Dark Christmas Short Stories for Holiday Reading

by MK French

What better way to transition from Halloween reading to Christmas reading than with holiday horror, ghosts, and murder? If aren't quite ready for the Hallmark movie-worthy holiday stories, then these short stories are the perfect solution.  

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A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman

October 2024; Titan Books; 978-1835410691
audio, ebook, print (160 pages); holiday fiction

Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas in Somerset. Little things are off, and cards arrive at the house. Each one gets more and more sinister. Angie remembers a TV show from her childhood called ‘The Cards,’ which had similar events. Though she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast. More and more things turn cruel, and Rust is getting sick. Christmas may not be as much fun as Angie thinks.

Living nearly in the middle of nowhere, Angie and Rust have weathered flooding and power outages before. Rust is interested in the paranormal and has a podcast, so the strange appearance of the cards and Angie's fear of them makes him want to investigate. The cards are addressed to him, and there's no indication of how they arrive daily, even when they get snowed in. The foreboding air is heightened by Angie describing the show she remembers, and we see scenes of it. Rust is not doing well, and the final day approaches with an air of doom.

The family is small and has its quirks, which are fun to read about. People living in Somerset will no doubt recognize the kind of village that features here, and those who love the suspense in horror will understand how quickly the story turns. The finale felt a little rushed for me, but overall I enjoyed the tension and atmosphere. 

Buy The Christmas Ghost Story at Amazon

Death Comes at Christmas edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

October 2024; Titan Books; 978-1803369419
ebook, print (368 pages); Christmas mystery

This collection features eighteen murder mystery stories with Christmas as a seasonal theme. Yes, this is published in October, but let's face it, all things Christmas go on sale earlier and earlier in the year.

We open with a very appropriately titled "How To Commit Murder In A Bookshop," with a murder mystery game being held at a bookshop Christmas party. In "Christmas Yet To Come," we see Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol all grown up and a reformer, with Marley's nephew giving a tour of the poorhouse he had built. The stories bookend time periods, from present to past, and both with crime and with Christmas.

Some of the titles are very clever, like "O Murder Night" or "The Midnight Mass Murderer." The simple-sounding "Christmas Lights" is incredibly sad, and "The Wrong Party" had me laughing out loud by the end of it. The crimes here are usually murder, but there's also theft and deception of all kinds. It's hard for me to pick out a favorite story because they're incredibly layered. Even the incredibly short "Icarus" had me emotionally invested in what would happen next. It's a great collection, especially for those who enjoy crime fiction.

Buy Death Comes at Christmas at Amazon

Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology edited by Ellen Datlow

October 2024; Titan Books; 978-1803363264
audio, ebook, print (448 pages); holiday horror

The winter solstice is often celebrated as a time of joy but is the longest night of the year. As such, it's also a time of ghouls, hauntings, and visitations. This anthology involves the horrific potential of the holiday.

We open with "The Importance of a Tidy Home," which takes place in Salzburg, Austria. A deadly spirit kills those who don't keep their homes clean at the end of the season, no matter what counts as a home. This sets up the bloody supernatural tone, picked up in other tales. Even Santa Claus isn't so kind; who are the actual elves that make his toys? Next, we visit Wales in "His Castle." They have the Mari Llwd tradition, going through town with a dressed-up horse head as the spirit of the season, essentially making a rap battle for goodies. The men who are doing this aren't exactly on the up and up, but the couple renting the Air BNB isn't what they think, either.

The other stories sometimes have its horror offscreen, such as "Dry and Ready," where sculptures need a slip of paper placed into their mouth and prayers said or else. Sometimes memories aren't what the characters think they are, and the lies they tell themselves are sometimes so ingrained it's hard to shake off. I really enjoyed the twist in "The Ghost of Christmases Past," with Laura finally seeing the truth once the twist was revealed. "All The Pretty People" involves Festivus and a circle of friends who aren't as nice to each other as they should be. I was sad by the end, the horror in that story the quiet of vengeance. "No Light, No Light" at first made me think of the Florence and the Machine song, but it involves Ragnarok. Many cultures have concerns with solstices, so we have multiple countries and people represented here. It's a fun collection for those interested in different kinds of horror and people.

Buy Christmas and Other Horrors at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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