Scan barcode
elysahenegar's review against another edition
3.0
A short little Christmas mystery! Not nearly as engaging as Perry's Thomas Pitt novels, but still fun!
bak8382's review against another edition
3.0
Perry's latest Christmas mystery features Charlotte's Grandmother Mariah who, for reasons a bit unclear, will be spending Christmas alone until an unexpected package arrives at her doorstep. She embarks on a journey to not only heal an old friendship, but also to hopefully solve a 20 year old murder.
It was nice to delve a bit into Mariah's backstory, and the mystery was interesting. Readers don't need to have read any of the other Christmas stories, though she references another mystery from the regular series several times, that I must have missed, where she was evidently heavily featured.
These Christmas mysteries are not the place to start for new readers of Anne Perry as they lack the nuance of character development, and the mysteries aren't as intricate. Plus they feature peripheral characters that only regulars of the series would recognize, but they are a nice way for fans of the series to learn more about the secondary characters.
It was nice to delve a bit into Mariah's backstory, and the mystery was interesting. Readers don't need to have read any of the other Christmas stories, though she references another mystery from the regular series several times, that I must have missed, where she was evidently heavily featured.
These Christmas mysteries are not the place to start for new readers of Anne Perry as they lack the nuance of character development, and the mysteries aren't as intricate. Plus they feature peripheral characters that only regulars of the series would recognize, but they are a nice way for fans of the series to learn more about the secondary characters.
bethanyhyde's review against another edition
1.0
Selected for book club - hated it! Characters were one dimensional, plot was boring, and there wasn’t enough history to be historical fiction. At least it was short.
printingbetweenthepages's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy crime-solving narratives, and this book has an interesting one...
21 years ago a murder occurred during the Christmas season, it's believed to be solved, someone has been convicted even. Yet, when a mysterious gift shows up the solved case is blown wide open and a new investigation comes to life.
A Christmas Return combines elements of the holiday season with the intrigue of a murder mystery remaining to be properly solved. This was the perfect combination for me!
The characters are endearing and the storyline is heartfelt. I quickly found myself rooting for the good guys and despising the bad guy. These aspects made for an engaging read.
This was a short book, at 176 pages. It made for the perfect cozy reading session this season. I think I will pick up more books by Anne Perry too!
21 years ago a murder occurred during the Christmas season, it's believed to be solved, someone has been convicted even. Yet, when a mysterious gift shows up the solved case is blown wide open and a new investigation comes to life.
A Christmas Return combines elements of the holiday season with the intrigue of a murder mystery remaining to be properly solved. This was the perfect combination for me!
The characters are endearing and the storyline is heartfelt. I quickly found myself rooting for the good guys and despising the bad guy. These aspects made for an engaging read.
This was a short book, at 176 pages. It made for the perfect cozy reading session this season. I think I will pick up more books by Anne Perry too!
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Even though this is the fifteenth novella in the festive series, having not read any other books in the series, it definitely reads as a stand alone. Not only is it my first book I've read in the series but also the first book I've read by the author.
This was a relatively quick and quaint read. Even though only a novella, I fast became a fan of Mariah's character. She reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Quite stern yet lovable.
I loved the era the story is set in as well as the investigation. It's not a dark crime read by any means but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. If you are looking for a more lighter crime fiction read set at a festive time of the year, then this is a perfect little read.
A Christmas Return is nice little read that was easy to get into and had me captivated with the wonderful era it's set in. I think if you love you Agatha Christie style mysteries then this is an author whose books you should definitely give a go.
My thanks to Headline for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
This was a relatively quick and quaint read. Even though only a novella, I fast became a fan of Mariah's character. She reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Quite stern yet lovable.
I loved the era the story is set in as well as the investigation. It's not a dark crime read by any means but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. If you are looking for a more lighter crime fiction read set at a festive time of the year, then this is a perfect little read.
A Christmas Return is nice little read that was easy to get into and had me captivated with the wonderful era it's set in. I think if you love you Agatha Christie style mysteries then this is an author whose books you should definitely give a go.
My thanks to Headline for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
katenetz's review against another edition
3.0
There was quite a lot of internal angst background info, which took away from the pacing of the plot - but still Christmas-y and a satisfying ending.
booksyl's review against another edition
3.0
A fun Christmas cold case mystery, but nothing special.