Book review : The Theft Before Christmas by Cheryl Bolen

The Theft Before Christmas
The Regent Mysteries book #3
by Cheryl Bolen
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery-romance #Regency-novella

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Real rating 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

Short story that combines mystery and romance in the Regency era.
I chose it as a read because I love this mix and the time of year it is set in is Christmas.

__PLOT IN SHORT __ Christmastide. Regency England.
Captain Dryden and his wife Lady Daphne are held in high regard by the Prince Regent, as they helped foil dangerous plans against the country and the crown.
Just as they are preparing to go and spend Christmas with her aristocratic family, they are called by her highness.
A famous statuette given to him by the King of Spain has disappeared and it is important to find it in time for the King's visit, to avoid a political clash.

Meanwhile, a friend of the captain and a young aristocratic girl under the protection of Lady Daphne remain alone and without a chaperone waiting for the Dryden couple. United by concern for their friends, they discover that they are very attracted to each other.
______________

This Christmas novella is book #3 in a series of mystery-romance novels ( THE REGENT MYSTERIES ), but the good news is that it can be read as a standalone, in fact the author has fully managed to illustrate to the reader the situation regarding the bonds between the various characters, their way of being/their way of think and how they got to where they are in the book.

The bad news however is that being a short story it should have focused more on one of the 2 themes and less on the other.
---> Let me explain better:

In a 230/300 page novel the author has plenty of time to develop a romantic bond between 2 characters and develop an intricate and well thought out mystery that keeps the reader on their toes.

Since the novella is much shorter than the novel, considering that a part of the pages must be dedicated to introducing the characters and situations of the previous books) everything is done more quickly and if the remaining space is divided between the budding love story and a mystery to investigate, each of the two themes will have even less chance of being developed.

The result is that the mystery is stupid and inconsistent, it lacks suspense, the investigative questions are boring and repetitive, the solution is obvious and the reader is left with the feeling of having read thin air.

The love story borders on the absurd. I admit that at that time engagements and marriages were decided much less quickly than in our times, but the fact that the two characters fall madly in love after just 2 days together does not give the reader any emotion.

There is no pathos in this story, neither in the mystery nor in the romance and perhaps it could still be a nice story to read for those who are already fond of the two protagonists of the series (a couple who are consolidated in this book, but who seemed equally unlikely), but I confess that if I were an avid reader of this series, I would still have been disappointed.

However, I'm still curious to read the novels of the series, the general plot is promising.
I will try to give book #1 a chance, to see if starting from the beginning I will have a greater chance of becoming attached to the characters and enjoying reading all the volumes.
This short story that is book #3 might help you to get to know a little about the protagonist couple of the series The Regent Mysteries.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my English ( not my native language ).
Happy holidays to you all !!

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Book review : The Twelve Saints of Christmas by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Twelve Saints of Christmas
Heathcliff Lennox Mysteries Book #12
by Karen Baugh Menuhin
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,7 stars rounded up to 4.

---> If you love classic Golden Age mysteries, then you might like this one even if written by a contemporary author.

In fact, the writing style is very reminiscent of that of "whodunits" from the first half of the 20th century with a very small addition of humor and a little more coziness which in this book is given by the affectionate bond that the two protagonists feel towards their wives, and by the cheerful presence of 3 cats and 1 dog who liven up the scenes from time to time.

__PLOT IN A NUTSHELL ___ England, December 1923.
Major Heathcliff Lennox (ex-RAF pilot) and ex-Inspector Jonathan Swift of Scotland Yard are not at all 2 elderly people as one might expect, but rather 2 charming young people interested in investigating crimes and mysteries, who work for Scotland Yard only for cases involving very wealthy people.

Shortly before Christmas Lennox (who always travels together with his butler and his beloved pets, a dog and a cat) and his best friend Swift are sent by Scotland Yard to shed light on a strange death that occurred at Temple House, near Bath.

Temple House is run by a secret order of old aristocrats who call themselves "The 12 Saints", each of whom has no heirs and who have the common goal of giving money to needy organizations every Christmas.

