Hello everyone! It’s the Holiday season (the big long holiday season from Halloween to New Year’s that starts around the 4th of July).
As always, I am charge of putting together this year’s CrimeReads Holiday Gift Guide, and I am positively chuffed. Shopping for cute mystery-ish items to curate this list is one of the highlights of my work-year.
Most of the items on this list are not books, but I put a few on anyway, because I wanted to.
Like always, I’m trying to spotlight things that might not be so obvious. As I say every year, you all probably know about the charming selection of mystery paraphernalia from Out of Print, as well as the impressive graphic work done by Litographs, so I’m not going to include those things. I’ve curated a selection of items with intent to spotlight small businesses, as well as items made in the USA, and products that are cruelty-free and made from environmentally-responsible materials. For example, all the candles we list are Soy, because they burn cleanly without a carbon footprint.
In case you were wondering, no, we do not get commissions for featuring any of these things; this is simply a list of stuff I like and hope you will also like.
And remember, PLEASE don’t shop on Amazon! Help keep small businesses afloat. Shop in person whenever you can!
And check out our list from last year and the one before, for more ideas!
Here we go!
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Home
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Columbo Pillow (Mikey of the 80s on Redbubble)
I laughed out loud (with JOY) when I beheld this pillow spangled with the Columbo title image and this photo of Peter Falk. Imagine this in your living room or study and tell me it wouldn’t delight you every day.
The Folio Society Special Edition: Faceless Killers (The Folio Society)
Since 1947, The Folio Society has specialized in producing meticulous, stunning special-editions of significant books. They commission original artwork from the world’s greatest artists, organize introductions and other appendices from experts, and design volumes and slipcases from special and traditional materials. I’m truly obsessed, and I’m slowly getting everyone around me obsessed too. This edition of Henning Menkell’s first Wallander book, Faceless Killers, was illustrated by Morgan Schweitzer, translated by Steven T. Murray, and features a gorgeous slipcase and intro from Patti Smith… yes, that Patti Smith.
“The Orient Express” Lego Set (Lego)
You’d think I’d put this under the “Children’s” section, but no, this Lego is clearly for adults too. It’s The Orient Express! As in, the one from the murder! Look at this gorgeous thing. And all the tiny murder suspects!
“Moriarty’s Mind Games”-scented Candle (Frostbeard)
Frostbeard Candle Co, makers of the famous “Sherlock’s Study” candle, have expanded their Sherlock Holmes collection by adding a Moriarty candle! Get both and place them next to each other.
The Folio Society Limited Edition: The Moonstone (The Folio Society)
Okay, okay just one more Folio Society thing! They’ve released a limited edition of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. There are only 750 numbered copies, featuring a new introduction by the great Val McDermid and new illustrations Juan Esteban Rodríguez. And every edition is signed by both!
French Mildred Pierce poster (VintagePosterStash on Etsy)
Light up a wall in your home, or your roadside restaurant, with this reprint of the bright French poster for Mildred Pierce (1945).
Packable Camp Chair (Parks Project)
There are few things more pleasurable than walking out into a patch of green in a park, or hiking to a picturesque spot in the woods, or finding the ideal place in the sand at the beach, and kicking back with a book. You’ll need a portable chair to make that happen seamlessly. I recommend the Packable Camp Chair from Parks Project, because it’s comfortable, easily stowable and carryable, AND because proceeds go to fund repair and projects in National Parks.
American Mystery Classics (Penzler Publishers)
Has someone in your life run out of mysteries to read? Introduce them to the American Mystery Classics collection, which republishes old, classic, forgotten, and/or out-of-print mysteries from the Golden Age. And you can start with this new re-release introduced by Knives Out and Poker Face writer-director Rian Johnson.
Tony Soprano “Dads Who Are Trying” drinking glass (SuperYaki)
The movie apparel company SuperYaki has a series called “Dads Who Are Trying,” spotlighting the men in movies and TV who are doing their very best for their families even when outside forces conspire against them to alarming degrees. There are a few disgruntled, exhausted patriarchs in the collection, but we suggest you add Tony to your Sunday dinner table.
