Here we are, Christmas Day! If you’ve followed along with the Advent of Mystery this long, thank you. It’s kind of crazy to think that what started as a one-off stretch challenge has become an annual tradition for the blog—a project I now look forward to wrapping up as much as I do starting. And this year has been one of my favorites, because I found books that balance murder and festivity just right.
What Was Under the Tree
Before the rest of my reflections, a quick recap of what we read this year:
- There was the more standard TCO fare—the cozy mysteries:
- An Unfortunate Christmas Murder (Dinner Lady Detectives)
- The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder (Nosey Parker Mysteries)
- Then the festive thrillers, all somehow luxury-vacation-themed:
- Then the more traditional references:
- And two advent calendars:
(You can find the full list of book reviews from this year below!)
Advents in the Advent of Mystery
Before we do a broader recap, I wanted to check back in with the two advent calendars. Both ended with a little bit of a puzzle and a plot twist. Murder by Christmas was perhaps the more different on the puzzle front, coming up with a pretty clever construction. (Though I wish the printing format on the puzzle had been a bit different—it made the solution a bit tricky to actually get to.) Merry Murdle was more about the plot twist, with an added layer of mechanical complexity to the puzzle. But ultimately, still a Murdle, same as before.
Zooming out a bit, this was my first time doing any kind of puzzle advent calendar. And these two were actually two of four advent calendars I tried this year, plus the daily blog post for Advent of Mystery. What I’ve learned is: there is such a thing as too many Advent calendars. It’s a bit of a champagne problem, but solving two puzzles, eating a chocolate, drinking a new tea, and writing a blog post each night was perhaps one or two activities too many—especially with the added hustle and bustle of the holiday season. If there’s something intriguing on this front next year, I’ll consider it, but I’ll try to be a little more selective with the daily activities.
More Than Tinsel
Taking a further step back, I feel like I’m honing in more precisely on what makes a story feel truly festive. For me, it’s not enough for a story to have the right trappings. Just because a story is set over Christmas, features lots of trees or presents or ornaments, or otherwise has the appearance of the festive season doesn’t make it a good holiday tale. Not everything that looks festive ends up being a gift worth keeping.
Because those aesthetics don’t, to me, capture the spirit of the holiday. In fact, sometimes they belie an author who thinks they’ve done something really clever by juxtaposing a Dark Story with Bright Holiday Aesthetics. And maybe it feels interesting the first few times you read such a story, but after the fifth or sixth thriller with Christmas paint, it starts to feel a bit trite.
Note that this “spirit” requirement feels a bit different from other holidays. It’s easy enough to churn out a passable Easter or St. Patrick’s Day mystery that doesn’t have something specific to say about the human spirit. And I don’t need a Fourth of July mystery to somehow tie the story to revolutionary ideals. But the holiday spirit is very specific, and without it, stories feel a bit empty.
Because, yes, the winter is cold and dark—and the magic of the holidays is in how communities come together to celebrate each other in spite of their pain. That, to me, will always be the stronger story than one replete with cynicism. Note that this doesn’t mean Christmas thrillers can’t be festive—they just have to have a point beyond shock value. Does the tension and death help establish community values and festive spirit? Is it about triumph over adversity, or is it just interested in punishment? Our best Christmas stories show how the holidays engender generosity and kindness, and in a harsh world, that feels like the harder thing than mere blood, guts, or gore.
Old Traditions, Rewrapped
That actually brings us to the many festive reads celebrating some holiday tradition or another this year. Last year, I noticed that I preferred reads that were part of an established series, as they were better able to tell a story that felt festive while still having a reasonable mystery. Stories that reference existing literary or historical traditions seem to have some of those same continuity benefits.
But unlike simple cozy mysteries, they feel grounded in a more expansive tradition that captures the scope of the holiday season. It’s hard to read about an Austen or Scrooge Christmas without connecting their celebrations with modern ones. Reading these stories is a great reminder of universal holiday values—and a tour through what’s changed.
This year, I find myself appreciating both aspects of holiday traditions, in no small part because I’ve been a bit more intentional about which of my own traditions to keep. Some, like baking a huge pile of Christmas cookies with my best friend, are keepers that allow me to be more broadly generous and welcoming. Some, like an isolated gift-giving event, felt a little out of spirit; dropping these has really helped decrease my holiday overwhelm. And a third group has evolved with the times, like the new editions of carol books our family printed and customized to our house’s ways of singing. All of these choices have helped me have a holiday season that feels more intentional, more generous, more warm, and more festive.
The Last Knot
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Advent of Mystery started off as a bit of a goofy challenge and has evolved into a fond—if slightly stress-inducing—tradition. And it’s because of readers like you that it feels worth it. I hope my holiday musings have been worth the time. Thank you for unwrapping it with me.
As the year draws to a close, I’ll be shifting to a more reflective mode. Expect favorites and roundups soon. Until then, stay cozy, stay curious, and a very Happy Holidays from the Owlet’s nest!
