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Christmas Mystery #1
Murder Most Festive
It's Christmas at Westbury Manor and amateur detective Hugh Gaveston must unravel a fiendish mystery...
Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants.
But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints.
Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate...
Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants.
But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints.
Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate...
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2020
291 people are currently reading
2724 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
October 19, 2020
Ada Moncrieff writes a charming festive historical murder mystery set in 1938 amidst the ominous clouds of turbulence in Europe and the background of the upcoming WW2. In the village of Little Bourton in Sussex is the country house of Westbury Manor, the seat of the Westbury family. Lord and Lady Westbury are planning their legendary Christmas festivities, inviting a houseful of guests and friends. They have three children, the unpleasant, manipulative, troublemaker with his strong sense of privilege, Stephen, working in banking, often at loggerheads with his sister, Lydia, a vegetarian with no plans to ever get married, having already turned down marriage proposals, and the young idealist, Eddy, intent on bringing about equality and fighting the unfairness of the class system. The staff have been working overtime to get the Manor ready, cooking and cleaning, and making all the necessary preparations for the guests.
David Campbell-Scott is an old family friend and Lydia's godfather, she will inherit his huge fortune on his death, he has returned to Britain after spending years in Malaya for business reasons. Lady Westbury's star guest, delighted to have wangled his presence for Christmas, is MP Anthony de Havilland, a famous war hero. Hugh Gaveston has known the Westburys, almost his whole life, close to Lydia, he has a penchant for reading detective fiction and dabbles in taxidermy. Rosalind and William appear to be a mismatched married couple, William is a humourless stuffed shirt, supposedly an upright and honourable man, while Rosalind has slowly lost her sense of joy in her suffocating marriage. With various conflicts playing out in the house, the traumatised footman, Jim, interrupts Christmas day breakfast with news of a body in the pristine snow outside. David is initially deemed to have committed suicide with a handgun, but Hugh turns amateur detective, convinced David has been murdered and at the behest of a Lydia worried one of her brothers might be a murderer.
Moncrieff's murder mystery set in a country house with a diverse houseful of suspects certainly echoes many of the tropes associated with the golden age of crime. Gaveston is the dogged and determined amateur sleuth, investigating a killing that uncovers romantic betrayal, fraud, and blackmail, and there is an announcement of an imminent divorce. This is an entertaining and engaging historical crime read that I enjoyed although I was not so sure of the practice of readers attention being drawn to various observations of the characters throughout the novel. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.
David Campbell-Scott is an old family friend and Lydia's godfather, she will inherit his huge fortune on his death, he has returned to Britain after spending years in Malaya for business reasons. Lady Westbury's star guest, delighted to have wangled his presence for Christmas, is MP Anthony de Havilland, a famous war hero. Hugh Gaveston has known the Westburys, almost his whole life, close to Lydia, he has a penchant for reading detective fiction and dabbles in taxidermy. Rosalind and William appear to be a mismatched married couple, William is a humourless stuffed shirt, supposedly an upright and honourable man, while Rosalind has slowly lost her sense of joy in her suffocating marriage. With various conflicts playing out in the house, the traumatised footman, Jim, interrupts Christmas day breakfast with news of a body in the pristine snow outside. David is initially deemed to have committed suicide with a handgun, but Hugh turns amateur detective, convinced David has been murdered and at the behest of a Lydia worried one of her brothers might be a murderer.
Moncrieff's murder mystery set in a country house with a diverse houseful of suspects certainly echoes many of the tropes associated with the golden age of crime. Gaveston is the dogged and determined amateur sleuth, investigating a killing that uncovers romantic betrayal, fraud, and blackmail, and there is an announcement of an imminent divorce. This is an entertaining and engaging historical crime read that I enjoyed although I was not so sure of the practice of readers attention being drawn to various observations of the characters throughout the novel. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.
December 8, 2021
3.5 fun filled stars
Murder Most Festive is a delightful murder mystery set in the English countryside in 1938. Christmas time, Lords and Ladies, fancy parties, squabbling siblings, eccentric guests and murder. What’s not to like?
This is a fun and well paced cozy whodunnit. The writing is very stylized and took me a chapter or so to get into the flow of reading it, but once I did I enjoyed it. I found the final chapter, unraveling the mystery, to be the high point as I could really visualize the tension in the room.