“Thriller” scented Car Air Freshener (A24 x Joya)
The indie film distributor A24 has teamed up with Brooklyn-based candle company Joya to produce these “genre” scented car air fresheners. They’ve got “thriller,” “noir,” “adventure,” and many more. Hop into your getaway car… and smell like it!
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, ed. Jordan Peele (Bookshop)
This monumental collection features stories by: Erin E. Adams, Violet Allen, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Justin C. Key, L. D. Lewis, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nicole D. Sconiers, Rion Amilcar Scott, Terence Taylor, and Cadwell Turnbull. So, yeah, you’ll want to pick this one up.
Clue card stickers (Mikey of the 80s on Redbubble)
Adorn your computer, water bottle, WALL, with these adorable Clue card stickers. There are quite a few characters!
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Games and Entertainment
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Murder Mystery at the Manor game (Anthropologie)
Last year, I included the version of this game that takes place “On the Night Train.” And the year before that, I included the version of this game that takes place “At the Theater.” The point of the game is for you to actually host your own full murder mystery party, and now you can host a THIRD one!
Ocean’s Eleven Vinyl Soundtrack (Mondo)
Mondo, the design company that collaborates with film studios to put out special-edition LPs, is releasing a special edition of David Holmes’s snazzy, snappy Ocean’s Eleven soundtrack.
John le Carré’s London map (Herb Lester and Associates)
This clever, well-researched map is a guide to the London of John le Carré’s books: particularly the haunts of one George Smiley.
Vintage Bookshelf Edition Clue Game (Anthropologie)
Every year, Anthropologie releases a different version of this Clue Game that looks like a book. This year, it’s pink! They also have Mystery Date, if you’re in the mood to solve a VERY low-stakes, old-fashioned mystery: which guy are you going to go out with?
The World of Hercule Poirot 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (Bookshop)
There’s no way to prove you’re as smart as Hercule Poirot other than to solve a 1000-piece puzzle with Poirot in it! There’s a general Agatha Christie one too, for when you need to move onto your second case!
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Original Vinyl Soundtrack (Mondo)
Mondo has released all of the Mission Impossible soundtracks in beautiful matching versions. This newest film, scored by veteran Lorne Balfe, is one of the franchise’s best in a while. And look at those gorgeous vinyl discs!
Blast of Silence Criterion Collection Blu-Ray (Bookshop)
The reality is, I can’t list Criterion Collection releases on this list; there are so many relevant ones, we’d be here all day. I also feel like enough people know about Criterion to include it on their holiday shopping rounds. That being said, you might not know that Criterion is releasing the classic-but-obscure Christmas-set noir Blast of Silence in time for the holidays, this year. Get it on Blu-Ray so your loved one can see it in the best format possible. Besides, with the way things are going, we need as much physical media distribution as we can get!
Murdle puzzle books (Booksop)
Do you like puzzles and brain-teasers? Does your parent play the Wordle every day? Well, if you or your loved one enjoys that stuff and likes a good mystery, grab the Murdle Puzzle collections from St. Martins Press. Each volume boasts ” 100 Elementary to Impossible Mysteries to Solve Using Logic, Skill, and the Power of Deduction.” And if that isn’t enough for ya, G.T. Karber puts a puzzle per day online at good ol’ murdle.com.
“Clue Conspiracy” Mystery Game (Target)
Judging by their Instagram (seriously, go look), the Clue division at Hasbro has been long looking for a way to update their game. And one of the ways they decided to do it was to release a sequel game: Clue Conspiracy.
Glass Onion Vinyl Soundtrack (Mondo)
We thought you should know that Mondo has released a beautiful edition of the Glass Onion score. Rian Johnson’s brother, the composer Nathan Johnson, composed it! (He also did the score to Knives Out, which Mondo also released, if you’re looking to gift a twofer.)
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Clothes + Accessories
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CrimeReads tote (CrimeReads)
First things first! If you’re reading this, we can assume that you, or a loved one, or an enemy, reads CrimeReads. Very recently, we launched our brand-new, signature “Well, Here’s to Crime” tote bag, which you can only get through our membership program. Sign up and get a CrimeReads tote to gift (or keep for yourself), plus a whole lot of other stuff.
