Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.
Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love.Â
It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?
Release Date: Nov 7, 2023
Publisher: Random House
Imprint: Ballantine Books
Price: $9.99
Anne Perry’s holiday novellas are known for taking minor characters from her regular series and allowing them to take the lead in a Christmas mystery. This story features Mariah Ellison, the grandmother of Charlotte Pitt, from the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. (Both Charlotte and Thomas are mentioned in the story, but don’t make an appearance.) Mariah gets a request from an old friend she hasn’t seen in years, so she decides to travel from London to the small village of St. Helens for Christmas. Mariah is in for an unpleasant surprise when she arrives at her friend Sadie’s home. She decides to stay in St. Helens anyway and with the help of another friend, investigates a strange mystery.
The cover of this book has a lovely wintry cover and the book includes themes of friendship, redemption, and second chances. However, even though it takes place at Christmastime, I wouldn’t call this a Christmas story. I wish it had included information about Christmas traditions at the time the story takes place, which is near the end of England’s Victorian era. That would have added so much to the historical setting and helped brighten an often gloomy story.
It is interesting following Mariah’s investigation, and as she questions various residents of St. Helens, seeing her realize there is more to people than meets the eye. I was only somewhat surprised when all the details of the mystery came to light. However, I enjoyed the character growth of Mariah who admitted she had become bitter and hateful because of things she experienced in her life. As the story progresses, Mariah becomes forgiving and open to second chances for others, as well as to new beginnings in her own life. The story ends on a high note of hopefulness for several of the characters at the end of the story which helps make up for some of the darkness at the beginning.
~ Christine
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