Carter Brown's A Corpse for Christmas (1965) isn't your usual Christmas fare--though there is a Santa Claus involved. Because, you see, it looks for all the world like jolly old St. Nicholas is a murderer at a fancy dress party in the days leading up to Christmas. Dean Carroll, dressed up like Robin Hood, wasn't exactly the beloved leader of a band of merry men. In fact jest about everybody at the party had good cause want him out of the way--from Toni, his dishy wife who hated his guts and would inherit a bundle when he was gone to Iris, a delectable little blonde who was his playmate on the side...until someone else caught her eye and Carroll didn't want to stop playing to Janice, Carroll's plump ex-mistress who didn't like being a has-been to Greg who was having a hot affair with Carroll's wife.
So, when the guests decided to play a round of the Murder Game, no one was particularly surprised to find that they had a real live corpse instead...especially when the corpse was Dean Carroll. Enter Lieutenant Al Wheeler--called to the scene of the crime by Greg Tallen who discovered Robin Hood stuffed under a bed like a bag of discarded loot. Tallen also mentions that he and Toni just happened to see Santa Claus waltz out of the bedroom just before they went in for a little of their own brand of fun and games. There's just one problem--no one at the party was dressed like Santa. So who dressed up like St. Nick and gave Carroll a surprise Christmas gift--a shiny new bullet?
Buckle up for a 1960s ride--with swingers and fast-talking cops and a very stereotypical gay costume rental dude thrown in for color. Al Wheeler has more slick one-liners than you know what to do with. Brown does provide a solid mystery which, considering the tough guy style, is pretty fairly clued. A very middle-of-the-road read, but good for an afternoon's entertainment. ★★★
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