A Body at the Christmas Book Fair delivers exactly the kind of festive mystery Helen Cox is known for, but this instalment leans even more heavily into the charm and theatricality of a classic Christmas ghost story.
With Leonard Bell collapsing mid‑performance of A Christmas Carol, Cox sets the tone early: this is a mystery wrapped in tinsel, and just a touch of the fantastical. The nods to Dickens aren’t subtle, but they’re deliberate, giving the whole book a slightly heightened, almost story‑within‑a‑story feel that suits the season.
The plot itself, centred around an unknown toxin, a panicked lab partner, and a trail of old grudges, has plenty of entertaining twists. Some reviewers have criticised the less realistic elements, but for me they added to the fun. They echo the playful exaggeration you often find in detective‑agency fiction, where the joy lies not in strict plausibility but in the ride: the eccentric suspects, the dramatic reveals, and the sense that the ordinary world has been nudged just a little off‑centre.
That said, I did feel the pacing faltered at times. Certain scenes lingered longer than they needed to, with dialogue that circled the same points without pushing the investigation forward. Those slower stretches didn’t ruin the experience, but they did make parts of the story feel like they were dragging when the momentum could have been sharper.
What really worked for me, though, was how comfortably this book stands alone despite being part of a series. Kitt Hartley’s world is easy to step into, and the essence of the local characters, their humour, their warmth, their dialect, grounds the story beautifully. Even with the more elaborate, almost theatrical Christmas theme, the community at the heart of the series still shines through.
Overall, a good, enjoyable festive mystery with plenty of charm and atmosphere. It may lose pace in places, but the blend of seasonal storytelling, quirky detective work, and strong sense of place makes it a worthwhile read, especially if you enjoy a Christmas tale with a twist.