The two pseudo-investigators must shed light on the death of one of the saints, the circumstances of which are unclear and lead to suspicion of murder.
The perfect harmony soon turns out to be only an external image, in fact jealousies and old secrets emerge which lead to another murder and a very complicated mystery to unravel.

_________ ****** ___________

The writing style is fluid, the dialogues are witty and always aimed at explaining the story of the moment or the private story of the two main characters, there are no stupid digressions and stupid useless chatter as in many contemporary mysteries set in the 1920s.

The story is told in the third person and one of the things I appreciated in the investigative couple is that both characters have equal weight and ability (and sometimes even confusion) in the investigation.

---> I hate the old cliché that sees the main character as super intelligent (and also presumptuous like Sherlock and Poirot, whose books I adore, but in this kind of detective the two of them are enough for me) and his "trusty right-hand man" is slow on the uptake ( like Dr. Watson and Hasting poor things).

Here the investigative couple continuously interacts on an equal basis and I really liked the friendship that binds the two characters and the loyalty towards each other that arises from it.

---> This is book #12 in a series where the two protagonists are initially single and then over the course of the books they find their soul mate and then get married, however the romance is subtle and barely hinted at (as in the detective books of Agatha Christie and his contemporaries) however sufficient to give humanity and to make the two characters more real and to give more warmth to the plot.

---> Although the book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. What you need to know about the past of our protagonists is told in a concise and light, but satisfying way.

----> The mystery is very well thought out by the author and until the end I would never have guessed the real culprit.
---> The author's skill lies in creating various hypotheses in the reader's mind that always seem plausible, but which ultimately turn out to be inaccurate.
The culprit was really a surprise to me.

---> What lowered my rating was the fact that the two investigators also stumbled in the dark until the end (and I was also surprised by this!).

In fact, despite carrying out several interrogations, the two are often accused of being incompetent and although they kept a cool head in the face of these offenses and pretended to be close to the truth, in reality they too only discovered the culprit in the final scene.
Maybe a little more cunning in the two characters wouldn't have hurt.

----> What I loved 200%, being a great animal lover, was the constant and lively presence of 3 cats (1 was from Lennox and 2 lived in Temple House) and 1 dog (also from Lennox).
Obviously they had nothing to do with the investigation, but seeing them sprawl here and there, tearing ribbons and baubles from the Christmas tree, sleeping curled up around Lennox, made reading the book more pleasant and serene for me.

I really think I will read more books in the series and next time I will start from book #1.

----> :-( Christmas atmosphere = barely perceptible
(and that little only thanks to the pets).
This also contributed to lowering my rating, in fact, as I always write in my reviews, if the word CHRISTMAS appears in the title, then I expect a festive atmosphere.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you for choosing or discarding this reading.
If you found English errors in my text, please forgive me, it's neither my native nor my every day language.

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Book review : A Fowl Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

A Fowl Christmastide
12 Days of Christmas Book #3
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas-romance #novella

My rating: ★★★★★

Such a lovely and sweet short story!
My rating is 5 full stars !!

It's a clean romance which includes a short kiss under the mistletoe and another longer and more conscious, but still very tender kiss.

The emotion of the story lies above all in the expectation and anticipation of the arrival of love for two people who by now almost no longer dared to hope for the radiance of a future with a life partner (wife/husband) and in the possibility of having children.

The happy ending is very nice and satisfying in all respects.

__NOT ONLY ROMANCE ___ This is a cheerful story that talks about budding love and the courage to take up the challenge, but also about brotherly love and unreserved sacrifice, acceptance, generosity and sharing.


__ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ England, regency era.
Miss Isabelle Fletcher and Evan Nicholas Radcliff, Baron of Hastings, have been neighbors for some years.
They meet almost every day because her chickens leave their henhouse and invade his garden. He usually reacts gruffly but actually lives for those brief meetings.

Belle also feels attracted to him, but is always put off by the fact that he speaks to her in a surly way.
Until one day, on Christmas Eve the little rebellious hens unknowingly unleash a small (but great) miracle...
___________________

The plot could suggest the usual romantic regency story, but in a delicate and light way it also addresses a very important theme: the difficulties that families of children with particular needs often encounter when they find themselves faced with a superficial and hypocritical society that does not accept the differences or the different emotional sensitivity of other people and who does not make the slightest effort to help these children integrate into the world.

In the Regency era, obviously there was no talk of autism, but the character description of Freddy, Nick's younger brother, closely resembles that type of mental and emotional condition.
So the story was very sweet and delicate in this sense too, giving relevance to the infinite affection and dedication that Nick has for his young brother.

The CHRISTMAS MAGIC of the story is completed with Nick's altruistic gesture for children without families and Belle's sincere admiration and her equally sincere desire to help.

The two MAIN CHARACTERS are both positive and pleasant to read.
Even though the story is short and the possibilities of description are few, through the vivid dialogues the two characters came to life in a believable way and the lively scenes kept me entertained with fun.

There are 2 SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
Belle's father, a vicar who with faith and sweetness encourages his daughter not to stop hoping and Nick's joyful brother, who with the spontaneity of a child (despite already being an adult) immediately conquers not only Belle's heart, but also that of the reader.

*****_________ ******

This is book #3 in a series of Christmas stories (12 Days of Christmas Series) by different authors and therefore each book is a standalone story.

This is the first time I've read anything by Sandra Sookoo and I can't wait to read something else by her.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is a foreign language to me.

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Book review : Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas
Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book #12
by Stephanie Barron
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas #Historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★★

A delightful immersion in the world of Jane Austen and an engaging historical cozy mystery from start to finish!

I had it on my shelf for a few years and I always put off reading it, perhaps for fear of disappointment, after all, as we know, it's not easy to combine fiction with real-life historical characters, mixing them in an intelligent and intriguing way, especially when writing about figures much loved and known throughout the world.

Stephanie Barron did it very well and I think Jane Austen herself would enjoy reading this mystery series starring herself not only as an esteemed author but also as an amateur detective.

__ PLOT IN SHORT ___ Christmas Eve, England 1814.
Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holidays with family and friends at The Vyne, the splendid Tudor mansion, now belonging to the wealthy and politically important Chute family. As the year comes to an end and friends begin to gather under the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Jane's books are popular and she enjoys a good reputation; Napoleon is in exile on the island of Elba; British forces have captured Washington, D.C. and the Treaty of Ghent has been signed, ending a war that no one in England really wanted.
However, when a messenger arrives with a written copy of the treaty and also brings personal news for some guests, tragedy strikes: shortly after his departure he is found dead in the snow... the scene and some clues reveal that it is a crime ...political or for private matters?
The previous day's snowstorm also makes it clear that the killer is necessarily one of The Vyne's guests, some of whom hide dark secrets.
Except for her immediate family, Jane doesn't know who to trust...

_______________

To tell the truth, I wanted to start from book #1, but since we are in Christmastime , I started with this one straight away, (it's number #12 in the series ), but each book can be read as a standalone, even if obviously they have been written with a chronological order of Jane's life and historical facts.
Of course, if you are a reader who knows nothing about Jane Austen, you will probably have a clearer picture of the times in which she lived, the events that influenced her existence and emotions and therefore also her literature, and the family and friends she she felt deeply connected, reading all the books in the right order.

__ INTRIGUING MURDER MYSTERY __
If I have to analyze the part concerning the mystery of the murders and the investigation I must admit that I liked it because it was well blended with the whole story in a curious and intriguing way, but it may not fully satisfy those who instead focus mainly on the difficulty of solving the mystery and on the capture of the guilty.

Initially we had several suspects, but then following the clues and going through obvious exclusions (clearly Jane's family and all the real-life characters couldn't be the culprits), the suspects for me were reduced to 3 people.
While reading, some conjectures came to me spontaneously, but you will be happy to know that while I thought I had already understood everything, actually I had only intuited a few small things and not the entirety of the facts which therefore managed to surprise me.
What disappointed me a little and what I usually don't forgive authors is the punishment reserved for the villains of the story.

IF YOU DON'T MIND SPOILERS READ DOWN BELOW a better explication :

___WARNING SPOILER __ [ I have to put this in the spoiler tag, but I can't help but say it: in reality there are 2 murderers and both remain UNPUNISHED!!!
One manages to escape and for the other there is no tangible evidence to present in court.
I can't stand this.

Usually I remove a star in my rating for this type of ending... I can't stand reading and watching crime films where I wait anxiously to know the truth, only to find myself with the culprit who gets away with it!!

In this case I still gave 5 stars, because the tale told is so rich in Jane Austen and her world and satisfied me so much that not catching the murderers didn't ruin my enjoyment. ] __SPOILER END__

INTERESTING HISTORICAL NOTIONS about FACTS and CHARACTERS _
Most of the characters in this book actually existed:
-- Jane's family: the mother and the beloved sister Cassandra, the slightly bigoted brother the vicar James and the unbearable and complaining wife, the two nice and lively nephews. Jane does not fail to speak proudly of her two brothers in the navy Frank and Charles, her brother Henry and her brother Edward, she even mentions her childhood flirt, her sister's dead boyfriend and other dear friends
-- acquaintances and friends whose homes she frequented even in real life
-- the son of a famous painter who in this book will join Jane in the investigations

The author respects the true personality of those people and manages to insert them into an invented plot, placing them alongside other invented characters, in a fluid manner, making everything appear absolutely plausible and therefore credible.
No cracks and no discordance.

Stephanie Barron also gives us descriptions of places and buildings that can still be visited today.
I read Austen's books when I was young and I loved each of them. I also read various articles about her life, but as I said it was a long time ago and I have never read a biography of her so this was an opportunity to get interested in her private life and I felt so involved that I felt like I was there, in Jane's world at her side.

While reading the book I also read a lot of letters between Jane and Cassandra and between Jane and the brothers and between the brothers themselves, to better understand the bond that united them. Also on the web I visited the ancient Tudor mansion "The Vyne" ( where the mystery takes place ) and took a look at Steventon Parsonage and the town of Chawton. I loved it.

The author has done a masterful job in harmoniously blending fiction and real characters and just like Austen did in her books, she manages to outline the essence of each character through their dialogues.

VERY NICE REGENCY ATMOSPHERE and CHRISTMAS HABITS __

When I choose a Christmas book, it is important for me that the Christmas atmosphere is really felt and is not just a word mentioned in the title.

Even from this point of view I was fully satisfied.
In Regency era, as many probably know, the customs and traditions for celebrating Christmas came from ancient Celtic traditions, very different therefore from the Germanic ones which were introduced later by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Then the author, through Jane's voice, told us about the 12 days of Christmas, about the Yule log, which burned in the fireplace for all those days, about the decorations made of holly, ivy and rosemary, about the masquerade ball at Twelfth Night in which various particular characters are represented by the guests and in which the world literally turns upside down: those who command and are high on the social ladder find themselves obeying, commanded by those who are usually among the humblest.
The part dedicated to Jane and Cassandra's gift for their granddaughter was also beautiful, a gift that was enriched every morning of the 12 days.

***** ___ *****

I loved this book and I recommend it not only to anyone who loves Jane Austen, but to any lover of a good cozy mystery and historical sets.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you without revealing too much.
Please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding by Jennifer Ashley

Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding
A Below Stairs Mystery Novella #6.7
by Jennifer Ashley
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery #historical-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3.8 rounded up to 4 stars

A short and very enjoyable Christmas mystery novella.

This short story is part of a mystery series ( indeed book #6.7 ) set in England at the end of 19th century, but it's perfectly readable as a standalone.

The peculiarity of the series is that the main character is not part of the rich and noble society, but is the cook in an aristocratic house, which is why the title of the series is:
" A Below Stairs Mystery Series".

___PLOT__ December 1882
When Cook Kat Holloway is blamed when a dinner guest mysteriously takes ill after eating one of her meals, she sets out to prove she had nothing to do with the gentleman’s sickness.

Helped by her closest friends, she investigates the patient's family and acquaintances, thus discovering that there are many who have a valid motive to kill.

In the meantime, Kat must also manage to prepare an impeccable Christmas meal and who knows what Christmas Day will hold for her together with her daughter and Daniel who cares so much about her...

________ ******** ________

Even though I hadn't read the previous books (which were mostly longer novels), I still managed to enjoy the story and understand the role of each character. The author was in fact very good at describing their personality and what binds them to the protagonist.

As I already said, the story is short and can be read in a couple of afternoons, but it is intriguing enough to make you want to read all the other books and find out more about the various CHARACTERS:
- Kat, a skilled cook, single mother with a great love for her daughter who is raised by another family.
- Daniel, her friend and lover, skilled in disguises and undercover operations and her young son James, affectionate and kind, skilled and cunning like his father.
- The terrible, grumpy and overbearing landlady and Lady Cinthia, her niece, modern, friend of Kat and kind to the servants, loves dressing as a man and is reckless.
- The rest of the staff under the stairs and other friends who never fail to help Kat in the investigation.

The final part of the story is reserved not only for the solution of the case but also for a sweet and convivial Christmas atmosphere, thus giving the reader that touch of goodness and magic that each of us seeks when approaching a story set at Christmas.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please be lenient with my English as it is not my native language.

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Book review : The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons

The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning
Anty Boisjoly Mysteries Book #2
by P.J. Fitzsimmons
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

Very nice "Whodunit" set in 1920s England and written in a bit of Wodehouse's style.
Overall I liked it "a lot", actually very much!

_____PLOT__ 1928, England.
Anthony ( Anty) Boisjoly goes to spend the Christmas holidays with his shy aunt Azalea in the small, picturesque village of Graze Hill, Hertfordshire.

Unfortunately, Christmas day immediately begins in a negative way: Aunt Azalea visits a friend in the village, a well-known war hero, and finds him dead, stabbed, under the Christmas tree.
The village policeman immediately insinuates that the only probable culprit is Anty's aunt and the commissioner sent by Scotland Yard will do the same.
Anty has nothing left but to work hard to find the real culprit in order to clear her aunt.
____________________

It took me a little while to appreciate this book, but once I got over my initial difficulty to get into it I began to grow fond of the main character and started to laugh at his way of telling the story: with irony and humor.
The entire story, the events, the mystery and its solution are in fact told in first person by the protagonist and while in the first part the MYSTERY didn't look so enthralling ( and I also felt a little annoyed by the constant humorous jokes), in the second part it became very engaging and wittily thought out by the author.

I really liked how the protagonist put together all the pieces of the puzzle (which was really complicated) and the final explanation of the murders solution, the ending indeed was beautiful and very satisfying!!

The DIALOGUES are witty and lively, with some really funny scenes, to the point that sometimes I found myself laughing out loud!.
I think this character and the book series would be a great idea for a BBC miniseries.

There aren't many CHARACTERS, but they aren't few either and in the first part I found myself a little confused and none of them stood out in a particular way among the others.
As the story gradually got to the heart of the mystery, however, everyone's bizarre personality was finally highlighted and that was the point where everything became more interesting and I hoped that none of the good guys (or supposedly good guys) would die and that none of those I liked were the culprit.

...And talking about the CULPRIT:
I was never able to guess until it was revealed by Anty!!
Therefore the ENDING WAS EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE and the writer, in addition to the mystery's solution, added a personal happy ending to each character.

__ CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE __
There are many books of various genres with the word "Christmas" in the title (or Yuletide or Mistletoe or similar), but there are very few of these that offer a Christmas atmosphere.
This fun "whodunit" didn't fail me!
I enjoyed immersing myself in the welcoming atmosphere of the snow-covered English village, magical and cozy like the one on the postcards.
The author was very good at the descriptions and the mulled wine in the pub, the typical church of the small village, the singing of the carol dedicated to Saint Stephen (although a little bizarre and hilarious) and the preparations for the final party help the reader to breathe a festive atmosphere

This is book #2 in a series (of which I will read the following books and maybe even the first), BUT IT IS PERFECTLY READABLE AS A STANDALONE.

RECOMMENDED TO all those who love reading the classics of the Golden Age
(even if this is written by a contemporary author) and to all those who want a well-conceived puzzle made more tantalizing by the addition of irony and humor.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore

Christmas on the Home Front
Land Girls book #3
by Roland Moore
GENRE : #Christmas-war-time-fiction

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Actually 3.5 is my rating.

Looking for a historical romance? Then skip to another book!
Looking for a fiction with strong and stubborn women and a bit of suspense ? Then it could be the book for you.

__PLOT IN SHORT ___ England. Christmas 1944
All the land girls of Pasture Farm, Connie Carter, Joyce Fisher and Esther Reeves hope this could be the last Christmas of this dreaded war.
But as the day approaches, word spreads in sleepy Helmstead that two German Airmen are on the run.
With everyone on alert, the atmosphere is tense and at a certain point the situation becomes really heated because the girls will find themselves face to face with the enemy...

________ *** _______ *** ________

Usually this kind of book/series offers passionate love stories with a little drama, set in times of war... It was what I expected together with a Christmas atmosphere made of simple things, deep feelings and emotions and touching moments involving not only the couple protagonist, but also the other side characters.

None of this!
Unexpectedly, this book led me to experience an adventure made up of reckless women, suspense and danger alternating with a little action, two villains, one of whom is declared and the other sneaky and hidden in the shadows and a nice (and absolutely unexpected) surprise in the happy ending.
All of this made it an ENGAGING and exciting READ.

__ MAIN CHARACTERS ___ the protagonists of this book are 3 girls who work on a farm during the war, they were in fact "Land Girls" (those girls and women, coming from all social classes, who replaced male farm workers who had gone to war.)

I really liked the atmosphere of camaraderie that formed between these women and girls, of different ages, who found themselves united in a common effort to help their country.
I liked the atmosphere of sacrifice mixed with the anxiety of the uncertainty of the future, because nowadays (at least in Western countries and not at war) we take everything for granted and we complain about every little thing and every little lack, not thinking that life is just a flutter of wings.
I liked seeing how these women, despite everything, were animated by tenacity, good will and resilience and I liked seeing how they took the position head on, but always thinking first of not endangering the people they loved.

__ WHY ONLY 3 (actually 3.5 rounded down to 3 ) STARS THEN ? __
Some things that I didn't like :

1) If I choose to read a book with the word "Christmas" in the title, I expect to be enveloped in a warm Christmas atmosphere.
In this book the only Christmassy thing is the countdown of how many days until Christmas.
Each chapter begins with: 8 days until Christmas, 7 days until Christmas, 6 days until Christmas etc...
Then there is a scene in which characters talk about where everyone will spend Christmas, but there is nothing Christmassy here.

2) The writer while describing/narrating a certain scene, suddenly makes the characters go into their past memories and this even lasts for pages, which led me to forget what was happening in the current scene.
A very confusing writing style.

In the same way, the author goes from scenes on the farm with the girls to scenes of the German airmen or the doctor in the hospital, suddenly and without pauses between one topic and another.
The author divided the chapters according to the days left until Christmas, but in my opinion it would have been better to divide the chapters according to the two realities that were being told in the story (the one of the girls and that one of the pilots, at least until the moment which all these characters found themselves on the same scene).

3) I would have liked the author to delve more deeply into the characters, but probably, having dedicated each of the past books in the series to each girl, he didn't consider it necessary.
I think that giving more depth to the characters in each book, even if they are part of a series, is important, because each book is readable as a standalone (including this one) and it is obvious that not all readers read all the books in the same series (otherwise we wouldn't have time to explore other genres and authors).

Thanks for reading my opinion and for your patience with my text, I'm sorry for any errors but English isn't my native language.

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