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Holiday with Violence
A quartet of traveling students stumbles into a deadly conspiracy
When the door opens, Signor Galassi flinches, fearing that someone has come to relieve him of the precious cargo he’s transporting back from France. But it’s only four harmless students on their way to an Italian vacation. Phyllida, Mab, Peter, and Punch have come from England in search of adventure—but they’ll find far more than they bargained for.
After crossing into Italy, the young travelers bid Galassi goodbye. But just as Phyllida is stepping off the train, she realizes she left her raincoat behind. Returning to the cabin, she finds Galassi limp on his seat, his skull fractured. Discovering who attacked the old man will draw these four friends into a deadly plot that could mean the end of their vacation, their friendships—even their lives.
When the door opens, Signor Galassi flinches, fearing that someone has come to relieve him of the precious cargo he’s transporting back from France. But it’s only four harmless students on their way to an Italian vacation. Phyllida, Mab, Peter, and Punch have come from England in search of adventure—but they’ll find far more than they bargained for.
After crossing into Italy, the young travelers bid Galassi goodbye. But just as Phyllida is stepping off the train, she realizes she left her raincoat behind. Returning to the cabin, she finds Galassi limp on his seat, his skull fractured. Discovering who attacked the old man will draw these four friends into a deadly plot that could mean the end of their vacation, their friendships—even their lives.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
120 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Edith Pargeter
48 books188 followersaka Peter Benedict, Jolyon Carr, Ellis Peters (later editions of her work are sometimes published under this pseudonym), and John Redfern
West Midlands Literary Heritage website biography
Novelist. Born September 1913 at Horsehay, Shropshire. Her father was a clerk at a local ironworks. Edith attended Dawley Church of England School and the Coalbrookdale High School for Girls. Through her mother, she grew to love the history and countryside of Shropshire, her home for all of her life.
Before World War II she worked as a chemist's assistant at Dawley. During this time she started writing seriously for publication while gathering useful information on medicines that she would draw upon later when tackling crime stories. Her first published novel was Hortensius, friend of Nero (1936), a rather dry tale of martyrdom that was not a great success but she persevered and The city lies foursquare (1939) was much more warmly received.
During the war she worked in an administrative role with the Women's Royal Navy Service in Liverpool, a relatively brief period away from Shropshire, and for her devotion to duty she received the British Empire Medal. Many more novels appeared at this time, including Ordinary people (1941) and She goes to war (1942), the latter based on her own wartime experiences. The eighth champion of Christendom appeared in 1945 and from now on she was able to devote all her time to writing. She was particularly proud of her Heaven tree trilogy, which appeared between 1961 and 1963, which had as a backdrop the English Welsh borderlands in the twelfth century.
It was not until 1951 that she tackled a mystery story with Fallen into the pit, the first appearance of Sergeant George Felse as the investigating police officer. Her other great character, and the one for which the author will continue to be known the world over, Brother Cadfael, was to follow many years later. The first appearance of this monk at Shrewsbury Abbey was in A morbid taste for bones (1977) and he mixed his herbs and unravelled mysteries in this atmospheric setting for a further nineteen novels. This kept the author very busy for the remaining 18 years of her life, to the virtual exclusion of all other work.
The name "Ellis Peters" was adopted by Edith Pargeter to clearly mark a division between her mystery stories and her other work. Her brother was Ellis and Petra was a friend from Czechoslovakia. A frequent visitor to the country, Edith Pargeter had begun her association and deep interest in their culture after meeting Czechoslovakian soldiers during the war. This was to lead to her learning the language translating several books into English.
She won awards for her writing from both the British Crime Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America. She was also awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), an honorary Masters Degree from Birmingham University and the Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Society for Foreign Relations. There is a memorial to her in Shrewsbury Abbey.
After her death in October 1995, The Times published a full obituary that declared that here was "a deeply sensitive and perceptive woman....an intensely private and modest person " whose writing was "direct, even a little stilted, matching a self-contained personality".
