Synopsis:

'The horror on the train, great though it may turn out to be, will not compare with the horror that exists here, in this house.' On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings a train to a halt near the village of Hemmersby. Several passengers take shelter in a deserted country house, where the fire has been lit and the table laid for tea - but no one is at home. Trapped together for Christmas, the passengers are seeking to unravel the secrets of the empty house when a murderer strikes in their midst.

Christmas RABCK to Plum-crazy. Enjoy & Happy Christmas!

Many thanks for this & the cute snowman bookmark ....& I truly love the pen - I can jingle while I write :o)

I wish you a very merry Christmas & every happiness for 2015 x

I do love a ghost story at Christmas although I didn't actually start it until Boxing Day that's near enough for me. :o)

So in a nutshell, it's Christmas Eve and a group of people are stranded on a train after heavy snow, & these include an elderly bore, a psychic, a brother and sister, a young office clerk and a chorus girl, all of which are brought to life quite well.

A decision is made by the group to leave the train & strike out to find shelter but when at last they happen upon a house, they find the door unlocked & nobody home. Strangely a fire is burning in the hearth & the table is laid for tea & more sinisterly, a knife is found on the kitchen floor..... oh, there's also a mysterious portrait on the stairs of the sort that one expects to have moving eyes!

As the uninvited guests decide to make themselves at home for the night, one of the party mentions a body in the next carriage on the train....& a body outside in the snow....cue much deliberation as to the course of events. As further guests arrive, the story should start to become clear as things begin to get explained but in all honesty I found it got a bit confusing! A lot seemed to rely on the acceptance of the word of the psychic rather than actual proof & I would have liked more ghostly goings-on.

Even if it wasn't as spooky as I might have liked I particularly enjoyed how atmospheric it was (it would make a great film!) & it was interesting to see how the group interacted socially, I'm sure a group of similar characters in this day & age would behave in a completely different manner. All-in-all an enjoyable read that fans of Agatha Christie & cosy mysteries would find agreeable. There's nothing to dislike about it & my only criticism being that I found it confusing in parts but perhaps that would be cured by a second read through.

Thank you so much Anne-Elliott for making this available, I'll probably save it now until the "Christmas in July" Challenge runs again :o)

Sent off to a winner in my CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY RABCK

Released as part of the CHRISTMAS IN JULY Challenge (#9)

Thank You!!
I'm sure I'll enjoy this when I get to it, and thanks too for my Christmas (in July) card :-)

An enjoyable read, interesting to compare the 1930's to modern times.

This is now on its way to the winner of the Tea & Mystery Sweeps, I saw this on your wishlist, hope you enjoy it :-)

So excited now. Can't wait for next month when I can read this. Thanks also for the lovely selection of teas, the chocolate and the Christmas Card (not opened yet). Still can't quite believe how lucky I am to win all these books.

Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon - Good

I had intended to read my tea and mystery sweepstakes winnings in the order I received them, and this was number 6 but as it is a Christmas mystery it just had to be read next.

Another vintage (published in 1937) crime story from the British Library Crime Classics, initially it looks like a classic "country house murder" ie a closed circle of suspects. It also looks, from the outset and cover, to be another 'Murder on the Orient Express', but all these things are misleading.

Whilst superficially it looks like a classic in the style of Agatha Christie, this turns out to be a very different read but enjoyable nonetheless. I received another by this author in the sweep and shall look forward to seeing how that one turns out.ng the conversation of a terrible bore and now face who knows how long with him. Then one of them decides to make a break for it, cross country through the snow, to try and reach the village or the other station on the branch line.

He hasn't been gone long when the next three decide that the snow is a better option and start to follow his footsteps. After many trials and tribulations they reach the safety of a house. Strangely, the door is open, the fires lit, the tea table set..... and no sign of anyone in the house.

There's definitely a ghost story, paranormal vibe from here on as various people 'feel' sensations when touching objects or pieces of furniture. The murder, when it comes, leaves them all wary, untrusting of each other and of the additional strangers that arrive at the house who are then embroiled in the mix.

Whilst superficially it looks like a classic in the style of Agatha Christie, this turns out to be a very different read but enjoyable nonetheless. I received another by this author in the sweep and shall look forward to seeing how that one turns out.

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