Just a week until Christmas, a very pregnant Penelope Prescott (née Banks) finds herself confined to bed, awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to the family. With her private investigation business on hold, she’s left with little to do but read the newspaper and watch the comings and goings in the new apartment building across the street.
Or so she thought...
When a familiar, jolly-faced, older man moves into the penthouse across the street and throws a family holiday party, Pen expects nothing more than festive cheer. But when the host vanishes, her sharp mind can’t help but suspect foul play.
With the help of a few trusted friends—and her police detective husband—Penelope must solve the mystery before the arrival of Christmas...and her little one!
A Merry Little Murder is the fifteenth book in the Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries series set in the 1920s. Join her friends and her as they solve a holiday murder mystery!
Colette Clark lives in New York and has always enjoyed learning more about the history of her amazing city. She decided to combine that curiosity and love of learning with her addiction to reading and watching mysteries. Her first series, Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries is the result of those passions. When she’s not writing she can be found doing Sudoku puzzles, drawing, eating tacos, visiting museums dedicated to unusual/weird/wacky things, and, of course, reading mysteries by other great authors.
This book absolutely has Rear Window vibes with a definitive cozy spin. Bored from being shut in her room as she counts the days until her little one is born Pen looks for amusement, engagement or distraction in whatever form she can find. I absolutely loved how Penelope solved the cases without ever leaving her home. Simply reading the paper and observing the goings on in the building across the street. I envy her the photographic memory. Beatrice is a real peach I do hope we’ll see more of her in future books. This was a fun read, lots of different people to observe and investigate and of course the sweet precious Christmas present at the end.
A very good Christmas novella although I am reading it between last Christmas and next Christmas. Sometimes timing just doesn’t work out. I didn’t want a gap in the series.
It was a very good mystery that worked in the pregnancy and birth without losing time in the series. I enjoyed the observant method of solving this mystery. I did feel cousin Cordelia was a little preachy in this novella. It didn’t take away from the story because she is always the voice of morality and social correctness. It just appeared she was a little more vocal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A very slight mystery but a fun read. I hope Pen keeps this maid. Did rich pregnant women really have to sit around their homes staying out of sight and watching their toes disappear? Leave it to Penelope Banks to notice something is wrong across the street and send Richard looking for a victim.
This is a fast paced story with many clever twists! You need to concentrate from the start right through to the perfect ending. Pen”s.new maid Bessie is already a favourite!
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Penelope Banks mysteries first to last. Alas this is indeed the last in the series currently. I sincerely hope Ms. Clark has a few more up her sleeve.