Series: Vintage Murders

It's only the afternoon, but dusk is already falling and a log fire burning in the grate. Outside, frost coats the tree branches and snow sparkles on the ground. And somewhere in the darkness, a murderer is making plans ... Here are ten classic crime stories for the winter months, from the greatest minds of the mystery genre. So bundle...

The holiday season is here, and for most of us, our minds are on carefree days in the sunshine. But for every trip to the seaside or sultry afternoon on the sun lounger, there's someone who's busy packing a suitcase full of secrets and a motive... for murder. Join ten of the best crime writers in history for the trip...

Christmas is a season of overindulgence. For most of us, that means an extra mince pie, a second helping of turkey, or perhaps a third glass of mulled wine. But for some among us, the festive season is a time to settle old scores, dispatch new enemies and indulge...in murder. Here, ten masters of the genre serve up mystery and...

As the nights draw in and the old year slips away, the haunting season begins. Twigs scrape at windowpanes in the darkness, mysterious footprints are found in the snow, and all sorts of mysteries, monsters, and nastiness are in the offing. Bringing together ten classic tales of mystery, murder, and mayhem from the greatest writers in the genre, Murder by...

It's the height of summer. As the heat shimmers on the streets and ice cream melts onto sticky fingers, tempers begin to rise and old grudges surface. From Cornish beaches to the French Riviera, it's not just a holiday that's on people's minds ... it's murder. In these ten classic stories from writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Cyril Hare...

Midwinter. As snow falls softly outside and frost sparkles on tree branches, it's time to curl up before a roaring fire, wrap your hands around a steaming mug of mulled wine, and forget your worries for now. But as the temperature drops outside, malice is sharpening its claws ... and murder walks abroad. In these classic stories of mystery and...

As the days get longer, escape your troubles and take a trip to the desperately hot towns where nightfall lingers and a sun-drenched picnic can end in panic. No matter how murderously high the temperatures rise, these stories will chill you to the bone. So grab a cool drink and step into the shade ... if you dare. Murder in...

For most of us, a summer holiday is an opportunity to escape from it all: to lounge on warm sands or sip a cool drink in the shade of a city square. But, as the characters in this murderously good collection of classic crime stories discover to their cost... trouble has a nasty habit of finding you out. From a...

It's the middle of summer. On Cornish sea-fronts, happy children grip melting ice-creams. In the south of France, sunlight filters through leaves as families picnic in the shade. And in the fashionable resorts of the Mediterranean, the beautiful people sun themselves on picture-postcard beaches. And in those long, hot summer nights... murder walks abroad. Away from familiar surroundings, and as...

'So great ... it's criminal' - SAGA 'With Cecily Gayford in charge, we are on safe ground' - DAILY MAIL From beneath the beach umbrella, all might seem idyllic - children playing, sunbathers relaxing, ice slowly melting in a cocktail glass. But look a little closer, and all is not as it seems... In these classic crime stories of midsummer...

Not everything that goes bump in the night brings gifts ... As the nights draw in, the veil between worlds thins, and all sorts of ghosts and ghouls come tumbling in. In the shadows, under the bed, in wind-whipped snowy landscapes and in rooms lit by guttering candles, the dead of winter are waiting for us ... and their hearts...

A murderer who materialises in a field of snow, leaving no footprints. Blackmail on Christmas Eve. A missing jewel discovered in a very festive hiding place. A body slumped in a chair on Christmas morning, still listening to carols. The midnight theft of a gift intended for a saint. Crime doesn't take a holiday, so these - and many more...