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A Christmas Garland
1857. After the fire of mutiny has swept through British India, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway arrives at a battered military base at Cawnpore. Christmas is just two weeks away, but no one can celebrate: they have been betrayed. A soldier under arrest for dereliction of duty has killed a guard and escaped to join the rebels, resulting in the massacre of nine men. And he can't have acted alone.
Medical orderly John Tallis - the only man unaccounted for at the time - is now on trial, and Narraway is commanded to defend him. It is an impossible task. The British Army needs justice to be carried out in full, but Narraway cannot see any motive for Tallis's actions. Will an innocent man hang before Christmas?
'A Christmas Garland' is a festive mystery in which every player has a role but nothing is quite what is seems...
Medical orderly John Tallis - the only man unaccounted for at the time - is now on trial, and Narraway is commanded to defend him. It is an impossible task. The British Army needs justice to be carried out in full, but Narraway cannot see any motive for Tallis's actions. Will an innocent man hang before Christmas?
'A Christmas Garland' is a festive mystery in which every player has a role but nothing is quite what is seems...
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
136 people are currently reading
793 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
362 books3,375 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
December 18, 2025
This is a quick and interesting mystery set in India in 1857. A young British lieutenant is brought in and tasked with representing a medic accused of a terrible crime of killing one and releasing a prisoner. All seem to be convinced of his guilt even though he is well-liked. It is the lieutenant's job to make an effort to give him a defense. This all takes place just before Christmas. The morale is low and all are angry at the act. I couldn't figure out what happened but was sure the accused didn't do it. Interesting conclusion. I enjoyed the narrator and thought that he did a good job with the voices. I listened via Chirp. 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars
January 7, 2013
Memo to self: do NOT buy any more Anne Perry Christmas books.
I liked the first half-dozen, but the last couple suffered more and more from her increasing wordiness, repetition, and diffuseness, and this one wasn't worth the price. $10.00 for basically a novella, set in India and so thinly realised it cd. have been anywhere - except for the minor but irritating error of having tamarind leaves "rattle." I grew up with tamarind trees. They have tiny feathery leaves that sigh at the absolute utmost.
The narrative also advanced at the speed of a nicotined snail, with even more of the exasperating repetition that's begun to mar the larger books. It's set just after the Mutiny, in Cawnpore. We are told at least 50 times. We don't get much beyond how upset everybody must be by the Mutiny, and how the person accused of a particularly nasty murder and prison break HAS to have done it, and one specific detail of Cawnpore, the notorious well where the British bodies were thrown. Apart from that, we cd. be in Bucharest or Leopoldville or any other town after a war has passed. It doesn't *smell* like India. It doesn't *sound* like India (where are the cows? For heaven's sake, where are Kipling's *crows*?) And what little I cd. see didn't look like India either. As Kipling shows it, or as I've seen it for myself.
Even more irritating, Victor Narraway, who is told to defend the accused soldier-killer 2 days before the court martial, spends most of those 2 days bumbling around feeling melancholy, talking vaguely to witnesses, and making paper garlands with one of the garrison children. Do any research on the background of the escaped prisoner or the accused? Actually do any *thinking* about the case? Actually pick up any of the dangling ends which as usual hang about under the Perry detective's blissfully oblivious nose? O, no. Instead we get up in the middle of the night halfway through the court martial and start grilling someone about the background of the escapee.
That the entire thing is solved with a leap of logic in the final 3 pages - a leap anticipated far too well for me by some details a way earlier - was the final straw on the very bad camel's load. Anne Perry is admittedly getting older, and has certainly written a great deal, and I like her characters and have bought most of her books as a consequence, overlooking wooden-wheel writing and the irritating inability of her tecs to see what's under their noses, but something as thin and slipshod as this, at this price, is not worth it. Repeat memo: do not buy any of these Christmas books again.
