Reviews

A Christmas Message by Anne Perry

cheesygiraffe's review against another edition

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3.0

Some quotes I like from this book.

“God knows, too often we have little respect for one another’s religions or customs, especially if they conflict with our own, and we don’t understand them. We don’t even try to.”

“Gold for the king, frankincense for the priest, and myrrh for the sacrifice,”

“Exactly. The lust for power always hates knowledge, just as the darkness hates the light.”

jnhamm's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

vvijayanti's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

pat_walsh_19's review against another edition

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inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

felinity's review against another edition

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4.0

You don't need to have read the other books in the Thomas Pitt series to enjoy this one, and although you may have some idea what to expect from Anne Perry's Christmas novellas, this mystery is a little different.

Vespasia and Victor Narraway have travelled to Jerusalem for Christmas, the city at the heart of conflict and religion for centuries. A chance meeting with an elderly astronomer leads to a very pleasant shared evening, shattered later by a brutal murder.

As Vespasia and Victor embark on their quest, it becomes more than just a duty; the mystery goes deeper than just solving the murder, becoming both a spiritual pilgrimage and celebration of life. (This is not a Christian mystery, despite the setting and content: God's grace is entirely absent.)

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

eawsmom's review against another edition

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2.0

I usually enjoy Anne Perry's Christmas novellas, as each one takes a lesser character (or two) from her other mysteries and inserts them into their own mystery. Up until now, they have always been well written and provide a little more insight into the character than the longer mysteries, and there is always a satisfactory conclusion. That is not the case with this book.

This book, however, does not live up to her usual standards, in my opinion. Vespasia and Victor Narraway are on a journey to the Middle East for Christmas 1900. In Jaffa, they have dinner with a mysterious man only to find him murdered the next day and Victor in possession of a peculiar piece of parchment and a note which directs him to deliver the parchment to Jerusalem by Christmas Eve. The two set out by train from Jaffa and encounter more mysterious strangers en route, as well as meeting with not one but two malfunctions of the train. Once they make it to Jerusalem, two more pieces of parchment appear and are all delivered to the same location to three religious men, one Catholic, one Orthodox, and one Protestant.

I believe this was intended to be a deeply philosophical novella which would lead to reflections on the message of Christmas and the meaning of life. However, I found it to be meandering and confusing; many of the sentences left me scratching my head as to what was being said, either due to poor writing or poor editing. This book will not get a second reading from me as many of her Christmas books have.

kath61's review against another edition

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3.0

A Christmas/religious fable, with some atmosphere, though a little puzzling in parts. I was expecting a light Christmas read but this was more a book you needed to think about to unpack the layers.

karynhansen's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

sarabellum's review against another edition

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2.0

What.

jazzlioness's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

This book is only good for people who believe in Christianity as the one true faith.
I would say this book is best for people who are looking for a Victorian era style approach to The Da Vinci Code.

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