Another Little Christmas Murder by Lorna Nicholl Morgan was first published in 1947 and then it was titled Another Little Murder. It’s a bit cheeky of the new publisher littlebrown to stick in the word ‘Christmas’ as the book has nothing to do with the Christmas season although it is set in a very snowy Swaledale, Yorkshire.
Dilys Hughes is an optimistic young woman, she would have to be given that she drives around in a very unreliable car. She’s a commercial traveller, dealing in ointments and rubbing oils to cure rheumatics and such. She also helps to develop the medicines.
On her journey through Yorkshire the wintry weather gets worse and worse and she ends up stuck in snow. Settling down to wait for a lift from a passing motorist, it isn’t long before one turns up. Inigo Brown is driving to visit his father after receiving a letter from him. His father had recently married Theresa, a much younger woman, and Inigo has yet to meet her.
Inigo invites Dilys to stay at his father’s large remote house, as her car is well and truly stuck in the snow. Almost as soon as they get there various other refugees from the weather turn up needing food and shelter, and Theresa seems happy to cater for them all, but strange things begin to happen and some of the other guests are very odd.
This was enjoyable although at times I had trouble keeping track of all the male characters as they arrived, that was probably my fault though.
I hadn’t heard of Lorna Nicholl Morgan before. Apparently she only wrote four books. She was born in England in 1913 but moved to America in 1954. All four of her books were published in the 1940s and she doesn’t seem to have published any more after emigrating, unless she used another name.
Sounds fun Katrina!
Sandra,
Murder ensues but Inigo and Dilys are great characters and I hope her other books feature them.
I hope we didn’t kill her creativity!
I like the sound of this, in part because the set up is plausible (although these days the rescuer might be more likely to be a murderer than anyone encountered later!).
Holiday-themed books are big business but the publisher has to balance to the likelihood of getting the books into a bookstore or found online with that hook vs. will they attract interest at other times of the year. It was 92 here today so reading about snow sounds appealing. The weather changed so abruptly that I haven’t even removed the electric blanket from my bed, just pushed it out of the way! But I have a three-day weekend coming up, so lots of opportunity to tidy up.
I see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Fife today! I love the rose jumper/sweater Kate is wearing. https://whatkatewore.com/2021/05/26/a-mix-of-styles-for-the-duchess-as-the-cambridges-return-to-st-andrews/#more-71720
Constance,
So many people enjoy reading about murder at Christmas so I can understand the temptation to stick that word in the title.
Thanks for the link, what great photos! They are of course the Earl and Countess of Strathearn when they are in Scotland. It seems that the royals are worried that Scotland will eventually vote for independence, so we’re being love bombed at the moment! Nice to see them back in St Andrews though. That is a lovely pink jumper and much more reasonably priced than the navy and white striped one!
My husband wanted to get this but I think he was interested in the country house / snowbound aspect as much as the supposed Christmas theme. I think we will still give it a try someday.
tracybham,
I also enjoy a remote country house and wintry weather murder location, much more than a Christmas setting. I think you’ll like this one when you get around to it.