This book had an Agatha Christie with a side of Downton Abbey vibe for me. Very enjoyable and I’ll read more mysteries by Ada Moncrieff.
Murder Most Festive is a delightful murder mystery set in the English countryside in 1938. Christmas time, Lords and Ladies, fancy parties, squabbling siblings, eccentric guests and murder. What’s not to like?
This is a fun and well paced cozy whodunnit. The writing is very stylized and took me a chapter or so to get into the flow of reading it, but once I did I enjoyed it. I found the final chapter, unraveling the mystery, to be the high point as I could really visualize the tension in the room.
This book had an Agatha Christie with a side of Downton Abbey vibe for me. Very enjoyable and I’ll read more mysteries by Ada Moncrieff.
November 28, 2020
2.5*
Charming, but I am not the audience for this. I prefer the real deal - actual Golden Age mysteries.
It was a light read and I enjoyed some of the dialogue. However, it isn't a riveting mystery and I had a strong hunch about the murderer and motive quite early on.
As mentioned, some of the dialogue was fun, but I never got the same vibes off this as from an actual GA mystery. There was something about the writing, and I can't put my finger on what put me off. Maybe some scenes were trying a bit too hard? Maybe some scenes and expressions were more at home in the 1920s than in 1938? I mean, the focus on the achievements of some of the characters in WWI seemed out of place while current affairs, or more current affairs, taking place in the 1930s don't get mentioned at all.
What really soured my reading experience, tho, were these:
1. The story dragged and it was so obvious when the author added "stuffing"; and
2. There was a scene at the end when an MP, who didn't hold a title, is addressed as "Sir de Havishem" and "my Lord", which was wrong on few levels - including getting the actual name wrong. He was Mr de Havilland. So, not "Sir". If he had been titled, it would have been Sir Anthony, not Sir de Havishem/Havilland. But it also would not by "my Lord".
Charming, but I am not the audience for this. I prefer the real deal - actual Golden Age mysteries.
It was a light read and I enjoyed some of the dialogue. However, it isn't a riveting mystery and I had a strong hunch about the murderer and motive quite early on.
As mentioned, some of the dialogue was fun, but I never got the same vibes off this as from an actual GA mystery. There was something about the writing, and I can't put my finger on what put me off. Maybe some scenes were trying a bit too hard? Maybe some scenes and expressions were more at home in the 1920s than in 1938? I mean, the focus on the achievements of some of the characters in WWI seemed out of place while current affairs, or more current affairs, taking place in the 1930s don't get mentioned at all.
What really soured my reading experience, tho, were these:
1. The story dragged and it was so obvious when the author added "stuffing"; and
2. There was a scene at the end when an MP, who didn't hold a title, is addressed as "Sir de Havishem" and "my Lord", which was wrong on few levels - including getting the actual name wrong. He was Mr de Havilland. So, not "Sir". If he had been titled, it would have been Sir Anthony, not Sir de Havishem/Havilland. But it also would not by "my Lord".
October 14, 2025
EXCERPT: Lady Westbury turned and asked, 'Hugh? Is this true? You really think David was . . . was killed? By someone here?
Hugh gathered himself. Little use trying to wriggle out of this particular pickle.
'I, well, Stephen is . . .'
'Hugh,' Lord Westbury murmured. 'Tell us.' Hugh sighed.
'Stephen is right. I think that Constable Jones was . . . hasty in his conclusion, and I think, well, I am convinced that David-Campbell-Scott was killed. Deliberately killed. Murdered, I suppose, to use the more precise nomenclature.' Here he threw up his hands above him in a gesture of either universal accusation or universal absolution.
A moment passed while the guests digested this morsel. Stephen making a song and dance about it yesterday was one thing. Everyone viewed Stephen as a jester; of a superior breed to Freddie, but a jester nonetheless. Hugh Gaveston, however, was a different proposition. He was sensible, clever, astute in his judgements. Hugh was someone to be listened to.
Lady Westbury was the first to speak.
'But Hugh . . . Westbury Manor simply isn't the sort of place where murders happen,' she asserted. 'Not on Christmas Day. Not to our guest. It simply isn't possible . . .'
ABOUT 'MURDER MOST FESTIVE': It's Christmas at Westbury Manor and amateur detective Hugh Gaveston must unravel a fiendish mystery...
Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants.
But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints.
Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate...
MY THOUGHTS: There is quite a good little mystery here, buried deep in the overblown writing.
I don't mind the odd aside in a text, but Ada Moncrieff carries their use to the extreme, the pages literally being peppered with them, e.g. depicting domesticity at its most purgatorial (or indeed purgatory at its most domestic) and then, in the very next paragraph, Having intercepted Angela at the door (the poor girl really shouldn't be exposed to her employers in this state), etcetera, etcetera.
At one point the author wonders, in the guise of Hugh, if Constable Jones had chomped his way through a thesaurus and I wondered the same of the author. (I have,unfortunately, managed to delete the superb examples I had selected). I was, however, delighted to see flabbergasted make an appearance. No one ever seems to be flabbergasted any more.
Some of the characters, particularly those of Hugh, Lydia and Lady W, are really rather wonderful. Others, like Lydia's brothers and Freddie, border on the ridiculous. There are a lot of characters and a list at the beginning would have been helpful. It took me a good half of the book to get them all straight.
I enjoyed Hugh's investigations and had myself narrowed the field down to two suspects, one of which was correct.
While the mystery itself is quite good, it really gets rather lost in the writing. Which is a pity. And to further confuse things, the title has undergone a change at some point from A Christmas Murder to Murder Most Festive.
As frequently appeared on my school reports - could do better. Several times I contemplated throwing in the towel and abandoning this read; it was only my need to know if I had correctly solved the murder that kept me reading.
⭐⭐.2
#AChristmasMurder #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: ADA MONCRIEFF was born in London and has lived in Madrid and Paris. She studied English at Cambridge University, and has worked in theatre, publishing and as a teacher.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage, via NetGalley, for providing an e-ARC of Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Hugh gathered himself. Little use trying to wriggle out of this particular pickle.
'I, well, Stephen is . . .'
'Hugh,' Lord Westbury murmured. 'Tell us.' Hugh sighed.
'Stephen is right. I think that Constable Jones was . . . hasty in his conclusion, and I think, well, I am convinced that David-Campbell-Scott was killed. Deliberately killed. Murdered, I suppose, to use the more precise nomenclature.' Here he threw up his hands above him in a gesture of either universal accusation or universal absolution.
A moment passed while the guests digested this morsel. Stephen making a song and dance about it yesterday was one thing. Everyone viewed Stephen as a jester; of a superior breed to Freddie, but a jester nonetheless. Hugh Gaveston, however, was a different proposition. He was sensible, clever, astute in his judgements. Hugh was someone to be listened to.
Lady Westbury was the first to speak.
'But Hugh . . . Westbury Manor simply isn't the sort of place where murders happen,' she asserted. 'Not on Christmas Day. Not to our guest. It simply isn't possible . . .'
ABOUT 'MURDER MOST FESTIVE': It's Christmas at Westbury Manor and amateur detective Hugh Gaveston must unravel a fiendish mystery...
Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants.
But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints.
Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate...
MY THOUGHTS: There is quite a good little mystery here, buried deep in the overblown writing.
I don't mind the odd aside in a text, but Ada Moncrieff carries their use to the extreme, the pages literally being peppered with them, e.g. depicting domesticity at its most purgatorial (or indeed purgatory at its most domestic) and then, in the very next paragraph, Having intercepted Angela at the door (the poor girl really shouldn't be exposed to her employers in this state), etcetera, etcetera.
At one point the author wonders, in the guise of Hugh, if Constable Jones had chomped his way through a thesaurus and I wondered the same of the author. (I have,unfortunately, managed to delete the superb examples I had selected). I was, however, delighted to see flabbergasted make an appearance. No one ever seems to be flabbergasted any more.
Some of the characters, particularly those of Hugh, Lydia and Lady W, are really rather wonderful. Others, like Lydia's brothers and Freddie, border on the ridiculous. There are a lot of characters and a list at the beginning would have been helpful. It took me a good half of the book to get them all straight.
I enjoyed Hugh's investigations and had myself narrowed the field down to two suspects, one of which was correct.
While the mystery itself is quite good, it really gets rather lost in the writing. Which is a pity. And to further confuse things, the title has undergone a change at some point from A Christmas Murder to Murder Most Festive.
