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A Christmas Promise
It's a freezing winter day in London, 1895, when two young girls have a chance meeting. The pair turn out to have much in common: both are poor, both are parentless. But Minnie Maude, only eight, has even worse problems: the uncle with whom she lived has just been murdered, and if that's not enough, the family's donkey has run away. Her new friend Gracie, all of thirteen, feels obliged to help her, and so the girls team up to solve the mystery-and find Charlie the donkey. Anne Perry fans will recognize young Gracie as Charlotte Pitt's maid, a continuing character in the author's bestselling Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Victorian mystery series.
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First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Anne Perry
363 books3,379 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 264 reviews
November 29, 2017
It's that time of the year when I release all my pent up goodwill. I get "into the spirit" as the humans say and long for a traditional Christmas story, the dopier the better!
Well I didn't find it in Anne Perry's A Christmas Promise. This was more gritty than the fluff I expected. To be frank, I liked this way more than I thought I would.
Quickly scanning the book's summary can throw a person off: Three days before Christmas, in the freezing slums of London’s East End, thirteen-year-old Gracie Phipps encounters Minnie Maude Mudway, who is only eight, alone, and determined to find her friend Charlie.
Two little girls off to find a friend sounds like it could be quite twee. However, the word slums there is important. Also, this is set in Victorian England, a time when those London slums were particularly slummy. Think of it as A Christmas Carol if Dickens had wallowed in Tiny Tim's family's life the entire time. There's desperation aplenty! There's also murder and drugs, and that was unexpected. I was somewhat aware of Perry's mystery genre background, but I didn't know how dirty she'd allow her character's hands to get. Things do get a bit sugary sweet in the very end, but dude, this is frickin' Christmas! Lighten up!
Maybe I happened to hit on a book that was made for me, I don't know, but I will give another one of Perry's many Christmas themed books a go next year...once my store of goddamn goodwill is replenished.
Well I didn't find it in Anne Perry's A Christmas Promise. This was more gritty than the fluff I expected. To be frank, I liked this way more than I thought I would.
Quickly scanning the book's summary can throw a person off: Three days before Christmas, in the freezing slums of London’s East End, thirteen-year-old Gracie Phipps encounters Minnie Maude Mudway, who is only eight, alone, and determined to find her friend Charlie.
Two little girls off to find a friend sounds like it could be quite twee. However, the word slums there is important. Also, this is set in Victorian England, a time when those London slums were particularly slummy. Think of it as A Christmas Carol if Dickens had wallowed in Tiny Tim's family's life the entire time. There's desperation aplenty! There's also murder and drugs, and that was unexpected. I was somewhat aware of Perry's mystery genre background, but I didn't know how dirty she'd allow her character's hands to get. Things do get a bit sugary sweet in the very end, but dude, this is frickin' Christmas! Lighten up!
Maybe I happened to hit on a book that was made for me, I don't know, but I will give another one of Perry's many Christmas themed books a go next year...once my store of goddamn goodwill is replenished.
December 20, 2021
I enjoy Anne Perry’s yearly novella books - nice Christmas time reads.
It is now Christmas, in the freezing slums of London's East End, Gracie Philips(13) meets Minnie Maude(8). She fears to find her missing Uncle Alf & donkey Charlie. Gracie & Minnie Maude find Uncle Alf killed.
The evil Mr. Balthaster is also searching for donkey Charlie & knows of a “Pandora box of evil”. It contains drugs (Opium), powered silver & china.
At the end, after Balthaster is captured, Minnie & Gracie are lead/sent to a London Christmas Gathering/Party.... they are surprised with happiness & joy with the “lost” donkey Charlie.
Merry Christmas to all.
It is now Christmas, in the freezing slums of London's East End, Gracie Philips(13) meets Minnie Maude(8). She fears to find her missing Uncle Alf & donkey Charlie. Gracie & Minnie Maude find Uncle Alf killed.
The evil Mr. Balthaster is also searching for donkey Charlie & knows of a “Pandora box of evil”. It contains drugs (Opium), powered silver & china.
