Thursday, December 30, 2021

Christmas on the Block

 Christmas is finally, really over here at the Block. We returned from a visit to my parents in Wabash, loaded with the last of the Christmas presents. Well...I say that, but I do have some Christmas cash and a bookstore Christmas gift card to spend. So, maybe Christmas isn't finished after all. But--the actual gift-opening part is finished and here are the (primarily) bookish goodies that have been added to the Hankins family.

Up first (in order of opening), a Secret Santa gift from Michelle's True Book Addict Bookish Secret Santa exchange. It truly is from a Secret Santa--no name was attached to the gift and so far no one from the group has fessed up. But they certainly did provide a delightful surprise:


The Great Hotel Murder by Vincent Starrett (a lovely reprint of a classic Golden Age mystery)--as well as a jigsaw puzzle and Godiva chocolates.

Next on the list, books from my husband on Christmas day:


Murder in Mink by Robert George Dean (Superior Reprints edition)
Mysterious Invitation by Bernice Bloom (2021 mystery)
Ghost Finders by Adam McOmber (2021 historical paranormal mystery)
The Mardi Gras Murders by Gwen Bristow & Bruce Manning (The Mystery League)
The Lonesome Badger/Sound an Alarm/Murder Will Out by Frank Gruber/Genevieve Holden/Roy Vickers (3-in-1 Detective Club edition)
The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson (Pocket Books #156)
The Case of the Dead Shepherd by Christopher Bush (Dean Street Press reprint)
A Surprise for Christmas by Martin Edwards, ed. (reprint of vintage short stories)
Inquest by Henrietta Clandon (Dean Street Press reprint)
Cause for Alarm by Eric Ambler (Penguin Books #511)
Murder at Midnight by R. A. J. Walling (Avon Books #16)
Dead of Night by Stewart Sterling (Dell Mapback #583)
Within the Vault by Lee Thayer (Dodd, Mead, & Co; 1st edition)
A Corpse for Breakfast by Max Murray (vintage edition)
The Purple Onion Mystery by H. (Harriette) Ashbrook (Penguin Books #626)

Also on Christmas day, two 3-in-1 Detective Book Club editions (and a Star Trek puzzle) from my son:


The Case of the Hesitant Hostess/Murder by the Day/The Fence by Erle Stanley Gardner/Veronica Parker Johns/Hugh Lawrence Nelson
Out of Control/Too Many Suspects/An Eye for an Eye by Baynard Kendrick/John Rhode/Oliver Weld Bayer

From my Golden Age Detective Secret Santa. The customs paperwork made it impossible for this Secret Santa to remain anonymous:


Unreasonable Doubt by Elizabeth Ferrars
The Lake District Murders by John Rhode
Post Mortem by Guy Cullingford


And Christmas presents from Mom & Dad--a puzzle, a small beaver figure, Star Trek calendar, and an Irish music CD--as well as two books:


The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (2021 mystery)
Murder on the Way! by Theodore Rosco (Bold Venture reprint)

Lots of good reading ahead--thanks to all the Santas in my life, both secret and known.

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