Poker Face t-shirt (ShirtsMuseum on Etsy)
This holiday season, I hope you and your loved ones take a moment to give thanks to our lord and savior Charlie Cale, her performer Natasha Lyonne, and creator Rian Johnson. A t-shirt is a good start.
The Nice Guys pin set (PattiLapel)
PattiLapel makes the best movie accessories out there, and their collection of enamel pins is to die for. I think the best one might be this pair of Holland March and Jackson Healy pins, but a close second is this Knives Out Thrombey family portrait. Or this one of H.I. McDunnough’s mugshot from Raising Arizona.
Ace in the Hole t-shirt (Linubidix on Redbubble)
It is not every day that you see a shirt bearing the title card of Billy Wilder’s 1951 crime drama about an overly ambitious and unscrupulous journalist! Not every day!
Lingua Franca Custom Embroidered Sweater (Lingua Franca)
Do you know about Lingua Franca, the NYC-based company that does custom embroidery on cashmere sweaters and other garments? All the embroidery work is done by artists in NYC, and their products are made in the USA and sourced responsibly. Get yourself a custom sweater or sweatshirt that says the title of your loved one’s favorite book (or the title of the book that your loved one has written!!!!). Or, grab one of these garments with awesome messages already sewn onto them: especially one protesting book banning.
Columbo Italian Poster t-shirt (Mikey of the 80s on Redbubble)
This marvelous shirt has an Italian poster for a Columbo episode on it, which is incredible. What’s more incredible is that there are numerous varieties: other Italian ones, like this, and a Japanese Columbo poster t-shirt
The Nice Guys Agency t-shirt (SuperYaki)
They’ve done it again! Those brilliant folks at SuperYaki have just released a Nice Guys collection. They have shirts and hats and stuff. Support Holland & March! Get some Worst Detectives merch for your loved ones.
Only Murders in the Building: Brazzos baseball cap (EvilwaterOriginals on Etsy)
One of the funniest recurring bits on Only Murders in the Building is that Steve Martin’s character Charles Hayden Savage was once the star of a long-running, Kojack-style detective show called Brazzos. I want to watch that show more than I want to watch any other imaginary show (obviously besides the Broadway musical Death Rattle Dazzle from Season Three).
Pam Grier t-shirt (Girls On Tops)
Girls on Tops is a female-led company that celebrates “women in film”: directors, writers, actors, and other storytellers. Proceeds go towards the Girls On Tops online magazine, which publishes thoughtful ilm criticism. Readers of this site tend to love with Pam Grier, so I suggested this one, but there are tons of amazing names to chose from (and some with cute accompanying designs), like the great editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the actors Tilda Swinton and Laura Dern, and the directors Kathryn Bigelow and Haifaa Al Mansour.
Midnight Run cap (PattiLapel)
I got this one for myself. I’m going to wear it the next time I take a plane. Real ones know why.
Sorcerer t-shirt (Linubidix on Redbubble)
Give the great William Friedkin his due with this shirt commemorating Sorcerer, his overlooked 1977 thriller masterpiece.
Down by Law t-shirt (CultofCult)
Look, it’s not every day you get a chance to own a Down by Law t-shirt. Give the Jim Jarmusch fan in your life a gift they won’t expect but will assuredly adore. Personally, I love Cult of Cult’s t-shirts, which are all printed in the USA (in Wyoming) on USA-made shirts.
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Children
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My First Yakuza Movie (‘Lil Cinephile)
The geniuses at Cinephile are at it again: they’ve released Volume 2 of their “‘Lil Cinephile” series. Last year, in Volume 1, they gave us board books called My First Giallo Horror, My First French New Wave, and My First Film Noir. In Volume 2, you have: My First Spaghetti Western, My First Hollywood Musial, and… get this… My First Yakuza Movie. This is such a brilliant and fun idea, executed in the most delightful way possible. Bravo!
