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mommyhale's review
3.0
Short and fun Christmas mystery, but not one I would reread. I do want to read Dracula though, since that is the play they were working on and I don't know that story very well.
tmefoster's review
3.0
This was a short sweet book. With that in mind, there wasn't much substance to it. I enjoyed the idea of the plot, but that didn't go very far. You can guess the ending half way though. No twists or turns. No surprises. Short, sweet and simple.
All though I did enjoy the plot, I did not enjoy the authors writing style. There were entirely too many references to facial expressions, and being able to tell how someone was feeling in reference to their facial expressions. It was mentioned how only she, the main character, had noticed and also how one could only notice if they had been looking at that percise moment. There were also many references to how she knew her husband so well that she had learned to be able to pick up on his facial cues and how he really was feeling.
Other areas of the book were very choppy when a thought process was going on.
The book did read very quickly though. I won't read an Anne Perry books again. I will read some more Christmas books though.
All though I did enjoy the plot, I did not enjoy the authors writing style. There were entirely too many references to facial expressions, and being able to tell how someone was feeling in reference to their facial expressions. It was mentioned how only she, the main character, had noticed and also how one could only notice if they had been looking at that percise moment. There were also many references to how she knew her husband so well that she had learned to be able to pick up on his facial cues and how he really was feeling.
Other areas of the book were very choppy when a thought process was going on.
The book did read very quickly though. I won't read an Anne Perry books again. I will read some more Christmas books though.
melissaleigh's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
judythereader's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. Someone had recently commented that Anne Perry's "Christmas" books have little to do with Christmas, other than being set at that time, but I disagree with this one. Truthfully, Christmas Day was not really celebrated, although that's also where it ended. However, the story delves into what is evil and, therefore, what is good. I think that's actually a real Christmas theme.
However, I also enjoyed the book for it's own self. It was a good story with good characters. A troupe of actors in 1898 is working on a stage production of Dracula, before one became successful in London. Much of the story is about developing the play from the raw script. That's where the exploration of evil comes in. How it seduces. It was a wonderful exploration of the themes of that book.
Because it's Anne Perry, there's feminism as a young woman finds the opportunity to follow her heart's desire and live a life that is outside the norm. Not to mention Caroline, Charlotte Pitt's mother solving the crime from tips she's learned from her son-in-law.
I found this book to be suspenseful and emotionally rich, with a gothic edge. However, the mystery itself was weak, because not one bit of the information that went into the solving of the crime was available to the audience until after Caroline solved it. Then she discussed it with her husband and they went to the master of the house and they all confronted the villain. That's what kept this from being a 4 star book. I like clues. But I loved everything else about this book.
However, I also enjoyed the book for it's own self. It was a good story with good characters. A troupe of actors in 1898 is working on a stage production of Dracula, before one became successful in London. Much of the story is about developing the play from the raw script. That's where the exploration of evil comes in. How it seduces. It was a wonderful exploration of the themes of that book.
Because it's Anne Perry, there's feminism as a young woman finds the opportunity to follow her heart's desire and live a life that is outside the norm. Not to mention Caroline, Charlotte Pitt's mother solving the crime from tips she's learned from her son-in-law.
I found this book to be suspenseful and emotionally rich, with a gothic edge. However, the mystery itself was weak, because not one bit of the information that went into the solving of the crime was available to the audience until after Caroline solved it. Then she discussed it with her husband and they went to the master of the house and they all confronted the villain. That's what kept this from being a 4 star book. I like clues. But I loved everything else about this book.
karcitis's review
3.0
2.5 It was a good read, but pretty short, and the mystery didn't even start until halfway through the book, which made the solving of it seem overly quick.
joelletribbiani's review
1.0
I was looking for a spooky winter audiobook to listen to while doing household chores. This was billed as that, but it did not hold up. Most of the book was a description of how to turn Bram Stoker's Dracula into a play, with a murder tacked on that was quickly and easily solved.
leah_gravel's review against another edition
1.0
Ce roman me promettait de belles choses dont notamment me plonger dans la magie d'un Noël Victorien et de retrouver les personnages de la série Charlotte et Thomas Pitt que j'aime tant.
J'avais aimé La détective de Noël l'année dernière mais je me suis profondément ennuyée avec celui-ci... Ce roman policier raté (selon moi) présente la construction d'une pièce de théâtre pendant plus d'une centaine de pages (sur environ 180) puis, le meurtre arrive comme un cheveu sur la soupe. Et je ne vous parle même pas du dénouement qui survient après une pseudo enquête expédiée en quelques pages.
Conclusion, passez votre chemin !
J'avais aimé La détective de Noël l'année dernière mais je me suis profondément ennuyée avec celui-ci... Ce roman policier raté (selon moi) présente la construction d'une pièce de théâtre pendant plus d'une centaine de pages (sur environ 180) puis, le meurtre arrive comme un cheveu sur la soupe. Et je ne vous parle même pas du dénouement qui survient après une pseudo enquête expédiée en quelques pages.
Conclusion, passez votre chemin !
amyellerlewis's review
3.0
A sweet little buttonhole of a book -- not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it was supposed to do. Moves a nice clip, good combination of thrilling and seasonally cozy (lots of blizzarding). Would have liked to see more eating and drinking, but I can say that about most books. Won't change your life, but a nice way to spend an afternoon.
leighannsherwin's review
4.0
Reading the description of the book made me think this would be my favourite of Anne Perry's Christmas books. I've read all but I think one or two now and enjoyed all of them except A Christmas Odyssey which was too dark to be a holiday story. But anyway this book appealed to me, sounding like a good old fashion Agatha Christie type story, a group of people snowed in at a grand estate in the country, a mysterious stranger, it sounded like a winner to me. Except that it was over a hundred pages before anything happened. Before that it was all about the story of Dracula, how to turn a book into a play. While somewhat interesting, it wasn't what I had hoped it would be. Then Caroline trips over a body in the middle of the night and it appears we have a story. But because the murder didn't happen until over half way in the book, the rest of the story was rushed along and there were no hints, no clues for readers to pick up on. I did like the story, but I was disappointed. It certainly wasn't what I had hoped it would be.
wyrmbergsabrina's review
4.0
Another not quite what you're expecting murder mystery from Anne Perry.
When the actual body doesn't turn up until quiet a way in, you know the solution will be a simple one. But once again, it's not about the murder mystery, it's about deeper questions, and character moments, and I rather liked it.
Again, if you want an actual proper mystery, plump for Agatha Christie. If you want a thinking session, try this.
When the actual body doesn't turn up until quiet a way in, you know the solution will be a simple one. But once again, it's not about the murder mystery, it's about deeper questions, and character moments, and I rather liked it.
Again, if you want an actual proper mystery, plump for Agatha Christie. If you want a thinking session, try this.