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The Best Holiday Mysteries for Christmas Time
Festive Whodunits and Ghostly Tales from Classic Masters of the British Mystery TraditionBy Edgar Wallace, Arthur Conan Doyle, R. Austin Freeman, Fred M. White, G. K. Chesterton, Arthur Cheney Train, Wilkie Collins, Emmuska Orczy, Louisa M. Alcott, M. R. James, Thomas Hardy, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sabine Baring-Gould, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, Fergus Hume, John Kendrick Bangs, Jerome K. Jerome, Leonard Kip, Catherine Crowe, Lucie E. Jackson, William Douglas O'Connor, Frank R. Stockton, James Bowker, Grant Allen, Saki, Florence Marryat, Katherine Rickford, J. M. Barrie, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, George MacDonald, Bithia Mary Croker, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Catherine L. Pirkis, E. F. Benson, Algernon Blackwood
Length55h 39m
About this audiobook
The Best Holiday Mysteries for Christmas Time' is an enchanting collection that artfully blends the eerie charm of winter mysteries with the festive spirit of Christmas. The anthology showcases a diverse array of tales from the pens of some of the most celebrated writers in the English literary canon. These narratives vary widely in stylistic approach—from the suspenseful intrigue of detective stories to the supernatural twists of ghostly tales—offering readers a panoramic view of the genre's evolution. The collection serves as a spectacular literary tableau, illustrating the rich contextual layers and thematic depth of holiday mystery stories, including standout pieces that have shaped the course of mystery literature. The contributors to this anthology represent a remarkable consortium of talent rooted in the 19th and early 20th centuries, a period brimming with the genesis and development of the mystery and detective genre. Edgar Wallace, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Wilkie Collins, among others, bring credentials of foundational importance to this literary form. Their works, alongside those of their peers, capture the socio-cultural contexts of their times and contribute significantly to the anthology's overarching theme: the intersection of celebration and suspense. This gathering of authors not only echoes the rich literary heritage of Victorian and Edwardian mystery writing but also underpins the timeless allure of unraveling mysteries during the long winter nights. 'The Best Holiday Mysteries for Christmas Time' offers a unique literary journey to its readers, guided by some of the most influential authors in the historical panorama of English literature. This anthology is not merely a book; it is an invitation to walk through a gateway to the past, exploring various facets of humanity and society filtered through the lens of mystery and holiday lore. Both scholarly readers and casual mystery lovers will find this collection a profound asset, full of narrative complexity and a multi-layered approach to storytelling. It is an essential addition to any library, promising not only the enjoyment of a good mystery but also an enriched understanding of the cultural tapestries that these stories weave.
Audiobook details
GenreMystery and Thriller
Length55 hrs 39 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMar 21, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Best Holiday Mysteries for Christmas Time
71The Ghosts at Grantley (Leonard Kip)
2The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (Arthur Conan Doyle)
72Chapter I
3The Flying Stars (G. K. Chesterton)
73Chapter II
4Percival Bland's Proxy (R. Austin Freeman)
74Chapter III
5A Christmas Capture (Fred M. White)
75Chapter IV
Show all chaptersShow less
6McAllister's Christmas (Arthur Cheney Train)
76Chapter V
7I
77Chapter VI
8II
78A Terrible Christmas Eve (Lucie E. Jackson)
9III
79Preface
10IV
801. Round the Fire
11V
81First Evening
12VI
82Second Evening
13The Mystery of Room Five (Fred M White)
83Third Evening
14A Policeman’s Business (Edgar Wallace)
84Fourth Evening
15Stuffing (Edgar Wallace)
85Fifth Evening
16Advertisement
86Sixth Evening
17I
87Seventh Evening
18II
88Eighth Evening
19III
89Appendix
20IV
902. Legends of the Earthbound
21V
91The Italian's Story
22VI
92The Dutch Officer's Story
23VII
93The Old French Gentleman's Story
24VIII
94The Swiss Lady's Story
25IX
95The Sheep-Farmer's Story
26X
96My Friend's Story
27The Adventure of the Second Swag (Robert Barr)
97The Ghost: A Christmas Story (William Douglas O’Connor)
28An Exciting Christmas Eve or, My Lecture on Dynamite (Arthur Conan Doyle)
98Thurlow’s Christmas Story (John Kendrick Bangs)
29A Chaparral Christmas Gift (O. Henry)
99I
30A Christmas Tragedy (Emmuska Orczy)
100II
31The Thieves Who Couldn’t Stop Sneezing (Thomas Hardy)
101The Mystery of My Grandmother’s Hair Sofa (John Kendrick Bangs)
32The Silver Hatchet (Arthur Conan Doyle)
102The Abbot’s Ghost; or Maurice Treherne’s Temptation (Louisa M. Alcott)
33What the Shepherd Saw: A Tale of Four Moonlight Nights (Thomas Hardy)
103Chapter I. Dramatis Personae
34First Night
104Chapter II. Byplay
35Second Night
105Chapter III. Who Was It?
