Sat 1 Feb 2020
A Mystery Review by LJ Roberts: ANNE PERRY – A Christmas Gathering.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[3] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
ANNE PERRY – A Christmas Gathering. Novella. Lady Vespasia & Victor Narraway. Christmas series #17. Ballantine, hardcover, November 2019. Setting: England-early 1900s
First Sentence: It was not the Christmas Vespasia had planned.
Vespasia and Narraway had hoped for a quiet Christmas at home. Instead, they are obligated to attend the country estate gathering of Max and Lady Amelia Cavendish. More than a holiday celebration for Narraway, former head of Special Branch, he is there to uncover a traitor.
Perry does an excellent job of introducing one to the characters, as well as providing background on Vespasia’s history and relationship with Narraway.
Perry’s observations often cause one to pause— “But this visit was duty, and he learned long ago that no happiness was untarnished for long if you had shirked duty in order to take it.” A nicely done recounting of Narraway’s history reveals the significance of this visit. Most authors would be inclined to depict Narraway as a classic strong male. Perry skillfully avoids that trope and gives us a man with faults and insecurities, and we like him all the more for it.
The relationship between the two principal characters is an interesting one, and Perry captures the nuances of it perfectly. The sharpness repartee between Vespasia and Amelia is perfect and reflects Perry’s skill with dialogue. She also captures the audacity of status; how those who are “higher” believe it gives them privileges simply because of their rank.
One can’t help but love Vespasia as she begins to conduct her own investigation and demands that Victor let her help, and for snapping at him when he dismisses her idea— “But with a woman, it is not the words, it is the message that matters.” For those readers who have followed Perry’s series for years, this Vespasia seems much sharper in tone. It is rather gratifying.
A Christmas Gathering is a good addition to the series of novellas. It’s always nice to see her normally secondary characters move into the limelight. The story has a subtle building of tension and while the suspense is well done, it is truly the characters who bring make this book work
Rating: Good.
February 1st, 2020 at 2:07 pm
I read her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt books as they came out for a while, and as I often do, I drifted away. The same happened with the William Monk books.
Now I see there are 32 Pitt books, and 24 Monk’s, plus five with Joseph Reavley. Ans still going strong with this, number 17 in her Christmas aeries. I don’t know how she does it.
Even if I’d been trying to keep up, I simply don’t read that fast!
February 2nd, 2020 at 8:40 pm
Steve,
Like you I drifted away, but once in a while one catches my eye and I catch up a little. That’s always a problem with really prolific writers, especially today when books tend to be much longer than the average mystery ought to be.
February 2nd, 2020 at 8:52 pm
The books like this one in her Christmas series are billed as novellas. I’ve never read one, and I can’t blame it on their being too long!