West Midlands Literary Heritage website biography
Novelist. Born September 1913 at Horsehay, Shropshire. Her father was a clerk at a local ironworks. Edith attended Dawley Church of England School and the Coalbrookdale High School for Girls. Through her mother, she grew to love the history and countryside of Shropshire, her home for all of her life.
Before World War II she worked as a chemist's assistant at Dawley. During this time she started writing seriously for publication while gathering useful information on medicines that she would draw upon later when tackling crime stories. Her first published novel was Hortensius, friend of Nero (1936), a rather dry tale of martyrdom that was not a great success but she persevered and The city lies foursquare (1939) was much more warmly received.
During the war she worked in an administrative role with the Women's Royal Navy Service in Liverpool, a relatively brief period away from Shropshire, and for her devotion to duty she received the British Empire Medal. Many more novels appeared at this time, including Ordinary people (1941) and She goes to war (1942), the latter based on her own wartime experiences. The eighth champion of Christendom appeared in 1945 and from now on she was able to devote all her time to writing. She was particularly proud of her Heaven tree trilogy, which appeared between 1961 and 1963, which had as a backdrop the English Welsh borderlands in the twelfth century.
It was not until 1951 that she tackled a mystery story with Fallen into the pit, the first appearance of Sergeant George Felse as the investigating police officer. Her other great character, and the one for which the author will continue to be known the world over, Brother Cadfael, was to follow many years later. The first appearance of this monk at Shrewsbury Abbey was in A morbid taste for bones (1977) and he mixed his herbs and unravelled mysteries in this atmospheric setting for a further nineteen novels. This kept the author very busy for the remaining 18 years of her life, to the virtual exclusion of all other work.
The name "Ellis Peters" was adopted by Edith Pargeter to clearly mark a division between her mystery stories and her other work. Her brother was Ellis and Petra was a friend from Czechoslovakia. A frequent visitor to the country, Edith Pargeter had begun her association and deep interest in their culture after meeting Czechoslovakian soldiers during the war. This was to lead to her learning the language translating several books into English.
She won awards for her writing from both the British Crime Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America. She was also awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), an honorary Masters Degree from Birmingham University and the Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Society for Foreign Relations. There is a memorial to her in Shrewsbury Abbey.
After her death in October 1995, The Times published a full obituary that declared that here was "a deeply sensitive and perceptive woman....an intensely private and modest person " whose writing was "direct, even a little stilted, matching a self-contained personality".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 1, 2023
Review of Kindle edition
Publication date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Language: English
ASIN: B01AL33WVY
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 268358
Not at all to be compared to her later mysteries, particularly Brother Cadfael. In HOLIDAY WITH VIOLENCE, she hands us the villains on a silver platter. They are so obvious that I kept looking for some trick. But no, the villains are really that obvious. It is also a forgone conclusion that nothing really bad will happen to the four rather dull and foolish main characters. Little mystery, mostly uninteresting characters. All that is left is a lot of pretty good descriptive prose. So much in fact that some regard it as filler to get a book out of a short story or, at best, a novella.
I don't know why Peters wrote so many mysteries featuring children, teens and barely adult twenty somethings as sleuths but she did. This is another of them. It could almost be considered a more literate Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery. Perhaps Peters intended it for a mature juvenile audience.
Publication date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Language: English
ASIN: B01AL33WVY
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 268358
Not at all to be compared to her later mysteries, particularly Brother Cadfael. In HOLIDAY WITH VIOLENCE, she hands us the villains on a silver platter. They are so obvious that I kept looking for some trick. But no, the villains are really that obvious. It is also a forgone conclusion that nothing really bad will happen to the four rather dull and foolish main characters. Little mystery, mostly uninteresting characters. All that is left is a lot of pretty good descriptive prose. So much in fact that some regard it as filler to get a book out of a short story or, at best, a novella.
I don't know why Peters wrote so many mysteries featuring children, teens and barely adult twenty somethings as sleuths but she did. This is another of them. It could almost be considered a more literate Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery. Perhaps Peters intended it for a mature juvenile audience.
