"A war's on and a murder has been committed-and we sit here talking nonsense about almond whirls and mince pies!" Good old Uncle Willie-rich, truculent and seemingly propped up by his fierce willpower alone-has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead in the snow on Boxing Day morning, dressed in his Santa Claus costume and seemingly poisoned by something in the Christmas confectionery. As the police flock to the house, Willie's descendants, past lovers and distant relatives are drawn into a perplexing investigation to find out how the old man met his fate, and who stands to gain by such an unseasonable crime. First published in 1944, Murder After Christmas is a lively riot of murder, mince pies and misdirection, cleverly twisting the tropes of Golden Age detective fiction to create a pacey, light-hearted package admirably suited for the holiday season.

Doc Immelman is alombekend vir sy avontuur- en jagverhale. Erns Grundling noem hom “Namibië se eie Hemingway”. Bloed op die duine en ander verhale is ’n keur uit sy kortverhale wat tussen 1955 en 1963 in Die Huisgenoot en Die Brandwag verskyn het. Die bundel sluit verder die novelle “Koms dans, Klaradyn” in, wat oorspronklik in ’n Seisoen vir Romanse (1966) verskyn het.

Christmas is a mysterious, as well as magical, time of year. Strange things can happen, and this helps to explain the hallowed tradition of telling ghost stories around the fireside as the year draws to a close. Christmas tales of crime and detection have a similar appeal. When television becomes tiresome, and party games pall, the prospect of curling up in the warm with a good mystery is enticing - and much better for the digestion than yet another helping of plum pudding. Crime writers are just as susceptible as readers to the countless attractions of Christmas. Over the years, many distinguished practitioners of the genre have given one or more of their stories a Yuletide setting. The most memorable Christmas mysteries blend a lively storyline with an atmospheric evocation of the season. Getting the mixture right is much harder than it looks.This book introduces readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards' selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans. The result is a collection of crime fiction to savour, whatever the season.