Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story (British Library Crime Classics)

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The mystery itself is convoluted and the solution is contrived - the psychic gets involved a lot, and at one point I flashbacks to The Haunting of Hill House - but there is also something gripping about the part of the mystery, which really takes quite a gritty turn. You'd think they were all straight out of the catalogue of British country house mysteries, but each one had a little bit more to them - I especially liked that the author included characters who were going through some mental distress. All too soon they realize the blinding storm has obliterated any possibility of finding the station. It starts out quite promising, and has some nice observations on human nature (much underlined on Kindle -- get a life, people! The British Library reissued Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story in 2014, and two further novels in 2015, Thirteen Guests and The Z Murders.

More than 155,000 copies in the series have been sold this year, but with Mystery in White accounting for 60,000 of those sales. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M. I do agree that the opening to the book is quite charming and, like you, I also preferred the first half of the book to the second.As the kidnapper taunts the police with deliveries of Hannah's belongings and cryptic notes, her life hangs perilously in danger. The door is unlocked and, desperate for shelter, they go on in and find an unusual sight--there are fires blazing in the fireplaces, the table is set for tea, and the kettle is on the boil. As anyone familiar with Agatha Christie’s work will know they feature in several of her books (…) but a quick look at the cover art for the BLCC series also shows trains make a regular appearance. Characters disappear, even more arrive, so you won’t be surprised that this is a long night for everyone.

If you’re looking for a book to read when snowed in somewhere remote then this is either the perfect read, or will produce sleepless nights. Les fans d'Agatha Christie ou des 'whodunnits' / 'mysteries' de cette grande époque apprécieront à coup sûr 'Mystery in White'. I have a bias for mysteries of a more reverend vintage (heavy on dialogue and deductions, light on car chases, gunplay and bedroom scenes) and in that respect Mystery in White does not disappoint.

I also remembered, alas, that despite its cracking start the book had eventually seemed to go on for far longer than it should. A psychologist with a unique ability, Cora's rare gift allows her to sense emotions attached to discarded objects. For most of the book it seemed the mystery was going one way but in the final third, the arrival of Mr. No one in their right mind would get tea all ready only to leave the house in the middle of a snow storm. As the chance of the train getting going becomes more and more remote, the trapped passengers agree to leave the carriage and head for the nearby village.

When deciding which two books to re-read this month, in keeping with my own personal challenge to re-read various vintage novels, this one seemed like a very appropriate candidate for December.There is plenty of mystery here, lots of melodrama and atmosphere, and a diverse cast of characters.