As frequently appeared on my school reports - could do better. Several times I contemplated throwing in the towel and abandoning this read; it was only my need to know if I had correctly solved the murder that kept me reading.
⭐⭐.2
#AChristmasMurder #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: ADA MONCRIEFF was born in London and has lived in Madrid and Paris. She studied English at Cambridge University, and has worked in theatre, publishing and as a teacher.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage, via NetGalley, for providing an e-ARC of Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
May 25, 2025
This was a read for my brother's book club and he passed it to me. I was well into the story before I realised it was a debut novel. I would never have guessed as it was so well written. There were some great witty moments in it too so it was a lighthearted murder mystery. The country house setting is a favourite of mine and there's a great cast of characters.
The murder occurs early on and one of the house guests, a long term family friend, decides to find out what happened when it's plain the police are not going to go any further with it.
One character, who is a member of the family, was truly obnoxious! He didn't have one redeeming feature. A character you would love to see getting his comeuppance. At times I got annoyed with him because he got a bit tedious.
The final round up was almost Poiretesque.
I'm definitely going to read more of this series. Great escapism!
The murder occurs early on and one of the house guests, a long term family friend, decides to find out what happened when it's plain the police are not going to go any further with it.
One character, who is a member of the family, was truly obnoxious! He didn't have one redeeming feature. A character you would love to see getting his comeuppance. At times I got annoyed with him because he got a bit tedious.
The final round up was almost Poiretesque.
I'm definitely going to read more of this series. Great escapism!
December 30, 2020
A very enjoyable, if not very original, English country house murder mystery and just the thing for the post-Christmas dip. The setting is familiar, as are the characters including the ooh aars that belong to the local village. There are several red herrings and several possible suspects but it’s not too difficult to guess which one was the murderer. Getting to that point is good fun though and the ending, set in the drawing room with all present and the amateur sleuth holding court while he carefully details why and how he has come to his conclusion (in true Christie style), is satisfying.
I’d read more by this author as it’s good light entertainment. There are a couple of disappointing anachronisms, however. The phrase ‘blah de blah blah’, as far as I know, was not in use in the 1930s and ‘yadda yadda’ certainly wasn’t.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.
I’d read more by this author as it’s good light entertainment. There are a couple of disappointing anachronisms, however. The phrase ‘blah de blah blah’, as far as I know, was not in use in the 1930s and ‘yadda yadda’ certainly wasn’t.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.
May 11, 2021
*Spoilers*
I am very sorry but I thought this was pretty bad
It was really weird having Hugh throwing murder accusations around over the entire course of the holidays, only to finally find out who did it, and then giving this killer a glass of sherry and try to taLK to him about it.
Like you have a murderer around the house why are y’all so calm
Also Lydia is the most obnoxious woman I’ve ever known in my life, feeling all superior but having not a single piece of value to add to this story.
Then Stephen who literally makes a joke out of every event, and nobody even tries to stop him. He’s a spoilt man and having his parents shake their finger at them a hundred times even though this appeared ineffective after the first time.. it was just physically painful. Stephen treating the situation as a joke made the entire book a joke for me
I am very sorry but I thought this was pretty bad
It was really weird having Hugh throwing murder accusations around over the entire course of the holidays, only to finally find out who did it, and then giving this killer a glass of sherry and try to taLK to him about it.
Like you have a murderer around the house why are y’all so calm
Also Lydia is the most obnoxious woman I’ve ever known in my life, feeling all superior but having not a single piece of value to add to this story.
Then Stephen who literally makes a joke out of every event, and nobody even tries to stop him. He’s a spoilt man and having his parents shake their finger at them a hundred times even though this appeared ineffective after the first time.. it was just physically painful. Stephen treating the situation as a joke made the entire book a joke for me
November 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this book but the author used so many long/clever/unusual words that I was left feeling rather stupid by the end of the book, and it wasn't a great feeling. I consider myself to have a fairly good vocabulary but I was looking up words every 10 pages. I do love to extend my vocabulary but this was extreme. Other than that, it was a pleasant Christie-esque read.
December 30, 2024
Not my kind of book. Written as a classic detective novel, set in 1938. I wasn't really invested in the story and it was quite obvious who did it.
Read
December 15, 2025DNF @ 13%
I honestly couldn't pay enough attention to have any opinion about this. On to the next. Not rating.
