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girlonthecsaw's review against another edition
3.0
This was different than I expected. I've been wanting to read Anne Perry's yearly offerings for a good while because I love Christmas stories. However, other than the time frame, this one didn't have that much of a holiday feel. I appreciated the writing style and the characters were interesting. Perry's fans will probably enjoy this more than readers who are new to her work. Still, it was entertaining enough to make me want to attempt some of the other titles.
aelurus's review against another edition
3.0
Ma critique complète sur mon blog :
https://letmentertainyou.com/2017/12/26/un-noel-en-sicile/
https://letmentertainyou.com/2017/12/26/un-noel-en-sicile/
critterbee's review
3.0
A unique short mystery in a beautiful and ominous setting, well worth reading.
I really enjoyed how the mystery mirrored the main other events happening in the story, each lending suspense and making the overall story thrilling!
**eARC netgalley**
I really enjoyed how the mystery mirrored the main other events happening in the story, each lending suspense and making the overall story thrilling!
**eARC netgalley**
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
The Christmas Escape by Anne Perry is a 2015 Random House publication.
I would like to thank the publisher and The LibraryThing early review program for the lovely hardcover copy of this book.
I always look forward to Anne Perry’s Christmas stories which has loose ties to her ‘Monk’ series. In this case Charles is on holiday on the island of Stromboli when a dormant volcano suddenly decides to awake from its long nap.
Charles is immediately befriended by a precious and delightful fourteen year old girl, named Candace.
She regales him with stories about their fellow travelers at the inn, and is especially excited about a well known novelist being in their midst.
However, the atmosphere becomes tense as a sinister occurrence leads to murder amid the evacuation of the guests, and Charles finds himself responsible for Candace. The two must attempt to escape the volcanic fury, but must also escape a murderer.
I had been hoping to add this book to my holiday reading in 2015, and thought it would make an excellent post for my blog, but sadly the book shipped out late, not arriving until nearly a month after Christmas, by which time I was pretty much burned out on holiday themed novels.
So, since I was free from a looming deadline, I decided to wait a couple of months before starting this one. This is not a long book, and I read it in a couple of hours while stuck inside on a rainy Monday afternoon.
While touted as a Christmas themed mystery, the book could be read at any time of the year, as it turns out,because the holiday atmosphere isn’t really present, and is not mentioned until the very end.
Candace is the show stealer here, and the mystery is wrapped up around her in ways I would never have guessed. I loved the dialogue and the characters, but the volcanic eruptions gave the book a more depressing aura than I expected.
In the end, however, I felt more respect for Charles and have faith he will do his best by Candace, and who knows, maybe in time, the two of them might make a great detective team.
Overall 3.5 stars
I would like to thank the publisher and The LibraryThing early review program for the lovely hardcover copy of this book.
I always look forward to Anne Perry’s Christmas stories which has loose ties to her ‘Monk’ series. In this case Charles is on holiday on the island of Stromboli when a dormant volcano suddenly decides to awake from its long nap.
Charles is immediately befriended by a precious and delightful fourteen year old girl, named Candace.
She regales him with stories about their fellow travelers at the inn, and is especially excited about a well known novelist being in their midst.
However, the atmosphere becomes tense as a sinister occurrence leads to murder amid the evacuation of the guests, and Charles finds himself responsible for Candace. The two must attempt to escape the volcanic fury, but must also escape a murderer.
I had been hoping to add this book to my holiday reading in 2015, and thought it would make an excellent post for my blog, but sadly the book shipped out late, not arriving until nearly a month after Christmas, by which time I was pretty much burned out on holiday themed novels.
So, since I was free from a looming deadline, I decided to wait a couple of months before starting this one. This is not a long book, and I read it in a couple of hours while stuck inside on a rainy Monday afternoon.
While touted as a Christmas themed mystery, the book could be read at any time of the year, as it turns out,because the holiday atmosphere isn’t really present, and is not mentioned until the very end.
Candace is the show stealer here, and the mystery is wrapped up around her in ways I would never have guessed. I loved the dialogue and the characters, but the volcanic eruptions gave the book a more depressing aura than I expected.
In the end, however, I felt more respect for Charles and have faith he will do his best by Candace, and who knows, maybe in time, the two of them might make a great detective team.
Overall 3.5 stars
chickflix's review
2.0
Better than the first book I read from this series, but I guess this series isn't for me. This is supposed to be a mystery, but I think that takes a back seat to an erupting volcano. That was good for me because the volcano stuff was my favorite part, and if the entire book was a group of characters trying to get off the island when their vacation turns dangerous, I would have loved it.
tien's review
2.0
Charles Latterly went on a holiday for Christmas to the island of Stromboli for something different and, hopefully, lively especially it's an island with a rather non-sleeping volcano. The guests at his hotel are rather interesting and diverse in characters as well. What they all do not expect is a murder and an explosion.
I haven't read all the books in the series nor do I intend to as this one feels like ones I can pick up willy nilly so I don't even know if the protagonist here is the MC throughout the series, it feels like he's not. He didn't seem that interested in the mystery to solving it plus I'm not at all convinced with the mystery at all. Maybe I'm expecting too much of a novella...
I haven't read all the books in the series nor do I intend to as this one feels like ones I can pick up willy nilly so I don't even know if the protagonist here is the MC throughout the series, it feels like he's not. He didn't seem that interested in the mystery to solving it plus I'm not at all convinced with the mystery at all. Maybe I'm expecting too much of a novella...
jayce's review
3.0
Not the best Anne Perry book I've read. Seems very forced that all these people who dislike each other so much would vacation together. It is made to seem like they are all on this island independently but they all know each other from back in England.
I really wished to be immersed in the Italian escape part but it was very much about the English characters & the drama between them.
It was a very tragic story but the young girl most affected did not seem all that… affected.
I really wished to be immersed in the Italian escape part but it was very much about the English characters & the drama between them.
It was a very tragic story but the young girl most affected did not seem all that… affected.
leighannsherwin's review against another edition
4.0
Another holiday season another Anne Perry novella to read. Always a fairly quick and easy read, although I took a while to get through my reasons have nothing to do with the story. This year we travel to the island of Stromboli, an active volcano. Charles Latterly, brother of Hester from the Monk series (I assume as I've only read one book in that series) takes centre stage. Devastated by the loss of his wife he looks forward to some relaxation time. Also staying on the island are fellow English tourists. Candace Finbar a bright charming teenager, her uncle Roger, a former army colonel, an unhappily married couple and a reclusive, arrogant author known for a wonderful masterpiece novel and nothing else since. The hotel is run by Stefano, who caters to his guests every whim. Charles bonds with Candace and Roger immediately, but there is tension within the group and it isn't long before someone turns up dead, and the volcano starts to erupt actively and dangerously at almost the same time. As the small group heads for safety, Charles is left to wonder if any of them will ever be safe again. Though light on the mystery part, it was too short a story for that, and nothing suggested or made the story feel festive it was a good quick read the characters were interesting, I liked Candace and Charles and hope they make appearances in the Monk series, whenever I get around to reading them.
jensreadinglife's review
3.0
I’ve been reading these Anne Perry Christmas books for years now. I still think the first entries in the series are the best but I did enjoy this story of Charles Latterley on a Christmas holiday in Italy after the death of his wife when a murder happens. Add onto that the impending eruption of a volcano and it made for a page-turner. My biggest complaint with these books is that they seem more like short stories or novellas and, as a result, often feel rushed. That actually worked in this story to ratchet up the tension but I would have liked a few more chapters with these characters.
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