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Ginger Gold Mystery #11
Murder by Plum Pudding
Murder à la mode!
Hop aboard the 1920s!
There's nothing more fun than a festive holiday dinner party and Ginger Reed, the former Lady Gold, has Hartigan House decorated and the gramophone playing. Dressed in her finest Parisian low-waisted gown, feather-topped tiara, and T-strapped Italian leather shoes, Ginger is ready to host the delectable event.
It's a jolly good time, until someone chokes on the pudding.
Is it an accident or is it murder? And can Ginger unravel the mystery before the church bells ring and New Year's Day dawns?
Previously published as part of the boxed set titled Six Merry Little Murders.
~ Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. Genre: dog cozy mystery series / historical mystery / women amateur sleuth / British detective mysteryHop aboard the 1920s!
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
1162 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Lee Strauss
129 books2,341 followersFor fans of Golden Age who-dun-its ~ from a USA TODAY Bestselling author!
You'll adore Lady Gold from the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mysteries series, and the spin of series, Higgins & Hawke.
Look for the connected 1950s era Rosa Reed Mysteries.
NEW ~ The Velvet Spy ~ The Wartime Journal of Ginger Gold
For more info visit: leestraussbooks.com
You'll adore Lady Gold from the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mysteries series, and the spin of series, Higgins & Hawke.
Look for the connected 1950s era Rosa Reed Mysteries.
NEW ~ The Velvet Spy ~ The Wartime Journal of Ginger Gold
For more info visit: leestraussbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
May 7, 2021
Ginger and Basil Reed have invited a few guests to their home in London to celebrate the Christmas holiday. They also get some unexpected guests when Ginger's stepmother and stepsister show up on their doorstep for a holiday visit. As everyone enjoys the Christmas meal, one of the guests suddenly collapses facedown into his plum pudding. When the police discover that the guest was murdered, Ginger helps Basil question each of the witnesses.
This is an enjoyable novella in the Ginger Gold Mystery series. These cozy mysteries are a nice way to pass the time. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is an enjoyable novella in the Ginger Gold Mystery series. These cozy mysteries are a nice way to pass the time. My rating: 4 Stars.
December 6, 2019
Murder by Plum Pudding by Lee Strauss is set during the Christmas holidays. Ginger and Basil have a house full of guests, family and family friends, at Christmas. It's a rather tense situation when at the end of the Christmas meal one of the guests dies. A quickly paced plot with secrets, lies, red herrings and several suspects for Basil and Ginger to investigate. I was hooked from the first page and quickly finished it in one afternoon. I really enjoy this series by Ms. Strauss and always look forward to next one in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
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July 25, 2021CHAPTER ONE
The journal remained tucked away in the bottom drawer of Mrs. Ginger Reed’s bedside table, along with a photo of her first husband, Daniel, Lord Gold.
From under carefully folded silk scarves Ginger lifted out the items, then sat on the edge of the large four-poster bed she shared with her new husband, Chief Inspector Basil Reed. And Boss. Her pet had jumped up and stretched out at the foot of the bed. He panted a doggy smile, then closed his large brown eyes and promptly started snoring. Ginger chuckled. “Oh, Bossy. Life is so easy for you.”
She stared at the sepia and white image of the handsome soldier. Though she loved Basil with all of her heart, Daniel had been her first. His death, one of thousands during the Great War, had shattered her. The loss was tremendous, and the burden of guilt she felt was at times suffocating.
Oh, the war! The shadows it cast were long-reaching, even seven years after it had ended. Ginger’s time in the British Secret Service would remain such—secret—and she alone would bear the weight of knowing she could have saved her husband and didn’t.
She set the photograph aside and opened the well-worn leather journal, flipping through its pages, and perhaps because it was the day before Christmas Eve, she stopped on the date of December 24th, 1912, the year before she and Daniel had wed. Her familiar though youthful script began:
It’s a tradition for the Hartigan family to volunteer at Christ Church on Salem Street to help serve Christmas dinner to the poor and underprivileged citizens of Boston—a charitable effort driven by the determination and insistence of my warm-hearted father, and resisted equally by my headstrong stepmother, Sally.
Ginger chuckled, but she felt a twinge in her heart.
It’d been a while now since she’d laid eyes on her flamboyant stepmother, Sally Hartigan, and her capricious half-sister, Louisa. Louisa, so full of life and energy, was easy to miss, but the sentimentality of the season had softened Ginger’s heart enough to find room there for her difficult stepmother as well.
“The church is doing a good enough job without my having to get my gloves dirty,” Sally said as we sat around the warmth of the fire in the sitting room. “Can’t we just enjoy a quiet and carefree Christmas Eve for once, George?”
“We are blessed beyond measure,” Father said, like he does every year. “Christmas is about giving, and as members of the elite, it’s doubly important that one doesn’t forget those whose lives are a daily struggle.”
Sally wasn’t about to go down without a fight. “Think about Louisa.”
Louisa, who was playing quietly with a porcelain doll, glanced up at the mention of her name.
Sally continued, “Would you have your own young daughter exposed to who knows what ailment? Last year a man stood right behind her and coughed.”
I noticed that Sally specified father’s younger daughter, even though I was also in the room. Clearly, she wasn’t worried that a stranger might inadvertently spew spittle in my direction.
“I do think about Louisa, which is precisely why I insist on going.”
“I’m not sure we’re doing those people much good. They’ll just learn to depend on handouts.”
“It’s Christmas,” I said, siding with Father.
Sally’s nose jutted higher. “They’re immigrants.”
I was aghast. “We’re immigrants!”
Louisa smirked. “I’m not.”
Father was not swayed, and at five o’clock in the evening, the four of us bundled up in our fur-trimmed winter coats, muffs, and hats, and rode in our enclosed carriage as our driver directed the horses to the church hall.
Ginger was interrupted by her young maid Lizzie, dressed in a black frock covered by a white apron, and on her head, covering a short-fringed haircut, a white servant’s cap. She curtsied slightly before speaking.
“You’ve got visitors, madam.”
“I have?” Ginger marked the journal entry with a piece of string before closing the book and setting it aside. “But who? I’m not expecting anyone until tomorrow.”
Mr. Doyle of New York and his wife were due to arrive then. He was a former associate and friend of her late father’s, though Ginger had never met the Doyles herself. He’d written several weeks ago asking if they could stay. Apparently, the man had a business idea he thought she’d be interested in. She couldn’t imagine what that might be, but she hadn’t had the heart to say no.
Lizzie’s pixie-thin face grew rosy. “They asked me not to say, madam. They want to keep it a surprise.”
Ginger raised a thinly plucked brow. She didn’t like surprises and her family and staff knew this about her.
Lizzie added quickly, “It’s two ladies, madam.”
Ginger didn’t want to torture the girl’s conscience. With Boss at her heels, she strolled down the corridor past the bedrooms to the landing above an ornate staircase that curved down to the black and white marble entrance below. A grand chandelier hung high above the entrance, its electric lights illuminating the entrance hall. Tall windows flanked either side of a thick wooden door, and standing in front of it were the very two ladies Ginger had just been thinking of.
Louisa shouted, “Surprise!” She held out her arms, clad in burgundy velvet. The shin-length coat had ornamental stitching, and the collar, cuffs, and entire length of the edging were trimmed with thick grey fur. Ginger recognised the quality of the tailleur de luxe item at once.
“Louisa? Sally?” Their names escaped Ginger’s lips as she hurried down the stairs. “I’m astonished!” She accepted Louisa’s warm embrace, and a shorter, tenser version of a hug from her stepmother.
Ginger reined in her flustered feelings and adopted a welcoming smile. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise, then, silly,” Louisa said. “I had to make Mama promise she wouldn’t send a telegram.”
Sally Hartigan was an attractive brunette with early signs of greying. She had fine lines around green, cat-like eyes, which deepened as she smirked, and Ginger could tell her stepmother rather enjoyed Ginger’s discomfiture. Though they had never been outright enemies, their mutual longing for George Hartigan’s full attention had made them more like competitors than family. Her father’s passing hadn’t changed that.
Pippins, Ginger’s devoted septuagenarian butler, having heard the commotion was soon at her side.
“Pippins, you remember my sister, Louisa?” Louisa had spent a number of weeks as Ginger’s guest the summer before. “And this is her mother, Mrs. Hartigan.”
Sally had never been one to consider staff as anything more than a useful appliance such as an electric mixer or vacuum cleaner, and she’d rather kiss a frog, Ginger thought, than look a butler or maid in the eye. Her stepmother kept her gaze averted.
Pippins, unruffled by her slight, bowed his tall, slender form, his aged shoulders hunched slightly. His cornflower-blue eyes twinkled. “May I take your coats?”
“Louisa wasn’t kidding when she said you lived in a mansion,” Sally said. Her lips pulled up in an approving smile but her eyes remained indifferent. Like most Londoners fighting against the grey and gloom of a damp winter, Ginger had decorated the place with an abundance of green. Holly and ivy twined along the wooden railing and banister and wreathed over the door frames.
“It’s hardly a mansion,” Ginger said.
“It’s twice the size of our brownstone in Boston.”
Ginger heard the hint of envy. She and Louisa shared the same father, and when George Hartigan had died, he’d left the brownstone to Louisa, to be shared with her mother, and his London home to Ginger. And rightly so, Ginger thought, since she’d been born in London and lived in Hartigan House until she was eight years old, a bleak time in her young life, when her father had carted her off to America so he could marry Sally.
To Sally she said, “Surely you’ve been here before?”
Sally wiggled well-bejewelled fingers. “It was such a long time ago.”
“Pippins, please inform the kitchen that we have guests and will take tea in the sitting room.”
“Are you going to leave our luggage to sit in the rain?” Sally asked.
“Your luggage?”
“Yes, the taxi driver left it on the stoop,” Louisa said. “You don’t mind if we stay with you, do you? I know you have tons of room.”
Ginger held in her dismay. It was Christmas, and she could hardly turn them out into the streets. “Of course not.” To Pippins she added, “Please ask Lizzie and Grace to prepare rooms, and ask Clement to take our guests’ luggage upstairs.”
Pippins disappeared down the corridor towards the back of the house, whilst Ginger led her guests through the double doors of the sitting room, decorated in a modern style with rose and saffron straight-lined furniture angled towards a stone fireplace, a jade Persian carpet, wooden coffee tables, and a sideboard equipped with drinks and glasses. Tall windows added light.
Sally, with her twisted sense of intuition, gravitated to Ginger’s favourite chair and lowered herself with an exaggerated exhalation. “It’s a relief to spend part of the winter out of Boston, but it’s not as pleasant here as Louisa promised.”
Louisa came to her own defence. “It was summer when I was here last. Besides, it might be dreary and grey, but at least there’s no snow.”
Tea was delivered and Ginger poured for Louisa and Sally. “Milk and sugar?” she asked. Ginger waited for the nods she expected, added the extras and delivered the tea on their matching floral saucers.
Sally stared at the Waterhouse painting of The Mermaid over the mantel. “Some things never change.”
Ginger had done a lot of redecorating on her return to London, but she had kept the classic art piece above the hearth. The mermaid, innocently naked to her waist, had long red hair that tumbled over her shoulders and delicately preserved her modesty. The mythical creature reminded Ginger of her mother, not only with the colour of her hair, but the sparkle in her eyes.
“It’s rather vulgar, don’t you think?” Sally continued.
“I like it,” Louisa said. “It’s bold, and symbolises modern feminism. We women have more freedoms than ever before, but not nearly enough, in my estimation.”
Ginger couldn’t help but smile at her sister.
Louisa seemed unaware of Ginger’s amusement and demanded, “Where is Felicia? You haven’t sent her back to the country, have you? Have you? And her cranky grandmother too? That wouldn’t be so tragic.”
“Louisa!” Ginger scolded. “Felicia is doing some last-minute Christmas shopping and Ambrosia is resting. They will join us for an early dinner.”
“And your husband,” Louisa said. “You’re still married?”