At the end, after Balthaster is captured, Minnie & Gracie are lead/sent to a London Christmas Gathering/Party.... they are surprised with happiness & joy with the “lost” donkey Charlie.
Merry Christmas to all.
December 8, 2015
8/12 - A simple, unsophisticated historical mystery. I had just finished A Christmas Hope and was expecting this to have some of the same characters, but A Christmas Promise was completely different. This may be considered part of the Christmas Stories series, but only because it's set around the time of Christmas, as far as I can tell it has no other association with other books from the series.
This one features Gracie Phipps and her newly made friend Minnie Maude. Gracie comes across Minnie Maude searching for her lost donkey after her uncle and favourite person has died. Everyone tells Minnie Maude, and eventually Gracie when she starts to help, to forget about Uncle Alf and the lost donkey but Minnie Maude can't ignore the strange events surrounding Alf's death - where have the donkey and Alf's cart gone, exactly how did he die, and why is everyone ignoring these important questions.
Perry's writing evoked the era A Christmas Promise was written in perfectly, I could even hear Minnie Maude and Gracie speaking in my ear, with their dreadful diction and strong accents. It took a little getting used to, reading all that dialogue with so many contractions - 'ow instead of how, 'e instead of he, wot instead of what, and many more - but once I got the flow of it, it became quite fun to listen to (in my head). I look forward to reading the third and final book from this series, which was part of my borrowing splurge.
This one features Gracie Phipps and her newly made friend Minnie Maude. Gracie comes across Minnie Maude searching for her lost donkey after her uncle and favourite person has died. Everyone tells Minnie Maude, and eventually Gracie when she starts to help, to forget about Uncle Alf and the lost donkey but Minnie Maude can't ignore the strange events surrounding Alf's death - where have the donkey and Alf's cart gone, exactly how did he die, and why is everyone ignoring these important questions.
Perry's writing evoked the era A Christmas Promise was written in perfectly, I could even hear Minnie Maude and Gracie speaking in my ear, with their dreadful diction and strong accents. It took a little getting used to, reading all that dialogue with so many contractions - 'ow instead of how, 'e instead of he, wot instead of what, and many more - but once I got the flow of it, it became quite fun to listen to (in my head). I look forward to reading the third and final book from this series, which was part of my borrowing splurge.
December 15, 2023
Set in the 1800's in London, this story tells of two girls, ages 13 and 8, who set out to find a missing donkey in the dangerous streets of the city. This is the first I have read in this series that tells more about the poor of London during those times; most have been set among the more well-to-do. All I have read in this series have been absorbing, and hold a message about Christmas. I'll be looking for more of the books that follow.
December 20, 2022
Anne Perry writes Christmas stories like no other.
November 25, 2019
Gracie Phipps goes on a quest together with Minnie Maude Mudway to find the rag-and-bone donkey named Charlie which has vanished after its owner suffered a fatal incident. The children try to find the donky themselves, but eventually realize they need help from an adult.
I found it touching that Gracie decides to confide in her old neighbor, Mr. Wiggins, who gives her advice on who she can trust with her information.
There is, for me, a Dickensian feel to the story as the plot is set in the poorest areas of London where people are trying to scrape by on next to nothing. The general living conditions in London’s East End did not exactly seem comfortable, to put it mildly. Descriptions of how Christmas was celebrated I feel are similar to those in the Scrooge story written in 1843. There seemed to be a village feel in the local areas of the city. It makes sense as it consisted of villages already grown together.
8 year old Minnie Maude, whose uncle died, is touchingly innocent and vulnerable at the same time as she has to deal with the serious accident that happened to her uncle. She is lucky to meet Gracie who looks out for her in spite of her own tight schedule doing chores and errands every day, all day, which was the normal thing for children at the time. It brings me close to tears that Gracie’s dream is to learn how to read, which we all take for granted today.
I get a Christmas feel reading about the snow, sleet and wind the children have to deal with while they walk past the more well-to-do households who have Christmas decorations up. Trying to stay warm and dry in their thin clothing and bad shoes didn’t seem easy. The story has an interesting mix of serious issues and Christmas theme which Anne Perry does so well in these Christmas novellas. The constant tea-drinking lightens the mood of the story somewhat. Must say I quite enjoy that whenever I read stories set in Britain. Sometimes I found it an entertaining puzzle to work out the meaning of the written cockney dialect. I felt it added an authenticity to the story.
A Christmas Promise is recommended for fans of Anne Perry’s work and readers of Crime Fiction in general.
I found it touching that Gracie decides to confide in her old neighbor, Mr. Wiggins, who gives her advice on who she can trust with her information.
There is, for me, a Dickensian feel to the story as the plot is set in the poorest areas of London where people are trying to scrape by on next to nothing. The general living conditions in London’s East End did not exactly seem comfortable, to put it mildly. Descriptions of how Christmas was celebrated I feel are similar to those in the Scrooge story written in 1843. There seemed to be a village feel in the local areas of the city. It makes sense as it consisted of villages already grown together.
8 year old Minnie Maude, whose uncle died, is touchingly innocent and vulnerable at the same time as she has to deal with the serious accident that happened to her uncle. She is lucky to meet Gracie who looks out for her in spite of her own tight schedule doing chores and errands every day, all day, which was the normal thing for children at the time. It brings me close to tears that Gracie’s dream is to learn how to read, which we all take for granted today.
I get a Christmas feel reading about the snow, sleet and wind the children have to deal with while they walk past the more well-to-do households who have Christmas decorations up. Trying to stay warm and dry in their thin clothing and bad shoes didn’t seem easy. The story has an interesting mix of serious issues and Christmas theme which Anne Perry does so well in these Christmas novellas. The constant tea-drinking lightens the mood of the story somewhat. Must say I quite enjoy that whenever I read stories set in Britain. Sometimes I found it an entertaining puzzle to work out the meaning of the written cockney dialect. I felt it added an authenticity to the story.
A Christmas Promise is recommended for fans of Anne Perry’s work and readers of Crime Fiction in general.
November 24, 2016
I ended up skipping about 75 pages in the early middle portion of the book. I was growing fatigued by the cockney dialog & the plodding plot.
November 26, 2021
I'm working my way through the author's Christmas stories series as my library has them available. I started out with one about Gracie as a married woman with three children and loved it so was thrilled to stumble upon this one which features Gracie as a thirteen-year-old! The author packs a lot into the shorter word count. There's a murder to solve in the gritty tenements of London's poorer district but Perry still manages to lighten the tale with the hope that comes from new found friendships and a lovely, moving tribute to the true meaning of the season in the conclusion. Brilliantly done.
December 10, 2016
It seems odd for a "Christmas" book to be a murder mystery, being investigated by two young girls. The Christmas connection, a nativity re-enactment in the very last pages with talk of Christ, seemed forced and out of sync with the rest of the book. This is a relatively short book but it was tediously repetitive. It seems like it should have been a children's book but then the subject matter is too frightening. Very odd.
December 20, 2019
Another Anne Perry Christmas book, third one of hers I have read so far. At first it reminded me of Dickens, with its story of a poor girl in the East End of London, Gracie, who befriends another, younger girl in the girl's search for her lost donkey. The search isn't straightforward, however, as it involves a mystery around the murder of the donkey's owner (and the little girl's uncle.)
I found it convoluted as I tried to understand how the murder had happened and also to understand the various perambulations of the little girls around the East End. I also found Perry's use of vernacular in the girls' speech and that of the other East Enders, tripped me up reading it. I also didn't really like the ending.
Still, Perry writes so well and so descriptively, I felt the book merited 3 stars. It was a quick, fairly entertaining read.
I found it convoluted as I tried to understand how the murder had happened and also to understand the various perambulations of the little girls around the East End. I also found Perry's use of vernacular in the girls' speech and that of the other East Enders, tripped me up reading it. I also didn't really like the ending.
Still, Perry writes so well and so descriptively, I felt the book merited 3 stars. It was a quick, fairly entertaining read.
December 10, 2022
This is a rather short novel, and most of the story is told by conversation between the characters. It is set a couple of hundred years ago. The characters use an old English dialect which is a bit difficult to get used to. The tale is a bit interesting, and also a bit frustrating as no one does as they are asked. I didn’t find this a great read but it was enjoyable enough to pass the time.
January 10, 2026
Review will follow soon :-)
December 31, 2015
I enjoy all of Anne Perry's Christmas stories, but this one I really loved! It was quite a change from her normal fare in that the main characters are two children. Set in 1880's east end London, the book opens with thirteen year old Gracie Phipps doing her daily chores when she sees a tearful, forlorn-looking young girl who is out of place in the neighborhood. Thinking she is lost Gracie approaches her and thus meets eight year old Minnie Maude Mudway. She says she lives three streets over and is looking for a lost donkey, Charlie, who disappeared the day before when her uncle Alf, a rag and bone man, was found dead in the street, his cart and donkey gone. Since no one else in the family is concerned about Charlie or curious about how Uncle Alf died, Gracie agrees to help Minnie Maude in her search. And the mystery begins.
This book gives great insight into the day to day struggle of the poor to maintain a meager existence. Gracie lives with her gran and two younger brothers. She has a lot of responsibility in adding to the livelihood of the family through chores and errands while her gran earns a living washing clothes. The same is true of Minnie Maude, whose parents are dead, and now lives with Aunt Bertha, Uncle Alf (just deceased), and another relative, Stan. Perry uses the dialect of the time (which I think is cockney English) to create a realistic picture and give voice to the story. One wonders how anyone survived these dreadful times, especially children. I was intrigued from the beginning and anxious to follow these two brave girls and see what would happen to Minnie Maude and Gracie. The hope of Christmas still comes through, even among those who have almost nothing. Well-written!
This book gives great insight into the day to day struggle of the poor to maintain a meager existence. Gracie lives with her gran and two younger brothers. She has a lot of responsibility in adding to the livelihood of the family through chores and errands while her gran earns a living washing clothes. The same is true of Minnie Maude, whose parents are dead, and now lives with Aunt Bertha, Uncle Alf (just deceased), and another relative, Stan. Perry uses the dialect of the time (which I think is cockney English) to create a realistic picture and give voice to the story. One wonders how anyone survived these dreadful times, especially children. I was intrigued from the beginning and anxious to follow these two brave girls and see what would happen to Minnie Maude and Gracie. The hope of Christmas still comes through, even among those who have almost nothing. Well-written!
December 20, 2015
A comparatively short novel which started well. I was immediately drawn in to Anne Perry's initially evocative portrayal of victorian poverty in London's east end and was looking forward to a rich, well developed story. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. The plot was confusing and stilted, the characters had no real depth and the ending was just... well it would have been much better suited to a children's book.
December 22, 2021
The 7th of a series of annual Christmas stories from Ann Perry. I found it hard going for the most part as I usually do. I tried another first but discarded it, so I went back to earlier book featuring urchins in trouble, attempting to come to the rescue of friends and a donkey...ending in a manger scene with a very hard earned gift for the Christ child.
Library Loan
Library Loan
December 9, 2023
This mini-mystery features Gracie Phipps, who will later become housemaid to Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, as well as her eventual replacement, Minnie May. This story vividly describes life in the poor areas of London, with a riveting story of loss, danger, and compassion. A great read (listen).
February 8, 2018
Loved it! It was so different from other Christmas stories as there was no romance element. Just a good story well told and not to worry, love abounds.
July 6, 2018
This was a book club pick for my local reading group. Maybe the choice for summer reading affected my opinion. Or, possibly the dialect used by the young girls throughout made it difficult for me to enjoy a smooth read. I also consider this novel a YA selection that will likely be pleasant reading for younger children. My 3.5-star rating reflects these comments.
February 22, 2021
Ok. So I’m reading a Christmas story during Lent. But I found this on the shelf at the library and had not read this particular novella in Perry’s Christmas series. Just love a good heartwarming tale however I just wanted to find Gracie and Minnie Maude and provide warm clothes and a safe place for them.
December 26, 2023
Thirteen-year-old Gracie Phipps (later Charlotte Pitt’s maid) meets a young girl, Maude, looking for her missing donkey Charlie. Maude’s uncle Alf, a rag and bone man, died the day earlier, and Charlie and the cart are both missing. After initial reluctance to help, Gracie takes Maude around her neighbourhood trying to trace Alf's path.
They gain the help of a Mr. Balthazar, who cautions Gracie that someone might have been after something in Alf’s cart, and Charlie is most likely all right, as he’s useful. Despite Balthazar’s warnings to stop asking people about Alf, the girls continue, as Maude desperately wants to retrieve Charlie.
I mostly enjoyed this, though I found my attention wandering after the midpoint, at which point I got the resolution of the situation (drugs, nativity play, something too, probably) all got muddled in my brain.
They gain the help of a Mr. Balthazar, who cautions Gracie that someone might have been after something in Alf’s cart, and Charlie is most likely all right, as he’s useful. Despite Balthazar’s warnings to stop asking people about Alf, the girls continue, as Maude desperately wants to retrieve Charlie.
I mostly enjoyed this, though I found my attention wandering after the midpoint, at which point I got the resolution of the situation (drugs, nativity play, something too, probably) all got muddled in my brain.
November 4, 2021
A very short, quick read, less than 100 pages. A Christmas story with some mystery!
November 28, 2023
Whew! The dialect.
December 16, 2021
Listening to Anne Perry’s Christmas stories is always a treat.
December 3, 2019
This is my fourth Anne Perry Christmas story and I loved the other three...couldn't put them down. I struggled a little with this one. Main characters were very young girls and it read somewhat like a child's story with PG-13 content included. I found that a little odd. Like other readers have commented, I really had a hard time interpreting the dialect until quite some time into the book when I found a voice in my head that reminded me a little of a Downton Abbey character and eventually I decided the dialect made the story more believable. My favorite character in the book was not a significant character until late in the story, but I loved Mr. Balthasar who was both kind and brave to two little girls in need of a savior. By the end of the book I had decided that while this book wasn't my favorite, I was glad I took the time to read it.
Are there more books with Mr. Balthasar? I would love to read them. I also really enjoyed the character Mr. Rathpone in books 2 and 8. I am definitely reading more from this Christmas series (which per internet searches apparently does not need to be read in a particular order.)
Are there more books with Mr. Balthasar? I would love to read them. I also really enjoyed the character Mr. Rathpone in books 2 and 8. I am definitely reading more from this Christmas series (which per internet searches apparently does not need to be read in a particular order.)
December 20, 2017
I read the reviews halfway through the book and cannot disagree. It's not the best one Ms Perry has done. It read like a children's book, the Cockney dialogue must have taken a while to get right. It is interesting to see where the characters in her two series have come from. I'm hope the next one is back up to her excellent form.
November 13, 2018
A book designed to make you remember how lucky you are this Christmas.
The two main characters in this story are Gracie Phelps, who I think may have been a character in the Pitt series, but don't remember for sure - and Mr Balthazar, about whom I have no clue. Maybe if someone else knows they could pass it on?
Anyway, really good story.
The two main characters in this story are Gracie Phelps, who I think may have been a character in the Pitt series, but don't remember for sure - and Mr Balthazar, about whom I have no clue. Maybe if someone else knows they could pass it on?
Anyway, really good story.
December 2, 2018
Dialogue accent really slowed me down. I know it’s authentic, but I got tired of it pretty quick. I was ready to quit about 15% into the book. Reviews of a good ending kept me going. The ending was very good. The beginning was good. The stuff in the middle, not so much.
January 1, 2019
Once again a delightful Christmas mystery by Anne Perry. This one involving two young girls who are out to find a missing donkey after Uncle Alf, a rag n' bone man was murdered and his cart and donkey, Charley, are were taken away. 12/31/18
December 16, 2017
I love these Christmas "escapes"! So gentle and relaxing! I look forward to each year's addition.
November 30, 2016
Only giving 2 stars because I like Gracie. The story line was super thin and very repetitive. The ending was weak too I thought.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews