Ransom for a Holiday

Jeremy Ransom/Emily Charters #4

by Fred W. Hunter

Chicago homicide detective Jeremy Ransom has decided to take Emily Charters, friend and partner-in-sleuthing, away to a picturesque Michigan guest house for Christmas. Ransom wants it to be restful and restorative for Emily, who is recovering from open heart surgery. But they soon find themselves entangled in a dangerous two-year-old mystery -- the brutal murder of the brother of the owner of the inn.

Genres: Mystery

229 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1997

Reviews

[Justin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, cozy, Christmas mystery.
It doesn't drag, and the central intrigue is solvable while still keeping you invested. This is one of those mysteries with few characters, so you can pretty much guess who it may be, then you try to decipher the "why" of it all. The characters are fine, not deeply developed but given just enough quirkiness to avoid being boring.
"Armchair mysteries" of the 90s are always interesting beasts. They don't tend to be graphic though you can tell they want to explore the danger of murder and mystery. They want to reference and use "modern" technology though they want to still cling to the charms of yesteryear and not risk becoming too easily solvable through the conveniences of the time. The characters talk with this at-times obnoxious blend of clipped, "proper' old-timeyness while peppering in some slang, swears, or progressive ideas. They make for odd relics of the time that can either hit or miss. This one happened to hit for me.
From the Christmas perspective, this book uses the time of year decently well. The trimmings, events, and snowy weather of December factor in well, unlike some other Christmas mysteries that have tangential at best connections.

[Khanson919 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy, winter mystery set in a small town in Michigan. Jeremy Ransom and Emily Charters take a little Christmas vacation so Emily can rest, but instead of resting they work to solve a two year old murder. I really liked the ending of this book, it was very unexpected but not contrived.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly engrossing mystery. Premise is a little
Absurd but Hunter does an excellent job making it plausible and absorbing

[Grey853 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't like the writing style or the characters in this book. One thing that will drive me mad is when the point of view shifts too much and the story and tension suffer because of that choice. I like it when a writer shows rather than tells the reader what's going on.

Plus, the resolution was rather ludicrous.

I finished, but it was a struggle.