Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop : 'tis the season to be deadly : stories of mistletoe and mayhem from 17 masters of suspense /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Each year, for the past seventeen years, Otto Penzler, owner of the legendary Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, has commissioned an original story by a leading mystery writer. The requirements were that it be a mystery/ crime/suspense story, that it be set during the Christmas season, and that at least some of the action must take place in The Mysterious Bookshop. These stories were then produced as pamphlets, 1,000 copies, and given to customers of the bookstore as a Christmas present.

Now, all of these stories have been collected in one volume¿ Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop . Some of the tales are humorous, others suspenseful, and still others mystifying. This charming one-of-a-kind collection is a perfect Christmas gift, appropriate for all ages and tastes.

Contributors include:

Charles Ardai
Lisa Atkinson
George Baxt
Lawrence Block
Mary Higgins Clark
Thomas H. Cook
Ron Goulart
Jeremiah Healy
Edward D. Hoch
Rupert Holmes
Andrew Klavan
Michael Malone
Ed McBain
Anne Perry
S. J. Rozan
Jonathan Santlofer
Donald E. Westlake

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. ix)
• Give Till It Hurts (1993) (p. 1)
• Schemes and Variations (1994) (p. 9)
• The Theft of the Rusty Bookmark (1995) (p. 25)
• Murder for Dummies (1996) (p. 37)
• As Dark as Christmas Gets (1997) (p. 53)
• The Holiday Fairy (1998) (p. 81)
• I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus (1999) (p. 95)
• The Grift of the Magi (2000) (p. 111)
• My Object All Sublime (2001) (p. 119)
• Christmas Spirit (2002) (p. 135)
• The Lesson of the Season (2003) (p. 149)
• Yule Be Sorry (2004) (p. 161)
• The Long Winter's Nap (2005) (p. 171)
• Cold Reading (2006) (p. 189)
• The Killer Christian (2007) (p. 203)
• The 74th Tale (2008) (p. 219)
• What's in a Name? (2009) (p. 231)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

For 17 years, venerable mystery expert Penzler has commissioned top authors to write a holiday mystery story featuring his New York City store, The Mysterious Bookshop. Previously given as exclusive gifts to store clientele, these tales are now anthologized here. Standouts include Edward Hoch's "The Theft of the Rusty Bookmark," which finds a murder weapon in a box of old, unwanted mystery books; Ed McBain's "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus"; and Charles Ardai's "Cold Reading," in which a young woman gets more than she bargained for when she wants to sell a possibly rare manuscript to Penzler. Enthusiastically recommended for mystery and short story buffs. [See the 9/16/10 issue of BookSmack! for a Q&A with Penzler.-Ed.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Even readers who have never visited either location of Penzler's legendary Manhattan bookstore should enjoy these 17 short stories, each of which was originally published as a stand-alone pamphlet and given to faithful Mysterious Bookshop customers. The anthology's best tale, Lawrence Block's "As Dark as Christmas Gets," features the author's hilarious versions of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, eccentric rare fish collector Leo Haig and his leg man, Chip Harrison, who look into the disappearance of an unpublished Cornell Woolrich manuscript. While the many inside jokes will go over the heads of some, all will appreciate such tongue-in-cheek touches as a customer in Ed McBain's "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus" needing reassurance that Janet Evanovich is not yet another Evan Hunter pseudonym. Other contributors include Donald E. Westlake, Mary Higgins Clark, Anne Perry, Thomas H. Cook, and S.J. Rozan. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Every year since 1993, Penzler, founder of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York, has asked a different genre writer to produce a short story to be published and given away as a Christmas gift to customers. The only requirements: the story must be set around the Christmas season, and it must involve the bookshop in its action. This very entertaining anthology contains all of the stories published so far, by such writers as Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block, Anne Perry, Mary Higgins Clark, Andrew Klavan, and Ed McBain. The stories every single one of them are delightful, and there's something for everyone, too: funny stories, serious stories, charming stories, silly stories. Any time writers of this caliber are collected between the same covers, it's a can't-miss opportunity for mystery buffs. Even those who might find the Christmas trappings on the treacly side will enjoy the stories as stories.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Otto Penzler is the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop, the founder of The Mysterious Press, the creator of Otto Penzler Books, and the editor of many books and anthologies. He lives in New York City.