P. D. James 经常受报纸和杂志委为圣诞节撰写短篇小说，其中***的四篇被从档案馆抽出来，首次被集结在一起出版。从与书籍同名的故事——关于一个在乡村宅邸举办的令人紧张的派对——到另一个关于一段以谋杀结尾的不正当关系的故事，再加上两个等待侦探Adam Dalgliesh侦破的案子。这些技术精湛、氛围独特的故事都来自公认的“侦探小说女王”。

P. D. James was frequently commissioned by newspapers and magazines to write a short story for Christmas, and four of the best have been drawn from the archives and published here together for the first time. From the title story about a strained country-house Christmas party, to another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, plus two cases for detective Adam Dalgliesh, these are masterfully atmospheric stories by the acknowledged 'Queen of Crime'.