Staff list

A search for “detective and mystery fiction” related to the major winter holidays brings up more than 250 titles in our catalog (more if you include books for teens and children). Why? Lisa Unger points to our fascination with “the shadow of a beautiful thing, the hidden layers beneath all that glitters and shines.” Tod Goldberg cites the hell-is-other-people aspect: “After eight nights with family, almost any exit seems appealing, even those from this life.” Comedian Benjamin Stevenson (speaking through his alter ego Ernest Cunningham) reminds us that it can be as simple as authors wanting a “little yuletide cash grab,” namechecking the 1893 Sherlock Holmes story “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” (see below) as an early example. Here are some of my favorite titles for this time of year.