A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Celia approached the vicar, who stood alone for a few moments in the shadow of the rounded arch above the doorway, sheltered from the rising wind. She wanted to say something about the excellence of his sermon beyond the usual “well done,” which covered anything and nothing. (p. 1)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Nov. 2020; Ballantine Books; 978-0593129586
audio, ebook, print (192 pages); mystery 

I discovered Anne Perry earlier this year. Both books I've read have been in the mystery genre so I was sort of expecting her new Christmas book to also be a mystery. It is, but it also was different than I was expecting. 

A Christmas Resolution is set in 1870s London. I have read both Christmas stories written during that period and stories written by modern-day authors set in this time period. If I didn't know that Anne Perry was a modern-day author, I would have assumed that this story had been written close to the time that is depicted. In other words, it felt more like I was reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens rather than a work of historical fiction. I was impressed with how well Perry captured the tone of a Victorian novel.

Perry has written other Christmas stories, but I haven't read them, and therefore, I cannot compare them. If this is the first Christmas book of hers that you are picking up, then you should expect a much more serious story than the typical, fluffy holiday stories we see these days. Themes of repentance and forgiveness as well as love and concern for your fellow man are prevalent.

I said there was a mystery and there is. Someone is has been sending letters to a prominent, and self-righteous, man who has secrets - secrets that the letter writer reminds him are known to at least one person. Seth Marlowe is willing to ruin anyone who he thinks is the letter writer or in any way threatens he future plans to remarry. Unfortunately, the new wife of river police detective John Hooper is caught in Marlowe's crosshairs. She is best friends with the woman who has just agreed to marry Marlowe. Hooper is a loving husband and when his wife's reputation is threatened, he vows to discover Marlowe's secret, which presumably has to do with his first wife's death, and stop the letter writer from causing harm to innocent people.

The mystery isn't that difficult to work out. I guessed who was writing the letters as soon as the first letter was mentioned. The easy mystery pushed the themes of repentance and forgiveness to the forefront, and it is clear that they are what the reader should take away from the story.

If are looking for a Christmas that reminds you of the true meaning and mystery of Christmas, then this is the book for you.

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Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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