Greenberg, Lellenberg, Waugh, Editors, Berkley Prime Crime, 1999
This is the third in my series of holiday short story collections. This is the follow-up collection to Holmes for the Holidays, this one containing 11 stories.
Again a strong cast of writers gives us stories of Holmes and Watson in the holiday season. I’m always concerned, when encountering a sequel, second installment or continuation that quality will flag. I liked the initial collection, so I was glad to see a second and the quality here is up to the standard. A slightly different mix of authors and the number of stories is less, but a fine anthology.
Sadly, this appears to be the last of these collections. I wish there was another, or that this had become an annual treat. I’ll have to settle for re-reading both of these very enjoyable collections.
contents:
- Anne Perry “The Christmas Gift”
- Peter Lovesey “The Four Wise Men”
- Barbara Paul “Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson”
- Loren D. Estleman “The Adventure of the Greatest Gift”
- Carolyn Wheat “The Case of the Rajah’s Emerald”
- Edward D. Hoch “The Christmas Conspiracy”
- L.B. Greenwood “The Music of Christmas”
- Bill Crider “The Adventure of the Christmas Bear”
- Jon L. Breen “The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin”
- Daniel Stashower “The Adventure of the Second Violet”
- Tanith Lee “The Human Mystery”
I read this one too. As a Crider completist I looked for all the anthologies he’s appeared in.
Way to go, Jeff!
I’m going to have to dig this one out and read it. Are there any more volumes in this series?
Just these two, George. I’d love to see more, but I doubt it will happen.
Haven’t read any of her fiction, but Carolyn Wheat wrote an interesting how-to manual on novel writing.
This stupid thing cut off my comment!
Anyway, Wheat edited MURDER ON ROUTE 66 and WOMEN BEFORE THE BENCH, both collections worth a look, and Crippen & Landru published her collection TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
As she is a former Brooklyn lawyer I had to read a couple of her Cass Jamison books, as well.
I know she moved to Oklahoma (of all God forsaken spots!) when she left New York, but the latest I’ve seen says she’s in California now.
I have MEAN STREAK here in paperback, think I bought it at a con a long time ago, but have not read it. It may be the first Cass jamison novel.I have read a few of her short stories in collections, perhaps it was the C&L Jeff mentions, as I have that.
Jeff, thanks for the info on Ms. Wheat.
Nice people in Oklahoma, appalling climate.
Rogers & Hammerstein made it sound pretty good, at least in a couple of songs…
Those two must have been drunk off their asses…