I liked the first half-dozen, but the last couple suffered more and more from her increasing wordiness, repetition, and diffuseness, and this one wasn't worth the price. $10.00 for basically a novella, set in India and so thinly realised it cd. have been anywhere - except for the minor but irritating error of having tamarind leaves "rattle." I grew up with tamarind trees. They have tiny feathery leaves that sigh at the absolute utmost.
The narrative also advanced at the speed of a nicotined snail, with even more of the exasperating repetition that's begun to mar the larger books. It's set just after the Mutiny, in Cawnpore. We are told at least 50 times. We don't get much beyond how upset everybody must be by the Mutiny, and how the person accused of a particularly nasty murder and prison break HAS to have done it, and one specific detail of Cawnpore, the notorious well where the British bodies were thrown. Apart from that, we cd. be in Bucharest or Leopoldville or any other town after a war has passed. It doesn't *smell* like India. It doesn't *sound* like India (where are the cows? For heaven's sake, where are Kipling's *crows*?) And what little I cd. see didn't look like India either. As Kipling shows it, or as I've seen it for myself.
Even more irritating, Victor Narraway, who is told to defend the accused soldier-killer 2 days before the court martial, spends most of those 2 days bumbling around feeling melancholy, talking vaguely to witnesses, and making paper garlands with one of the garrison children. Do any research on the background of the escaped prisoner or the accused? Actually do any *thinking* about the case? Actually pick up any of the dangling ends which as usual hang about under the Perry detective's blissfully oblivious nose? O, no. Instead we get up in the middle of the night halfway through the court martial and start grilling someone about the background of the escapee.
That the entire thing is solved with a leap of logic in the final 3 pages - a leap anticipated far too well for me by some details a way earlier - was the final straw on the very bad camel's load. Anne Perry is admittedly getting older, and has certainly written a great deal, and I like her characters and have bought most of her books as a consequence, overlooking wooden-wheel writing and the irritating inability of her tecs to see what's under their noses, but something as thin and slipshod as this, at this price, is not worth it. Repeat memo: do not buy any of these Christmas books again.
December 6, 2023
With the festive season coming to an end, I thought I would squeeze in another Christmas read. However, if one is looking for merriment, parties and Christmas activity, this is not the one to read. The Christmas connection is slightly tenuous in that the hero receives a blue Christmas garland from a young girl and when the case is over he retires to the barracks to put the decoration up.
The storyline is quite straightforward in that the year is 1857, in the middle of the Indian Mutiny, and Lieutenant Victor Narraway arrives at a battered military base at Cawnpore just two weeks before Christmas. And just before his arrival a prisoner had escaped and in the process killed one of his guards. Only one man, military orderly John Tallis, was suspected of the crime.
Major Strafford, in charge of the unit, wants the case against Tallis tried and proved before Christmas so he chooses his young lieutenant to defend Tallis, mainly because he has no pre-conceived ideas about the man or the case. He stipulates that the trial will be simply going through the motions so that the company can be seen to be doing right as everyone had no doubt that Tallis is guilty. What made matters worse is that on the back of the escape a battalion of soldiers had been betrayed and massacred.
For his part Tallis insists that he had nothing to do with the deed but, jailed, he begins to resign himself to the fact that he will be proved guilty and hanged. That is until Narraway arrives on the scene.
At first bemused by the story of the incident, Narraway begins to believe in Tallis and starts an in-depth investigation. The problem is that he has only two days in which to gather his evidence before the trial. He works all day and night to uncover more facts but the unit is a close-knit one and nothing that will help Tallis initially comes out.
He sees the other four soldiers involved plus Tallis's wife and it is while visiting her that he receives his Christmas garland from her daughter. The soldiers all tell the same story so it seems as though Narraway will fail to convince the jury that Tallis is not guilty.
The first day of the trial goes as expected with al the evidence pointing towards Tallis's guilt but still Narraway is unsure. So he works through the night to try to uncover more detail and in one interview something slips out that gives him a chance to slip through a door that had slightly opened.
