Summary: A Christmas Carol Murder (A Dickens of a Crime #3) by Heather Redmond
London, December 1835: Charles and
Kate are out with friends and family for a chilly night of caroling and good
cheer. But their blood truly runs cold when their singing is interrupted by a
body plummeting from an upper window of a house. They soon learn the dead man
at their feet, his neck strangely wrapped in chains, is Jacob Harley, the
business partner of the resident of the house, an unpleasant codger who owns a
counting house, one Emmanuel Screws.
Ever the journalist, Charles dedicates himself to discovering
who's behind the diabolical defenestration. But before he can investigate
further, Harley's corpse is stolen. Following that, Charles is visited in his
quarters by what appears to be Harley's ghost—or is it merely Charles’s
overwrought imagination? He continues to suspect Emmanuel, the same penurious
penny pincher who denied his father a loan years ago, but Kate insists the old
man is too weak to heave a body out a window. Their mutual affection and
admiration can accommodate a difference of opinion, but matters are complicated
by the unexpected arrival of an infant orphan. Charles must find the child a
home while solving a murder, to ensure that the next one in chains is the
guilty party . . . (from Amazon)
Book Review: A Christmas Carol Murder (A Dickens of a Crime #3) by Heather Redmond
On one of Charles Dickens’ journalist assignments, a
baby is thrust upon him claiming he is the father. Charles asks friends to care
for it in secret. Out caroling with family and friends, Charles and his fiancée
Kate witness the body of counting house partner Jacob Harley falls out of a
window wearing chains around his neck. Before the body can be buried, it vanishes
and what appears to be Jacob Harley’s ghost shows up at Charles’ home. He also tries
to find the baby’s relatives without his fiancée finding out.
A Christmas Carol Murder is the third and final installment of A Dickens of a
Crime by Heather Redmond, published by Kensington Books. The story is set in London England 1835. It is about Charles
Dickens when he works as a journalist. Christmas
draws close and Charles, his family and friends decide to go caroling to raise
money for their charity. Outside counting house owner’s Emmanuel Screws property,
the body of Jacob Harley falls out of a window wearing chains around his neck. While
in the undertaker’s care, the body vanishes. What appears to be the ghost of
Jacob Harley turns up at Charles’ lodgings attempting to scare him off the
case. Charles tries to find Timothy’s relatives without ruining his engagement
to Kate.
Main character young Charles Dickens tries to support himself as news paper journalist. When on breaks from his money paying endeavors he works on his book. I find him a well crafted, believable main character who cares for others around him and he is my favorite in this story.
Supporting character Emmanuel Screws is the counting house owner. As the story progresses I felt unsure what he was about. One minute he was on my suspect list, the next I felt he seemed just a nice old grandpa. He was my least favorite character of this story, but I think his character played a vital part in the drama of the story.
The writing style and dialogue I felt was fantastically unique.
With a definite modern vibe it still felt authentic, helped by descriptions of
interesting (but pretty unreliable) methods to find a murderer’s identity.
The story included fascinating descriptions of life in
London at the time. The writing was so vivid, I felt almost a like a fly on the
wall near Charles Dickens and the people around him. I particularly enjoyed reading
about family life when Charles was invited to dinner at his in-laws.
Conclusion: The plot had me
all baffled and confused towards the end and I could not stop reading until I
knew who the culprit was. I read this story as a standalone, which worked
perfectly. I enjoyed the hints to previous books, and I am excited to read the
two previous installments in the series.
Fans of Heather Redmond will love this final
installment in A
Dickens of a Crime. Readers of crime fiction would also enjoy this book. Similar authors to explore might be Victoria Gilbert
or Joanne Fluke
Thank you to publisher Kensington Books and NetGalley
for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All
opinions in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: interesting seasonal plot, unique
writing and dialogue, great ending
Get your copy here:
Book Details
Series: A Dickens of a Crime (Book 3)
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1496717171
ISBN-13: 978-1496717177
About The Author
Heather Redmond is an author of commercial fiction and also writes as Heather Hiestand. First published in mystery, she took a long detour through romance before returning. Though her last British-born ancestor departed London in the 1920s, she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century. She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, was a multi-week Barnes & Noble Hardcover Mystery Bestseller. Her two current mystery series are “A Dickens of a Crime” and “the Journaling mysteries.” She writes for Kensington and Severn House. https://heatherredmond.com/
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