March 29, 2018
If I had started reading Ellis Peters' novels with this book, I probably would've stopped after this dreary, glacially-paced, uninteresting tale. I felt obligated to finish it, because I admire her later works so much. But it was like three days in a dentist's chair. None of the characters are remotely interesting, and you don't care what happens to them, although it's so treacly and safe, that you know nothing will. Like a Disney or Spielberg movie; teenagers in peril! Bad men are after them! How will it end?!! With a yawn.....
This was written in 1950, and I will just steer clear of her earlier works, as the latter ones are so sublime by comparison.
This was written in 1950, and I will just steer clear of her earlier works, as the latter ones are so sublime by comparison.
February 7, 2016
I tried to like this story. I accepted that the main characters came across as girl and boy scouts with no personality. I accepted that what on the surface seemed good description was in fact at times hard to follow, making it bad description. I read the first few chapters, but that was enough.
What did it for me were obvious things being missed by the characters. It was too frustrating. Also one of them would realise their bag had been searched (or something else) and the others would initially argue with them and say they imagined it. Even though there had been a murder and they thought they were being followed.
There are too many good books to bother with frustrating reads like this.
What did it for me were obvious things being missed by the characters. It was too frustrating. Also one of them would realise their bag had been searched (or something else) and the others would initially argue with them and say they imagined it. Even though there had been a murder and they thought they were being followed.
There are too many good books to bother with frustrating reads like this.
February 10, 2020
Um--I don't know. I'd give it 3 and a half stars, or seven out of ten. It's Ellis Peters, and therefore it's an honest story with a lot of charm, but this one reads more like a travel log with a bit of plot than an actual mystery. I did enjoy young Mab and her story, though. And the twist at the end was neat, though I saw it coming.
It's not that I wanted more violence, exactly. I was happy this was a "murder" mystery without a murder. But I was struggling to figure out the time period, and wondering how these impoverished students (it focuses on four English students between 17 and about 20 years old) managed to stay where they did and go where they did. I also agree that the villains were perhaps a bit cliched. The first mystery by Peters I ever read had a wonderful villain, and I was hooked on the author as a result. (That book was The Sanctuary Sparrow). Lots of shades of grey there!
In this book, there's a solid plot and wonderful landscapes/cityscapes. I was hoping young Mab would come into her own, and I liked that she and her friend were library students. ;) But, though I enjoyed it, I don't think it's Peters' best.
It's not that I wanted more violence, exactly. I was happy this was a "murder" mystery without a murder. But I was struggling to figure out the time period, and wondering how these impoverished students (it focuses on four English students between 17 and about 20 years old) managed to stay where they did and go where they did. I also agree that the villains were perhaps a bit cliched. The first mystery by Peters I ever read had a wonderful villain, and I was hooked on the author as a result. (That book was The Sanctuary Sparrow). Lots of shades of grey there!
In this book, there's a solid plot and wonderful landscapes/cityscapes. I was hoping young Mab would come into her own, and I liked that she and her friend were library students. ;) But, though I enjoyed it, I don't think it's Peters' best.
April 25, 2020
Not a whodunnit, more of a thriller- but pretty light. A classic thriller rather than a gory violent modern one.
March 21, 2024
I almost abandoned this one at the 20% mark, which I have never done for an Ellis Peters. It is a thriller more than a mystery, and I was not in the mood for that; plus, the characters didn't start out very well defined, making it much less engaging than a Cadfael or Felse.
I'm glad I persevered. From the moment the second person gets bonked on the head, the plot and character-building pick up considerably. The latter parts of the book are set in Venice of a different era, but the initial arrival scene perfectly evoked my own initial arrival, sleepless after a night of train travel, at sunrise on Halloween 1998.
I'm glad I persevered. From the moment the second person gets bonked on the head, the plot and character-building pick up considerably. The latter parts of the book are set in Venice of a different era, but the initial arrival scene perfectly evoked my own initial arrival, sleepless after a night of train travel, at sunrise on Halloween 1998.
