You will heard me mention Jolabokoflod, the Icelandic tradition of gifting a book on Christmas Eve for the individual to read as evening comes. My Husband and I started doing this tradition a couple of years back and I loved receiving my gift of ‘Crimson Snow’ published by the British Library Crime classics

My next offering is from the same series and If I’m honest, this is probably a book more suited for New Year. But I wanted to include this in #12booksofchristmas as is it is the perfect book to curl up with on a wintry day and is set only just after Christmas, so I’m including it!

In case you have missed any of the other #12booksofchristmas, I've listed them below.

• Day 1 - Winter Storms by Elin Hildebrand
• Day 2 - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• Day 3 - Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan
• Day 4 - Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves
• Day 5 - Wintering by Katherine May
• Day 6 - The Red Button by Keith Eldred
• Day 7 - Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas
• Day 8 - No Holly for Miss Quinn by Miss Read

The Plot (from the back)

In Bloomsbury, London, Inspector Brook of Scotland Yard looks down on a dismal scene. The victim of a ruthless murderer lies burnt beyond recognition, his possessions and papers destroyed by fire. But there is one strange, yet promising lead - a lead which suggests the involvement of a skier.

Meanwhile piercing sunshine beams down on the sparkling snow of the Austrian Alps, where a merry group of holidaymakers are heading towards Lech am Arlberg. 8 men and 8 women take to the slopes but, as the CID scramble to crack the perplexing case in Britain, the ski party are soon to become 16 suspects.

My Thoughts

Snow, an exotic location, 16 suspects and one murderer - what is there not to love about this excellent crime novel? British Library have a knack of publishing forgotten gems and I have already enjoyed quite a few from this series, including a number of Christmas themed ones.

The novel was first published in 1952, one year after the author went skiing. I loved the glimpse into a post-war Britain and Europe, recovering from world war, dealing with the Iron Curtain, London fogs and rationing. But it is joyful, a group 16 strong and full of life embark on a skiing holiday - think hot chocolate, dancing, evening gowns, sleigh-rides and more snow.

The crime is ingenious and the detective Julian Rivers (his 8th outing) is likeable and extremely astute. I heartily enjoyed this and it is a little gem of a cosy crime, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.

My recommendation for you is to check out the British Library crime series This is an excellent crime novel to read on a cosy Christmas Eve night. It’s brilliant.

I'll be back tomorrow, with not one but two reviews and they are yummy!