He does so successfully but he is worried about the reaction of Major Strafford if he suddenly produces evidence to suggest that Tallis is not guilty. He arranges for one of the military doctors who was on the scene at the time of the escape to be called back to the stand and eventually, after a lot of hard work, manages to drag out of him something that explains a different scenario, which proves Tallis had no part in the incident.
His detective work pays off and, in a somewhat surprising twist, Tallis is found not guilty and everyone goes away to enjoy a happy Christmas.
'A Christmas Garland' is not one of the most baffling mysteries nor does it have any explosive action but it is a pleasant enough read to enjoy over a Christmas break.
The storyline is quite straightforward in that the year is 1857, in the middle of the Indian Mutiny, and Lieutenant Victor Narraway arrives at a battered military base at Cawnpore just two weeks before Christmas. And just before his arrival a prisoner had escaped and in the process killed one of his guards. Only one man, military orderly John Tallis, was suspected of the crime.
Major Strafford, in charge of the unit, wants the case against Tallis tried and proved before Christmas so he chooses his young lieutenant to defend Tallis, mainly because he has no pre-conceived ideas about the man or the case. He stipulates that the trial will be simply going through the motions so that the company can be seen to be doing right as everyone had no doubt that Tallis is guilty. What made matters worse is that on the back of the escape a battalion of soldiers had been betrayed and massacred.
For his part Tallis insists that he had nothing to do with the deed but, jailed, he begins to resign himself to the fact that he will be proved guilty and hanged. That is until Narraway arrives on the scene.
At first bemused by the story of the incident, Narraway begins to believe in Tallis and starts an in-depth investigation. The problem is that he has only two days in which to gather his evidence before the trial. He works all day and night to uncover more facts but the unit is a close-knit one and nothing that will help Tallis initially comes out.
He sees the other four soldiers involved plus Tallis's wife and it is while visiting her that he receives his Christmas garland from her daughter. The soldiers all tell the same story so it seems as though Narraway will fail to convince the jury that Tallis is not guilty.
The first day of the trial goes as expected with al the evidence pointing towards Tallis's guilt but still Narraway is unsure. So he works through the night to try to uncover more detail and in one interview something slips out that gives him a chance to slip through a door that had slightly opened.
He does so successfully but he is worried about the reaction of Major Strafford if he suddenly produces evidence to suggest that Tallis is not guilty. He arranges for one of the military doctors who was on the scene at the time of the escape to be called back to the stand and eventually, after a lot of hard work, manages to drag out of him something that explains a different scenario, which proves Tallis had no part in the incident.
His detective work pays off and, in a somewhat surprising twist, Tallis is found not guilty and everyone goes away to enjoy a happy Christmas.
'A Christmas Garland' is not one of the most baffling mysteries nor does it have any explosive action but it is a pleasant enough read to enjoy over a Christmas break.
November 6, 2012
These little books are a Christmas tradition for me. I read every book that Anne Perry writes. She is my favourite author, and I love all of them. I especially love these little Christmas gems. Each one is about a more minor character in either of Ms. Perry's Victorian series. This one is about Thomas Pitt's old boss Victor Narraway from the Thames River Police. Narraway is a young man of 20 during the time of this book. The book is set in India in 1857 and close to Christmas. That is is the year of the revolution when natives of India rose up in mutiny against the British garrison. The battle was called the Siege of Cawnpore. Many lives from both sides were lost and both sides were reeling from the violence. Young Victor is a Lieutenant for the British army and he is asked to defend a young medic who has been accused of aiding and abetting a traitor who when released, went on to betray a British patrol where many British soldiers were killed. Why did Tallis do this inexplicable thing-release a prisoner in order to betray a British patrol and kill the guard who had been guarding this prisoner? Young Victor doesn't know, but he feels in his bones that John Tallis is innocent.
For those of you familiar with the William Monk series, you will know that there is always a courtroom case in each book. Well this little book has its own court case. And even though the book is short Ms. Perry has not stinted on the detail. This book has all the attributes of one of Ms. Perry's regular length novels-great plot, wonderful characterization, evocative prose and a wonderful sense of time and place. I don't intend to ever miss one of these little Christmas stories.
For those of you familiar with the William Monk series, you will know that there is always a courtroom case in each book. Well this little book has its own court case. And even though the book is short Ms. Perry has not stinted on the detail. This book has all the attributes of one of Ms. Perry's regular length novels-great plot, wonderful characterization, evocative prose and a wonderful sense of time and place. I don't intend to ever miss one of these little Christmas stories.
December 27, 2023
3.5 rounded up, this one is set in India during a violent uprising.
December 1, 2021
A surprising deviation from Perry's usual manners-minded Victorian cozy set in some British manor house. This one takes place in India after the bloody uprising of the Indian rebellion of 1857 and almost entirely takes place at a court martial. Interesting material. Effectively handed.
January 1, 2015
SUMMARY: The year is 1857, soon after the violent Siege of Cawnpore, with India in the midst of rebellion. In the British garrison, a guard is killed and an Indian prisoner escapes, which leads to yet more British deaths. Cries for revenge are overwhelming. Despite no witnesses and no evidence against him, a luckless British medical orderly named John Tallis is arrested as an accomplice simply because he was the only soldier unaccounted for when these baffling crimes were committed.
Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraway’s superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldier’s widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth. In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope.
REVIEW: I have to say that I felt the title of this book was a misnomer. It really was a mystery of sorts rather than a Christmas story. The only tie to Christmas was the season of the year. I did find the detail on the Indian rebellion and the British involvement interesting and the storyline was well done with a bit of a Hitchcokian type ending. But I have read other Christmas stories by Anne Perry that I enjoyed more.
Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraway’s superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldier’s widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth. In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope.
REVIEW: I have to say that I felt the title of this book was a misnomer. It really was a mystery of sorts rather than a Christmas story. The only tie to Christmas was the season of the year. I did find the detail on the Indian rebellion and the British involvement interesting and the storyline was well done with a bit of a Hitchcokian type ending. But I have read other Christmas stories by Anne Perry that I enjoyed more.
December 13, 2012
Don't let the cover photo (of a Christmas-decorated veranda overlooking a snow-covered scene) fool you--this book has almost nothing to do with Christmas. It takes place in India, shortly after the siege of Cawnpore during the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857. A young English officer is tasked with representing (at a military trial) a Sikh man who has been charged with murder and treason and is being railroaded toward his execution simply because he is the only person without an alibi. The story is a bit drawn out but ultimately satisfying. I would have liked to see some development of the protagonist's relationship with the widow of an officer who is living with her children at a home in the encampment. I'm sure it's difficult for Ms. Perry to come up with a new Christmas story every year, but given the title I was expecting more than just "we have to resolve this issue before Christmas" as the chief connection to the season.
December 16, 2018
TITLE: A Christmas Garland
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It met my reading challenge criteria being connected to the book before it, A Christmas Hope, both by Anne Perry
REVIEW: This book centers around the character of Victor Narroway. He is one of the middle ground characters being integral to a lot of stories but not the main character. Unlike A Christmas Message which revolved around his character this story did not rehash his history - the history we already know. Instead it takes us to his distant past, to a place and time we know nothing about. India after the Crimean War and after a massacre there. It made me want to read more up on that time and place. I also loved that the solution to the mystery was based on shooting down people's assumptions. Logical assumptions but wrong ones never-the-less.
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It met my reading challenge criteria being connected to the book before it, A Christmas Hope, both by Anne Perry
REVIEW: This book centers around the character of Victor Narroway. He is one of the middle ground characters being integral to a lot of stories but not the main character. Unlike A Christmas Message which revolved around his character this story did not rehash his history - the history we already know. Instead it takes us to his distant past, to a place and time we know nothing about. India after the Crimean War and after a massacre there. It made me want to read more up on that time and place. I also loved that the solution to the mystery was based on shooting down people's assumptions. Logical assumptions but wrong ones never-the-less.
May 19, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
While the setting is rather ephemeral, it’s still interesting to have a mystery set in India. The story kept me guessing, because while I had a suspect I couldn’t figure out how he would have done the murder. A quickie mystery that was a fun little read.
While the setting is rather ephemeral, it’s still interesting to have a mystery set in India. The story kept me guessing, because while I had a suspect I couldn’t figure out how he would have done the murder. A quickie mystery that was a fun little read.
November 28, 2025
This is such a weird, weird book. I listened to it because it is narrated by the incomparable Simon Prebble.
This is a CHRISTMAS book about the Siege of Cawnpore (an Indian rebellion in which men, women, and children were slaughtered) and a betrayal that left a number of men dead. A young lieutenant is forced to defend the man who MUST have betrayed a fellow because no one else could have. There is literally zero evidence, but Tallis was working alone so he MUST have opened the jail, attacked the guard, and released the prisoner.
Except, never for one second was I convinced that he was the only one who could have done it. Never. Not for one second, and how good is the British justice system if you can be hanged because you must have done it because you are the only one who could have done it even though there is no evidence?
I figured out who done it by the time Narraway did. When Tallis is proven innocent, we are all supposed to feel the spirit of Christmas despite the background noise of rebellion and death.
The Christmas Garland, by the way, was given to the lieutenant by a widow's child he met twice.
I've read a lot of Anne Perry novels and this is one of the worst. Besides the obvious plot problems, it was soooo repetitive which was really evident when listening to it over a short period of time.
As always, Prebble was great.
This is a CHRISTMAS book about the Siege of Cawnpore (an Indian rebellion in which men, women, and children were slaughtered) and a betrayal that left a number of men dead. A young lieutenant is forced to defend the man who MUST have betrayed a fellow because no one else could have. There is literally zero evidence, but Tallis was working alone so he MUST have opened the jail, attacked the guard, and released the prisoner.
Except, never for one second was I convinced that he was the only one who could have done it. Never. Not for one second, and how good is the British justice system if you can be hanged because you must have done it because you are the only one who could have done it even though there is no evidence?
I figured out who done it by the time Narraway did. When Tallis is proven innocent, we are all supposed to feel the spirit of Christmas despite the background noise of rebellion and death.
The Christmas Garland, by the way, was given to the lieutenant by a widow's child he met twice.
I've read a lot of Anne Perry novels and this is one of the worst. Besides the obvious plot problems, it was soooo repetitive which was really evident when listening to it over a short period of time.
As always, Prebble was great.
December 20, 2022
Very well written, historical mystery set in India. I look forward to reading more of this series. Wonderfully narrated.
November 29, 2013
I loved this opportunity to go back in time to see what Pitt's commander, Victor Narraway was like as a young man. The setting of India just after the Mutiny was colorful and intense even without the pressure he was put under to defend a man that everyone felt was guilty of murder and treason. I've always liked his character in the Charlotte and Thomas stories, but he is so closed off that it was nice to get some of his family background and see how he thought about things since he was the narrator for this one.
The story opens when Lt. Victor Narraway only one year out to India and arriving after the worst of the Mutiny took effect, is called in by his superiors to act as the defense counsel for a man accused of helping a prisoner escape who then in turn gave the Indian rebels information on a patrol that was massacred. Narraway is chose exactly because he is new and could be the most neutral about it all. He is given two days to investigate and come up with an answer that will see justice done so the men can move on and gain some semblance of healing.
Narraway knows that he is in an awkward position because feeling is high. Some don't want to believe Tallis is guilty and others are angry and want him hung quickly. His investigations take him over ground that shows no one else could have done it leaving Tallis the only one without an air tight alibi. Narraway doesn't want to believe the man is guilty and he discovers that he is not only well-liked, but has saved many lives even placing his own in danger. He can't imagine how such a man could betray his own and Tallis himself swears he's innocent. It's a real nail-biter that comes right down to the end in a courtroom drama style story.