I honestly couldn't pay enough attention to have any opinion about this. On to the next. Not rating.
October 13, 2021
1 3/4 stars. A golden-age style Christmas mystery set in an isolated country house with an affable, upper-crust amateur detective is one of my favorite things. This has all the expected tropes, but they are tropes that I love and make the golden-age mysteries so much fun.
However, this had a few issues. The third person narrator was a bit annoying times with comments directing the reader to observe this and that. It came off as pretentious, to me, instead of clever. The MP was addressed in an incorrect manner a few times (something obvious that you don’t have to be an expert to know). Then, to my mind, the most severe issue was that the solving of the crime depended on information that was not given to the reader at the time it was given to the amateur detective. This would not be considered a fair play mystery. Now, all of these issues don’t even fill a page in the entire book. So in the grand scheme of the story, they aren’t something that dominates throughout the book. It just diminished my pleasure.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
However, this had a few issues. The third person narrator was a bit annoying times with comments directing the reader to observe this and that. It came off as pretentious, to me, instead of clever. The MP was addressed in an incorrect manner a few times (something obvious that you don’t have to be an expert to know). Then, to my mind, the most severe issue was that the solving of the crime depended on information that was not given to the reader at the time it was given to the amateur detective. This would not be considered a fair play mystery. Now, all of these issues don’t even fill a page in the entire book. So in the grand scheme of the story, they aren’t something that dominates throughout the book. It just diminished my pleasure.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
November 15, 2020
This is a fairly formulaic murder mystery - the historical setting adds a bit of interest, and there were moments I did enjoy, but I'm afraid I felt the writing was a bit clunky and I wasn't sure I would read until the end. I did, but the resolution didn't feel particularly special.
It felt a bit like the author wanted to create a sort of Wodehouse atmosphere, but the dialogue felt stilted, and unfortunately I didn't like any of the characters except Hugh! I'd have been quite happy had any of the rest of them been the murderer!
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
It felt a bit like the author wanted to create a sort of Wodehouse atmosphere, but the dialogue felt stilted, and unfortunately I didn't like any of the characters except Hugh! I'd have been quite happy had any of the rest of them been the murderer!
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
December 8, 2021
3.5 rounded up.
A light (as light as murder and blackmail can be) festive whodunnit set in a country house where friends and family have gathered to celebrate Christmas.
It's 1938 and The Westburys have the usual crowd over for festivities along with a high ranking MP, and a chum from over seas. But a body is discovered on Christmas morning and it's up to Hugh our keen amateur detective to find out what the heck is going on....
A fun read indeed
A light (as light as murder and blackmail can be) festive whodunnit set in a country house where friends and family have gathered to celebrate Christmas.
It's 1938 and The Westburys have the usual crowd over for festivities along with a high ranking MP, and a chum from over seas. But a body is discovered on Christmas morning and it's up to Hugh our keen amateur detective to find out what the heck is going on....
A fun read indeed
December 29, 2023
З Різдвяним детективом теж не склалося...
"Найсвятковіше вбивство" - це така собі сучасна версія роману Золотої ери англійського детективу.
Дія книги відбувається в заміському будинку лорда та леді Вестбері - їхня родина та друзі збираються разом на святкування Різдва. Але святкові урочистості призупиняються, оскільки вранці на Різдво в снігу знаходять тіло. Жертвою став Девід Кемпбелл-Скотт, який нещодавно повернувся до Англії вперше за 10 років. Один з гостей, любитель детективних історій, береться за розслідування цієї справи.
Тож в книзі маємо Різдво 1938 р., заміський будинок, вбивство, детектива-аматора та різдвяну атмосферу зі смачною їжею. На перший погляд цілком непогана історія з безліччю тропів, які асоціюються з ерою Аґати Крісті. Але щось не склалося...
Серед головних мінусів:
1) картонні, постійно дратуючі, персонажі і картонні діалоги;
2) стиль авторки теж був настільки рафіновано-архаїчним та вимушеним, що текст неможливо було читати;
3) час від часу авторка пробивала четверту стіну, лише на одне-два речення або абзац, без особливої на це причини і "присутність" читача в сюжеті абсолютно не носила користі для сюжету;
4) не знаю чи можна вважати мінусом те, що я здогадалася хто вбивство і який мотив у загальних рисах, під час першого знайомства жертви та вбивці? Але факт залишається фактом, що ніяких психологічних ігор, роздумів над тим чому і як хтось міг вчинити вбивство, авторка просто вкладає зброю в руки вбивці і описує сцену в усіх подробицях, а потім всю книгу шукає в кого ж ця рушниця;
5) фінальна розмова з підозрюваними мала дуже багато води, ніякої психологічності в висновках детектива-аматора не було, він кидав фрази без доказів, намагаючись вмовити всіх присутніх в своїх висновках щодо вбивці. Факт прозвучав тільки з останньому звинуваченні, яке змусило вбивцю зізнатися, після чого читач отримав прекрасну розповідь чому і як сталося вбивство. Просто без сенсу вся сцена, ще й розтягнута на останніх 25% книги.
"Найсвятковіше вбивство" - це така собі сучасна версія роману Золотої ери англійського детективу.
Дія книги відбувається в заміському будинку лорда та леді Вестбері - їхня родина та друзі збираються разом на святкування Різдва. Але святкові урочистості призупиняються, оскільки вранці на Різдво в снігу знаходять тіло. Жертвою став Девід Кемпбелл-Скотт, який нещодавно повернувся до Англії вперше за 10 років. Один з гостей, любитель детективних історій, береться за розслідування цієї справи.
Тож в книзі маємо Різдво 1938 р., заміський будинок, вбивство, детектива-аматора та різдвяну атмосферу зі смачною їжею. На перший погляд цілком непогана історія з безліччю тропів, які асоціюються з ерою Аґати Крісті. Але щось не склалося...
Серед головних мінусів:
1) картонні, постійно дратуючі, персонажі і картонні діалоги;
2) стиль авторки теж був настільки рафіновано-архаїчним та вимушеним, що текст неможливо було читати;
3) час від часу авторка пробивала четверту стіну, лише на одне-два речення або абзац, без особливої на це причини і "присутність" читача в сюжеті абсолютно не носила користі для сюжету;
4) не знаю чи можна вважати мінусом те, що я здогадалася хто вбивство і який мотив у загальних рисах, під час першого знайомства жертви та вбивці? Але факт залишається фактом, що ніяких психологічних ігор, роздумів над тим чому і як хтось міг вчинити вбивство, авторка просто вкладає зброю в руки вбивці і описує сцену в усіх подробицях, а потім всю книгу шукає в кого ж ця рушниця;
5) фінальна розмова з підозрюваними мала дуже багато води, ніякої психологічності в висновках детектива-аматора не було, він кидав фрази без доказів, намагаючись вмовити всіх присутніх в своїх висновках щодо вбивці. Факт прозвучав тільки з останньому звинуваченні, яке змусило вбивцю зізнатися, після чого читач отримав прекрасну розповідь чому і як сталося вбивство. Просто без сенсу вся сцена, ще й розтягнута на останніх 25% книги.
January 2, 2022
C'était une bonne lecture, bien écrite, rigolote, ludique et pleine de références littéraires. Son seul gros (gros) défaut, c'est que j'ai deviné l'assassin dans les trois premiers chapitres...?
Je recommande malgré tout, parce que Noël pis toutte.
Je recommande malgré tout, parce que Noël pis toutte.
December 10, 2023
I wanted a Christmas/winter thriller/mystery and this did deliver but it was a little boring. I did correctly guess the culprit
November 30, 2020
What would Advent be without a Christmas mystery and this is a brand new one, published a few weeks ago. Set in 1938 and a debut mystery, set up in such a way that I believe other ones might be coming. Sort of a bit Allingham meets Heyer, although I do prefer the snark of the originals. The mystery had its length and I knew pretty much all along who did it. Still, it’s not a bad one and does fairly well what it says on the tin. And hey, a murder mystery never fails to make me feel all festive ;)
December 30, 2021
I'd been hoping for a cosy Christmas crime story that evoked the Golden Age of murder mysteries.
Sadly I got a pastiche in which the language is unnecessarily archaic and convoluted, the characters are thin and unlikeable, the murderer is obvious very early on, and which shows no knowledge of the social and historical contexts of 1938, either in looking forward at the shadow of the war to come, nor looking back at the war previous.
If this had been designed as an open parody, I would perhaps have enjoyed it more, but it seems that it's supposed to be taken seriously.
