A Lake District Christmas Murder: The intriguing English cozy crime series

Lake District #14

by Rebecca Tope

As Christmas draws nearer, Simmy Henderson is invited to a party in Glenridding at the heart of the Lake District. However, the festivities are overshadowed by two alarming a man's body in the beck above the village and a vulnerable newborn baby, apparently abandoned by its mother.

Caught in the crosscurrents and tensions of the inhabitants of Glenridding, Simmy is drawn into the investigation. The season of goodwill has been eclipsed by far darker emotions and a murderer must be found.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2024

About the author

Rebecca Tope is best known as the author of over twenty crime novels. She has also recently produced the e-book entitled 'The Indifference of Tumbleweed'. She has every intention of continuing with the murder stories, as well as a variety of other kinds of fiction.

She has experienced many different kinds of work in her time - running antenatal classes, counselling troubled couples and being an office girl for an undertaker, for example. There were also several years monitoring the output of dairy cows, as well as every sort of task associated with book publishing. In 1992, she founded Praxis Books, a small British press.

She lives surrounded by trees she has planted herself, tending her own sheep.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, A Lake District Christmas Murder, by Rebecca Tope, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book fourteen of The Lake District Mystery series. Simmy Henderson did not expect to be solving a murder this Christmas, but she is. The Lake District sounds beautiful at Christmas, but with a murderer around, it wont be a happy Christmas. I liked this book, a good mystery.

[Vikki Whitehead-Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow this was hard work. Flat characters with ridiculous and unnatural dialogue, the same half dozen facts repeated so many times among strange relationships between family and friends. Secondary characters might as well have all been the same person and the main protagonist, Simmy, is wholly unlikeable. I find it difficult to believe that there has been so many previous books in the series, given the lack of depth. Also, there is no explanation anywhere of who some of these recurring characters actually are, so you just have to guess if you haven't read the previous ones. The author is articulate and has a nice way with words so it's a shame, but there are so many festive mysteries available that I'm also a little bit disappointed in myself for bothering to finish this as I could've been reading something better.

[Rowena Onions · Rating 1 out of 5]

I spent most of this book wanting to shake the characters... or more realistically, the author. A rehash of the last book in the series where the main characters fail to report things to the police but get away with it. It's not only absurd but also a lazy write. It seems this series has run out of steam... I'm glad I got it at a reduced price!

[Mezzie Elen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant read. In some places there were some very dated remarks/observations.
I didn’t really like Sissy, who believed she was totally right in her opinions and was very judgemental.
It all felt very predictable and amateurish but helped me pass some days of rain whilst on holiday .
I won’t be reading any others in this series btw

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Murder mystery set in the Lake District - Hartsop, Patterdale, Glenridding



Author Rebecca Tope is well known for her series of cozy crime mysteries set in the Lake District (also a series set in the Cotswolds). This is no.14 and the story is set just a couple of days before Christmas.

Simmy (Persimmon, that is) is a florist and is attending a local, all-inclusive party to mark the Solstice. Her mind is on work and on her child, Robin, when the party-goers are asked to take part in a few ‘rituals’ to wash away the negatives of the past year and focus on the positives. The family is clearly alternative! She is ambivalent about becoming part of the Patterdale social set – they look like a rather mixed bunch, if she is honest. Simmy is sometimes portrayed by the author as quite curt, perhaps a little charmless, even, so she doesn’t seem particularly to relish a great deal of social interaction. She is also struggling on a personal level with the hope of conceiving another child, and the emotional turmoil this causes adds to her distraction.

Shortly after the party, the body of a man is discovered at Gillside, just beyond Glenridding and it looks like murder. She gets all the information from an informal pre-Christmas get together of local women at the White Lion in Patterdale. And the frisson of the discovery is heightened as the temperatures begin to plummet. The scene is set. And then, once she is settling in for Christmas, her new chum Celia arrives on her doorstep with a tiny, abandoned baby, who, it is stipulated in an accompanying note, must be called Jerome. All eyes turn to Diellza, an Albanian woman, lodging with a local family (the day before she happened to be confined to bed with an upset stomach. Hmmmm). With all the events taking place within a couple of days, the locals are agog with hypotheses and suspicions.

This is a quirky read that transports the reader to the Lake District. You can follow the path in your mind’s eye that Simmy takes from her home in Hartsop to Patterdale, and the author casts a generous eye over the glorious scenery. She also dabbles with wider issues like immigration and the impact of tourists and their cars on the area, creating a rounded, easy-to-read story of everyday countryfolk. It is set firmly around the Christmas period but on Twitter X the author is sceptical about the title which the publishers have given this novel (although she asserts that she does like the cover): “Can’t believe the title does it any favours, but there you go”. Readers, however, will have no doubt that this is a story set at Christmas and in the Lake District – short and to the point!

[Jill Westerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the Lake District but on a hot summer's day, rather than the freezing Christmas weather depicted in the book. I enjoy this series focussing on Simmy, who owns a flower shop in Windermere and the two young people, who together are regularly involved in solving Lake District murders. Implausible of course, but part of the pleasure is meeting characters who have become likevold friends and seeing their lives progress.

Simmy is now settled in Glenridding with her husband and toddler son, planning and not entirely looking forward to Christmas, when she becomes embroiled both with her neighbours and later a murder when a man's body is found just a few miles from her home.

This plot is slightly more implausible than most and there are fewer appearances of her young sidekicks but I don't read these books for realism. I enjoyed it and think other fans will too.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

[Donna Morfett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently this is book 14 in the series, but I don't think it affected my enjoyment in any way.
Simmi is living in quite a small community/remote village with her husband and young son. As Christmas draws nearer she is both looking forward to and dreading it. Especially if the epic cold snap that's predicted, actually arrives.
When a dead body is found, Simmi is drawn into the investigation.
There are a varied and interesting group of characters in this. Sometimes the prose felt a bit chaotic. Flipping from one subject to the next with no context. Overall it was a great story, at times far fetched but aren't most crime novels. It zips along and you are invested enough to follow it to the end.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I swore I wouldn't bother with this series again, but got suckered in by the Christmas theme and the familiar locations. I've read them all, and Simmy is a completely unlikeable character. I was shocked at the constant silly remarks about "Albanian drugs" and "illegal immigrants", and am not a fan of lactation and childbirth detail. On the other hand, the plot was interesting, and I liked the Christmas atmosphere. For a Lake District background, you might prefer reading Rachel Lynch. Much more grown-up.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by this author even if there's a couple on my TBR. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was an entertaining read. Solid mystery, fleshed out and interesting characters
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Judith Cranswick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Tope’s consummate skill creating a complex plot, well-drawn characters, a vivid setting together with a wonderfully engaging easy style all keep the reader turning the pages long into the night. I loved it and read the whole novel in two days.

[dennis Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely to read a Christmas story at Christmas and with characters I know so well and an area I love. I have not read any books in this series for a while but it all came flooding back. Nice little story with a few twists.

[Lucy Tarn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I selected this book at random from my local bookshop as part of a Christmas event. I didn’t realise there was numerous books and this was number 14. I felt like there was nothing exciting about this story and was generally a bit meh, I don’t think I’d read any more of the series.

[Denise Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent crime novel in a wonderful series. Beautiful setting in the Lake district.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one . Although not as good as some of the previous ones in the series.

[Jan Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed meeting Simmy again and Ben and Bonny who really didn’t feature much in this tale. I do find Christopher rather annoying though.

[Nicky Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

An undemanding, fun romp with familiar characters..

[Nicola Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

[Vanessa Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely cost crime book by a favourite author just what you need at times.

[Susan Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. I have read quite a few y this author and enjoyed them all but this one was not up to standard.

[maxine dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lake District Christmas Murder

A Lake District Christmas Murder was a very enjoyable read. Brought back lovely memories of holidays in the Lake District

[Steph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute drivel. Only reason I forced myself to read it was because it was our book group Christmas read!

[Tracy Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

not a badly written volume by Rebecca

[Mary Menzies]

This is the first book in the series I have read. Was there something in previous books in the series to account for the main character (Simmy) being so self centered and pig headed to the extent she will listen to no one and goes her own ill considered, possibly illegal, way. She has atrocious manners. The way she talks to people even her close friends and family is just awful. I found nothing to like about Simmy. Perhaps it is just bad writing. I will not read another.

[JenniferB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good example in this series. Good development of characters. Good xmas/winter atmosphere. Very enjoyable