Christmas Eve. While the world sleeps, snow falls gently from the sky, presents lie under the tree ... and murder is afoot. In this collection of ten classic murder mysteries by the best crime writers from the 1920s to today, death and mayhem take many festive forms, from the inventive to the unexpected.

From a Santa Claus with a grudge to a cat who knows who killed its owner on Christmas Eve, these are stories to enjoy - and be mystified by - in front of a roaring fire, mince pie in hand.

Contributions by: G K Chesterton, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Margery Allingham, Ellis Peters, John Dickson Carr, Lawrence Block, Julian Symons, Marjorie Bowen, Michael Innes