December '22 BOTM Review

Our BOTM for December of 2022 was – Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries. Here’s what we thought about it!

Our themes for the month were: winter, mystery and in general, the holidays. This book is an anthology. Our favourite stories were:

• The Blue Carbuncle. This was a classic tale of winter mystery told by one of the most esteemed names in the genre of mystery and suspense! Additionally, the reader will gauge a strong sense of satisfaction from the ending.

• A Happy Solution. This story executed a mysterious storyline through strategy and employed the factor of timing in the plot! Readers (especially chess-players) will find this short story entertaining as it doesn’t stray from the facts but provides a puzzle!

• The Unknown Murderer. For readers searching for a darker genre of mystery, this one is for you! This short story features classic murder mystery elements that will put you on edge and give you the heebie-jeebies.

• The Necklace of Pearls. This short story was fun, quick, and a cute story to settle down to in the holiday season. Readers will find this story both light and engaging and also find an equal balance of comedy and mystery.

• Waxworks. Waxworks is another story on the creepier end of the spectrum. Readers will be instantly drawn in and have a fun time flipping through the pages in this gripping mystery!

We’re rating this BOTM based on 6 criteria, on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the worst, 5 being the best).

• Character development: ★★☆☆☆

  • Due to this being an anthology of short stories, there is little character development to be observed.
    

• Pacing: ★★★★☆

  • Most works featured in this collection have the perfect pacing for short stories! Readers will be drawn in and have a fun time unravelling the mysteries as they flip the pages. While there are a few exceptions, pacing throughout can be called excellent.
    

• Plot: ★★★★☆

  • Readers may be pleasantly surprised by how engaging each mini plot is. Each story has a unique and exciting plot which suits the story and purpose well. Every story features classic aspects of an effective story arch and overall the anthology is quite gripping.
    

• Coherence: ★★★☆☆

  • Some stories may be harder to read due to older text while others appear slightly convoluted. The anthology is not so difficult to read that the joy is robbed from it, however some stories may be harder to understand than others due to odd wording or strange phrasing.
    

• Enjoyability: ★★★☆☆

  • Whilst this anthology had a nicely congruent collection of stories, most of the enjoyability came from solving out the mysteries in the context of the genre rather than in the context of the holidays/ Winter. There are better anthologies that focus more accurately on one theme or the other.
    

• Bonus criteria based on the month: Suspense/Mystery: ★★★★☆

  • The anthology provided the amount of suspense and mystery we were hoping for! New sets of suspects, setting, and other classic elements of mystery can be observed in each short story. Fans of mystery will enjoy this book thoroughly!

Finally, we rate this book a 3.3 on the Booksify scale!

We hope you enjoyed this book, let us know your opinions in the comments!

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2022 is coming to a close, but Booksify is just beginning! Enjoy your New Year and get ready for our January ‘23 BOTM!

Our BOTM for January is… Winter Roses after Fall!

Let this book be the first on your list for your resolution to read more books because it’s New Year’s! An emotional and inspiring collection of poetry, Winter Roses after Fall is sure to cause introspection and deep thinking from its readers.