It just wouldn’t be Christmas without finding a dead body!
Frances and George were looking forward to a lively Christmas season in London when they received an invitation from George’s sister, Fiona. So, instead of spending Christmas in London, they quickly headed to Norfolk, where they were expecting an abundance of snow and a lovely holiday with family.
Unfortunately, what they got was anything but a picturesque white Christmas. Instead, a frightful wind and rainstorm pounded them. Fortunately, their home suffered little damage, so Frances, Fiona, and all five of the children set out on foot to check on their neighbors and offer whatever help they could.
Sadly, during their rounds, they discover the body of Sir Joshua Penhollow, the local doctor.
The circumstances surrounding Sir Joshua’s death are suspicious, but there is a rather significant problem: all of the men have left to help clear the roads. With the roads blocked and everyone scattered about helping with the storm damage, there is no doctor, coroner, magistrate, or policeman available to take charge of the investigation. That leaves the ladies to do what they can to uncover the truth.
I enjoy each addition to this series, and I always look forward to seeing what sort of trouble Frances and the others will find themselves involved in. I have to admit, though, that this one is probably my least favorite so far. The mystery itself is quite good, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what had happened to Sir Joshua and why. However, the pacing felt a bit slow and plodding to me. There seemed to be a lot of walking from one place to another, taking tea, and asking questions, without quite enough happening between those conversations to keep the story moving at the pace I prefer.
One part I particularly enjoyed was the arrival of the doctor from another town to perform the autopsy. I liked his character and his interactions with the others, and I have to wonder if the author might be planting the seeds of a budding romance between him and the older daughter. If so, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing where that relationship goes in a future book!
Even though this installment didn’t quite work for me as well as the others, I still enjoyed spending time with Frances, George, Fiona, and the rest of the family. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series. After all, you never know when another holiday—and another dead body—might turn up!
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
