What could be more satisfying than listening to a James murder mystery, written as if James herself were a main character, unless paired with that story were a couple of Adam Dalgliesh tales, too? The title short story features a young woman, conceivably James, spending Christmas at an old family estate with estranged relatives, one of whom is murdered. The authorities are clueless as to the responsible party, while the young woman's powers of observation and deduction lead her to understand the crime. The stories featuring Inspector Dalgliesh find him off-duty yet called upon to solve murders—one as a favor for his godfather and the other as he travels to his Christmas destination. The fourth story features a voyeur with a predilection for pornography who has reason not to disclose that an innocent man is being hanged for a murder. Narrators Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman keep the listener engaged from start to finish.
VERDICT A holiday display including this selection would captivate busy patrons looking for entertainment for family trips. Patrons will enjoy these stories all year long. ["These short tales feature James's clever plotting and witty narration with gratifying conclusions": LJ 10/15/16 review of the Knopf hc.]
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