I thought I'd see if I could include a winter or holiday mystery with the fiction postings this month. Today it is a book by Martin Edwards: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife. Several people have been invited to a 'retreat' in a remote area of England. There are almost as many 'staff' as guests. What do they all have in common? There is some connection to the literary world: an author, a publisher, an agent, a critic. They have been invited to solve a puzzle, the prize is a lot of money. You, as the reader, are also given the necessary clues to solve the mystery. It's Christmas, they are snowed in, there is no contact with the outside world and no chance of leaving. Then bodies start to pile up. Just who is everyone, and why are they there? Rather traditional, in the old style (see the Cluefinder chapter at the end), a nice read.

Things are coming to a head in book 7 of the Dales Detective series by Julia Chapman, Death with Betrayal. Samson is working on several cases in his detective business, refusing to be stopped by a death threat. Delilah, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how to protect him. One of the problems for her is, who can she trust? This leads to a great story! Lots of twists and turns, ideas good and bad, and the coming together of a wonderful community. (I wondered if the author used a flow chart or spread sheet to keep everyone straight)! I managed to figure out one wee bit. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog