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Anne Perry's Christmas Vigil: A Christmas Promise / A Christmas Odyssey
IN THESE TWO HOLIDAY MYSTERIES SET IN VICTORIAN LONDON, CHRISTMAS COMES WITH A HELPING OF MAGIC AND MURDER. A CHRISTMAS PROMISE Three days before Christmas, in London’s East End, thirteen-year-old Gracie Phipps encounters eight-year-old Minnie Maude Mudway, freezing and alone. Only the day before, someone murdered Minnie Maude’s Uncle Alf and made off with his rag-and-bones cart—as well as with Charlie, the beloved donkey who pulled it. Now, Grace and Minnie Maude set off to rescue Charlie. But the path that Uncle Alf had taken to his death was not his regular route, and in his cart, the children are told, was a dazzling golden casket that could very well be a Pandora’s box of evil or a shining prize of hope. A CHRISTMAS ODYSSEY Ten days before Christmas, James Wentworth feels not joy but grief. His reckless son, Lucien, has been lured into a world of drugs and wild passion. Wentworth’s only hope, he believes, is his old friend Henry Rathbone, who volunteers to search for the wayward young man with the help of two new companions—Squeaky Robinson, a reformed brothel-keeper, and Crow, a mysterious slum doctor. As this odd trio gathers clues about Lucien’s disappearance on London’s dark streets, they find themselves on a mission whose outcome they cannot begin to guess.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
154 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
362 books3,377 followersAnne Perry, born Juliet Hulme in England, lived in Scotland most of her life after serving five years in prison for murder (in New Zealand). A beloved mystery authoress, she is best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 6, 2020
I'm a huge fan of all the author's mystery series and this gift to the fans she does each year by providing a Christmas mystery for her side characters to enter the limelight and have their own Christmas-time mystery to solve.
In the case of A Christmas Promise, it's from the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series involving Gracie and Minnie Mae. It seems like a light-weight adventure helping a young girl find her deceased uncle's donkey and cart, but grows more harrowing by the minute. Victorian London's underbelly is exposed once again, but Christmas spirit and can-do in these two girls prevails.
A Christmas Odyssey goes into the William Monk world and gives side characters, Henry Rathbone, Squeaky Robinson and would-be doctor, Crow, a chance to shine hunting down the son of Henry's friend who got tangled up in drugs. This one had the complexity of one of her novel-length mysteries and of course the historical setting was like a well-developed character in its own right. I found the ending abrubt, but that is somewhat typical of all her stories.
So, this pair was fab and I heartily recommend these to historical mystery fans who want a holiday season element.
In the case of A Christmas Promise, it's from the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series involving Gracie and Minnie Mae. It seems like a light-weight adventure helping a young girl find her deceased uncle's donkey and cart, but grows more harrowing by the minute. Victorian London's underbelly is exposed once again, but Christmas spirit and can-do in these two girls prevails.
A Christmas Odyssey goes into the William Monk world and gives side characters, Henry Rathbone, Squeaky Robinson and would-be doctor, Crow, a chance to shine hunting down the son of Henry's friend who got tangled up in drugs. This one had the complexity of one of her novel-length mysteries and of course the historical setting was like a well-developed character in its own right. I found the ending abrubt, but that is somewhat typical of all her stories.
So, this pair was fab and I heartily recommend these to historical mystery fans who want a holiday season element.
December 5, 2013
...once more Perry's Christmas wisdom shines!
in A Christmas Promise, a lost donkey points the way to absolution.
in A Christmas Odyssey:
again we meet Squeaky Robinson in a Christmas story. How fitting a character for the season of change, the heralding of hope and peace.
Squeaky is helping Oliver Rathbone's father Henry find the son of a friend. Squeaky calls on Crow for help. Their search takes them into the bowels of London, through the nastiest of brothels and opium dens. They find Lucien Wentworth. Murder has been committed. The threat of the mysterious Shadwell or Shadow Man hangs over them all.
And Squeaky has these wonderful moments of humanity that shine through his tattered implacable exterior. He is a truly magnificent character in the Hester Monk series. I love him. His inner thoughts are gems. He is quite aghast and flummoxed when he realizes that,
'since [he] had become respectable he had gone soft. Was this age catching up with him? Or Cowardice? He had always been careful, all his life; to do otherwise would have been stupid. but he was never a coward! All his values had slithered around into the wrong place! Everything was out of control!' [p.209]
Poor Squeaky. Meeting Hester Monk has truly started him down a very different path. Although he'd flee in terror at the thought, he is learning about compassion, friendship and how to feel.
As Squeaky just a little later explosively complains to us, 'Being respectable was a pain, and hard work!' [p.210]
Perry wrote at the end, 'Dedicated to all those who looked upward'
I love it.
in A Christmas Promise, a lost donkey points the way to absolution.
in A Christmas Odyssey:
again we meet Squeaky Robinson in a Christmas story. How fitting a character for the season of change, the heralding of hope and peace.
Squeaky is helping Oliver Rathbone's father Henry find the son of a friend. Squeaky calls on Crow for help. Their search takes them into the bowels of London, through the nastiest of brothels and opium dens. They find Lucien Wentworth. Murder has been committed. The threat of the mysterious Shadwell or Shadow Man hangs over them all.
And Squeaky has these wonderful moments of humanity that shine through his tattered implacable exterior. He is a truly magnificent character in the Hester Monk series. I love him. His inner thoughts are gems. He is quite aghast and flummoxed when he realizes that,
'since [he] had become respectable he had gone soft. Was this age catching up with him? Or Cowardice? He had always been careful, all his life; to do otherwise would have been stupid. but he was never a coward! All his values had slithered around into the wrong place! Everything was out of control!' [p.209]
Poor Squeaky. Meeting Hester Monk has truly started him down a very different path. Although he'd flee in terror at the thought, he is learning about compassion, friendship and how to feel.
As Squeaky just a little later explosively complains to us, 'Being respectable was a pain, and hard work!' [p.210]
Perry wrote at the end, 'Dedicated to all those who looked upward'
I love it.
November 7, 2019
The first story tells of Gracie, a girl who decides to help another little ragamuffin find their lost donkey. Minnie's Uncle Alf, a rag-and-bone man out collecting, dies in a supposed accident and his cart goes missing, along with Charley the donkey. Who took Charley? And how did Uncle Alf get his head bashed like that?
A few days after they set out to find answers, Minnie disappears, and Gracie seeks the help of an interesting and very wise stranger.
The second story, where a decent older man goes to search for the son of a friend, takes us on a tour in a type of Dante's Inferno -- the underground world of London, the world of drug addicts, drunks, prostitutes, and violence. It's a very compelling tale, I had to see what choice the prodigal son would make when informed of his father's love, forgiveness and welcome.
The quest through the underworld was surreal, like some nightmare. And why would this decent older man risk his life on this hazardous journey? But I decided this was meant to be an allegory. Looking at it that way, the whole story made much more sense.
A few days after they set out to find answers, Minnie disappears, and Gracie seeks the help of an interesting and very wise stranger.
The second story, where a decent older man goes to search for the son of a friend, takes us on a tour in a type of Dante's Inferno -- the underground world of London, the world of drug addicts, drunks, prostitutes, and violence. It's a very compelling tale, I had to see what choice the prodigal son would make when informed of his father's love, forgiveness and welcome.
The quest through the underworld was surreal, like some nightmare. And why would this decent older man risk his life on this hazardous journey? But I decided this was meant to be an allegory. Looking at it that way, the whole story made much more sense.
March 2, 2021
For me, this one was different. It brought out that attitudes, Latitudes & perverted appitites haven't really changed from Victorian times to present, just now the debauchery is more out in the open with the pervertedness actually celebrated in YouTube, movies and Facebook.
This one could have been shorter as it seemed they took more days (& descriptions) than necessary delving in the underground, dragging it out, looking for Lucien.
The ending, while uplifting, was for some reason not as satisfying to me as the others in the series so far.
This one could have been shorter as it seemed they took more days (& descriptions) than necessary delving in the underground, dragging it out, looking for Lucien.
The ending, while uplifting, was for some reason not as satisfying to me as the others in the series so far.
December 6, 2020
In the true spirit of Christmas
A vivid view of the underbelly of London's populace as well as human nature in general. It is remarkable how Anne Perry can take the slightest crumb and fabricate an entire cake, with icing. For that is the way her stories evolve. Each character a well-defined and developed ingredient. Not always tasty, but truly a masterpiece. All in all stories of redemption, sacrifice, friendship and honor.
A vivid view of the underbelly of London's populace as well as human nature in general. It is remarkable how Anne Perry can take the slightest crumb and fabricate an entire cake, with icing. For that is the way her stories evolve. Each character a well-defined and developed ingredient. Not always tasty, but truly a masterpiece. All in all stories of redemption, sacrifice, friendship and honor.
December 22, 2021
Two Christmas stories by Anne Perry set in her Victorian period. Each contains a character from one of her regular novels. The stories are interesting but not nearly so much as the regular novels and are surprisingly unrelated to Christmas except in very vague terms mainly at the endings. Doubt that i will read any more of her Christmas offerings.
December 30, 2021
Vivid cast. Cold, smells, real. London.
