Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery is a 2020 thematic collection of short stories by Agatha Christie. The collection was first published by HarperCollins in 2020 in hardcover format as part of HarperCollins' Agatha Christie Hardback Special Edition Collection. Paperback editions were issued by William Morrow around the same time in the US (ISBN 9780063030367) and HarperCollins for UK (ISBN 9780008405489). The book is also available for Kindle, audiobook and Audible. The title is the first of four "seasonal" collections built around the four seasons of the year. In 2023, the Midwinter Murder was reissued with the other three seasonal collections as a box set with the collective title Murder for All Seasons.
As hinted at by the title, the collection features stories set in winter. However not all the stories share this theme. Pollensa Bay and World's End, for example are set in the Mediterranean, although, arguably they are holiday locations where the British go to during the winter. The American edition features Three Blind Mice but in keeping with long-standing tradition, this is not published in the UK editions and Baghdad Chest is included instead. The American edition is also the first collection to include Christmas Adventure for the US market.
Blurb[]
(from publisher's website)
"An all-new collection of winter-themed stories from the Queen of Mystery, just in time for the holidays—including the original version of “Christmas Adventure,” never before released in the United States!
There’s a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter . . . It’s the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fire with these wintry whodunits from the legendary Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This chilling compendium of short stories—some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple—is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect holiday gift for mystery lovers."[1]
List of Short stories[]
- Three Blind Mice (US only)
- The Chocolate Box
- A Christmas Tragedy
- The Coming of Mr Quin
- The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (UK only)
- The Clergyman's Daughter/The Red House
- The Plymouth Express
- Problem at Pollensa Bay
- Sanctuary
- The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
- The World's End
- The Manhood of Edward Robinson
- Christmas Adventure
Publication history[]
- The first UK publication of the short story collection was on 1 October 2020.
- The first US publication of the short story collection was on 20 October 2020.
Audiobook[]
- The 2020 audiobook version is read by actress Fenella Woolgar.