A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond

A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond ISBN-13: 9781496717177 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: Sept. 29, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
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...


My Review:
A Christmas Carol Murder is a mystery set in 1835 in England. It's the third in a series. You don't need to read the previous book to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, making it feel like these events could really have happened. The author tried to stay true to what is known about Charles Dickens' career and lifestyle in his early twenties. The main characters were interesting and acted realistically. I cared about what happened to them. Charles asked questions and otherwise investigated, but the other characters were otherwise occupied. Kate hardly played a role in this one. Charles was busy trying to prove that he was not the father of an illegitimate son, save the mudlarks from a bad situation, and juggle all of the jobs he had to do, so I suppose it's not surprising that he took a while to catch on to what I guessed near the beginning. However, the exact details weren't guessable until the confession (especially as even the murderer wasn't sure how Harley managed fall out the window). There were a couple uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery. I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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