A smitten woman is about to marry a dangerous man—unless Detective Hooper and his new wife, Celia, can prevent it—in this wickedly tangled holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry.Detective John Hooper, William Monk’s right-hand man at the Thames River Police, is blissfully happy in his new marriage to Celia, the cousin of a victim in one of the river police’s recent murder cases. Celia … murder cases. Celia wants the same happiness for her good friend Clementine, who’s just announced her engagement to Seth Marlowe, a member of her church. Christmas is nearing, and this should be extra cause for celebration, but when Marlowe begins receiving threatening letters about his first wife’s death, it becomes clear that he is far from the devout man Clementine thought he was. In his rage, Marlowe accuses Celia of sending the letters, claiming she wants to ruin his engagement to Clementine. At a loss as to how to defend herself, Celia enlists Hooper to investigate the letters’ claims, and what he finds makes her desperate to show Clementine the truth about her soon-to-be husband.
But Celia herself has not always been truthful, especially not during the murder trial following her cousin’s death. How can she be believed now, when she lied on the stand? Especially when Marlowe knows that she did, and could use it against her. This Yuletide season finds love and faith put to the test—and Celia’s and Clementine’s lives on the line.
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“{She is a beautiful woman, in her own way. She has a brightness about her, a light within, you will see a change in him, you will have to forgive the darkness and the pain in him, before it has been healed. We can most of do afterward.”}
This was a nice Christmas romance mystery book. It is definitely fast read! The book also holds a lesson I think everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time. Forgive yourself and others and the hardest one is to forgive those that you don’t really like in the first place. I really did enjoy this book. It was hard to put down once i got started! Hopefully it will do the same for you! Happy reading everyone!
It’s easy to forgive someone you like, but to genuinely forgive an unlikable person a bit of Christmas miracle might be necessary. The latest of the Christmas Stories series is a follow up to some of the events in Dark Tide Rising. Some history and mystery, but a thoughtful, holiday season novella with heart.
Anne Perry’s Christmas Stories series tell standalone, novella-length mysteries set both at Christmas and in the worlds of her two Victorian Detective series. This eighteenth installment, A Christmas Resolution, delves into the William Monk world with one of the prime secondary characters, his right hand man, John Hooper. Hooper’s past came to light in Dark Tide Rising and he also met his wife in the critical hour. Two lonely people are adjusting to marriage and the partnership in life’s toils and troubles as a result.
Celia has been confronted by a self-righteous temperamental man from the village church congregation because he suspects she is behind a poison pen letter he has received, but also because he sees what she did to get justice and save Hooper was a sin against God even though the courts and the vicar do not. The only way to free Celia from his threat and perhaps open the eyes of Celia’s truly good friend who has agreed to marry him is for Celia and her husband to get to the truth behind the letters on a trail into his past. Meanwhile, Celia wrestles with the Christian teaching about forgiveness and how that applies to the nasty-tempered Mr.
Marlowe.
I’ve long been a fan of the author’s work to bring the Victorian world of London to life from it’s high, lofty Mayfair drawing rooms to its teaming, gritty slums in the East End and everything in between like this working class village along the Thames. Along with setting, she sketches in complex, shadowed characters with very believable human frailties and strengths like Celia and Hooper learning what daily life in a marriage is or a person coming to terms with a moral dilemma or a person choosing their weakness and fear over the work of changing. And, that is before one gets to the delicious mystery plots that twist and turn their way to a conclusion. The level of development in her novellas like this Christmas-themed one is no less than the novels in her main series books. I eagerly await each new release and the experience of reading her books. Those who want a solid historical mystery set against the holiday season should pick this one up- or start anywhere in the series that grabs the attention.
When Celia’s best friend Clementine becomes engaged, Celia wants her to be as happy as she is to her husband, John. But when she learns the man Clementine’s engaged to is Seth Marlowe Celia knows she needs to find a way to stop the wedding from happening. When Seth accuses Celia of sending him threatening letters, Celia’s husband John steps in to help.
This was an okay read, but not the best I’ve read from Anne Perry. The story takes place around Christmas with forgiveness and honesty as running themes throughout. I enjoyed the mystery of who was sending the threatening letters to Seth Marlowe, and was completely surprised when the sender was revealed.
Anne Perry is one of my most favorite authors. She knows how to tell a story and it is very obvious that she does her research on the time period that her story takes place in. She presents each of her characters as realistic people. The stories she presents to her readers are always intriguing and a joy to read.
Celia Hooper is distressed when she learns that her friend Clementine Appleby is going to marry Seth Marlowe, the disagreeable, pompous, sanctimonious, controlling brother-in-law to the congregation’s vicar. Marlowe’s first wife Rose disappeared under mysterious circumstances, along with his daughter Flavia and Celia is concerned for the happiness and safety of her friend. Seth threatens Celia with revealing her role in murder case the previous year and accuses her of writing anonymous letters to him. Together with her husband, Detective John Hopper, a member of the Thames River Police force, Celia works to identify the author of the letters and resolve the mystery of Rose’s disappearance.
This is a standalone novella (number 18) in the Anne Perry’s Christmas Stories series. The author paints an expressive portrait of the Thames in fog, the village. Her characters are complex with human frailties and conflicts of their own. The story moves slowly, but doesn’t plod along, but expresses the emotions and events in a graceful manner. The theological exploration of forgiveness by humans and by God is thought provoking. I will be looking for the earlier books in the series to add to my TBR list.
I received this book from NetGalley. The opinion is my own.
Anne Perry is in a class all her own.
I have read every single book!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Ballantine/Random House in exchange for an unbiased review.
I enjoyed this short story based during Christmas time of 1872 in England. In a very devote religious community, Celia Hooper who married late in life to John Hooper tries desperately to uncover the truth about a self righteous man, Seth Marlowe. Celia learns that he is recently engaged to marry her best friend Clementine Appleby, who is unaware of his shady past. Clementine is a sweet and generous woman who spends her time helping others especially the homeless and less desirable.
Celia is overwhelmed with the blessings she has even though it wasn’t an easy path for her. She had met her husband while he was investigating the murder of her cousin, Katherine, at the hands of her spouse Harry Exeter. John Hooper is called upon once again to help uncover truth and provide justice when past events surface regarding Seth Marlowe before he came to Thames.
Although the story is predictable, it was still a delightful read with the quaintness of a small English village during the holidays. The atmosphere and setting provided a backdrop for the themes of repentance and forgiveness to shine. It reminds us that no one is perfect and that the hardest part is owning our imperfections. There can be no meaningful restitution or resolution otherwise.
I love books set in old England but to be a woman of that time period, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have made a very good wife. The arrogance and pride of men is what has this book moving but it’s the women who are the stars. Thanks Anne!
Anne Perry is a terrific writer, and this Christmas novella is wonderfully done. If you’ve read her books, this one continues in the same style. Very detailed, and brings to life the Victorian time period. Always a mystery, you’ll enjoy this story. I was given a ARC copy of the book to read, and this is my honest opinion.
A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry
Enjoying this read because it’s about a woman who sticks up for her best friend Clementine who is marrying a man she really doesn’t know and has no idea what he’s all about.
Seth Marlowe corners Celia and tells her to stay away from his wife to be or he will divulge her lies on the witness stand.
She hurries to visit the vicar and he knows that she lied but for a really good reason.
She hopes her spouse doesn’t also find out….so she informs him of the trouble. John takes it upon himself along with some police and they follow the clues and find a person who has reliable first hand knowledge of what really happened.
Religion is involved along with forgiveness.
Quite different than anything I’ve read before, how it all comes down and why. Everything comes out at the end, what a great mystery story especially for the upcoming holidays.
