The Christmas Stocking Murders
Published on 6. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-80499-507-5 (ISBN)
Description
'Tis the season to solve a mystery... Inspector Frank Gradsby returns in a dazzling crime novel, from the bestselling author of Murder at Holly House.
'Twists galore' Stuart MacBride
'Had me laughing out loud' Yorkshire Life
'First-class' The Times
A case shrouded in secrets.
It's just before Christmas, 1953. Grasby and Juggers are investigating a puzzling murder in the remote village of Uthley's Bay. A fisherman has been found dead on the beach, with a stocking wound tight round his throat.
A festive mystery for one and all.
Hundreds of pairs of stockings, in neat cellophane bags, soon wash up on the shore. A blizzard cuts off Grasby and Juggers from help, and the local innkeeper is murdered. Any remaining Christmas cheer goes up in smoke as the villagers refuse to talk, leaving the two detectives chasing false leads in the snow.
A winter wonderland with no escape.
To make matters worse, Grasby can't stop thinking about stockings. Why does everyone seem to be enjoying strangely high standards of hosiery, even beneath their oilskins? Who is the sinister bespectacled man snooping around their hotel? And how can they solve the murder when everyone in the village is a suspect?
'Twists galore' Stuart MacBride
'Had me laughing out loud' Yorkshire Life
'First-class' The Times
A case shrouded in secrets.
It's just before Christmas, 1953. Grasby and Juggers are investigating a puzzling murder in the remote village of Uthley's Bay. A fisherman has been found dead on the beach, with a stocking wound tight round his throat.
A festive mystery for one and all.
Hundreds of pairs of stockings, in neat cellophane bags, soon wash up on the shore. A blizzard cuts off Grasby and Juggers from help, and the local innkeeper is murdered. Any remaining Christmas cheer goes up in smoke as the villagers refuse to talk, leaving the two detectives chasing false leads in the snow.
A winter wonderland with no escape.
To make matters worse, Grasby can't stop thinking about stockings. Why does everyone seem to be enjoying strangely high standards of hosiery, even beneath their oilskins? Who is the sinister bespectacled man snooping around their hotel? And how can they solve the murder when everyone in the village is a suspect?
Reviews / Votes
''Wonderfully irreverent, warm and funny, with twists galore.' * Stuart MacBride * Denzil Meyrick, revelling in fond and foolish nostalgia, has once again produced a tale of first-class nonsense. * The Times * Unabashed comedy...Not many new novels have me laughing aloud these days, but this one did, time and again. * The Scotsman * Darkly comic and engaging, this is a Christmas cracker you simply won't want to put down. * Woman's Weekly * A laugh-out-loud must for the Christmas stocking for any mystery fan in your life. * Irish Independent * Grasby and Juggers are a tremendous pairing who display Denzil Meyrick's comic talents to the full in this immensely enjoyable Christmas caper set in a wintry Yorkshire seaside town. Scratching below the surface, there is again much to be found that reflects not only on the 1950s, but on our own time. Highly recommended. * S. J. MacLean * Outlandish and unpredictable, yet anyone who knows the Yorkshire coast will find it hilarious and all too plausible. * Antony Johnston * I loved the humour and ambiance of this book. Definitely one to read over the festive holidays. * Faith Martin * An authentic vintage crime laced with dark humour. Frank Grasby is an instant classic detective. Unmissable. * Michael Wood * Fun, funny, gory, and great. * Daily Express *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
258 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80499-507-5 (9781804995075)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Denzil Meyrick
The Christmas Stocking Murders
The perfect stocking filler, a gripping new Christmas crime novel from the No.1 bestselling author of Murder at Holly House
E-Book
11/2024
Transworld Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Denzil Meyrick was from Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula in Argyll. After studying politics, he enjoyed a varied career as a police officer, distillery manager, a director of several companies, and an executive producer of a major TV adaptation of his books. Regarded as 'One of Scotland's finest writers' (SWH), he was the No.1 New York Times bestselling author of the DCI Daley series, and the Detective Frank Grasby mysteries, including the Waterstones Thriller of the Month pick, Murder at Holly House.
Denzil died peacefully at his home beside Loch Lomond in Scotland, in February 2025. For more information about his books, visit his website: www.denzilmeyrick.com
Denzil died peacefully at his home beside Loch Lomond in Scotland, in February 2025. For more information about his books, visit his website: www.denzilmeyrick.com