Murder After Christmas (British Library Crime Classics): Rupert Latimer: 96

“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.