36Third Night
106Chapter IV. Feeding the Peacocks
37Fourth Night
107Chapter V. Under the Mistletoe
38Markheim (Robert Louis Stevenson)
108Chapter VI. Miracles
39The Wolves of Cernogratz (Saki)
109Chapter VII. A Ghostly Revel
40Mustapha (Sabine Baring-Gould)
110Chapter VIII. Jasper
41I
111Old Applejoy's Ghost (Frank R. Stockton)
42II
112Wolverden Tower (Grant Allen)
43III
113I
44IV
114II
45The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance (M.R. James)
115III
46Letter I
116IV
47Letter II
117V
48Letter III
118VI
49Letter IV
119The Christmas-Eve Vigil (James Bowker)
50The Christmas Banquet (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
120Introductory
51The Haunted Man (Charles Dickens)
121How the Stories came to be told
52Chapter I. The Gift Bestowed
122Teddy Biffles' Story
53Chapter II. The Gift Diffused
123Interlude—The Doctor's Story
54Chapter III. The Gift Reversed
124Interlude
55Chapter I. To Be Taken Immediately
125A Personal Explanation
56Chapter II. Not to Be Taken at Bed-Time
126My Own Story
57Chapter III. To Be Taken at the Dinner-Table
127The Box with the Iron Clamps (Florence Marryat)
58Chapter IV. Not to Be Taken for Granted
128Joseph: A Story (Katherine Rickford)
59Chapter V. To Be Taken in Water
129The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (Charles Dickens)
60Chapter VI. To Be Taken With a Grain of Salt
130The Ghost of Christmas Eve (J. M. Barrie)
61Chapter VII. To Be Taken and Tried
131The Dead Sexton (Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu)
62Chapter VIII. To Be Taken for Life
132Uncle Cornelius His Story (George MacDonald)
63The Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
133The Grave by the Handpost (Thomas Hardy)
64Stave I. Marley's Ghost
134Number Ninety (Bithia Mary Croker)
65Stave II. The First of the Three Spirits
135At Chrighton Abbey (Mary Elizabeth Braddon)
66Stave III. The Second of the Three Spirits
136The Black Bag Left on a Door-Step (Catherine L. Pirkis)
67Stave IV. The Last of the Spirits
137Between the Lights (E. F. Benson)
68Stave V. The End of It
138Transition (Algernon Blackwood)
69The Ghost’s Touch (Fergus Hume)
139The Kit-Bag (Algernon Blackwood)
70Glámr (Sabine Baring-Gould)
The Other ManEdgar Wallace7h 19m$2 · $0.00
The Fighting ScoutsEdgar Wallace4h 46m$2 · $0.00
The Feathered SerpentEdgar Wallace6h 51m$2 · $0.00
The Green ArcherEdgar Wallace13h 44m$2 · $0.00
The Secret HouseEdgar Wallace5h 31m$2 · $0.00
The Last Adventure and Other StoriesEdgar Wallace9h 25m$1 · $0.00
Mr. J. G. Reeder Collection: 5 Mystery Novels & 4 Detective StoriesEdgar Wallace35h 29m$2 · $0.00
Those Folk of BulboroEdgar Wallace8h 58m$2 · $0.00
My Hollywood DiaryEdgar Wallace4h 17m$2 · $0.00
The Keepers of the King's PeaceEdgar Wallace4h 12m$2 · $0.00
The Book of All-PowerEdgar Wallace6h 35m$1 · $0.00
The Terrible PeopleEdgar Wallace8h 34m$2 · $0.00
The Four Just Men (1920)Edgar Wallace9h 49m$2 · $0.00
The Man at the CarltonEdgar Wallace7h 21m$2 · $0.00
Private SelbyEdgar Wallace7h 31m$2 · $0.00
The Road to LondonEdgar Wallace6h 23m$1 · $0.00
The Duke in the SuburbsEdgar Wallace5h 53m$2 · $0.00
The Three Oak MysteryEdgar Wallace7h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Tomb of Ts'inEdgar Wallace6h 52m$2 · $0.00
Der Frosch mit der Maske (Kriminalroman)Edgar Wallace10h 40m$2 · $0.00
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1Daisaku Ikeda7h 46m$12 · $0.00
An Ex to Grind in DeadwoodAnn Charles13h 19m$23
Meddlesome MoneyMildred Abbott8h 21m$20
Hell Divers IX: RadioactiveNicholas Sansbury Smith13h 47m$23
Midnight ShadowsS.E. Smith5h 40m$17
CollateralBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson13h 8m$23
Look TwiceEva Hudson9h 48m$20
The Natchez Burning TrilogyGreg Iles96h 18m$53 · $0.00
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m$20
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Novels & Stories (4 Novels + 56 Short Stories)Arthur Conan Doyle71h 53m$2 · $0.00
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m$8 · $0.00
The Last StrawSharon Sala9h 1m$29 · $0.00
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m$15
Raymond Chandler – Ultimate Mystery CollectionRaymond Chandler82h 8m$2 · $0.00
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m$25
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m$53 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m$17
Will Trent: Books 5–7Karin Slaughter42h$53 · $0.00
No Sin UnpunishedLynDee Walker7h 43m$17
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