“Of course I’m still married.” Ginger snorted lightly. “He’s out with Scout, getting a tree.”
“I’m still upset that I wasn’t at your wedding,” Louisa said. She scowled at Sally when she said this. Louisa had only just returned to Boston after a rebellious trip to London, and Sally hadn’t been about to let her daughter out of her sight so quickly afterwards.
“Louisa says you’ve adopted a grown street boy?” Sally asked. Her disapproval was hardly concealed behind her pretend shock.
“Yes. It’s providence, you could say,” Ginger said.
Sally lifted her teacup to her lips, hiding, as it were, behind it. “I suppose a person might do anything to have a child they can call their own.”
“Scout is a very special boy, and my son now, Sally. I expect you, as my guest, to show him the same respect that you show me.”
Belatedly, Ginger realised she wasn’t asking much of her stepmother.
Sally’s lips twitched in a half smile. “Certainly, Ginger. I’m only intrigued with how your life has turned out. George would be—”
“Pleased,” Ginger said, finishing for her. “Father would be very pleased. In fact, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m continuing one of his favourite traditions—feeding the poor at a local church.”
The sounds of men’s voices and a child’s laughter from the other side of the doors reached them and Ginger jumped to her feet.
“Basil and Scout are back.”
Louisa was quick to follow Ginger into the hall, whilst Sally moved more slowly, looking as if she was barely hanging on to a sliver of patience.
“Where do you want it, love?” Basil asked, when he saw her. His face was flushed with the exertion, only emphasising his handsome features. Dark hair was oiled back and to one side and trimmed around shapely ears, where it showed a hint of grey. His hazel eyes, wrinkling at the corners, sparkled as he gazed at Ginger with admiration. Married only a few months, it was easy for Ginger and Basil to forget that they weren’t alone. She smiled back with appreciation.
“Basil!” Louisa squealed.
The shock that overtook Basil’s face was enough to make Ginger break out in laughter.
“Louisa and Sally have surprised us, love,” she explained. “They’re here for Christmas.”
Basil removed his hat and gloves and extended a hand to Sally. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hartigan,” he said.
Sally’s countenance brightened remarkably. Basil had that effect on the gentler sex. “Likewise. Louisa, you weren’t exaggerating when you said the chief inspector was handsome.”
Unsatisfied with a mere handshake, Louisa threw herself into Basil’s arms. “We’re sister and brother now!”
Basil chuckled, cast a questioning glance over Louisa’s shoulder at Ginger, and said, “Indeed.” He peeled his new sibling off, and used the action to remove his jacket.
“I’ll take that for you, sir,” Pippins said.
“Thank you, Pippins,” Basil returned.
Scout had managed to hide himself behind Ginger during the exchange. Ginger took his hand and gently pulled him into view. “This is Scout. Scout, this is Mrs. Hartigan and you remember my sister, Louisa.”
“That makes me an aunt, does it not?” Louisa said, more to herself than to Scout, as if the concept had occurred to her for the first time.
“Yes,” Ginger said. “This is Aunt Louisa.”
Scout bowed respectfully.
Louisa held her hand out and Scout shook it. “All kinds of new family today,” she said. “First a brother and now a nephew.”
Sally remained quiet, her chin turned upwards.
“The tree?” Basil said.
“Oh yes, the drawing room, please,” Ginger said. The drawing room lay opposite the sitting room on the other side of the main doors along the entrance way. Basil and Scout wrestled the tree through the French doors in a manner that made Ginger bite her lip to keep from smiling too widely with the joy she felt at the sight.
Ginger presented the drawing room to the Hartigan ladies. Art deco wallpaper, in hues of ivory, grey, and green, made the large room feel chic. A baby grand piano stood impressively in one corner while a brick fireplace took the opposite wall. A green velvet settee and matching pincushion chairs trimmed ornately with polished wood stood around a large coffee table in the centre. On the walls were two portraits, one each of Ginger’s parents. Her mother, as the wife
before Sally, was of apparent keen interest to Ginger’s stepmother, and the woman spent a noticeable amount of time staring at the image.
“She had red hair, didn’t she?” Sally said. “So unbecoming.”
Ginger’s hand automatically went to her own red bob. Being redheaded wasn’t considered an asset as far as fashion and beauty went, but Ginger hadn’t done poorly by it. She’d embraced what the good Lord had given her, and in fact, loved how it set her apart from most.
“Father found ginger hair to be a lovely thing, obviously,” Ginger said. “They were very much in love.”
That last bit was an unnecessary jab, and Ginger immediately regretted it. Sally Hartigan had been married to her father for longer than Ginger’s mother had. Her stepmother had a way of bringing out the worst in her.
The journal remained tucked away in the bottom drawer of Mrs. Ginger Reed’s bedside table, along with a photo of her first husband, Daniel, Lord Gold.
From under carefully folded silk scarves Ginger lifted out the items, then sat on the edge of the large four-poster bed she shared with her new husband, Chief Inspector Basil Reed. And Boss. Her pet had jumped up and stretched out at the foot of the bed. He panted a doggy smile, then closed his large brown eyes and promptly started snoring. Ginger chuckled. “Oh, Bossy. Life is so easy for you.”
She stared at the sepia and white image of the handsome soldier. Though she loved Basil with all of her heart, Daniel had been her first. His death, one of thousands during the Great War, had shattered her. The loss was tremendous, and the burden of guilt she felt was at times suffocating.
Oh, the war! The shadows it cast were long-reaching, even seven years after it had ended. Ginger’s time in the British Secret Service would remain such—secret—and she alone would bear the weight of knowing she could have saved her husband and didn’t.
She set the photograph aside and opened the well-worn leather journal, flipping through its pages, and perhaps because it was the day before Christmas Eve, she stopped on the date of December 24th, 1912, the year before she and Daniel had wed. Her familiar though youthful script began:
It’s a tradition for the Hartigan family to volunteer at Christ Church on Salem Street to help serve Christmas dinner to the poor and underprivileged citizens of Boston—a charitable effort driven by the determination and insistence of my warm-hearted father, and resisted equally by my headstrong stepmother, Sally.
Ginger chuckled, but she felt a twinge in her heart.
It’d been a while now since she’d laid eyes on her flamboyant stepmother, Sally Hartigan, and her capricious half-sister, Louisa. Louisa, so full of life and energy, was easy to miss, but the sentimentality of the season had softened Ginger’s heart enough to find room there for her difficult stepmother as well.
“The church is doing a good enough job without my having to get my gloves dirty,” Sally said as we sat around the warmth of the fire in the sitting room. “Can’t we just enjoy a quiet and carefree Christmas Eve for once, George?”
“We are blessed beyond measure,” Father said, like he does every year. “Christmas is about giving, and as members of the elite, it’s doubly important that one doesn’t forget those whose lives are a daily struggle.”
Sally wasn’t about to go down without a fight. “Think about Louisa.”
Louisa, who was playing quietly with a porcelain doll, glanced up at the mention of her name.
Sally continued, “Would you have your own young daughter exposed to who knows what ailment? Last year a man stood right behind her and coughed.”
I noticed that Sally specified father’s younger daughter, even though I was also in the room. Clearly, she wasn’t worried that a stranger might inadvertently spew spittle in my direction.
“I do think about Louisa, which is precisely why I insist on going.”
“I’m not sure we’re doing those people much good. They’ll just learn to depend on handouts.”
“It’s Christmas,” I said, siding with Father.
Sally’s nose jutted higher. “They’re immigrants.”
I was aghast. “We’re immigrants!”
Louisa smirked. “I’m not.”
Father was not swayed, and at five o’clock in the evening, the four of us bundled up in our fur-trimmed winter coats, muffs, and hats, and rode in our enclosed carriage as our driver directed the horses to the church hall.
Ginger was interrupted by her young maid Lizzie, dressed in a black frock covered by a white apron, and on her head, covering a short-fringed haircut, a white servant’s cap. She curtsied slightly before speaking.
“You’ve got visitors, madam.”
“I have?” Ginger marked the journal entry with a piece of string before closing the book and setting it aside. “But who? I’m not expecting anyone until tomorrow.”
Mr. Doyle of New York and his wife were due to arrive then. He was a former associate and friend of her late father’s, though Ginger had never met the Doyles herself. He’d written several weeks ago asking if they could stay. Apparently, the man had a business idea he thought she’d be interested in. She couldn’t imagine what that might be, but she hadn’t had the heart to say no.
Lizzie’s pixie-thin face grew rosy. “They asked me not to say, madam. They want to keep it a surprise.”
Ginger raised a thinly plucked brow. She didn’t like surprises and her family and staff knew this about her.
Lizzie added quickly, “It’s two ladies, madam.”
Ginger didn’t want to torture the girl’s conscience. With Boss at her heels, she strolled down the corridor past the bedrooms to the landing above an ornate staircase that curved down to the black and white marble entrance below. A grand chandelier hung high above the entrance, its electric lights illuminating the entrance hall. Tall windows flanked either side of a thick wooden door, and standing in front of it were the very two ladies Ginger had just been thinking of.
Louisa shouted, “Surprise!” She held out her arms, clad in burgundy velvet. The shin-length coat had ornamental stitching, and the collar, cuffs, and entire length of the edging were trimmed with thick grey fur. Ginger recognised the quality of the tailleur de luxe item at once.
“Louisa? Sally?” Their names escaped Ginger’s lips as she hurried down the stairs. “I’m astonished!” She accepted Louisa’s warm embrace, and a shorter, tenser version of a hug from her stepmother.
Ginger reined in her flustered feelings and adopted a welcoming smile. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise, then, silly,” Louisa said. “I had to make Mama promise she wouldn’t send a telegram.”
Sally Hartigan was an attractive brunette with early signs of greying. She had fine lines around green, cat-like eyes, which deepened as she smirked, and Ginger could tell her stepmother rather enjoyed Ginger’s discomfiture. Though they had never been outright enemies, their mutual longing for George Hartigan’s full attention had made them more like competitors than family. Her father’s passing hadn’t changed that.
Pippins, Ginger’s devoted septuagenarian butler, having heard the commotion was soon at her side.
“Pippins, you remember my sister, Louisa?” Louisa had spent a number of weeks as Ginger’s guest the summer before. “And this is her mother, Mrs. Hartigan.”
Sally had never been one to consider staff as anything more than a useful appliance such as an electric mixer or vacuum cleaner, and she’d rather kiss a frog, Ginger thought, than look a butler or maid in the eye. Her stepmother kept her gaze averted.
Pippins, unruffled by her slight, bowed his tall, slender form, his aged shoulders hunched slightly. His cornflower-blue eyes twinkled. “May I take your coats?”
“Louisa wasn’t kidding when she said you lived in a mansion,” Sally said. Her lips pulled up in an approving smile but her eyes remained indifferent. Like most Londoners fighting against the grey and gloom of a damp winter, Ginger had decorated the place with an abundance of green. Holly and ivy twined along the wooden railing and banister and wreathed over the door frames.
“It’s hardly a mansion,” Ginger said.
“It’s twice the size of our brownstone in Boston.”
Ginger heard the hint of envy. She and Louisa shared the same father, and when George Hartigan had died, he’d left the brownstone to Louisa, to be shared with her mother, and his London home to Ginger. And rightly so, Ginger thought, since she’d been born in London and lived in Hartigan House until she was eight years old, a bleak time in her young life, when her father had carted her off to America so he could marry Sally.
To Sally she said, “Surely you’ve been here before?”
Sally wiggled well-bejewelled fingers. “It was such a long time ago.”
“Pippins, please inform the kitchen that we have guests and will take tea in the sitting room.”
“Are you going to leave our luggage to sit in the rain?” Sally asked.
“Your luggage?”
“Yes, the taxi driver left it on the stoop,” Louisa said. “You don’t mind if we stay with you, do you? I know you have tons of room.”
Ginger held in her dismay. It was Christmas, and she could hardly turn them out into the streets. “Of course not.” To Pippins she added, “Please ask Lizzie and Grace to prepare rooms, and ask Clement to take our guests’ luggage upstairs.”