1 Gracie 13 helps Min 8. Rag n bone Uncle Alf killed and donkey Charlie, cart, gold casket gone on another route. Typo 6.1 chris ^ Chris
2 Search captivates. Henry Rathbone enlists Squeaky, made good by Hester, ~Dr Crow, Bess, to find for Lucien's da, son in depraved depths. Typo 1.1 rathb ^ Rathb
1 Gracie 13 helps Min 8. Rag n bone Uncle Alf killed and donkey Charlie, cart, gold casket gone on another route. Typo 6.1 chris ^ Chris
2 Search captivates. Henry Rathbone enlists Squeaky, made good by Hester, ~Dr Crow, Bess, to find for Lucien's da, son in depraved depths. Typo 1.1 rathb ^ Rathb
November 18, 2022
Circular and tedious
I have always enjoy Anne Perry's novels immensely, so I am incredibly sad to say that these stories, only tangentially Christmas stories, were definitely not her finest.
Characters come and go with no logic. The stories wander in circles. Not worthy of Anne Perry at all.
I have always enjoy Anne Perry's novels immensely, so I am incredibly sad to say that these stories, only tangentially Christmas stories, were definitely not her finest.
Characters come and go with no logic. The stories wander in circles. Not worthy of Anne Perry at all.
December 21, 2022
So difficult to read this book with the language- which I’m not smart enough to know what it was. It was set in the Victorian era and I believe it’s just cockney- but I’m really not sure. Just too much time in my old brain trying to decipher what was being said. The ending is heartwarming - but the deep poverty and the way adults talked to children did NOT warm my heart.
December 17, 2020
A Ann Perry Christmas Mystery
I love an Ann Perry Christmas mystery. Some I find that I want to read more than once. I’m often left wondering about the characters after the book is finished.
I love an Ann Perry Christmas mystery. Some I find that I want to read more than once. I’m often left wondering about the characters after the book is finished.
May 6, 2017
good
December 2, 2017
just not my style of writing ...
December 30, 2018
I enjoyed this last Christmas, had to read it again this Christmas. 2018
December 31, 2018
It was Christmas so what better time to read some of Anne Perry's other work? Neither of these two stories appear to be part of any series so can be read in any order, at any time.
April 11, 2021
I would have rated it a 4 star book, but only had the choice of one star
December 25, 2022
This was so hard to read because of the dialect. So then I went to the audiobook which was better, but the story went nowhere. So boring with constant Minnie Maude’s. No more Anne Perry for me.
November 27, 2023
2 stars for 1st story. Almost 3 for the 2nd. I expected Monk or Pitt. A disappointment, but at least Hester was mentioned in the 2nd book.
September 30, 2024
I actually read these two Christmas tales in separate volumes.
December 8, 2025
Not a Christmas book at all.
January 1, 2012
Hmmmm. I'm feeling rather cheated.
This year's entry into Anne Perry's Christmas mysteries series is in fact 1 short novella from 2009 I hadn't read, and a longer one that I read last year!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I really would rather they'd skipped a year than recycled without being clear about it. I specifically saved this book to enjoy now, and find myself rather grumpy. Not the way I wanted to end the year.
This year's entry into Anne Perry's Christmas mysteries series is in fact 1 short novella from 2009 I hadn't read, and a longer one that I read last year!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I really would rather they'd skipped a year than recycled without being clear about it. I specifically saved this book to enjoy now, and find myself rather grumpy. Not the way I wanted to end the year.
November 24, 2024
Some very poignant moments in these two stories: two young girls are lost in London and vow that they will learn to read. A man who has pulled himself up from human trafficking realizes how hard it would be to give up his new life to take up thieving and violence again. Luckily, the team of four complete their mission successfully.
December 25, 2011
Loved both stories, but "A Christmas Odyssey" and the journey into the bowels of hell (London underground) was, for me, a knockout. Loved the ending to "A Christmas Promise" and glad Charlie to see how things went with Charlie.
December 17, 2011
Really enjoyed these two mysteries in one by Anne Perry. Made me very interested in her Monk series; thought I am reading her series on Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, haven't read the Monk series but I will begin to look for these. Love these Dickensian Christmas stories!
February 22, 2016
I dont recall ever reading anything by this author but wanted to explore some Christmas related books. These were excellent, redemptive and possessed good characters!
No regrets here! I'll be reading more of her work! (DONE 12/19/15)
No regrets here! I'll be reading more of her work! (DONE 12/19/15)
February 28, 2012
liked the way gracie and minnie's story was told. didn't like the second one
June 12, 2015
I had a really hard time getting into this 2 stories.
December 17, 2013
I'm not going to lie, I only read the first story of this 2 story set -- I couldn't get into the 2nd one. The first story was good but the ending a little abrupt.
July 29, 2014
Had already read the first story, A Christmas Promise, but wanted to read the second, A Christmas Odyssey.
December 28, 2014
Anne Perry’s description of the hard life in Victorian England coupled with universal expectations for Christmas season makes these holiday mysteries a worthwhile read.
December 29, 2014
Her Christmas stories are short, sometimes a little too somber or depressing, but I enjoy reading about the minor characters from her other series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews