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violavalenza's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
litwithleigh's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Minotaur Books for my beautiful gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 4/5
SYNOPSIS
The Mitford sisters and their former nursery-maid, now private investigator, Louisa Cannon are back together to celebrate Christmas during WWII. But festivities are challenged when a psychic raises old secrets and ends up dead in the manor.
MY OPINION
Why yes, I did read a cozy historical mystery and why yes, I did enjoy it. Keep in mind, this is the first of its type I've read, so I can't really compare it to other similar books. Thereforeth (sometimes therefore doesn't feel fancy enough) this might be good to me as a newbie but an absolute stanker for a cozy historical mystery vet.
I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to read historical fiction considering a young GWTPSM was probably one of three lunatics who obsessively googled "historical drama movies" or "period piece films" LOL. If it had Keira Knightley in a ball gown with one loose curl hanging about her up-do, I was there!!! But nowadays when I read a synopsis and it says "It's the year *long ass time ago*" I'm like immediately no, NEXT. I gotta stop playing myself.
Ok so paragraph three and I'm finally going to talk about the book. First off, I enjoyed the writing. It wasn't too bogged down with old timey speak but still realistic for the time period. I found it quite funny too with most of the observational humour still relatable in today's modern society. For example: Louisa sometimes wondered how two Englishmen managed to put their clothes on in the morning, let alone run governments if these two shining examples were anything to go by.
Yes, there is a large cast of characters in this one, but at the back of the book there's a list to help you out. Also, Fellowes does a great job rehashing everyone's role and personality in the prologue. I didn't feel lost at any point. Tbh I don't think I'll ever feel as confused in a series as I did reading The Family Remains, but I digress.
Reading this reminded me of why I was such a history loving hoe. I loved reading about life during the war (Fellows approaches this with sensitivity while still keeping it "light"), British customs and traditions, and the attitudes of the time. So interesting to see how society has progressed, or regressed depending how you look at it.
I have to say though, 90% of police work was just vibes though. Backaday you really could commit any type of crime with a 95% success rate. Sealing off a crime scene for forensics? Nah. Just chuck the bloody sheets in the wash and call it a day. I'd love to see what kind of evidence was presented in court. Probably used astrology charts to show how the defendant's Venus was in bubble guts (idk anything about astrology) which means he's guilty your honor!
Ok I'm done.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: well-written, satisfying ending (not OTT, no weird "catching up with a friend" epilogue), well-executed plot, felt authentic
Cons: some filler scenes
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 4/5
SYNOPSIS
The Mitford sisters and their former nursery-maid, now private investigator, Louisa Cannon are back together to celebrate Christmas during WWII. But festivities are challenged when a psychic raises old secrets and ends up dead in the manor.
MY OPINION
Why yes, I did read a cozy historical mystery and why yes, I did enjoy it. Keep in mind, this is the first of its type I've read, so I can't really compare it to other similar books. Thereforeth (sometimes therefore doesn't feel fancy enough) this might be good to me as a newbie but an absolute stanker for a cozy historical mystery vet.
I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to read historical fiction considering a young GWTPSM was probably one of three lunatics who obsessively googled "historical drama movies" or "period piece films" LOL. If it had Keira Knightley in a ball gown with one loose curl hanging about her up-do, I was there!!! But nowadays when I read a synopsis and it says "It's the year *long ass time ago*" I'm like immediately no, NEXT. I gotta stop playing myself.
Ok so paragraph three and I'm finally going to talk about the book. First off, I enjoyed the writing. It wasn't too bogged down with old timey speak but still realistic for the time period. I found it quite funny too with most of the observational humour still relatable in today's modern society. For example: Louisa sometimes wondered how two Englishmen managed to put their clothes on in the morning, let alone run governments if these two shining examples were anything to go by.
Yes, there is a large cast of characters in this one, but at the back of the book there's a list to help you out. Also, Fellowes does a great job rehashing everyone's role and personality in the prologue. I didn't feel lost at any point. Tbh I don't think I'll ever feel as confused in a series as I did reading The Family Remains, but I digress.