I received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AChristmasResolution #NetGalley
I’m a huge new Anne Perry fan. I just adore the Daniel Pitt and Elena Standish series, and I also plan on reading the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series soon. I saw that she has written quite a few Christmas stories, but this is the first one I read. It was the perfect way to start the upcoming holiday season! This year has been really challenging, so a positive story was something I really needed.
Celia is newly married to Detective John Hooper, who works with William Monk, and she’s over-the-moon happy. She would love for her dearest friend Clementine to find her own love. However, when Clementine announces her engagement to Seth Marlowe, it’s really hard for Celia to be happy for her. Marlowe is not a nice man; he may be one of the most judgmental people Celia has ever met. When Marlowe receives threatening letters about his first wife’s death, he accuses Celia of sending them in an attempt to change Clementine’s mind about the engagement. Hooper begins to investigate the truth behind the horrible letters…
This was an absolutely lovely story about forgiveness. It’s more a story about that than Christmas, but it does take place during Yuletide. Celia and Hooper are delightful characters. Celia wants to do everything she can to keep her friend safe, and Hooper does the same for his wife. They are not a young married couple; they both have a few years on them, which was a nice change of pace. The mystery about the letters was an entertaining one. The supporting cast was stellar, especially Marlowe and his brother-in-law, Vicar Andrew Roberson. As I said, the main theme running through this novella is forgiveness, but in no was it preachy. It’s the perfect book for this time of the year. Well, actually for any time! Who doesn’t have someone they struggle to forgive?
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry is not really a Christmas novel but rather one in the spirit of Christmas. It takes place in a William Monk related world of the river police in London and is really a story of forgiveness, or rather lack of forgiveness. Celia is married to John Hooper, a deputy. It is a relatively late in life marriage but they are both happy with it. Celia’s friend, Clementine has announced she is to marry. She is on the wrong side of thirty so this is somewhat surprising but it is the objective of her affections that is the real surprise: Seth Marlowe, a man suspected of many things, an unpleasant man at best.
Seth is a man of God but neglects an important aspect: forgiveness. He spends an inordinate amount of time criticizing and shaming others. There are rumors about his past, but no one really knows. Celia is worried. She has had several recent encounters with him that have been most distressing: he wants her to break off her friendship with Clementine. He threatened her. Celia is distress and shares her distress with her husband. He sets off to investigate. Traditional Perry. A good story with a satisfying conclusion. A good lesson in forgiveness. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of A Christmas Resolution. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #achristmasresolution
I have read a few of Anne Perry’s works. This was an interesting read. It has great characters and a wonderful message about forgiveness. It takes place in a small village off of the great Pool of London. There is a little bit of mystery to it, in trying to find out who is sending “poison pen” letters to a recently settled aristocrat in the area. He accuses one of the villages women to writing it and threatens to “expose” her for the liar he believes her to be. I felt that this was a quick read with wonderful prose.
Seth Marlowe, middle age widower, chooses the wrong woman to try and intimidate when he begins threatening Celia Hooper, wife of Detective John Hooper. When Celia’s best friend, Clementine, unexpectedly becomes engaged to Seth, controversy erupts in a multitude of ways in the small village in Victorian England. As Seth blames Celia for his troubles, John Hooper begins his own search for answers to the mysterious death of Seth’s first wife.
Will John and Celia be able to find their way through the tangled web of Seth Marlowe’s life and find an answer before it’s too late for Clementine? Sprinkled with Christmas kindness and lessons on forgiveness, the story unwinds with a satisfying answer to everyone’s questions on Christmas Eve no less!