This was a shorter piece just like all the Christmas Stories series, but I really liked being in the story with Victor Narraway. I was glad of this peek in with his early years and could see how something like this would shape him for what was to come afterward. I was also taken with the historical backdrop of this one and what it was like for the soldiers picking up the pieces after the Mutiny. I connected easily with this one feeling right along with the soldiers and shuttering over the butchery that took place. The mystery was not easily solved and I liked that too. The little bit of Christmas with the widow's family was a nice touch too.
I highly recommend both of Anne Perry's historical mystery series along with this Christmas story series featuring secondary characters from the other series as her main characters in these. These really should be read chronologically as they fit between the other series just so the characters and stories make better sense.
The story opens when Lt. Victor Narraway only one year out to India and arriving after the worst of the Mutiny took effect, is called in by his superiors to act as the defense counsel for a man accused of helping a prisoner escape who then in turn gave the Indian rebels information on a patrol that was massacred. Narraway is chose exactly because he is new and could be the most neutral about it all. He is given two days to investigate and come up with an answer that will see justice done so the men can move on and gain some semblance of healing.
Narraway knows that he is in an awkward position because feeling is high. Some don't want to believe Tallis is guilty and others are angry and want him hung quickly. His investigations take him over ground that shows no one else could have done it leaving Tallis the only one without an air tight alibi. Narraway doesn't want to believe the man is guilty and he discovers that he is not only well-liked, but has saved many lives even placing his own in danger. He can't imagine how such a man could betray his own and Tallis himself swears he's innocent. It's a real nail-biter that comes right down to the end in a courtroom drama style story.
This was a shorter piece just like all the Christmas Stories series, but I really liked being in the story with Victor Narraway. I was glad of this peek in with his early years and could see how something like this would shape him for what was to come afterward. I was also taken with the historical backdrop of this one and what it was like for the soldiers picking up the pieces after the Mutiny. I connected easily with this one feeling right along with the soldiers and shuttering over the butchery that took place. The mystery was not easily solved and I liked that too. The little bit of Christmas with the widow's family was a nice touch too.
I highly recommend both of Anne Perry's historical mystery series along with this Christmas story series featuring secondary characters from the other series as her main characters in these. These really should be read chronologically as they fit between the other series just so the characters and stories make better sense.
December 31, 2013
Don't read this book if you are expecting a light fluffy Christmas tale. This isn't anything like that. It is a mystery set in 1857 India.
Narraway is given the task of trying to defend Tallis, an orderly accused of killing a man and setting a prisoner free. Things don't look good for him as his is the only person that doesn't have an alibi.
Narraway is a character you can really come to admire. He is determined to give Tallis a fair trial, even though no one else seems to want to. And he only has a limited amount of time to get ready for the trial.
He really has a thirst for justice. I really loved how he kept looking for answers because Tallis insisted on his innocence.
This story wasn't really about Christmas, but the spirit is in the story. The soldiers felt that they needed to remember what Christmas was about, back at home, so that the bad things that happened didn't ruin everything for them.
There is also a small touch of romance brewing between Narraway and widow. I have to admit I teared up a bit when he was playing hide and seek with one of her children.
When all is said and done I was a bit surprised at what likely happened to the inmate and the guard. I look forward to reading more by Anne Perry in the future.
Narraway is given the task of trying to defend Tallis, an orderly accused of killing a man and setting a prisoner free. Things don't look good for him as his is the only person that doesn't have an alibi.
Narraway is a character you can really come to admire. He is determined to give Tallis a fair trial, even though no one else seems to want to. And he only has a limited amount of time to get ready for the trial.
He really has a thirst for justice. I really loved how he kept looking for answers because Tallis insisted on his innocence.
This story wasn't really about Christmas, but the spirit is in the story. The soldiers felt that they needed to remember what Christmas was about, back at home, so that the bad things that happened didn't ruin everything for them.
There is also a small touch of romance brewing between Narraway and widow. I have to admit I teared up a bit when he was playing hide and seek with one of her children.
When all is said and done I was a bit surprised at what likely happened to the inmate and the guard. I look forward to reading more by Anne Perry in the future.
December 23, 2022
This is an excellent Christmas mystery with well plotted clues, well drawn and likable characters, and an unusual setting. Be warned though, this is not a happy Christmas story with fairy lights and cute cuddly things. It is a tail that stems from great loss while championing the strength of those left behind to recover and build something new. Though it was written over a decade ago, it feels like the perfect Christmas novel to read this year after I have lost both lifelong best friends to Covid as well as many other friends and family members. For now, the happy, bright, cheerful Christmas stuff feels like being fed a diet of nauseatingly sweet cupcakes with glitter on top. On the other hand, this fine mystery is much better in pacing and tone for my battered and broken heart. Ironically, I don’t think I would have related to this book very well if I had read it at the time of its first publication. Back then, I was all about the happy, cozy mystery stuff at Christmas. It’s nice to know that there is something to soften and reach the hearts of people, no matter where they are in relation to Christmas. I am very grateful for the reminder that beginning to live again can be as simple as making a Christmas garland and sharing it with someone else. 😌
January 2, 2014
This novella is a well-written short, gripping drama about things that generally have very little to do with Christmas: heat, war, military service, and justice. In fact, it reminded me a bit of Breaker Morant, but shorter and less complex. That said, it is a great story; young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is new to the area and fairly new to being a British soldier in India in 1857, shortly after the Siege of Cawnpore.
He is supposed to defend the supposedly indefensible John Tallis, accused of being an accomplice of a brutal murder of a guard and an escaped prisoner whose information leads to the death of more people in the troop. How he goes about doing this has little to do with Christmas but is still a great story.
He is supposed to defend the supposedly indefensible John Tallis, accused of being an accomplice of a brutal murder of a guard and an escaped prisoner whose information leads to the death of more people in the troop. How he goes about doing this has little to do with Christmas but is still a great story.
November 3, 2012
3.5 Every year at Christmas time, Perry writes a novella featuring one of the characters from her books that doesn't ever really have a starring role, so to speak. In this book, she takes Victor Narraway, Pitts' old boss, and goes back many years to when he was only twenty, places him in India in the military, and has him ordered to defend a medic accused of murder. Have always like Narraway, found him very principled and intelligent. I think this may be a favorite of mine, at least as far as these novella's go. Very cleverly done, mixing history with a bit of mystery.
November 29, 2018
This was my first Anne Perry. I may try another, but I'll be in no hurry.
This novella would have done better as a short story. In fact, I feel like I've read a very similar story in short story format, but I'm not sure where. In any case, it was terribly repetitive, a lot of filler while our protagonist anguishes to himself over his predicament, the horrors of war, and trying to save a good man. The conclusion, when it comes, wraps up very quickly after pages and pages of hand wringing.
2.63 stars.
This novella would have done better as a short story. In fact, I feel like I've read a very similar story in short story format, but I'm not sure where. In any case, it was terribly repetitive, a lot of filler while our protagonist anguishes to himself over his predicament, the horrors of war, and trying to save a good man. The conclusion, when it comes, wraps up very quickly after pages and pages of hand wringing.
2.63 stars.
November 30, 2012
The conclusion to the who dunnit is clever, a puzzle solution more or less, and I did like Narraway, his willingness to try his hardest to provide the best defense he can, but overall it’s not a book I would have read if it didn’t have “Christmas” in the title. But as a Christmas story, it is heart-warming. The sense of hope, even in the devastated town, is never lost, people can still depend on each other, there is always a light in the darkness.
December 10, 2018
Narraway is asked to help defend an innocent man accused of being an accomplice to a murder. Unfortunately the odds are stacked high against the accused since evidence is very strong against him. Narraway nearly despairs in proving the man's innocence. Finally at the very last minute justice prevails and everyone breathes a sigh of relief.
November 27, 2012
Having the word Christmas in the title does not make it about the holiday. I found the story and characters dull. One of the least successful of Perry's so-called holiday stories.
August 19, 2022
A Christmas garland by Anne Perry
This story is n 1857 in India where an enlisted man is left in charge of a trial for the one others all think killed another man.
While Narroway is contemplating his questions he walks outside to try to figure out what happened. He has just one day to collect all the information he can.
He had helped a woman with her heavy bag so she could tend to young child with her. At her home there are other kids and he accepts a bright colorful chain as a thanks.
He has a feeling the man who died was the father of the family but he doesn't ask questions of her.
One jailed, Tallis, a medic says he never killed anybody but he has no one to be his alibi.
Amazing how he finds out the truth. it was all there in the clues from many others on duty that night.
Good story.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
This story is n 1857 in India where an enlisted man is left in charge of a trial for the one others all think killed another man.
While Narroway is contemplating his questions he walks outside to try to figure out what happened. He has just one day to collect all the information he can.
He had helped a woman with her heavy bag so she could tend to young child with her. At her home there are other kids and he accepts a bright colorful chain as a thanks.
He has a feeling the man who died was the father of the family but he doesn't ask questions of her.
One jailed, Tallis, a medic says he never killed anybody but he has no one to be his alibi.
Amazing how he finds out the truth. it was all there in the clues from many others on duty that night.
Good story.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
December 30, 2022
I really do think the author is stretching the idea of a Christmas story quite a bit. This book is not really about Christmas. It is about a court case that needs to be solved so that Christmas can be enjoyed. Christmas is only mentioned as a timeline for solving this mystery.
In this story we meet a very young Victor Narraway. He is a 20 year old Lieutenant in the British military stationed in India. He is charged with defending a medical orderly accused of brutally murdering a fellow soldier and helping a prisoner escape. It was an interesting read but did go on far too long and as mentioned could have been anytime Christmas was hardly mentioned.
Anne Perry is a very spiritual author and is always questioning faith. She also questions Englands involvement in India during the 1800's.
The garland in the title is a gift to Narraway.
In this story we meet a very young Victor Narraway. He is a 20 year old Lieutenant in the British military stationed in India. He is charged with defending a medical orderly accused of brutally murdering a fellow soldier and helping a prisoner escape. It was an interesting read but did go on far too long and as mentioned could have been anytime Christmas was hardly mentioned.
Anne Perry is a very spiritual author and is always questioning faith. She also questions Englands involvement in India during the 1800's.
The garland in the title is a gift to Narraway.
December 19, 2019
I don’t know why I thought it would be, but this is not the Christmas romance novel I thought it was.
I’m not giving it to a low rating because of that.
Detective historical fiction is not my thing and I had no interest in the plot the whole time while reading. Plus the ending seemed like an easy way out.
2/5
I’m not giving it to a low rating because of that.
Detective historical fiction is not my thing and I had no interest in the plot the whole time while reading. Plus the ending seemed like an easy way out.
2/5
February 2, 2024
This was a fun, cute read! Cookie cutter murder mystery with a happy ending. (Other than the dead guys and war and stuff) A lot of the book the main character(s) were questioning the ethics and necessity of war and religion throughout which was really refreshing. Not expecting that since it takes place in 1857. Enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2019
This is the first Christmas story ive read by anne perry and i mean it was harder to get into bc i had no idea who the characters were lol but ive read her books before and given the length figured that would be the case. Was as expected.
December 16, 2022
Intriguing little mystery set in India in 1957. Enjoyed the military details (though I shudder at the colonialism of it all!) and the legal aspects -- this is partly a military court drama -- were interesting. Not completely my cup of tea, but I'm glad I read it.
April 22, 2019
Grim and unsatisfying.
April 19, 2021
Suspense jusqu’aux dernières pages. J’aime bien quand il y a un contexte historique véridique. J’ai cherché des infos sur Kanpur sur Wikipedia, quel drame atroce.
October 31, 2025
Really more a novella. So so
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