January 28, 2023
Ellis Peters is one of my favorite mystery authors and I love discovering books that she wrote that I haven't read. I found this one in a library booksale and it was a real pleasure. This is a standalone about four young people traveling through Italy who find themselves caught up in a crime. One of Peters' great strengths is knowing how to write younger characters and capturing the complex emotions that are happening at that age and how traumatic events highlight them. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and Peters' books.
October 2, 2024
When four young British travellers encountered Signor Galessi on a crowded Italian train, they little thought that they were about to have their holiday disrupted by violence…
This book is more like a Malcolm Saville or Mabel Esther Allan travel thriller than an adult mystery novel. Four British teenagers spending a summer interrailing encounter a plot to steal diamonds and determine that they have to ensure that kindly Signor Galessi’s mission is not thwarted. Although there are hints that this story dates from an age when girls travelled in dainty frocks rather than jeans - photographs developed from an actual film play an important part and they leave little notes for one another rather than phoning - the evocation of Italian scenery and cities through young English eyes is timeless. One might wonder why they are so determined to help the diamonds get to their rightful destination, especially as we never learn what that is, and there is a rather frustrating shift in primary point of view as one character, after being sidelined for most of the first part of the book, comes to the fore, but what separates this from the Savilles and Allans is an adult eye on a teenage girl discovering for the first time that men desire her and she desires them back, told with Ellis Peters’ protective care for innocence encountering the world.
This book is more like a Malcolm Saville or Mabel Esther Allan travel thriller than an adult mystery novel. Four British teenagers spending a summer interrailing encounter a plot to steal diamonds and determine that they have to ensure that kindly Signor Galessi’s mission is not thwarted. Although there are hints that this story dates from an age when girls travelled in dainty frocks rather than jeans - photographs developed from an actual film play an important part and they leave little notes for one another rather than phoning - the evocation of Italian scenery and cities through young English eyes is timeless. One might wonder why they are so determined to help the diamonds get to their rightful destination, especially as we never learn what that is, and there is a rather frustrating shift in primary point of view as one character, after being sidelined for most of the first part of the book, comes to the fore, but what separates this from the Savilles and Allans is an adult eye on a teenage girl discovering for the first time that men desire her and she desires them back, told with Ellis Peters’ protective care for innocence encountering the world.
June 23, 2020
Four English young people on vacation in Italy briefly share a (forbidden) first-class compartment with an Italian businessman, to everyone's enjoyment. But eventually they must return to their own milieu in the crowded third-class corridor. But a quick dash back to retrieve a forgotten raincoat suddenly involves them in a mystery. Especially when it seems that they have been followed on up into the mountains. But why? Thus begins an exciting game of cat and mouse, from the mountains to the canals of Venice. Wonderful descriptions and unforgettable characterizations combined with an inventive plot make this hard to put down. Highly recommended.
January 24, 2025
Her writing is divine...
Though her writing vocabulary is vast and and sometimes strikingly difficult to understand without much translation... It is poetic and descriptive and the feeling that you ate standing and climbing and eating and swimming and running and embarking and in pinch crowded quarters standing sitting and cramping Next to or in the middle of the protagonists' is ample proof of her writing skills and the characters are sooo real...even the sundry ones and eating specially the baduns!
I recommend alk Ellis Peters books...this one and, especially her grand, atmospheric CADFAEL series...
I love all her mysteries and would live to share them all with you...
Though her writing vocabulary is vast and and sometimes strikingly difficult to understand without much translation... It is poetic and descriptive and the feeling that you ate standing and climbing and eating and swimming and running and embarking and in pinch crowded quarters standing sitting and cramping Next to or in the middle of the protagonists' is ample proof of her writing skills and the characters are sooo real...even the sundry ones and eating specially the baduns!
I recommend alk Ellis Peters books...this one and, especially her grand, atmospheric CADFAEL series...
I love all her mysteries and would live to share them all with you...
November 24, 2023
Described by the friend who gave me this to read as "Enid Blyton's Famous Five with grown-ups" and I think that's quite a good description. It's interesting to think how differently this book would be written if produced today, rather than in 1952. Although the main protagonists are older, there is something child-like about them and the way they react to events. The frisson between Mab and Monfalcone would be dealt with differently, I'm sure, and there is a great deal of innocence in her 'holiday romance'. Still a very enjoyable read.
February 21, 2020
After slogging through the first number of chapters and nodding off during lengthy, flowery descriptions of the French and Italian alps and minimal character developments, I peeked on Goodreads to see others’ impressions before deciding whether to continue reading. I see I’m not alone in my boredom, and I’m discontinuing this novel. I may or may not read more Ellis Peters - it’s unfortunate this was my introduction to this classic mystery writer.
December 31, 2025
This seemed a slower read for me from the outset because I wasn’t sure where it was going, but it turned out to be much faster in the last third. Overall the book was pretty suspenseful, making you guess what the exact issue would be and what would go wrong. It wasn’t much of a mystery to be solved exactly as just an adventure, so I wish I’d had a slightly different mindset going into it. Fun read, though, and I think I would read more by this author.
May 7, 2023
This seems like Ellis Peters’s love letter to Italy with florid descriptions of the Italian mountains and Venice. It is less of a mystery and more of a thriller with an intense pace in the second half of the book as one of the characters, Mab, races to keep the diamonds away from the villain and get to safety.
June 16, 2024
You're going to want to read--or at least go over-- this book twice--first for the "what happens next."and second for the incandescent descriptions of Italy and especially of Venice. An engaging plot and a chilling undercurrent of menace make it the perfect summer read, even if you are a few decades late to the party (it was published in 1952).
March 26, 2025
Perhaps it was just me, but the scenic descriptions and the thought processes of the main characters just seemed to go on and on, dragging out what was quite a good plot and story overall.
It is always interesting to read the differences in scenario and culture on books written several decades ago, but somehow the charm was lost along the way for me here.
It is always interesting to read the differences in scenario and culture on books written several decades ago, but somehow the charm was lost along the way for me here.
September 8, 2018
A fun read made more fun by my recent trip to Italy. The four main characters are appealingly earnest in a fifties fashion and set against two villains drawn with shades of gray. For readers of the 21st century the reminders of World War II put the story in perspective.
November 14, 2022
I love Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael novels, but this is a standalone, and not one of her best. Charming, but slow moving, with lightweight characters and a transparent plot. As much as travelogue of 1950s Italy as it is a mystery or thriller.
September 13, 2019
I enjoyed this book very much. I really enjoy Peters' writing style and have read many of her books. I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a fun, but somewhat dangerous, mystery.
November 30, 2021
Very dated. Enjoyable enough, but not worth re-reading or recommending.
March 16, 2023
What a marvelous romp!
Reminiscent of my tour of Italy, Edith Pargeter has woven a delightful tale of suspense and excitement into the very fabric of Italy.
Reminiscent of my tour of Italy, Edith Pargeter has woven a delightful tale of suspense and excitement into the very fabric of Italy.
April 29, 2024
Easy on the brain. A slow "chase scene" throughout. There's very little mystery as to whodunnit. But the mystery is sort of what will happen next. Not Ellis Peters' best, but a quick, casual read.
January 31, 2025
1/2 of this book is a truly lovely adventure story! The other 1/2 is far too much like an overly descriptive travelogue! Still worth a read! Charming 1950's period.
February 13, 2025
I enjoyed this adventure story set in Italy, but feel it could have been shorter with equal effect.
April 11, 2025
DNF. Never ending narrative took me forever to get to Chapter 5 and then when I saw I had 9 more to go I had to quit. Maybe it just didn't age well.
July 27, 2025
She's one of the greatest mystery writers of all time.
December 13, 2018
This was not at all what I was expecting. While the writing was good, it just felt like there was way too much of it; I felt like this could have been a much shorter book. The story was interesting but because of the meandering nature the plot took I found myself losing interest.
July 24, 2019
I've always found this to be an enjoyable read that stands up to multiple reads or listens of the audio-book. A fun caper from the '50s; the chase through scenic Italy never fails to entertain me.
September 21, 2010
Not as good as Brother Cadfael series.
April 18, 2012
Not a bad story, but a bit excessive in the flowery descriptions department.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews