There’s always a certain allure which comes with a book. Snuggling up on the sofa, being tucked up in bed, potentially a hot chocolate in hand… books are great because you can be enveloped in different worlds and stories. And what better time to do this than Christmas? When combined with the familiar food coma or even just the sheer pleasure of having a week away from work, a book should always be close at hand.
But this brings a secondary question, what is the perfect genre to read?
In recent years, "cosy crime" has particularly skyrocketed in popularity despite being a longstanding genre. In recent years, authors such as Janice Hallett, Richard Osman (whose Thursday Murder Club was first featured as a Goldsboro PREM1ER pick) and Tom Hindle have become increasingly popular. As readers, we seem to gravitate towards the gruesome but also familiar, with themes of jealousy, greed and revenge being a regular occurrence. And this is not to say that this is a bad thing, because what I love about cosy crime is that you know someone is going to die. Inevitably, there’s going to be an investigation, a plot twist and then the shocking reveal. And more often than not, the killer is taken away with little resistance rather than going out with a dramatic bang. It’s this security that makes cosy crime downright brilliant.
At Christmas, we crave comfort and mysteries are comforting. Especially when tied up with themes of family, memory and nostalgia. A perfect example of this is this month’s Crime Collective pick My Grandfather, The Master Detective, which is a heartwarming tale about the bond between Granddaughter and Grandfather - whose mind remains sharp despite his dementia. Together, they weave together stories from locked room murders to missing person cases with references to classic crime authors like Agatha Christie. The Goldsboro team truly hopes you love this read!
On the other hand, readers may look for a gripping thriller that gets your heart racing. In that unplaceable lull between Christmas and New Years, something that excites and intrigues becomes increasingly appealing. Once again, this is all escapism! A time to turn off the mind and indulge in a proper page-gripping read. Especially as more-often-than-not the pathetic fallacy typical of the crime genre matches the harshness of winter. Whether it is mainstays like Murder on the Orient Express, The Woman in White or A Study in Scarlet; there’s just something about a book where white snow turns red…
We have plenty of fantastic cosy crimes or brutal thrillers, here’s some suggestions in-case you’re still looking for your perfect Christmas Crime read:
Kiss Marry Kill by Laura Marshall:
Every romance ends one of three ways. It's kiss, marry - or kill...
The Waterfall by Gareth Rubin:
A story about stories within stories as four interconnected mysteries take the reader through the ages, from Shakespeare’s day to a 19th century Gothic former Priory, to 1920s Venice, and finally to 1940s California.
On July 2, 2022, two criminals set out to rob a jewelry shop in Geneva. But even with a foolproof plan, their "perfect" heist will prove far from uneventful. . .
There Came A-Tapping by Andrea Carter:
Since losing her parents in a car crash as a teen, Allie has struggled to cope. Meeting Rory finally made things easier. She's come to rely on him for almost everything, so when he disappears while filming a documentary in the West of Ireland, she fears she'll come undone. Again.