This ARC copy was received from Ballantine Books and Netgalley. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
On the Sunday before Christmas, Celia is stunned to learn that the judgmental Seth Marlowe is marrying her best friend Clementine. Celia is trying to be positive about Clementine’s plans, but she is worried about her friend. Seth warns Celia that he plans to reduce her friendship with Clementine. When Seth receives anonymous threatening letters about his path, Seth believes Celia is behind it and threatens to reveal a secret from her past. Celia’s husband with his River Patrol boss Monk’s blessing starts to investigate who’s behind the letters and what Seth’s secrets are. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love the themes of repentance and forgiveness that flows through this story. I really feel Celia’s fear for Clementine and what Seth will reveal about her past. I really like how honest Celia is and how she balances that with her concern for Clementine and Seth’s threats. I enjoyed reading about Celia and her husband’s relationship and seeing how her husband will unravel Seth’s secrets. This is the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, a loving relationship and the Christmas spirit.
This book was a bit confusing and I am not sure that I cared for the ending, but it was interesting. The cast of characters included the Pastor; his brother-in-law, Seth Marlowe; Detective Hooper and his new wife, Celia; and Celia’s friend Clementine, who becomes engaged to Seth. The setting is a small London village set near water close to Christmas time. Celia just recently got married to Detective Hooper who works for the Thames River Police. As she is leaving church one Sunday, she stops to tell the Pastor how much she enjoyed his sermon when they are interrupted by Mr. Marlowe who informs them that he will soon be marrying Celia’s friend, Clementine. Celia is not quite sure how she feels about the announcement, but she can’t help wanting to be helpful to Clementine, who really has no one. However, Celia is soon threatened by Mr. Marlowe who accuses her of writing a horrible anonymous letter to him and threatening his relationship with Clementine. Celia tells her husband of that threat and of the next one and so begins the detective’s investigation into the death of Mr. Marlowe’s first wife, the disappearance of his daughter and the actual author of the scandalous letters. If this sounds like a story for you, then I am sure that you will want to read it to find out just who did what.
I thank NetGalley, Anne Perry and Ballantine Books for giving me access to an ARC of this book. Above is my freely given review and all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
“A Christmas Resolution” by Anne Perry
I chose to read this story for the change of pace reading a Historical Mystery would provide. I have read this author before and was sure I would enjoy my time within her story. Since it was a change of genre for me from what I had been reading lately; it did take me a bit to get into the rhythm of this story. I found myself holding my breath from time to time as the tension was building up. There were lots of bits and pieces shared. I kept trying to determine how they would fit together when the all the pieces were finally gathered together and the puzzle was solved. I did get some things right, but some of my guesses were truly wrong. Hope you enjoy this story as much as I did. Happy Reading !!
Note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley with the expectation I would post my honest review.
A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry is a wonderful short novel that is another one of her wonderful gems that features a Christmas timeframe within the historical fiction niche.
I have read several of Ms. Perry’s novels in the past, as well as several of her Christmas novellas, and I enjoyed reading this one as well.
While this does have a Christmas theme, and takes place during the Christmas season, its story and foundations are transcendent.
Here we see the friendship of Celia and Clementine. Celia is newly married to Detective John Hooper (the partner to another main character in another one of her penned series). Celia finds out that Clementine has become betrothed to, whom she feels is a disingenuous man, Seth Marlowe. She sees him as overbearing, opinionated, dominating, and not of good character. Clementine is desperate to be accepted, loved, and looks for the good in people. Celia feels there is something “not right” involving Seth’s past, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it before her friend can make a terrible mistake.
This is an excellent book, with well drawn out characters, and a surprising plot twist. I also truly enjoyed the warm ending. I found the focal themes of: love, friendship, loyalty, acceptance, forgiveness, and faith to fit in perfectly with the story.
A great read by Ms. Perry yet again.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.
“A Christmas resolution” is a book that can be enjoyed anytime. It doesn’t have to be in the Christmas season. It is a fast read that brings you back into William Monk’s time, he makes a brief appearance.
Is Celia who is now married to John Hooper, looking for trouble because she dislikes the man her friend plans to marry and letting everything get out of hand or is she justified with her concerns? The fiancé is a righteous man and isn’t shy about letting his opinion been know. I’m not going to tell you the story that would spoil the fun of reading it and I like you to enjoy it as much as I did.