Pippins disappeared down the corridor towards the back of the house, whilst Ginger led her guests through the double doors of the sitting room, decorated in a modern style with rose and saffron straight-lined furniture angled towards a stone fireplace, a jade Persian carpet, wooden coffee tables, and a sideboard equipped with drinks and glasses. Tall windows added light.
Sally, with her twisted sense of intuition, gravitated to Ginger’s favourite chair and lowered herself with an exaggerated exhalation. “It’s a relief to spend part of the winter out of Boston, but it’s not as pleasant here as Louisa promised.”
Louisa came to her own defence. “It was summer when I was here last. Besides, it might be dreary and grey, but at least there’s no snow.”
Tea was delivered and Ginger poured for Louisa and Sally. “Milk and sugar?” she asked. Ginger waited for the nods she expected, added the extras and delivered the tea on their matching floral saucers.
Sally stared at the Waterhouse painting of The Mermaid over the mantel. “Some things never change.”
Ginger had done a lot of redecorating on her return to London, but she had kept the classic art piece above the hearth. The mermaid, innocently naked to her waist, had long red hair that tumbled over her shoulders and delicately preserved her modesty. The mythical creature reminded Ginger of her mother, not only with the colour of her hair, but the sparkle in her eyes.
“It’s rather vulgar, don’t you think?” Sally continued.
“I like it,” Louisa said. “It’s bold, and symbolises modern feminism. We women have more freedoms than ever before, but not nearly enough, in my estimation.”
Ginger couldn’t help but smile at her sister.
Louisa seemed unaware of Ginger’s amusement and demanded, “Where is Felicia? You haven’t sent her back to the country, have you? Have you? And her cranky grandmother too? That wouldn’t be so tragic.”
“Louisa!” Ginger scolded. “Felicia is doing some last-minute Christmas shopping and Ambrosia is resting. They will join us for an early dinner.”
“And your husband,” Louisa said. “You’re still married?”
“Of course I’m still married.” Ginger snorted lightly. “He’s out with Scout, getting a tree.”
“I’m still upset that I wasn’t at your wedding,” Louisa said. She scowled at Sally when she said this. Louisa had only just returned to Boston after a rebellious trip to London, and Sally hadn’t been about to let her daughter out of her sight so quickly afterwards.
“Louisa says you’ve adopted a grown street boy?” Sally asked. Her disapproval was hardly concealed behind her pretend shock.
“Yes. It’s providence, you could say,” Ginger said.
Sally lifted her teacup to her lips, hiding, as it were, behind it. “I suppose a person might do anything to have a child they can call their own.”
“Scout is a very special boy, and my son now, Sally. I expect you, as my guest, to show him the same respect that you show me.”
Belatedly, Ginger realised she wasn’t asking much of her stepmother.
Sally’s lips twitched in a half smile. “Certainly, Ginger. I’m only intrigued with how your life has turned out. George would be—”
“Pleased,” Ginger said, finishing for her. “Father would be very pleased. In fact, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m continuing one of his favourite traditions—feeding the poor at a local church.”
The sounds of men’s voices and a child’s laughter from the other side of the doors reached them and Ginger jumped to her feet.
“Basil and Scout are back.”
Louisa was quick to follow Ginger into the hall, whilst Sally moved more slowly, looking as if she was barely hanging on to a sliver of patience.
“Where do you want it, love?” Basil asked, when he saw her. His face was flushed with the exertion, only emphasising his handsome features. Dark hair was oiled back and to one side and trimmed around shapely ears, where it showed a hint of grey. His hazel eyes, wrinkling at the corners, sparkled as he gazed at Ginger with admiration. Married only a few months, it was easy for Ginger and Basil to forget that they weren’t alone. She smiled back with appreciation.
“Basil!” Louisa squealed.
The shock that overtook Basil’s face was enough to make Ginger break out in laughter.
“Louisa and Sally have surprised us, love,” she explained. “They’re here for Christmas.”
Basil removed his hat and gloves and extended a hand to Sally. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hartigan,” he said.
Sally’s countenance brightened remarkably. Basil had that effect on the gentler sex. “Likewise. Louisa, you weren’t exaggerating when you said the chief inspector was handsome.”
Unsatisfied with a mere handshake, Louisa threw herself into Basil’s arms. “We’re sister and brother now!”
Basil chuckled, cast a questioning glance over Louisa’s shoulder at Ginger, and said, “Indeed.” He peeled his new sibling off, and used the action to remove his jacket.
“I’ll take that for you, sir,” Pippins said.
“Thank you, Pippins,” Basil returned.
Scout had managed to hide himself behind Ginger during the exchange. Ginger took his hand and gently pulled him into view. “This is Scout. Scout, this is Mrs. Hartigan and you remember my sister, Louisa.”
“That makes me an aunt, does it not?” Louisa said, more to herself than to Scout, as if the concept had occurred to her for the first time.
“Yes,” Ginger said. “This is Aunt Louisa.”
Scout bowed respectfully.
Louisa held her hand out and Scout shook it. “All kinds of new family today,” she said. “First a brother and now a nephew.”
Sally remained quiet, her chin turned upwards.
“The tree?” Basil said.
“Oh yes, the drawing room, please,” Ginger said. The drawing room lay opposite the sitting room on the other side of the main doors along the entrance way. Basil and Scout wrestled the tree through the French doors in a manner that made Ginger bite her lip to keep from smiling too widely with the joy she felt at the sight.
Ginger presented the drawing room to the Hartigan ladies. Art deco wallpaper, in hues of ivory, grey, and green, made the large room feel chic. A baby grand piano stood impressively in one corner while a brick fireplace took the opposite wall. A green velvet settee and matching pincushion chairs trimmed ornately with polished wood stood around a large coffee table in the centre. On the walls were two portraits, one each of Ginger’s parents. Her mother, as the wife
before Sally, was of apparent keen interest to Ginger’s stepmother, and the woman spent a noticeable amount of time staring at the image.
“She had red hair, didn’t she?” Sally said. “So unbecoming.”
Ginger’s hand automatically went to her own red bob. Being redheaded wasn’t considered an asset as far as fashion and beauty went, but Ginger hadn’t done poorly by it. She’d embraced what the good Lord had given her, and in fact, loved how it set her apart from most.
“Father found ginger hair to be a lovely thing, obviously,” Ginger said. “They were very much in love.”
That last bit was an unnecessary jab, and Ginger immediately regretted it. Sally Hartigan had been married to her father for longer than Ginger’s mother had. Her stepmother had a way of bringing out the worst in her.
April 10, 2021
Ginger Reed (formerly Lady Gold) and her new husband, Chief Inspector Basil Reed have some unexpected houseguests over Christmas. While enjoying plum pudding at the end of Christmas dinner one of the guests suddenly dies. Could it be from a heart attack or is this a Christmas murder?
A great Christmas themed novella involving Ginger and her husband. Of course I loved the descriptions of Ginger's clothes and how the house was decorated. It was great to get some more backstory on her step-mother Sally, who I really don't care for. Since the deceased guest wasn't very well liked there were quite a few possible suspects. I enjoyed how Ginger and Basil worked together to solve the murder.
I read this as part of SIX MERRY LITTLE MURDERS, a collection of six Christmas themed cozy mysteries.
A great Christmas themed novella involving Ginger and her husband. Of course I loved the descriptions of Ginger's clothes and how the house was decorated. It was great to get some more backstory on her step-mother Sally, who I really don't care for. Since the deceased guest wasn't very well liked there were quite a few possible suspects. I enjoyed how Ginger and Basil worked together to solve the murder.
I read this as part of SIX MERRY LITTLE MURDERS, a collection of six Christmas themed cozy mysteries.
January 22, 2025
These books are short to begin with, but this one is a half-step book, so it is shorter. But it worked out for me because I'm in a slump and really needed a short book to tide me through. I like Ginger quite a bit, and here we get to see her interact with her stepmother who may or may not be a killer. It was a fun read.
May 17, 2020
2 1/2 stars.
December 2, 2023
Nice, Christmasy
June 3, 2020
Entertaining & still fluffy
January 15, 2020
Ridiculously fun!!!
Not sure why she puts up with rude relatives, but Ginger does it with grace and a flare for fashion. But of course, there is always a murder to solve!!! Love these silly books!
Not sure why she puts up with rude relatives, but Ginger does it with grace and a flare for fashion. But of course, there is always a murder to solve!!! Love these silly books!
October 28, 2021
This was a short and fast paced story happening on Christmas Eve.
As usual ginger and basil put their heads together and solve the mystery in their own way . It was quite an enjoyable read
As usual ginger and basil put their heads together and solve the mystery in their own way . It was quite an enjoyable read
May 7, 2020
Ginger is excited to celebrate Christmas with her new family and show Scout the magic of the season. However, she's a bit wistful missing her stepmother and sister back in Boston. When Sally and Louisa show up, Ginger is excited to see them, until they announce they're staying with her! Ginger is planning a dinner party with an American business associate of her father and his wife, the Reed family and friends. Another guest is invited for dinner so the young ladies will have a single gentleman to fight over! The American, Mr. Doyle, may be rude and crass but surely no one would wish him dead? That seems to be the case when the man dies after eating a bite of Christmas pudding. Basil and Dr. Gupta are certain the death was not due to natural causes. Can Ginger and Basil solve the crime before Christmas is over?
This story is longer than the Lady Gold Investigates series and shorter than a full-length novel. It's a very satisfactory length but a bit too long to read in one sitting. I love how confident Ginger and Basil are now in their relationship with each other and how easy they share sleuthing duties. His respect for her is admirable. Scout usually provides some comic relief but he isn't in the story much. Boss, my very favorite character, does have a big role to play in this story. Louisa is back and as annoying as ever and we get to finally meet Sally. I can see why Louisa is a pill. I don't understand what Ginger's father saw in Sally. Sally is acting more than snippy, she acts suspicious. There's NO WAY Ginger's stepmother could be a killer, right? Readers of Ginger's Journal may be disappointed that one entry is repeated here but still it was good to meet Sally in the present and see what she is like now her husband is dead.
Newcomers include Mr. and Mrs. Doyle from America. He's a loud, crude man- the sort the English hate. He manages to insult Ginger and her guests while his wife is forced to put up with his behavior and apologize. Her brother, Mr. Lester, is also at the dinner party. He's quiet and a bit aloof. Mr. Lester doesn't really respond to Louisa and Felicia's flirtations. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport, friends of the Reeds, seem lonely and sad. They have secrets that could lead to the killer. Mrs. Davenport seems to be elderly, frail and possibly afflicted with dementia. They're a rather sad reminder that the book is set post-WWI.
I figured out which person was the killer right away and the murder weapon is equally obvious. Still, this is a fun mystery and fans of the series will enjoy it. Newcomers could start here if they wanted but I wouldn't recommend it.
This story is longer than the Lady Gold Investigates series and shorter than a full-length novel. It's a very satisfactory length but a bit too long to read in one sitting. I love how confident Ginger and Basil are now in their relationship with each other and how easy they share sleuthing duties. His respect for her is admirable. Scout usually provides some comic relief but he isn't in the story much. Boss, my very favorite character, does have a big role to play in this story. Louisa is back and as annoying as ever and we get to finally meet Sally. I can see why Louisa is a pill. I don't understand what Ginger's father saw in Sally. Sally is acting more than snippy, she acts suspicious. There's NO WAY Ginger's stepmother could be a killer, right? Readers of Ginger's Journal may be disappointed that one entry is repeated here but still it was good to meet Sally in the present and see what she is like now her husband is dead.
Newcomers include Mr. and Mrs. Doyle from America. He's a loud, crude man- the sort the English hate. He manages to insult Ginger and her guests while his wife is forced to put up with his behavior and apologize. Her brother, Mr. Lester, is also at the dinner party. He's quiet and a bit aloof. Mr. Lester doesn't really respond to Louisa and Felicia's flirtations. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport, friends of the Reeds, seem lonely and sad. They have secrets that could lead to the killer. Mrs. Davenport seems to be elderly, frail and possibly afflicted with dementia. They're a rather sad reminder that the book is set post-WWI.
I figured out which person was the killer right away and the murder weapon is equally obvious. Still, this is a fun mystery and fans of the series will enjoy it. Newcomers could start here if they wanted but I wouldn't recommend it.
June 8, 2020
This story felt cobbled together in a rush and lacked any depth. Too many unlikable and/or bland characters populated the pages. Even Felicia, who I normally like, was merely annoying in "Murder by Plum Pudding".
A couple of missteps pulled me out of the time period. First, the author via Ginger's thought process refers to Mrs. Davenport as suffering from dementia. Um, in 1925/6 the condition would have been referred to as senility. Dementia might have been used in medical jargon, but I'm betting even doctors back then used the term senile. It might not be a politically correct term today, but if you are setting your stories in the past, you should use terms the characters would actually use. I did think the twist of the peanut allergy was clever in regard to the murder. However, the way Ginger spoke about it you'd think peanut allergies were as prevalent nearly 100 years ago as they are today. They weren't, at least not to general public knowledge. Yet Ginger acts as if everyone in America knows someone with a peanut allergy. Pulled me right out of 1925 and into 2020. And I doubt that was the author's intention.
I felt sorry for the murderer and sympathized with his motivation, yet Ginger and Basil seemed untouched by his dilemma. I was also surprised at how neither gave a second thought to Louisa remaining in Sally's custody even after Sally admits to planning Doyle's murder and having ties to the mob. Just because she didn't have a chance to act doesn't mean they shouldn't be concerned. Ginger and Basil just seemed uncaring in this installment of the series.
The best part. I like how Boss solved the mystery and caught the murderer. Made up for a lot of other missteps and kept this book from being rated a 2.
A couple of missteps pulled me out of the time period. First, the author via Ginger's thought process refers to Mrs. Davenport as suffering from dementia. Um, in 1925/6 the condition would have been referred to as senility. Dementia might have been used in medical jargon, but I'm betting even doctors back then used the term senile. It might not be a politically correct term today, but if you are setting your stories in the past, you should use terms the characters would actually use. I did think the twist of the peanut allergy was clever in regard to the murder. However, the way Ginger spoke about it you'd think peanut allergies were as prevalent nearly 100 years ago as they are today. They weren't, at least not to general public knowledge. Yet Ginger acts as if everyone in America knows someone with a peanut allergy. Pulled me right out of 1925 and into 2020. And I doubt that was the author's intention.
I felt sorry for the murderer and sympathized with his motivation, yet Ginger and Basil seemed untouched by his dilemma. I was also surprised at how neither gave a second thought to Louisa remaining in Sally's custody even after Sally admits to planning Doyle's murder and having ties to the mob. Just because she didn't have a chance to act doesn't mean they shouldn't be concerned. Ginger and Basil just seemed uncaring in this installment of the series.
The best part. I like how Boss solved the mystery and caught the murderer. Made up for a lot of other missteps and kept this book from being rated a 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
Ok. Not the best of this series.
I’m sure it’s hard to come up with new ideas when one writes a series. It’s beginning to sound like the same story with different names. This series needs a bit of “newness” to keep interest.
Also, the way Ginger lets her relatives get away with talking to her so rudely is surprising… even for the 1920s. Especially the sister-in-law and step-sister who are obnoxious! And don’t get me started on the step-mother. I would have told them all off years ago!
I hope the next book is an improvement. Otherwise, I might be done with this series.
I’m sure it’s hard to come up with new ideas when one writes a series. It’s beginning to sound like the same story with different names. This series needs a bit of “newness” to keep interest.
Also, the way Ginger lets her relatives get away with talking to her so rudely is surprising… even for the 1920s. Especially the sister-in-law and step-sister who are obnoxious! And don’t get me started on the step-mother. I would have told them all off years ago!
I hope the next book is an improvement. Otherwise, I might be done with this series.
November 21, 2021
This is my first experience reading this author. I have several books on my shelf, but I haven’t made the time to dive into any of them, and I’m now realizing what a terrible mistake that’s been. I enjoyed getting to know these characters. It was also quite the clever little mystery that lay before them. I have to admit that I knew exactly how it would happen and who did it as soon as those scenes came to pass. I’m not sure if it’s because of how suspicious I am or if it’s more related to how often I’ve fantasized about being rid of a few of my own problems in much the same way. Now I’m looking forward to cracking open some of those books already in my library.
September 28, 2024
3 stars.
An American businessman who said he was a friend of Ginger's father invited himself and his wife as houseguests during Christmas. And at the same time, Ginger's stepmother and half-sister also made a surprise visit from Boston.
During the Christmas dinner, the American man died choking to death. The autopsy revealed the man died from anaphylaxis. As Basil and Ginger seek to eliminate their own household as suspects, they discovered some interesting things about Ginger's stepmother.
We also get a glimpse of Ginger's childhood and how her father had influenced her into helping those less fortunate. He appeared to have been a very good man.
An American businessman who said he was a friend of Ginger's father invited himself and his wife as houseguests during Christmas. And at the same time, Ginger's stepmother and half-sister also made a surprise visit from Boston.
During the Christmas dinner, the American man died choking to death. The autopsy revealed the man died from anaphylaxis. As Basil and Ginger seek to eliminate their own household as suspects, they discovered some interesting things about Ginger's stepmother.
We also get a glimpse of Ginger's childhood and how her father had influenced her into helping those less fortunate. He appeared to have been a very good man.
September 22, 2024
And even though the motivation for the murder was one that made the killer sympathetic Basil and Ginger didn't seem to care at all. And that doesn't even take into consideration that Sally was prepared to kill and they basically just shrug that off as no big deal?
