A Good Night for a Murder

As a child on nights when a thick fog settled in against the damp green lawns of our suburban neighborhood or when black clouds obscured the sky and lightning struck vivid against the darkness my mother would smile with the glint of mischief shining in her eyes and murmur "Tonight is a good night for a murder."

But nights that call to mind images of dank cellars and masked assailants aren't the only good nights for a killing--in fact, sometimes the best murder mysteries take place on a snowy winter's eve as merry revelers bustle about in preparation for the winter Holidays. Mystery writers seem to be in agreement on this point as Christmas themed cozy mysteries make up a significant sub-genre of this sleuth-centric style of writing. So in the event that you find yourself tiring of the ever-present cheer of the season this December, perhaps you'd like to cozy up with a good murder; any of these recent additions to our mystery collection would fit the bill.

As the Pig Turns, M.C. Beaton

 A Holiday Yarn, Sally Goldembaum

 A Christmas Homecoming, Anne Perry