Mystery in White - A Christmas Crime Story

Dear Sir, I got stuck in a train on Christmas’ Eve. Let Santa Klaus know, and we will all go to that house and get a cup of tea.

Name: Mystery in White - A Christmas Crime Story

Writer: J. Jefferson Farjeon

Country: United Kingdom

Year: 1937

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Synopses

On Christmas’ Eve, an intense blizzard forces a train to interrupt its journey alongside the quiet british village of Hemmersby. Faced with an unknown waiting period, a group of passengers decides to go out and seek refuge, stumbling upon a house that reveals itself a mystery to everyone. To make matters worse, the group has no idea that among them is a killer waiting to come out.

Review

It’s rare for me to choose a book by its cover. I know how much they can deceive you. How many of us have bought a book that had a beautiful cover but the content ended up letting us down? But the fact is that this time I was seduced by this cover. I cannot bring myself up to explain why, but when I saw it on Goodreads it stood out to me. I had never heard of J. Jefferson Farjeon before and that was why I was a bit nervous in adventuring myself into another detective novel that had not been written by Agatha Christie. But I am glad I did it!

Speaking about the dame of crime, one of the aspects that caught my attention in this story was that it started on a train. Who doesn’t know Murder On the Orient Express? As I was reading it, there was another aspect that reminded me of another work from Christie but, instead of making me suspicious, it made me even more eager to reach the end.

Mystery in White tells us the story of a group of people that find themselves ‘stuck’ on a train due to a blizzard, near the village of Hemmersby. The narrative starts a few days before Christmas, making it the perfect book for the Christmas time. Tired of waiting, the characters decide to leave the train and try their luck by walking to the next station, which seems to not be far away. However, the snow gets thicker and the group is forced to take refuge in a house hidden in the middle of the trees, that emits a mysterious aura. There are several leads pointing that something is wrong, but the group still decides to take shelter in it. There is where the plot takes place, and it reminded me several times of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

As we get to know the several characters, we also unravel the mystery that surrounds the house. J. Jefferson’s characters are very different from each other, creating a dynamic and tense group. I really enjoyed this part, as well as the gothic aura that the author chose to wrap around the entire story. The feeling I had as I was reading it was that, at the beginning of the narrative, the lights were on and, as the group left the train, the author turned off the lights and lit up only one candle, making us see only what the candlelight allowed, as the rest got left in the shadows.

As I referred, I didn’t know the author, but I enjoyed his writing style. Without many flourishes, J. Jefferson involves us in the book through the simple and direct way he tells us the events, and how he employs the suspense. Although I consider the plot to be very interesting, I confess that there were moments in which I thought that the character’s dialogues were a bit odd. Still, that didn’t stop me from immersing myself in the mystery and trying to unveil it before the book was over.

To be honest, the only truly negative point was the way the author finished the story. In my opinion, the last chapter was pointless. But the mystery evolving the house and its inhabitants was somewhat exciting and something I didn't see coming. It was a pleasant surprise!

Whisper of the Heart

The detective novel is a literary genre that has always fascinated me. Ever since I was little, every story that had a mystery to solve captivated my attention. However, I never felt adventurous enough to read other works that were not from Agatha Christie. Mystery in White managed to make me take that step, opening up a door to other great mystery writers, and even start a new series! Something that I haven’t done since the Harry Potter saga.

J. Jefferson Farjeon was a british writer, acclaimed for the way he introduced horror in mystery stories. When Mystery in White was published, in 1937, it was a huge success, and the truth is that it still captivates readers today.

Although the book is not an adventure or travel book, I chose to include it in the Ecletic Heart 30 Post Challenge, under the topic “a book where a character goes on a journey”, since all the characters were travelling when the problem that created the whole plot occurred. And believe me: besides feeling that I was on a great trip, I even felt the cold and the Christmas spirit. I suggest it!

Rating - 🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉 (8)