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.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
I share my book reviews, graphic works, and illustrations, along with my thoughts on everything that makes life pleasant, with friends worldwide.
Showing posts with label Christmas cozy mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas cozy mystery. Show all posts
Thursday, January 02, 2025
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
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.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
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.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Monday, December 09, 2024
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.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
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.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Friday, December 08, 2023
Book review : The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
The Twelve Clues of Christmas
A Royal Spyness Mystery Series Book 6
by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazing ! 5 FULL STARS absolutely well deserved and I would add a sixth GOLDEN STAR !
One of the best Christmas mysteries I've ever read (and I've read many), which has remained firm for years in my TOP 3 of "whodunits" set at Christmas (and in the TOP 5 of all genres Christmas books).
____ THE PLOT ______ 1933. Lady Georgiana, affectionately called Georgie, is stuck in the castle of her brother and his unbearable wife, in Scotland, when she finally receives an invitation for a job as a hostess, at an elegant party that will run for the full 12 days of Christmas in Tiddleton.
The village is truly enchanting and the snow makes it seem like something straight out of a Dickens story... however, strange accidents and unexpected deaths will soon occur.
While Georgie's lover, the charming Darcy, was supposed to be in South America, our heroine will find him among the guests and together with him she will live a thrilling adventure to unmask the culprit and prevent further deaths.
Not far away, in a cottage in the same village, Georgie's frivolous but in her own way affectionate mother is spending her holidays.
___ SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT ___
---> It is common in recent years for mystery crime authors, especially those who write series that feature the same protagonist in each book, to write a novel or often just a short story, set in the Christmas season.
___ :-( Unfortunately for most of the books I have read, Christmas is only mentioned in words here and there in the book or worse only in the title. :-( ______
An example ? We have it from the queen of mystery with "Poirot's Christmas", anyone who has read it can confirm that there is no Christmas atmosphere, on the contrary the "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding " is extremely Christmassy and there is a pleasant festive air.
__YEAHHH ! :-D ----> This is why I loved reading this book: the 12 Christmas crimes, throughout the book the Christmas atmosphere is palpable, imbued with the charm of old English traditions, both in the celebrations and in the events that happen, thus determining the mystery to be discovered.
____ THE MYSTERY ____ the murders and therefore the mystery to be discovered, are not only really well thought out by the author, but they are even more engaging for the reader, because they are related to an old traditional Christmas song: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.
Despite being a cozy mystery, the writer also gives us a bit of traditional English history which for me always has an added value. Especially for non-English readers, therefore not so aware of British habits and customs, it adds an extra charm.
____ THE HISTORICAL and TRADITIONAL PART so interesting ___ In this Christmas mystery, set in England in the 1930s, we experience 12 days, from 22 December to 1 January, joyfully traveling together with the protagonist and the supporting characters through all the traditions of the old traditional English Christmas (Old fashioned English Christmas).
---> The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
---> The crimes committed in the book refer to one of the oldest Christmas songs: "The 12 Days of Christmas". According to what I learned from Wikipedia (this song does not exist in Italy and it is not customary for us to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas), the music is of unknown origin, although present in the British and Scandinavian areas as early as the 16th century.
The text is a children's nursery rhyme published for the first time in the book Mirth without Mischief in London in 1780.
It had to be recited by some players in a circle during a memory game in which the players took turns reciting a verse from the nursery rhyme, in sequence.
The interpretation of the meaning of the text is not universally recognized.
Some sources would trace the origin of the song to English Catholics during the period in which the Catholic religion was banned in England, between 1558 and 1829. The "12 days of Christmas" would represent a mnemonic form for children in order to learn the basics of the Catholic faith.
Years later, the game and nursery rhyme were revived by a collector of folk songs, Lady Gomme, as "Great entertainment for the whole family before dinner on the Twelfth Night of Christmas."
This historical/traditional part is certainly what made the detective story so gripping to me.
___ ICING ON THE CAKE ___ I absolutely would never have guessed the murderer!!! It often happens that you can guess halfway through the book or towards the end who the culprit might be, sometimes even by exclusion or because it is often the least suspicious person... But of all the least suspicious people, I wouldn't have guessed the culprit here.
I must say it was partly a shock to me, but a surprise ending is what makes a mystery definitively successful (obviously it has to be well justified, not like in some books where the surprise ending makes no sense).
Despite the high number of people in this "cozy mystery" (too many characters are sometimes difficult to remember), it is a perfect Christmas read: every preparation, every entertainment game, every tradition in the house and in the village is described so well in colors, scents and sensations that seems to be there on the scene together with the friendly heroine Lady Georgiana.
__ A NICE HINT OF ROMANCE between Georgie (Lady Georgiana Rannoch) and her lover Darcy ____ This book can be read as a "standalone", so much so that in the past I read it as my first book in the series.
Those who know the series, however, will know that there are 5 other books before this one in which Lady Georgiana, carrying out various jobs, to survive the post-war poverty, becomes involved in various mysteries and murder cases, during which she meets Darcy, a spy in the service of the English Crown.
The two fall in love and the story grows slowly in each book of the series.
However, I assure you that this book has the most beautiful and exciting romantic content and if you have never read the previous books, don't worry, the book is absolutely enjoyable and the author will inform you, during the story, of all the important details previous ones!
_____ IN CONCLUSION ____ The festive atmosphere and the old fascinating traditions will pleasantly involve you.
There are many twists and turns, the moments of romance between the protagonist and her lover are sweet, the desire to discover the culprit while reading is pressing and the author expertly manages to mislead the reader until the final twist.
It is a book suitable for lovers of the genre: light detective stories with a historical setting:
I am sure that, after this book, you will want to read other adventures of the enterprising Lady Georgiana from the "Her Royal Spyness mystery series"
( Too long review, I know, but I couldn't contain my enthusiasm!
Also my English isn't that good...I'm Italian, please,be patient with me and all grammar or form errors in my text)
Join me on FB
LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, presto disponibile la mia recensione !
La mia valutazione : 5 stelle su 5 !
I dodici delitti di Natale
Libro 6 di Her Royal Spyness
leggibile anche come standalone
di Rhys Bowen
Bellissimo ! 5 stelle piene e assolutamente ben meritate !
Uno dei misteri natalizi più belli che abbia mai letto ( e ne ho letti tanti ), che rimane fermo da anni nella mia TOP 3 dei "whodunit" ambientati a Natale ( e nella TOP 5 generica dei libri natalizi ).
____ LA TRAMA IN BREVE ______ 1933. Lady Georgiana, affettuosamente chiamata Georgie, è bloccata nel castello del fratello e della sua insopportabile moglie, in Scozia, quando finalmente riceve un invito per un posto di lavoro come hostess, presso per un'elegante festa che durerà per tutti i 12 giorni di Natale a Tiddleton.
Il villaggio è davvero incantevole e la neve lo fa sembrare uscito da un racconto di Dickens... tuttavia ben presto si verificano degli strani incidenti e morti inaspettate...
Mentre l'innamorato di Georgy, l'affascinante Darcy, avrebbe dovuto essere in Sud America, la nostra eroina lo ritroverà tra gli invitati e insieme a lui vivrà un'avventura da brivido per smascherare il colpevole e prevenire altre morti.
Poco lontano, in un cottage dello stesso villaggio, trascorre le vacanze, la frivola, ma a modo suo affettuosa, madre di Georgie.. Presente tra i personaggi anche l'ex poliziotto nonno di Georgie... il che aggiunge un tocco di calore familiare, seppure originale e non tradizionale, a tutta la storia.
E' usuale negli ultimi anni che gli autori di mystery crime, specialmente quelli che scrivono delle serie con gli stessi protagonisti, scrivano un romanzo o spesso solo una breve storia, ambientato nella stagione Natalizia. Purtroppo per la maggior parte dei libri che ho letto, il Natale viene solo nominato a parole in qua e in là nel libro o peggio solo nel titolo.
Un esempio ? Lo abbiamo dalla regina del giallo con "Il Natale di Poirot", chiunque l'abbia letto può confermare che non vi è alcuna atmosfera natalizia, al contrario il "Giallo del dolce di Natale" è estremamente natalizio e si respira una piacevole aria festiva.
Ecco perchè ho adorato leggere questo libro : i 12 delitti di natale, in tutto il libro è palpabile l'atmosfera natalizia, intrisa del fascino delle vecchie tradizioni inglesi, sia nei festeggiamenti sia negli eventi che accadono determinando così il mistero da scoprire.
______ IL MISTERO ______ gli omicidi e quindi il mistero da scoprire, non solo sono davvero ben congegnati dall'autrice, ma coinvolgono maggiormente il lettore perchè sono relazionati ad una vecchia tradizionale canzone natalizia : " I 12 GIORNI DI NATALE ".
Pur essendo un cozy mystery ( gialli leggeri dall'atmosfera accogliente ) e quindi un libro poco impegnativo, la scrittrice ci regala anche una parte storica e un po' della magia delle vecchie tradizioni inglesi, cosa che, per me, rappresenta sempre un valore aggiunto e soprattutto per lettori non inglesi ( e quindi non così consapevoli degli usi e costumi britannici ) aggiunge un fascino straordinario alla storia.
______ LA PARTE STORICA e TRADIZIONALE _____ In questo giallo di Natale, ambientato nell'Inghilterra degli anni '30, si vivono i cosiddetti 12 giorni di Natale, dal 22 dicembre al 1° gennaio, percorrendo in allegria insieme alla protagonista e ai personaggi di contorno tutte le tradizioni del vecchio tradizionale Natale inglese ( Old fashioned English Christmas ). ---> I 12 giorni di Natale sono il periodo della teologia cristiana che segna l'intervallo tra la nascita di Cristo e la venuta dei Magi, i tre saggi. Inizia il 25 dicembre (Natale) e dura fino al 6 gennaio (l'Epifania, a volte chiamata anche il Giorno dei Tre Re).
---> I crimini commessi nel libro fanno riferimento ad una delle più antiche canzoni natalizie : "I 12 giorni di Natale". Secondo ciò che ho appreso da Wikipedia, la musica è di origine ignota, benché presente in area britannica e scandinava già nel XVI secolo.
Il testo è una filastrocca infantile pubblicata per la prima volta nel libro Mirth without Mischief (Gioie Innocenti) a Londra nel 1780. Doveva essere recitata da alcuni giocatori in circolo nel corso di un gioco di memoria in cui i giocatori recitavano a turno un verso della filastrocca, in sequenza. L'interpretazione del significato del testo non è universalmente riconosciuta. Alcune fonti farebbero risalire l'origine del canto ai cattolici inglesi durante il periodo in cui la religione cattolica era vietata in Inghilterra, tra il 1558 e il 1829. I "12 giorni di Natale" rappresenterebbero una forma mnemonica per i bambini al fine di far imparare le basi della fede cattolica. Anni dopo, gioco e filastrocca furono riproposti da una collezionista di canzoni popolari, Lady Gomme, come "Un bel divertimento per tutta la famiglia prima della cena della dodicesima notte di Natale."
______ CILIEGINA SULLA TORTA DEL MISTERO _____ Io non avrei mai assolutamente indovinato l'assassino !!! Capita spesso di intuire a metà libro oppure verso la fine chi possa essere il colpevole, a volte anche andando per esclusione oppure perchè spesso è la persona meno sospettabile... Ma tra tutte le persone meno sospettabili, qui non avrei indovinato il colpevole e devo dire che in parte è stato uno shock, ma un finale a sorpresa è ciò che rende un mistero definitivamente vincente ( ovviamente deve essere ben giustificato, non come in alcuni libri dove il finale a sorpresa non ha alcun senso ).
Nonostante l'alto numero di persone in questo "cozy mystery" (per chi non lo sapesse sono definiti così i gialli con atmosfera accogliente, privi di scene di violenza e sesso e parolacce ), è una lettura natalizia perfetta: ogni preparativo, ogni gioco d'intrattenimento, ogni tradizione in casa e nel villaggio viene descritta così bene in colori, profumi e sensazioni che sembra di essere lì sulla scena insieme alla simpatica protagonista Lady Georgiana.
______ UN PIACEVOLISSIMO ROMANTICISMO tra Georgie (Lady Georgiana Rannoch ) e il innamorato Darcy ____ Questo libro è leggibile come "standalone ", tant'è vero che in passato io lo lessi come mio primo libro della serie.
Chi conosce la serie però, saprà che ci sono altri 5 libri prima di questo in cui Lady Georgiana, svolgendo vari lavori, per sopravvivere alla povertà del dopoguerra, viene coinvolta in diversi misteri e casi di omicidio, durante i quali incontra Darcy, una spia al servizio della Corona inglese. I due s'innamorano e la storia cresce pian piano in ogni libro della serie. Vi assicuro però che questo libro ha il contenuto romantico più bello ed emozionante e se non avete mai letto i libri precedenti, non preoccupatevi, il libro è assolutamente godibile e l'autrice vi metterà al corrente, durante la storia, di tutti i dettagli importanti precedenti !
RIPETO : questo libro sta nella mia TOP 5 dei miei preferiti di Natale e sta esattamente al 3° posto !
_____ IN CONCLUSIONE ____ L'atmosfera festiva e le vecchie affascinanti tradizioni vi coinvolgeranno piacevolmente. Tanti sono i colpi di scena, dolci sono i momenti di romanticismo tra la protagonista e il suo innamorato, incalzante è la voglia di scoprire il colpevole durante la lettura e l'autrice riesce sapientemente fuorviare il lettore fino al colpo di scena finale.
E' un libro adatto agli amanti del genere : gialli leggeri e con ambientazione storica e dopo questo libro sono sicura che vorrete leggere altre avventure dell'intraprendente Lady Georgiana della serie Serie Her Royal Spyness
di Rhys Bowen
10 libri in italiano Edizione Kindle
Purtroppo le copertine messe dal GIALLO MONDADORI sono davvero orrende ( ecco perchè io preferisco i libri in lingua originale LOL), ma vi assicuro che i gialli di Rhys Bowen sono stupendi e godibilissimi.
Se vi fa piacere seguitemi
sulla mia pagina FB PER RIMANERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI SUI NUOVI POST e per scaricare i miei segnalibri o piacevoli cartoline come quelle del calendario dell'Avvento
A Royal Spyness Mystery Series Book 6
by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazing ! 5 FULL STARS absolutely well deserved and I would add a sixth GOLDEN STAR !
One of the best Christmas mysteries I've ever read (and I've read many), which has remained firm for years in my TOP 3 of "whodunits" set at Christmas (and in the TOP 5 of all genres Christmas books).
____ THE PLOT ______ 1933. Lady Georgiana, affectionately called Georgie, is stuck in the castle of her brother and his unbearable wife, in Scotland, when she finally receives an invitation for a job as a hostess, at an elegant party that will run for the full 12 days of Christmas in Tiddleton.
The village is truly enchanting and the snow makes it seem like something straight out of a Dickens story... however, strange accidents and unexpected deaths will soon occur.
While Georgie's lover, the charming Darcy, was supposed to be in South America, our heroine will find him among the guests and together with him she will live a thrilling adventure to unmask the culprit and prevent further deaths.
Not far away, in a cottage in the same village, Georgie's frivolous but in her own way affectionate mother is spending her holidays.
___ SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT ___
---> It is common in recent years for mystery crime authors, especially those who write series that feature the same protagonist in each book, to write a novel or often just a short story, set in the Christmas season.
___ :-( Unfortunately for most of the books I have read, Christmas is only mentioned in words here and there in the book or worse only in the title. :-( ______
An example ? We have it from the queen of mystery with "Poirot's Christmas", anyone who has read it can confirm that there is no Christmas atmosphere, on the contrary the "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding " is extremely Christmassy and there is a pleasant festive air.
__YEAHHH ! :-D ----> This is why I loved reading this book: the 12 Christmas crimes, throughout the book the Christmas atmosphere is palpable, imbued with the charm of old English traditions, both in the celebrations and in the events that happen, thus determining the mystery to be discovered.
____ THE MYSTERY ____ the murders and therefore the mystery to be discovered, are not only really well thought out by the author, but they are even more engaging for the reader, because they are related to an old traditional Christmas song: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.
Despite being a cozy mystery, the writer also gives us a bit of traditional English history which for me always has an added value. Especially for non-English readers, therefore not so aware of British habits and customs, it adds an extra charm.
____ THE HISTORICAL and TRADITIONAL PART so interesting ___ In this Christmas mystery, set in England in the 1930s, we experience 12 days, from 22 December to 1 January, joyfully traveling together with the protagonist and the supporting characters through all the traditions of the old traditional English Christmas (Old fashioned English Christmas).
---> The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
---> The crimes committed in the book refer to one of the oldest Christmas songs: "The 12 Days of Christmas". According to what I learned from Wikipedia (this song does not exist in Italy and it is not customary for us to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas), the music is of unknown origin, although present in the British and Scandinavian areas as early as the 16th century.
The text is a children's nursery rhyme published for the first time in the book Mirth without Mischief in London in 1780.
It had to be recited by some players in a circle during a memory game in which the players took turns reciting a verse from the nursery rhyme, in sequence.
The interpretation of the meaning of the text is not universally recognized.
Some sources would trace the origin of the song to English Catholics during the period in which the Catholic religion was banned in England, between 1558 and 1829. The "12 days of Christmas" would represent a mnemonic form for children in order to learn the basics of the Catholic faith.
Years later, the game and nursery rhyme were revived by a collector of folk songs, Lady Gomme, as "Great entertainment for the whole family before dinner on the Twelfth Night of Christmas."
This historical/traditional part is certainly what made the detective story so gripping to me.
___ ICING ON THE CAKE ___ I absolutely would never have guessed the murderer!!! It often happens that you can guess halfway through the book or towards the end who the culprit might be, sometimes even by exclusion or because it is often the least suspicious person... But of all the least suspicious people, I wouldn't have guessed the culprit here.
I must say it was partly a shock to me, but a surprise ending is what makes a mystery definitively successful (obviously it has to be well justified, not like in some books where the surprise ending makes no sense).
Despite the high number of people in this "cozy mystery" (too many characters are sometimes difficult to remember), it is a perfect Christmas read: every preparation, every entertainment game, every tradition in the house and in the village is described so well in colors, scents and sensations that seems to be there on the scene together with the friendly heroine Lady Georgiana.
__ A NICE HINT OF ROMANCE between Georgie (Lady Georgiana Rannoch) and her lover Darcy ____ This book can be read as a "standalone", so much so that in the past I read it as my first book in the series.
Those who know the series, however, will know that there are 5 other books before this one in which Lady Georgiana, carrying out various jobs, to survive the post-war poverty, becomes involved in various mysteries and murder cases, during which she meets Darcy, a spy in the service of the English Crown.
The two fall in love and the story grows slowly in each book of the series.
However, I assure you that this book has the most beautiful and exciting romantic content and if you have never read the previous books, don't worry, the book is absolutely enjoyable and the author will inform you, during the story, of all the important details previous ones!
_____ IN CONCLUSION ____ The festive atmosphere and the old fascinating traditions will pleasantly involve you.
There are many twists and turns, the moments of romance between the protagonist and her lover are sweet, the desire to discover the culprit while reading is pressing and the author expertly manages to mislead the reader until the final twist.
It is a book suitable for lovers of the genre: light detective stories with a historical setting:
I am sure that, after this book, you will want to read other adventures of the enterprising Lady Georgiana from the "Her Royal Spyness mystery series"
( Too long review, I know, but I couldn't contain my enthusiasm!
Also my English isn't that good...I'm Italian, please,be patient with me and all grammar or form errors in my text)
Join me on FB
LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, presto disponibile la mia recensione !
La mia valutazione : 5 stelle su 5 !
I dodici delitti di Natale
Libro 6 di Her Royal Spyness
leggibile anche come standalone
di Rhys Bowen
Bellissimo ! 5 stelle piene e assolutamente ben meritate !
Uno dei misteri natalizi più belli che abbia mai letto ( e ne ho letti tanti ), che rimane fermo da anni nella mia TOP 3 dei "whodunit" ambientati a Natale ( e nella TOP 5 generica dei libri natalizi ).
____ LA TRAMA IN BREVE ______ 1933. Lady Georgiana, affettuosamente chiamata Georgie, è bloccata nel castello del fratello e della sua insopportabile moglie, in Scozia, quando finalmente riceve un invito per un posto di lavoro come hostess, presso per un'elegante festa che durerà per tutti i 12 giorni di Natale a Tiddleton.
Il villaggio è davvero incantevole e la neve lo fa sembrare uscito da un racconto di Dickens... tuttavia ben presto si verificano degli strani incidenti e morti inaspettate...
Mentre l'innamorato di Georgy, l'affascinante Darcy, avrebbe dovuto essere in Sud America, la nostra eroina lo ritroverà tra gli invitati e insieme a lui vivrà un'avventura da brivido per smascherare il colpevole e prevenire altre morti.
Poco lontano, in un cottage dello stesso villaggio, trascorre le vacanze, la frivola, ma a modo suo affettuosa, madre di Georgie.. Presente tra i personaggi anche l'ex poliziotto nonno di Georgie... il che aggiunge un tocco di calore familiare, seppure originale e non tradizionale, a tutta la storia.
E' usuale negli ultimi anni che gli autori di mystery crime, specialmente quelli che scrivono delle serie con gli stessi protagonisti, scrivano un romanzo o spesso solo una breve storia, ambientato nella stagione Natalizia. Purtroppo per la maggior parte dei libri che ho letto, il Natale viene solo nominato a parole in qua e in là nel libro o peggio solo nel titolo.
Un esempio ? Lo abbiamo dalla regina del giallo con "Il Natale di Poirot", chiunque l'abbia letto può confermare che non vi è alcuna atmosfera natalizia, al contrario il "Giallo del dolce di Natale" è estremamente natalizio e si respira una piacevole aria festiva.
Ecco perchè ho adorato leggere questo libro : i 12 delitti di natale, in tutto il libro è palpabile l'atmosfera natalizia, intrisa del fascino delle vecchie tradizioni inglesi, sia nei festeggiamenti sia negli eventi che accadono determinando così il mistero da scoprire.
______ IL MISTERO ______ gli omicidi e quindi il mistero da scoprire, non solo sono davvero ben congegnati dall'autrice, ma coinvolgono maggiormente il lettore perchè sono relazionati ad una vecchia tradizionale canzone natalizia : " I 12 GIORNI DI NATALE ".
Pur essendo un cozy mystery ( gialli leggeri dall'atmosfera accogliente ) e quindi un libro poco impegnativo, la scrittrice ci regala anche una parte storica e un po' della magia delle vecchie tradizioni inglesi, cosa che, per me, rappresenta sempre un valore aggiunto e soprattutto per lettori non inglesi ( e quindi non così consapevoli degli usi e costumi britannici ) aggiunge un fascino straordinario alla storia.
______ LA PARTE STORICA e TRADIZIONALE _____ In questo giallo di Natale, ambientato nell'Inghilterra degli anni '30, si vivono i cosiddetti 12 giorni di Natale, dal 22 dicembre al 1° gennaio, percorrendo in allegria insieme alla protagonista e ai personaggi di contorno tutte le tradizioni del vecchio tradizionale Natale inglese ( Old fashioned English Christmas ). ---> I 12 giorni di Natale sono il periodo della teologia cristiana che segna l'intervallo tra la nascita di Cristo e la venuta dei Magi, i tre saggi. Inizia il 25 dicembre (Natale) e dura fino al 6 gennaio (l'Epifania, a volte chiamata anche il Giorno dei Tre Re).
---> I crimini commessi nel libro fanno riferimento ad una delle più antiche canzoni natalizie : "I 12 giorni di Natale". Secondo ciò che ho appreso da Wikipedia, la musica è di origine ignota, benché presente in area britannica e scandinava già nel XVI secolo.
Il testo è una filastrocca infantile pubblicata per la prima volta nel libro Mirth without Mischief (Gioie Innocenti) a Londra nel 1780. Doveva essere recitata da alcuni giocatori in circolo nel corso di un gioco di memoria in cui i giocatori recitavano a turno un verso della filastrocca, in sequenza. L'interpretazione del significato del testo non è universalmente riconosciuta. Alcune fonti farebbero risalire l'origine del canto ai cattolici inglesi durante il periodo in cui la religione cattolica era vietata in Inghilterra, tra il 1558 e il 1829. I "12 giorni di Natale" rappresenterebbero una forma mnemonica per i bambini al fine di far imparare le basi della fede cattolica. Anni dopo, gioco e filastrocca furono riproposti da una collezionista di canzoni popolari, Lady Gomme, come "Un bel divertimento per tutta la famiglia prima della cena della dodicesima notte di Natale."
______ CILIEGINA SULLA TORTA DEL MISTERO _____ Io non avrei mai assolutamente indovinato l'assassino !!! Capita spesso di intuire a metà libro oppure verso la fine chi possa essere il colpevole, a volte anche andando per esclusione oppure perchè spesso è la persona meno sospettabile... Ma tra tutte le persone meno sospettabili, qui non avrei indovinato il colpevole e devo dire che in parte è stato uno shock, ma un finale a sorpresa è ciò che rende un mistero definitivamente vincente ( ovviamente deve essere ben giustificato, non come in alcuni libri dove il finale a sorpresa non ha alcun senso ).
Nonostante l'alto numero di persone in questo "cozy mystery" (per chi non lo sapesse sono definiti così i gialli con atmosfera accogliente, privi di scene di violenza e sesso e parolacce ), è una lettura natalizia perfetta: ogni preparativo, ogni gioco d'intrattenimento, ogni tradizione in casa e nel villaggio viene descritta così bene in colori, profumi e sensazioni che sembra di essere lì sulla scena insieme alla simpatica protagonista Lady Georgiana.
______ UN PIACEVOLISSIMO ROMANTICISMO tra Georgie (Lady Georgiana Rannoch ) e il innamorato Darcy ____ Questo libro è leggibile come "standalone ", tant'è vero che in passato io lo lessi come mio primo libro della serie.
Chi conosce la serie però, saprà che ci sono altri 5 libri prima di questo in cui Lady Georgiana, svolgendo vari lavori, per sopravvivere alla povertà del dopoguerra, viene coinvolta in diversi misteri e casi di omicidio, durante i quali incontra Darcy, una spia al servizio della Corona inglese. I due s'innamorano e la storia cresce pian piano in ogni libro della serie. Vi assicuro però che questo libro ha il contenuto romantico più bello ed emozionante e se non avete mai letto i libri precedenti, non preoccupatevi, il libro è assolutamente godibile e l'autrice vi metterà al corrente, durante la storia, di tutti i dettagli importanti precedenti !
RIPETO : questo libro sta nella mia TOP 5 dei miei preferiti di Natale e sta esattamente al 3° posto !
_____ IN CONCLUSIONE ____ L'atmosfera festiva e le vecchie affascinanti tradizioni vi coinvolgeranno piacevolmente. Tanti sono i colpi di scena, dolci sono i momenti di romanticismo tra la protagonista e il suo innamorato, incalzante è la voglia di scoprire il colpevole durante la lettura e l'autrice riesce sapientemente fuorviare il lettore fino al colpo di scena finale.
E' un libro adatto agli amanti del genere : gialli leggeri e con ambientazione storica e dopo questo libro sono sicura che vorrete leggere altre avventure dell'intraprendente Lady Georgiana della serie Serie Her Royal Spyness
di Rhys Bowen
10 libri in italiano Edizione Kindle
Purtroppo le copertine messe dal GIALLO MONDADORI sono davvero orrende ( ecco perchè io preferisco i libri in lingua originale LOL), ma vi assicuro che i gialli di Rhys Bowen sono stupendi e godibilissimi.
Se vi fa piacere seguitemi
sulla mia pagina FB PER RIMANERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI SUI NUOVI POST e per scaricare i miei segnalibri o piacevoli cartoline come quelle del calendario dell'Avvento
Wednesday, December 06, 2023
Book review : The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall by Benedict Brown
The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall
A Standalone 1920s Christmas Mystery
Lord Edgington Investigates series Book 4
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is part of a series ( Lord Edgington Investigates and this is installment #4) but was written by the author as a standalone and I was happy with the choice of the "English mysteries" group because I love "whodunits" set at Christmas.
The writer has a smooth and funny writing style and I loved the protagonist, a young 17-year-old, nephew of Lord Edgington, who still doesn't have a clear path in life, he doesn't know what his best qualities are but he doesn't hold back in front of nothing (even if he often would like it)
___ THE PLOT ___ England, 1925. When Lord Edgington receives an invitation to spend the Christmas holiday with an old colleague from the police, he expects fine food, good conversation and the warmth of a roaring fire. But on arriving at Mistletoe Hall with his family, they discover the house deserted and no explanation for where their host or his servants could be. After a while they found a body in the garden and as more guests appear, the master detective begins to question what could connect the disparate group of newcomers and if the culprit could be among them.
The narrator is the young nephew of Lord Edgington, while the second protagonist, the one in charge of the investigation is the eccentric Lord, who, receiving the invitation to his friend's estate, brought with him his daughter, the 2 grandchildren, the faithful driver, the cook and the waiter.
___ MY OPINION ___ I only gave 3 stars because there were aspects that I liked in this book, while for others I couldn't wait to move on to the next book.
__WHAT I LIKED ___ I liked all the main characters (therefore Lord Edgington's family and his nephew's friends), except Lord Edgington himself. I liked in particular the young nephew, who, ironically about himself and sometimes about his family, in a kindly manner obviously, frequently tears laughter at the reader.
The Christmas atmosphere is very present in the book thanks to the descriptions of decorations, songs, festive dishes, the search for the tree and the emotional warmth that is perceived among family members.
It may seem obvious, but not all mysteries set at Christmas are truly Christmassy and when they aren't, it disturbs me greatly, I perceive it a bit as a rip-off.
__ WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE __ I hadn't read, in the plot presented by Gooodreads, that the book was a bit like "And there were none" by A. Christie, a book that many love but which I didn't like at all ! (I love all of A. Christie's mysteries except 3, and that is one of the 3 that I didn't like).
The main reason is that there is a claustrophobic atmosphere, and while in Christie's book, the characters are stuck in a house on an island, here they are stuck in a house full of horrible extravagance, surrounded by so much snow that it is impossible to leave. The killer is there and everyone is in danger.
THIS MAY BE FASCINATING IN A "WHODUNIT" TO MANY PEOPLE, so don't be put off by my impressions.
The other book which, in my opinion, inspired this book is "Mystery in White" (1937) by Jefferson Farjeon (the plot is similar in many ways, I also liked this in many respects, but the sense of claustrophobia disturbed me ).
---> The second thing I didn't like is more serious: in my opinion the mystery wasn't exactly well constructed. It makes little sense.
____WARNING SPOILER ___ [ the culprit, the policeman, wants revenge on his former superiors for having framed his father, who was actually guilty of murder, many years ago.
So far so good... it doesn't make sense, however, that he would invite other people to the estate and kill them just because they had delinquent fathers and were ashamed of it... I find this motive really weak ]__SPOILER END ___ .
---> Furthermore, among all the guests there is a female character who is never actually suspected, although it is clear that she lies about her acquaintance with the host. And yet even at the end it isn't really made clear what his connections with that person sound like.
---> Lord Edgington then suspects someone who claims to know the dead man well, citing the fact that the dead man had never mentioned that boy in his life.
Well in the end it turns out that the boy is telling the truth and therefore all Lord Edgington's logic loses sense... that is: if your friend never told you about someone, it doesn't mean that someone didn't know your friend well.
In this case I found Lord Edgington a little presumptuous and a little too convinced of his own ideas.
---> Detective Lord Edgington also makes me nervous with his way of speaking, he talks, talks, talks and in fact never says anything concrete...even his nephew tells him several times to stop talking through riddles...because that way nothing is understandable.
___IN CONCLUSION___ the book isn't bad for me, but I've read better. However, I advise you to try reading it, because overall, if the sense of clautrophobia doesn't bother you, you might like it.
I will definitely give this author another chance, because his sparkling writing style captured me!
(last note: sorry for my English, it's not my language and I wrote the review quicker than usual, before going to work...sorry for any errors in my text)
Join me on FB
A Standalone 1920s Christmas Mystery
Lord Edgington Investigates series Book 4
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is part of a series ( Lord Edgington Investigates and this is installment #4) but was written by the author as a standalone and I was happy with the choice of the "English mysteries" group because I love "whodunits" set at Christmas.
The writer has a smooth and funny writing style and I loved the protagonist, a young 17-year-old, nephew of Lord Edgington, who still doesn't have a clear path in life, he doesn't know what his best qualities are but he doesn't hold back in front of nothing (even if he often would like it)
___ THE PLOT ___ England, 1925. When Lord Edgington receives an invitation to spend the Christmas holiday with an old colleague from the police, he expects fine food, good conversation and the warmth of a roaring fire. But on arriving at Mistletoe Hall with his family, they discover the house deserted and no explanation for where their host or his servants could be. After a while they found a body in the garden and as more guests appear, the master detective begins to question what could connect the disparate group of newcomers and if the culprit could be among them.
The narrator is the young nephew of Lord Edgington, while the second protagonist, the one in charge of the investigation is the eccentric Lord, who, receiving the invitation to his friend's estate, brought with him his daughter, the 2 grandchildren, the faithful driver, the cook and the waiter.
___ MY OPINION ___ I only gave 3 stars because there were aspects that I liked in this book, while for others I couldn't wait to move on to the next book.
__WHAT I LIKED ___ I liked all the main characters (therefore Lord Edgington's family and his nephew's friends), except Lord Edgington himself. I liked in particular the young nephew, who, ironically about himself and sometimes about his family, in a kindly manner obviously, frequently tears laughter at the reader.
The Christmas atmosphere is very present in the book thanks to the descriptions of decorations, songs, festive dishes, the search for the tree and the emotional warmth that is perceived among family members.
It may seem obvious, but not all mysteries set at Christmas are truly Christmassy and when they aren't, it disturbs me greatly, I perceive it a bit as a rip-off.
__ WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE __ I hadn't read, in the plot presented by Gooodreads, that the book was a bit like "And there were none" by A. Christie, a book that many love but which I didn't like at all ! (I love all of A. Christie's mysteries except 3, and that is one of the 3 that I didn't like).
The main reason is that there is a claustrophobic atmosphere, and while in Christie's book, the characters are stuck in a house on an island, here they are stuck in a house full of horrible extravagance, surrounded by so much snow that it is impossible to leave. The killer is there and everyone is in danger.
THIS MAY BE FASCINATING IN A "WHODUNIT" TO MANY PEOPLE, so don't be put off by my impressions.
The other book which, in my opinion, inspired this book is "Mystery in White" (1937) by Jefferson Farjeon (the plot is similar in many ways, I also liked this in many respects, but the sense of claustrophobia disturbed me ).
---> The second thing I didn't like is more serious: in my opinion the mystery wasn't exactly well constructed. It makes little sense.
____WARNING SPOILER ___ [ the culprit, the policeman, wants revenge on his former superiors for having framed his father, who was actually guilty of murder, many years ago.
So far so good... it doesn't make sense, however, that he would invite other people to the estate and kill them just because they had delinquent fathers and were ashamed of it... I find this motive really weak ]__SPOILER END ___ .
---> Furthermore, among all the guests there is a female character who is never actually suspected, although it is clear that she lies about her acquaintance with the host. And yet even at the end it isn't really made clear what his connections with that person sound like.
---> Lord Edgington then suspects someone who claims to know the dead man well, citing the fact that the dead man had never mentioned that boy in his life.
Well in the end it turns out that the boy is telling the truth and therefore all Lord Edgington's logic loses sense... that is: if your friend never told you about someone, it doesn't mean that someone didn't know your friend well.
In this case I found Lord Edgington a little presumptuous and a little too convinced of his own ideas.
---> Detective Lord Edgington also makes me nervous with his way of speaking, he talks, talks, talks and in fact never says anything concrete...even his nephew tells him several times to stop talking through riddles...because that way nothing is understandable.
___IN CONCLUSION___ the book isn't bad for me, but I've read better. However, I advise you to try reading it, because overall, if the sense of clautrophobia doesn't bother you, you might like it.
I will definitely give this author another chance, because his sparkling writing style captured me!
(last note: sorry for my English, it's not my language and I wrote the review quicker than usual, before going to work...sorry for any errors in my text)
Join me on FB
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Book review : Murder on a Midnight Clear by Sara Rosett
Murder on a Midnight Clear
1920s High Society Lady Detective Mystery Book 6
by Sara Rosett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very nice Christmas cozy mystery set in the early 1920s!
The snow and the warm atmosphere of the rich country estate, just before Christmas, were the backdrop to a well-articulated double mystery, with some kisses and a romantic couple as a protagonist.
___THE PLOT___ December 1923, England .
While Olive secretly follows her boyfriend Jasper to find out what he is hiding from her about his private life, she is involved in a car accident.
Nothing serious, but the drivers of the other car, who are guests in a beautiful country villa (where Jasper is also a guest together with an actress friend of his), insist that she be examined by a doctor and take her right to Holly Hill Lodge , the aforementioned estate.
It turns out that the butler of the mansion is missing since the day before, a weird thing, that will be resolved with the discovery of the butler's body.
Olive already enjoys a certain reputation as a whodunit solver and intends to investigate together with Jasper while waiting for the police to arrive in the following days (in the meantime the roads were blocked by the massive snowfall).
Added to this is the complication of a spy organization plotting against the King and the country.
---> At the beginning it took me a while to get into the story (let's say the first 20% of the book), but I think that's because this is the installment #6 in the series and even if it's perfectly readable as a standalone, being already fond of the characters after having read the previous ones brings an advantage: one is already involved in their personal stories and is able to get excited from the first lines.
In my case, however, I spent the first chapters getting to know the two protagonists and only after a while did I feel involved in their feelings and attitudes. As a result, I finally felt comfortable in the story, with a pleasant atmosphere of a villa full of almost eccentric guests and of a hospitable landlady followed by her cute dogs.
___ OLIVE and JASPER , the 2 MAIN CHARACTERS __ I liked this modern couple from the 1920s. They have only been a couple for a short time, but they have known each other since they were children and the level of confidence between them is perceivable.
It's true that Jasper hides something from Olive, but it's only because he's forced for work by forces greater than his personal will. Olive, for her part, feels that something isn't entirely clear and it's obvious that as his friend and now his girlfriend, she wants to know more.
She manages to discover the truth and this is good for both of them and for their relationship which is strengthened, because as always truth and honesty are the things that give stability to relationships between people.
A renewed complicity is born between them, which gives the reader the good feeling that they complete each other.
__ MYSTERY and DETECTION PART___ From 25% of the book on wards the intrigue begins and then the investigation on two fronts: the solution to the murder and the discovery of the spy, an enemy of the country, who was carrying information abroad.
This obviously continually teased my mind so that I too could discover useful clues and formulate hypotheses.
SPOILER[ The two cases, of murder and espionage, are somehow connected, however they have 2 different culprits.
While at the beginning I couldn't understand who the murderer was, towards the end I identified one of the 2 culprits (I didn't know which of the 2 crimes he was guilty of though).
A somewhat predictable scene revealed it to me: the culprit poisons himself to shift suspicion onto an innocent person... a classic that we often see in films.
However, this is not what left me slightly dissatisfied in the end. ]SPOILER END
What made me feel like the book was missing something in the conclusion is the fact that:
SPOILER[ Jasper and Olive find out who the spy is, they don't reveal it to the police, but only to Jasper's friend who is actually his superior at work for the Government.
She leaves with the spy (who is unaware that she has been discovered) for Germany and tells Jasper that she will let him know something by letter.
---> I agree that the spy had to lead to someone more important in the enemy organization, but the author could have put in the epilogue, a letter from Miss Ravenna (Jasper's superior) saying that the organization had been foiled and that the spy and its leaders had been arrested. ] SPOILER END
Instead, none of this happens and the epilogue is totally useless.
But of course this is my personal dissatisfaction, probably other readers felt 100% satisfied with the ending.
Despite this little reproach of mine to the writer, I enjoyed reading it, the general atmosphere is festive and Christmassy enough to be able to recommend it as a December reading (oh there are many books that take place during the days of Christmas and Boxing Day, however they are not at all Christmassy and it might seem like they take place at any other time of the year.
----> It's readable as a standalone, but if you're not in a rush to read something festive, start with book 1 of the series, it'll definitely be more enjoyable.
NOTE : I'm from Italy and I'm writing my review in a language that is not my native tongue, So please forgive any errors in my text. Thanks for stopping here :-)
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
1920s High Society Lady Detective Mystery Book 6
by Sara Rosett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very nice Christmas cozy mystery set in the early 1920s!
The snow and the warm atmosphere of the rich country estate, just before Christmas, were the backdrop to a well-articulated double mystery, with some kisses and a romantic couple as a protagonist.
___THE PLOT___ December 1923, England .
While Olive secretly follows her boyfriend Jasper to find out what he is hiding from her about his private life, she is involved in a car accident.
Nothing serious, but the drivers of the other car, who are guests in a beautiful country villa (where Jasper is also a guest together with an actress friend of his), insist that she be examined by a doctor and take her right to Holly Hill Lodge , the aforementioned estate.
It turns out that the butler of the mansion is missing since the day before, a weird thing, that will be resolved with the discovery of the butler's body.
Olive already enjoys a certain reputation as a whodunit solver and intends to investigate together with Jasper while waiting for the police to arrive in the following days (in the meantime the roads were blocked by the massive snowfall).
Added to this is the complication of a spy organization plotting against the King and the country.
---> At the beginning it took me a while to get into the story (let's say the first 20% of the book), but I think that's because this is the installment #6 in the series and even if it's perfectly readable as a standalone, being already fond of the characters after having read the previous ones brings an advantage: one is already involved in their personal stories and is able to get excited from the first lines.
In my case, however, I spent the first chapters getting to know the two protagonists and only after a while did I feel involved in their feelings and attitudes. As a result, I finally felt comfortable in the story, with a pleasant atmosphere of a villa full of almost eccentric guests and of a hospitable landlady followed by her cute dogs.
___ OLIVE and JASPER , the 2 MAIN CHARACTERS __ I liked this modern couple from the 1920s. They have only been a couple for a short time, but they have known each other since they were children and the level of confidence between them is perceivable.
It's true that Jasper hides something from Olive, but it's only because he's forced for work by forces greater than his personal will. Olive, for her part, feels that something isn't entirely clear and it's obvious that as his friend and now his girlfriend, she wants to know more.
She manages to discover the truth and this is good for both of them and for their relationship which is strengthened, because as always truth and honesty are the things that give stability to relationships between people.
A renewed complicity is born between them, which gives the reader the good feeling that they complete each other.
__ MYSTERY and DETECTION PART___ From 25% of the book on wards the intrigue begins and then the investigation on two fronts: the solution to the murder and the discovery of the spy, an enemy of the country, who was carrying information abroad.
This obviously continually teased my mind so that I too could discover useful clues and formulate hypotheses.
SPOILER[ The two cases, of murder and espionage, are somehow connected, however they have 2 different culprits.
While at the beginning I couldn't understand who the murderer was, towards the end I identified one of the 2 culprits (I didn't know which of the 2 crimes he was guilty of though).
A somewhat predictable scene revealed it to me: the culprit poisons himself to shift suspicion onto an innocent person... a classic that we often see in films.
However, this is not what left me slightly dissatisfied in the end. ]SPOILER END
What made me feel like the book was missing something in the conclusion is the fact that:
SPOILER[ Jasper and Olive find out who the spy is, they don't reveal it to the police, but only to Jasper's friend who is actually his superior at work for the Government.
She leaves with the spy (who is unaware that she has been discovered) for Germany and tells Jasper that she will let him know something by letter.
---> I agree that the spy had to lead to someone more important in the enemy organization, but the author could have put in the epilogue, a letter from Miss Ravenna (Jasper's superior) saying that the organization had been foiled and that the spy and its leaders had been arrested. ] SPOILER END
Instead, none of this happens and the epilogue is totally useless.
But of course this is my personal dissatisfaction, probably other readers felt 100% satisfied with the ending.
Despite this little reproach of mine to the writer, I enjoyed reading it, the general atmosphere is festive and Christmassy enough to be able to recommend it as a December reading (oh there are many books that take place during the days of Christmas and Boxing Day, however they are not at all Christmassy and it might seem like they take place at any other time of the year.
----> It's readable as a standalone, but if you're not in a rush to read something festive, start with book 1 of the series, it'll definitely be more enjoyable.
NOTE : I'm from Italy and I'm writing my review in a language that is not my native tongue, So please forgive any errors in my text. Thanks for stopping here :-)
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Book review : Shadows of Athens by J.M. Alvey
Shadows of Athens Philocles Book #1) by J.M. Alvey GENRE : #Historical-mystery My rating: ★★★★★ Actual...

-
The Twelve Saints of Christmas Heathcliff Lennox Mysteries Book #12 by Karen Baugh Menuhin GENRE: #Christmas-co...
-
The Heart of a Hussar The Winged Warrior #1 by Griffin Brady My rating: ★★★★★ 😃 A wonderful read: 5 f...
-
The Blighted Cliffs Reluctant Adventures of Lieutenant Martin Jerrold Book #1 by Edwin Thomas GENRE: #H...