Twelve Deaths of Christmas

...this could not have been an easy book to write. The reader gets to tag along with the unknown "killer among us": In alternating chapters, we get to see into his or her head. It's actually quite a creepy little book in its way, but don't be put off. I would recommend it.

'THE TWELVE DEATHS OF CHRISTMAS' is a short whodunit that takes you into the mind of a maniacal killer. Marian Babson has written a novel that gives the reader the feeling of sitting down with an old Agatha Christie novel or watching a Hitchcock classic. Starting twelve days before Christmas we find the killer slowly loosing their grip on reality and committing one heinous crime after another. As the novel gives us a peak into the killers descent into madness we also get a look at the very eclectic bunch that live in the very same lodging house as our mystery man/woman any of whom could be the killer. As I said, this is a short story, only about 170 pages, so there is no room to get too far in depth into all of the tenants lives, however, I did not find this to be a hinderance to the story at all. Marian Babson keeps the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer up until almost the very last page and takes us on a fun, entertaining and sometimes funny ride while doing so. 'THE TWELVE DEATHS OF CHRISTMAS' is not your average holiday novel but it is definitely a welcome break from the cozy holiday stories out there.

The title of this book gave me the impression that I would be reading a traditional cozy. I was surprised, but nonetheless impressed, that I had stepped into a very grim and suspenseful tale. The setting is in modern day London in the middle of the holiday season. There is a boarding house whose many inhabitants won't be able to make it home for the holidays. Amongst them, there is a deranged lunatic offing members of the general public because s/he has no tolerance for their holiday rush mentality:self-servingness, rudeness, impatience, and anything else that most ppl experience during the busy holiday season. As a result this person has an axe to grind. (A rarity in this read is that the killer's points of view are revealed in every other chapter, which heightens the terror a tad bit more). Don't expect to be overly saturated w/ holiday spirit reading this. The Christmas theme serves as a mere backdrop for the evil that awaits. The pace is rapid and the plot is fairly uncomplicated. I think any true mystery fan will appreciate this one.

Long before Marian Babson turned her attention completely to cats, she wrote outstanding non-cat mysteries and this is one of her very best. Set in an English boarding house, the cast is a diverse blend of Brits and non-Brits who find themselves alone at Christmas and sharing the holiday with fellow housemates. The description of the city's bustling excitement, the frenzied holiday preparations, and the loneliness of those without family is portrayed as a series of bizarre murders plague the area. As brutal and grotesque as those of Jack the Ripper, these crimes have the police puzzled and the tenants on guard. In alternating chapters, the reader is taken into the killer's mind and privvy to what makes this person act. The reader learns everything but the identity of the killer which is, of course, revealed at a lavish and old-fashioned Christmas dinner. Delightfully cozy and filled with yuletide spirit, not to mention 12 malicious murders, this is a holiday treat for mystery fans.

This was one of Marian Babson's better non-cat books. It's a good easy read. I like the details about the house and its guests. I thought the ending was a tad obvious but good overall.