussing how violence against women was handled in Agatha Christie’s ‘Nemesis‘ (1971).  I listened to the audiobook sample. That was enough to get me to press the buy button. I was hooked the focus being on the identity of the person whose life was stolen, not on the identity of the thief.

By night, they fight in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
By day, they are friendly next-door neighbors.
Neither of them know that their alter egos are archenemies. 

A Missing Ferryman. An Undead Dilemma. An Immortal Detective.
An emissary from the Dark Council has just materialized in the office of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency, and makes Simon Strong an offer he can’t refuse. Charon is missing. The legendary ferryman responsible for transporting sorcerer souls across the river Styx hasn’t been seen in days. And with each passing hour, those unable to cross the river are left to walk among the living, tilting the world further out of balance.
Meet Simon Strong, an immortal, who is also the best private detective in New York City. Together with his surly partner-Tristan Montague, a mage of indeterminate age, they must find the Ferryman and get him back to work before another Supernatural War ravages the earth, destroys humanity, and Simon’s local coffee shop.
Time is running out. His landlord wants the rent and Karma with a capital K is paying him a visit, and she can be a real…
Join the Montague & Strong Detective Agency and help them locate Charon, so he can restore balance to the universe, put the dead sorcerers to rest, and maybe solve the age old conundrum-coffee or tea?

‘The Lies of Vampires and Slayers‘ (2023) and ‘Tombyards & Butterflies‘ (2017), may be tropey slush or they may become one of my favourite Urban Fantasy series. I’ve decided to travel in hope.

Graham Richards, the sole survivor of a deadly shooting, has retreated to a remote cabin in the woods to escape the pain of his past. Living off the grid, he grows his own food and uses solar power for his energy needs, hoping to spend the rest of his life in obscurity.
However, Graham’s desire for solitude is shattered when a little girl goes missing in the nearby town, and the scarred man in the lonely cabin becomes the prime suspect. Graham finds himself pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind, using his survival skills and instincts honed from years in the wilderness to clear his name and find the missing girl. But as he delves deeper into the case, he realizes that the threat is far greater than he ever imagined.

John Hunt is a new author to me. I picked up ‘Off The Grid‘ (2019) because I’m hungry for spooky stories set in deep snow at the moment and I like the cover. I hope to get to it soon,

This week, slmodz sll my reding will be short books and short stories. Four of the seven books are Christmas themed. The only full length novel manages to combine two themes I often enjoy ‘Old People‘ and ‘Women Who Kill‘

Out of work for months, Lussi Meyer is desperate to work anywhere in publishing. Prestigious Blackwood-Patterson isn’t the perfect fit, but a bizarre set of circumstances leads to her hire and a firm mandate: Lussi must find the next horror superstar to compete with Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Peter Straub. It’s the ’80s, after all, and horror is the hottest genre.
But as soon as she arrives, Lussi finds herself the target of her coworkers’ mean-spirited pranks. The hazing reaches its peak during the company’s annual Secret Santa gift exchange, when Lussi receives a demonic-looking object that she recognizes but doesn’t understand. Suddenly, her coworkers begin falling victim to a series of horrific accidents akin to a George Romero movie, and Lussi suspects that her gift is involved. With the help of her former author, the flamboyant Fabien Nightingale, Lussi must track down her anonymous Secret Santa and figure out the true meaning of the cursed object in her possession before it destroys the company – and her soul.

I’m halfway through ‘Secret Santa‘ (2020) and so far, I’m having fun with it. It’s a shame about the clichéd red eyes on the cover. The book is cliché-free. It feels fresh and lively. I like the mix of 80s nostalgia (at least for those of us who remember the 80s), publishing industry snark, and a slowly emerging threat that our nice but sometimes naive heroine is mostly unaware of.

You’d never guess Lottie Jones had skeletons in her closet.
She’s lived in town for decades now. She’s getting older. She lives for the simple pleasures of weekly bingo games at church, and gossiping with her friends about their children’s love lives.
But when investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past, and specifically about her connection to numerous unsolved murders, well, Lottie just can’t have that.
But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realises this crime might just be the death of her…

‘Too Old For This‘ (2025) is my first book in my ‘Spell It Out’ festive reading challenge. I’m hoping it will be a smile. I mean, how can you not smile at an elderly assassin reluctantly getting back into the killing business?

‘Spell It Out’ – a fun festive reading challenge

A hit woman’s work doesn’t stop for the holidays. As the advent calendar winds down, Paige slips into a palatial house, ignoring a blizzard of texts from her ex-husband. No surprise—Julian always gets maudlin this time of year. The real shock comes when the target is not alone. His young daughter is there too.
Risking the wrath of her organization, Paige retreats. There are some lines that, for personal reasons, she just won’t cross. But when she returns on Christmas Eve to finish the job, the girl is still there…along with someone even more startling. As the ghosts of her past gather—to haunt or to help, it’s unclear—Paige must confront old traumas and outwit her superiors to make it to Christmas morning alive.

This was an Amazon Prime First Reads selection, which is how I’m already reading it although it isn’t officially published until tomorrow. I’ve been aware of Liz Unger for awhile but haven’t read any of her stuff yet, so a short story about a female assassin on a mission at Christmas seemed like a good place to start.

From his well-loved detective duo, DCI Dalziel and DI Pascoe to his own reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, Reginald Hill’s unforgettable characters and unique blend of humour and suspense make him one of Britain’s greatest crime writers. Complete with a foreword by Mick Herron, this collection of short stories showcases the very best of this iconic mystery writer.

I was aware of Reginald Hill only because I used to watch ‘Dalziel and Pascoe‘ on the TV back in the 1990s. I only realised how diverse his work was when I read his story in ‘Christmas Stalkings‘. I checked his back catalogue and found this collection of Christmas short stories.

The leader of the fierce Reigh people expires during an intergalactic summit, putting 30 million colonists’ lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. When the new heir to the Reigh throne, Lord Nagrad, demands restitution, the phrase “‘a life for a life” turns the intergalactic calamity into an arranged marriage contract between Lord Nagrad and sharply intelligent diplomatic analyst Deirdre Lebed… and the negotiation of terms becomes anything but formal!

This will be my third trip to he Kinsmen universe. I’m not sure what to expect, It’s a short story that was written as a dare and bundled for free with the other Kinsmen novellas. Still, I’m willing to give it a try.

When a down-on-his-luck shopping mall Santa is abruptly fired just days before Christmas, he decides to unleash holiday hell on the staff who wronged him. As the body count rises, shoppers at Merryvale will soon discover that this Santa’s got a bag full of wicked surprises – and he’s ready to deliver!

What would Christmas be without a little blood splatter? I bought this book to make me smile (in a dark, twisted and possibly unhealthy way) on the run up to Christmas. I’ll be doing a Buddy Read from tomorrow onwards.