Reading this reminded me of why I was such a history loving hoe. I loved reading about life during the war (Fellows approaches this with sensitivity while still keeping it "light"), British customs and traditions, and the attitudes of the time. So interesting to see how society has progressed, or regressed depending how you look at it.
I have to say though, 90% of police work was just vibes though. Backaday you really could commit any type of crime with a 95% success rate. Sealing off a crime scene for forensics? Nah. Just chuck the bloody sheets in the wash and call it a day. I'd love to see what kind of evidence was presented in court. Probably used astrology charts to show how the defendant's Venus was in bubble guts (idk anything about astrology) which means he's guilty your honor!
Ok I'm done.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: well-written, satisfying ending (not OTT, no weird "catching up with a friend" epilogue), well-executed plot, felt authentic
Cons: some filler scenes
kerryreadsbooks1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
froobn's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nickeeeta's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
laurenkeighley's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
It has come to the end for this series and we have finally reached the last Mitford Sister. Deborah or ‘Debo’ was as well known for her married life in later years as that of her siblings escapades.
Newly married to Andrew Cavendish and going to be the poor relations to the heir to the Chatsworth estate, Deborah is determined despite war, despite some of her sisters being all over the world or in prison that she will make the best Christmas they can have. she invites the constant throughout this eries of books Louisa Cannon, who was her elder sisters nursery maid and been involved in their ives for a long time.
Time has moved on, Louisa now married and with a daughter is glad to escape the bombs of London but not to leave Guy, her husband behind to run their detective agency. However it seems that the house party this Christmas is going to be a bit more interesting. A psychic arrives one night and claims that a maid once died in this house and her body never found. Surely this woman is stirring up trouble until she is found dead.
It seems ideal that a private detective is staying at the house and Deborah along with older sister Nancy, look to Louisa to try and solved this very cold case as well as the most recent death. With many house guests staying all with something to hide it seems that Louisa is going to have her work cut out. What she really needs is help from her husband and luck would bring him to Chatsworth.
With the facets of a locked room mystery – surely it must have been one of the house guests, this is a great historical mystery for fans of big houses and the upstairs, downstairs life. Plenty of class and society struggles and a reflection of the time, perhaps some of the dates have been manipulated a bit so some of the characters such as Kick Kennedy and Adele Astaire appear. However all in all this is a well researched and great book showing the sphere that the Mitford Sisters lived in. I have enjoyed all in there series and the historical notes at the end are as fascinating.
A must for historical fiction fans, murder mystery really is the vehicle to get to know these Mitford Sisters more informally. I am sorely disappointed that it has had to end.
Newly married to Andrew Cavendish and going to be the poor relations to the heir to the Chatsworth estate, Deborah is determined despite war, despite some of her sisters being all over the world or in prison that she will make the best Christmas they can have. she invites the constant throughout this eries of books Louisa Cannon, who was her elder sisters nursery maid and been involved in their ives for a long time.
Time has moved on, Louisa now married and with a daughter is glad to escape the bombs of London but not to leave Guy, her husband behind to run their detective agency. However it seems that the house party this Christmas is going to be a bit more interesting. A psychic arrives one night and claims that a maid once died in this house and her body never found. Surely this woman is stirring up trouble until she is found dead.
It seems ideal that a private detective is staying at the house and Deborah along with older sister Nancy, look to Louisa to try and solved this very cold case as well as the most recent death. With many house guests staying all with something to hide it seems that Louisa is going to have her work cut out. What she really needs is help from her husband and luck would bring him to Chatsworth.
With the facets of a locked room mystery – surely it must have been one of the house guests, this is a great historical mystery for fans of big houses and the upstairs, downstairs life. Plenty of class and society struggles and a reflection of the time, perhaps some of the dates have been manipulated a bit so some of the characters such as Kick Kennedy and Adele Astaire appear. However all in all this is a well researched and great book showing the sphere that the Mitford Sisters lived in. I have enjoyed all in there series and the historical notes at the end are as fascinating.
A must for historical fiction fans, murder mystery really is the vehicle to get to know these Mitford Sisters more informally. I am sorely disappointed that it has had to end.
lafischer1's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5