Crime at Christmas by C.H.B. Kitchin is a vintage mystery that was first published in 1934. Set at Christmas time the book is set around a house party in Hampstead. When one of the guests is found dead, it is considered as an accidental death, but this becomes difficult to believe when another guest is brutally murdered as well.

What I didn’t know is that this book is the second of four books that feature London stockbroker Malcolm Warren but other than some referrals back to the first book, I didn’t feel as though I had missed anything by starting with the second. The mystery is centered around the family that live at Beresford Lodge, and although Malcolm isn’t the brightest detective that I have read about, he did keep stumbling over past secrets and connections. He certainly seemed more interested in taking naps than in solving the case, but luckily the second death brought the police.

I wouldn’t recommend reading Crime At Christmas as a way to feel festive, but I did find it engaging enough that I wanted to see how it was going to be resolved. I will certainly be reading more from this author in the future. ( )

I think I liked this book so much for the same reason a lot of people didn't like it: the narrator is very delicate and high-strung and takes lots of naps. I'm so sick of these heroic detectives who have a lot of energy and are always interviewing people and hunting for clues. I truly identify with this valetudinary main character. If I were stumbling over bodies and helping to solve crimes, I'd need a lot of rest too. This detective novel is a true original. In my review of the first novel in the series, I speculated that the crime at Christmas might be securities fraud. Well, it's a murder mystery, but there is definitely some insider trading going on. That's not a spoiler because it's the first thing that happens. I can't wait to read the third book, Death of an Uncle! ( )

Malcolm Warren, stockbroker, celebrates Christmas at a grand home in Hampstead with a client's family. By morning, the secretary's mother has fallen to her death onto the balcony of his room. Before Christmas is over, Warren discovers another body. Kitchin's story, written in 1934 is a jewel from the Golden Age. In this one the narrator provides all the clues and his opinions, with the police doing all the detecting in the background. Warren is a personable young man surrounded by a suspicious crowd, all of whom I suspected at some point. With the expected surprise ending this was fun to read. The imagined conversation between the narrator and the reader at the end tied up all loose ends and was inventive if unconventional, but better than some of Hercule Poirot's lengthy explanations.

The witty, scholarly Kitchin was a one-time stockbroker until he inherited a fortune allowing him to concentrate on writing. The atmosphere he creates in his stories is credited to his own eccentric personality.

I enjoyed this book and will look for more by Kitchin. ( )