December 15, 2024
A Xmas dinner murder as Ginger Reed and her gaggle of invited guests have gorged on Oyster soup, followed by Roasted Goose, potatoes, parsnip, stuffing and brussels sprouts and apple sauce. Then came the Christmas pudding with flames flickering the dome - served with Brandy sauce and whipped cream - when the obnoxious Lester Doyle keels over and is dead. who done it- how did they do it - are others also at risk? with numerous acting suspiciously and then a random confession is made. A Quirky story.
December 16, 2025
“Ginger’s time in the British Secret Service would remain such—secret—and she alone would bear the weight of knowing she could have saved her husband and didn’t.”
“Scout, go and get the letter you wrote to Father Christmas,” Ginger instructed. “We need to burn it in the fireplace so the smoke can relay our wishes.”
“Pudding in England is another word for dessert. More like the American cake.”
“Boxing Day—the twenty-sixth of December—according to the tradition of boxing up leftover food and treats for the servants.”
“Scout, go and get the letter you wrote to Father Christmas,” Ginger instructed. “We need to burn it in the fireplace so the smoke can relay our wishes.”
“Pudding in England is another word for dessert. More like the American cake.”
“Boxing Day—the twenty-sixth of December—according to the tradition of boxing up leftover food and treats for the servants.”
August 19, 2020
A dinner and murder
While hosting visitors for Christmas dinner Ginger and Basil watch one their guests drop face first into his dessert. Apparently this guest had a number of enemies who wished him ill. As they question their other guests they even find one of their own family who may have committed murder. This quick read is another enjoyable story that includes all Ginger’s family members in one place.
While hosting visitors for Christmas dinner Ginger and Basil watch one their guests drop face first into his dessert. Apparently this guest had a number of enemies who wished him ill. As they question their other guests they even find one of their own family who may have committed murder. This quick read is another enjoyable story that includes all Ginger’s family members in one place.
October 6, 2020
Delightful murder mystery
I really enjoyed this book. I love all the colorful characters this story has to offer. It is great fun seeing Ginger and Basil working together to solve the whodunnit. Even Boss gets to play a role this time around. I thoroughly enjoy all of the rich descriptions of Christmas traditions and the sumptuous dresses the ladies wear. The author is very good at painting a vivid picture.
I really enjoyed this book. I love all the colorful characters this story has to offer. It is great fun seeing Ginger and Basil working together to solve the whodunnit. Even Boss gets to play a role this time around. I thoroughly enjoy all of the rich descriptions of Christmas traditions and the sumptuous dresses the ladies wear. The author is very good at painting a vivid picture.
November 24, 2021
I haven’t been feeling very Christmassy so I thought that I would read some festive whodunnits. First up is Lee Strauss and a short story from her Ginger Gold Mysteries.
The story was enjoyable enough, although I had my suspicions about who the perpetrator was. I liked Ginger, Basil and their extended family, but I was keenly aware that this was part of a larger story that I hadn’t read any of. 3.5 stars
The story was enjoyable enough, although I had my suspicions about who the perpetrator was. I liked Ginger, Basil and their extended family, but I was keenly aware that this was part of a larger story that I hadn’t read any of. 3.5 stars
March 27, 2025
Nice, cozy mystery, with the usual characters. But, it seems that Ginger's in-laws are not the ones with bad attitudes and manners. Her step-mother and half-sister arrive unannounced for Christmas, as well as a man who claims to know Ginger's late father. All in all, it's a good story, but I can't help but wish that Ginger, or Basil, would throw some of those people out of their home! Old time manners and traditions be damned!
December 9, 2019
First introduction to this author, a cute mystery time piece story. I did feel a little lost with some of the characters (for ex. Ginger is married to Basil and his family does not like her much, I want to know the history there) although not necessary to read this story as it could be a stand alone. Liked it enough to pick up the first book in the series
December 28, 2019
Short Christmas time mystery is just what I need this time of year. I've been far too busy to delve into a book but having a collection of short seasonal mysteries is great. I don't believe I have read others by this author, and I'm not really sure I would make the effort to find more, but it was a fun holiday romp
December 26, 2020
Another delightful murder mystery with the ever fashionable, Mrs. Ginger Reed. Always after the suspects, yet takes time to make sure she is fashionably dressed. I love the descriptions of the fashions and current events of 1926! And now her dog, Boss, is helping in the investigation. I love reading the books in this series and look forward to the next one.
August 10, 2023
It was a very short read and honestly the mystery part wasn’t that mysterious. It was pretty obvious within the first few chapters who was going to die and who would commit the murder. Also the motives for certain suspects weren’t that interesting? Compared to longer books in this series, this one was slightly disappointing and not very interesting. A very very light read.
November 3, 2025
I didn't realize this was a Christmas story, but I was pleasantly surprised by its depiction of historically accurate attitudes toward the holiday. SO refreshing in this era of media in which "good" characters all have modern worldviews despite how ridiculously unrealistic (and boring, IMO) that is. Kudos to Lee Strauss for choosing historical integrity in her character representations.
December 23, 2019
Clever!
Novella of Christmas, 1925, at Hartigan House . Ginger's stepmother and half sister arrive, unannounced, from Boston, USA, to spend Christmas. Suspicious death occurs as they are eating plum pudding! Basil and Ginger investigate --- entertaining plot!
Novella of Christmas, 1925, at Hartigan House . Ginger's stepmother and half sister arrive, unannounced, from Boston, USA, to spend Christmas. Suspicious death occurs as they are eating plum pudding! Basil and Ginger investigate --- entertaining plot!
April 17, 2020
Delightful
This little gem takes place at Christmas 1925, with Ginger and Basil hosting a dinner party that includes murder. There are enough suspects to keep you entertained it figuring who done it.
This little gem takes place at Christmas 1925, with Ginger and Basil hosting a dinner party that includes murder. There are enough suspects to keep you entertained it figuring who done it.
June 11, 2020
Loved this one
This short mystery was absolutely wonderful. I couldn't put it down. Not only is it an interesting mystery but it gives more understanding to Ginger the character and what makes her tick.
This short mystery was absolutely wonderful. I couldn't put it down. Not only is it an interesting mystery but it gives more understanding to Ginger the character and what makes her tick.
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