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A Christmas Mystery: Murder Under the Tree
Olivia Sanders, a young actress with a passion for detective novels, is hired by Lady Frances Calloway to find out who killed her aunt Mary, a 70-year-old woman who was apparently loved by everyone. The woman died two weeks earlier, during afternoon tea, poisoned with a powerful dose of arsenic, but Inspector Burton of Scotland Yard is still in the dark.
Olivia must conduct an investigation alongside the police and travel from London to Blackwood, a village a few miles from the capital. She is accompanied by her best friend Violet, a hairdresser who has improvised as her assistant. The plan is to live for a while in the deceased's cottage to see if the culprit is hiding, as Lady Frances suspects, among the neighbours who attended the poisoned tea party. The goal is to find him before Christmas, preferably while remaining alive, but the murderer may not agree.
Olivia must conduct an investigation alongside the police and travel from London to Blackwood, a village a few miles from the capital. She is accompanied by her best friend Violet, a hairdresser who has improvised as her assistant. The plan is to live for a while in the deceased's cottage to see if the culprit is hiding, as Lady Frances suspects, among the neighbours who attended the poisoned tea party. The goal is to find him before Christmas, preferably while remaining alive, but the murderer may not agree.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2025
2 people are currently reading
1528 people want to read
About the author
Doriana Cantoni
49 books19 followersDoriana Cantoni nasce a Parma nel 1969. Inizia a scrivere giovanissima poesie e racconti. Dopo il liceo frequenta l'università a Bologna, dove si laurea in Filosofia nel 1993. Nello stesso anno partecipa con un suo racconto ad un concorso organizzato dall'ateneo bolognese e vince il Premio Montmartre nella sezione prosa.
Negli anni seguenti continua a scrivere per se stessa racconti e romanzi che comincerà a pubblicare in maniera indipendente solo molto più tardi.
Nel 2017 è finalista con due racconti ai concorsi nazionali “La Quara” e “Rina Gatti”.
Finalista al Premio Letterario Amazon Storyteller 2022 con il romanzo SOLO CHI SOFFRE (Delitti in prima pagina Vol. 6).
Appassionata di fumetti, vecchi film e arti marziali che ha praticato per lungo tempo, vive ora in una località di montagna, dove si dedica a tempo pieno alla scrittura.
È autrice di numerosi romanzi, racconti e di una silloge poetica.
Doriana Cantoni was born in Parma (Italy) in 1969. After graduating with honors from the University of Bologna in Philosophy in 1993, she taught for a few years in private schools, then she dedicated herself to other activities, starting to write the stories that later became her books.
She is fascinated by the concept of non-linear time, passionate for martial arts that she practiced for many years, for comic strips, books, and old movies.
She moved in 2015 to a beautiful little town in the mountains where she started to write full time.
She is the author of several novels, short stories, and a book of collected poems.
Kindle Storyteller 2022 Italy Award Finalist.
Negli anni seguenti continua a scrivere per se stessa racconti e romanzi che comincerà a pubblicare in maniera indipendente solo molto più tardi.
Nel 2017 è finalista con due racconti ai concorsi nazionali “La Quara” e “Rina Gatti”.
Finalista al Premio Letterario Amazon Storyteller 2022 con il romanzo SOLO CHI SOFFRE (Delitti in prima pagina Vol. 6).
Appassionata di fumetti, vecchi film e arti marziali che ha praticato per lungo tempo, vive ora in una località di montagna, dove si dedica a tempo pieno alla scrittura.
È autrice di numerosi romanzi, racconti e di una silloge poetica.
Doriana Cantoni was born in Parma (Italy) in 1969. After graduating with honors from the University of Bologna in Philosophy in 1993, she taught for a few years in private schools, then she dedicated herself to other activities, starting to write the stories that later became her books.
She is fascinated by the concept of non-linear time, passionate for martial arts that she practiced for many years, for comic strips, books, and old movies.
She moved in 2015 to a beautiful little town in the mountains where she started to write full time.
She is the author of several novels, short stories, and a book of collected poems.
Kindle Storyteller 2022 Italy Award Finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 26, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is a cozy little mystery with an old school feel, and I mean that in a good way. It does not try to be flashy or loud. It just sits down and tells a solid who done it story, slow and steady, like mysteries used to be told.
The main character Olivia is an actress who loves detective novels, and that part works real well. She is not a trained investigator, but she is sharp, curious, and stubborn enough to keep pushing when things do not add up. Her friend Violet tagging along brings some light moments and keeps the story from getting too stiff or serious.
The setup with the poisoned tea and the quiet village outside London is classic mystery material. I liked that it leaned into that instead of trying too hard to be clever. Staying in the cottage to draw out the killer is risky, and it keeps the tension going, especially with Christmas getting closer and time running out.
The writing is easy to follow, and the story moves along without dragging. It is not an edge of your seat thriller, but it does not need to be. It knows exactly what it is and sticks to it. This is a comfortable mystery with just enough danger to keep the pages turning.
Overall, this was a pleasant read and a good pick if you enjoy old fashioned mysteries with a holiday backdrop and a smart lead who has to figure things out the hard way. It is not perfect, but it is solid and enjoyable.
I give it a 4 outta 5 catfish!
This book is a cozy little mystery with an old school feel, and I mean that in a good way. It does not try to be flashy or loud. It just sits down and tells a solid who done it story, slow and steady, like mysteries used to be told.
The main character Olivia is an actress who loves detective novels, and that part works real well. She is not a trained investigator, but she is sharp, curious, and stubborn enough to keep pushing when things do not add up. Her friend Violet tagging along brings some light moments and keeps the story from getting too stiff or serious.
The setup with the poisoned tea and the quiet village outside London is classic mystery material. I liked that it leaned into that instead of trying too hard to be clever. Staying in the cottage to draw out the killer is risky, and it keeps the tension going, especially with Christmas getting closer and time running out.
The writing is easy to follow, and the story moves along without dragging. It is not an edge of your seat thriller, but it does not need to be. It knows exactly what it is and sticks to it. This is a comfortable mystery with just enough danger to keep the pages turning.
Overall, this was a pleasant read and a good pick if you enjoy old fashioned mysteries with a holiday backdrop and a smart lead who has to figure things out the hard way. It is not perfect, but it is solid and enjoyable.
I give it a 4 outta 5 catfish!
December 26, 2025
Loved reading the engaging and exciting story. When Lady Francis's Aunt Mary is killed and the. police haven't found the killer, she hires Olivia and her assistant, Victoria, and Olivia decides to work with the handsome, Inspector Burton of Scotland Yard. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of mystery and intrigue, and a must read riveting story.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews