A dysfunctional family reunites for the Christmas holiday from hell in this rediscovered festive classic with fangs for fans of Barbara Pym, Dodie Smith, Nancy Mitford, Elizabeth Taylor and Stella Gibbons. 'Literary comfort and joy. It got me out of mourning for the Cazelet Chronicles.' Meg Mason (author of Sorrow and Bliss) 'A stylish and penetrating comedy of manners. My favourite Christmas book by far - and you can read it all year round.' Rachel Joyce (author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) 'A horribly delicious snapshot of post-war family life, in which tensions ensnare the reader in tinsel-covered barbed wire.' Janice Hallett (author of The Appeal) The fire is on, sherry poured, presents wrapped, and claws are being sharpened. In a seaside cottage perched on a cliff, one family reunites for Christmas. While snow falls, a tyrannical widowed matriarch presides over her unruly brood. Her niece tends to her whims, but fantasises about eloping; and as more guests arrive, each bringing their secret truths and dreams, the Christmas tree explodes, a brawl erupts, an escape occurs - and their 'midwinter madness' climaxes ...

Nothing takes a detective’s mind off Christmas like a murder. Embroiled in a generations-long feud, an oil baron is convinced someone in his family will die soon—and it will probably be him. When blind PI Steve Smiley is called in to find answers, it seems like the perfect opportunity to avoid another bleak Christmas. After a body is discovered in the tycoon’s home, the man is convinced someone’s picking off his family one by one. With the clock ticking and the feuding families closing ranks against Smiley, the wily detective must get creative with his investigation. As he digs deeper, generations of intrigue rise to the surface. Lies and coverups swirl around him like snowflakes. Can Smiley stop the killer before he strikes again, or will this be one case he can’t put a bow on? The seventh book in the popular whodunit Smiley and McBlythe Mystery series, Mistletoe, Malice And Murder will take you on a wild sleigh ride of family secrets, suspects and clues! Like all the books in the series it contains no graphic violence, sexual scenes or foul language. Just a great mystery waiting to be solved!

June 1947- includes the annual report of the Lincoln Library.

Expanded and updated to provide information on the newest popular fiction, this guide to genre fiction covers westerns, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural/horror fiction, and romance. It defines the various genres; analyses their characteristics, grouping authors according to type or subject content; and provides a selective, annotated bibliography of the history and criticism of each genre. New authors are profiled in this edition, and a number of new subgenres, including the ice-age epic and techno-thriller, are outlined.

A guide for understanding popular reading tastes, organized to define each genre and its subgenres.