I suggest that if you're looking for an evocation of the Golden Age, you turn to Martin Edwards' Gallows Court books instead...
Sadly I got a pastiche in which the language is unnecessarily archaic and convoluted, the characters are thin and unlikeable, the murderer is obvious very early on, and which shows no knowledge of the social and historical contexts of 1938, either in looking forward at the shadow of the war to come, nor looking back at the war previous.
If this had been designed as an open parody, I would perhaps have enjoyed it more, but it seems that it's supposed to be taken seriously.
I suggest that if you're looking for an evocation of the Golden Age, you turn to Martin Edwards' Gallows Court books instead...
December 24, 2021
Agatha Christie fan? This one is for you!
It’s Christmas Eve 1938 and everyone is gathered in the beautiful Westbury Manor - it’s all good food and good cheer until one guest is found dead ion Christmas morning with only a pistol and one set of footprints. Hugh Gaveston, an amateur sleuth sniffs something wrong with the this picture and sets our to investigate. I love these types of nursery mystery books that are wonderfully atmospheric, witty, and skillfully plotted to an enjoyable reveal!
I really enjoyed this one!
It’s Christmas Eve 1938 and everyone is gathered in the beautiful Westbury Manor - it’s all good food and good cheer until one guest is found dead ion Christmas morning with only a pistol and one set of footprints. Hugh Gaveston, an amateur sleuth sniffs something wrong with the this picture and sets our to investigate. I love these types of nursery mystery books that are wonderfully atmospheric, witty, and skillfully plotted to an enjoyable reveal!
I really enjoyed this one!
October 22, 2021
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sharing the newly printed, Murder Most Festive, with me. Originally published November 2020, it's a pleasure to be introduced to it this 2021 holidays season. I am a sucker for a good mystery! With the setting being in one of my most favorite locations, England, well... it's a match in book heaven.
I have thoroughly enjoyed kicking off the holiday reading season with Murder Most Festive!
~Tanja
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I have thoroughly enjoyed kicking off the holiday reading season with Murder Most Festive!
~Tanja
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
November 29, 2022
Много топла и уютна атмосфера ми създаде тази книга, независимо че ставаше дума за убийство.
До края на книгата всичките шантави и странни герои ми бяха симпатични и историята беше разказана много странно, но някак си й прилягаше.
Странна книжка наистина, но приятна. Различна от типичните криминални истории, които обикновено съм чела. Напомняше на типична Коледа на нормално семейство, в което всеки луд с номера си, само дето някой умря на Коледа. :)
До края на книгата всичките шантави и странни герои ми бяха симпатични и историята беше разказана много странно, но някак си й прилягаше.
Странна книжка наистина, но приятна. Различна от типичните криминални истории, които обикновено съм чела. Напомняше на типична Коледа на нормално семейство, в което всеки луд с номера си, само дето някой умря на Коледа. :)
January 9, 2024
3.5/5
A merry book for a merry period. I thought this was very easy to read, didn't hit a wall at any point - the story kept flowing nicely. It's my first time reading a 'whodunnit' so I was useless at guessing the murderer 😂 but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
A merry book for a merry period. I thought this was very easy to read, didn't hit a wall at any point - the story kept flowing nicely. It's my first time reading a 'whodunnit' so I was useless at guessing the murderer 😂 but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
December 22, 2024
A cute, easy read. The main character is amusing.
December 23, 2024
For some reason all I could picture reading this was a PG woodehouse /downtown Abbey crossover.
Anyway it was such a delightful murder mystery set at the most festive of times!
Anyway it was such a delightful murder mystery set at the most festive of times!
November 16, 2020
A lovely way to get in the mood for Christmas...
The year is 1938. On the brink of WW2 the British elite are determined to celebrate in the usual way and we join the Westbury family and friends as they prepare to enjoy the holiday with sumptuous food and hunting. However a body in the snow on Christmas morning puts a damper on the festivities.
I enjoyed the rather old-fashioned yet whimsical style of writing that gently drew me into the story. The amateur detective in this case was Hugh Gaveston who had an endearingly charming approach to investigation. The verbose Constable Jones was a laugh and the depiction of the aristocracy as dim and witless added to the satirical undertone of the story.
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the ending - the murderer turned out to be exactly whom I had suspected from the beginning!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The year is 1938. On the brink of WW2 the British elite are determined to celebrate in the usual way and we join the Westbury family and friends as they prepare to enjoy the holiday with sumptuous food and hunting. However a body in the snow on Christmas morning puts a damper on the festivities.
I enjoyed the rather old-fashioned yet whimsical style of writing that gently drew me into the story. The amateur detective in this case was Hugh Gaveston who had an endearingly charming approach to investigation. The verbose Constable Jones was a laugh and the depiction of the aristocracy as dim and witless added to the satirical undertone of the story.
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the ending - the murderer turned out to be exactly whom I had suspected from the beginning!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2022
Oh man I hate to leave a one star review during the holidays but the writing in this is truly terrible. Who uses the words a “triumvirate of arrivals” when you could just say three guests arrived…. I mean if you want to use superfluous words there are clever ways of doing it (see P.G. Wodehouse) but this is just clumsy and heavy handed. Also confusing as to what the actual point of view is and who the narrator is…
The reader gets sentences like “The drawing room lies empty as we follow our players to their rooms, though to dwell with them for too long would be most unbecoming.”
Again, interesting concept… to have Miss Manners narrate a murder mystery with tongue-in-cheek criticisms of how the murder is conducted, but there’s no consistency or humor or cleverness here either. And instead the author does the opposite of what she proposes with the opening sentence of her chapter, as she immediately then gives us a brief blow by blow of what each of the characters is, in fact, doing at that very moment! So the whole thing just seems tedious rather than amusing.
The characters are cardboard, their only solidity comes from the differing degrees of obnoxiousness. Not one damn likeable or believeable personality among the whole lot.
I read the first 50 pages, found myself cringing at how long this novel was, and then skipped ahead and read the last 50 pages. All the hidden motives I picked up in the first few chapters play out as anticipated in the last chapters, with just as many outcries and predictable interruptions from the various siblings and family members as you would anticipate given their stereotypical personas as established. No surprises or interesting hidden passions. Sorry the time I spent on this but Glad I didn’t waste any more time and skipped ahead.
The reader gets sentences like “The drawing room lies empty as we follow our players to their rooms, though to dwell with them for too long would be most unbecoming.”
Again, interesting concept… to have Miss Manners narrate a murder mystery with tongue-in-cheek criticisms of how the murder is conducted, but there’s no consistency or humor or cleverness here either. And instead the author does the opposite of what she proposes with the opening sentence of her chapter, as she immediately then gives us a brief blow by blow of what each of the characters is, in fact, doing at that very moment! So the whole thing just seems tedious rather than amusing.
The characters are cardboard, their only solidity comes from the differing degrees of obnoxiousness. Not one damn likeable or believeable personality among the whole lot.
I read the first 50 pages, found myself cringing at how long this novel was, and then skipped ahead and read the last 50 pages. All the hidden motives I picked up in the first few chapters play out as anticipated in the last chapters, with just as many outcries and predictable interruptions from the various siblings and family members as you would anticipate given their stereotypical personas as established. No surprises or interesting hidden passions. Sorry the time I spent on this but Glad I didn’t waste any more time and skipped ahead.
September 29, 2021
I was looking forward to this cosy mystery but sadly the style of writing jarred from the start. The characters also came across as larger than life and I just could not relate. I skipped a lot and yes, I was even correct about the murderer.
I am sure (I checked a couple of other reviews) that there are many who will enjoy this style and series but it's just not my cup of tea.
With thanks to #Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Publishers and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am sure (I checked a couple of other reviews) that there are many who will enjoy this style and series but it's just not my cup of tea.
With thanks to #Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Publishers and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2021
I found this story entertaining and engrossing. I'm a fan of Golden Age mystery and appreciated how the author recreated the atmosphere of those mysteries and that age.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the character are interesting and I liked the atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the character are interesting and I liked the atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
November 26, 2023
For me, this was a slog to read through. Way way way too much dialogue that badly filled the space where really dramatic action should be. The mystery was practically non existent for most of the book. If you're looking for a Christmas mystery there are certainly much better options out there for mystery lovers.
December 20, 2020
Actual Rating: 2.75/5 stars
I love a cosy mystery, particularly at Christmas, but I wasn't really a fan of the writing in this and ended up skimming quite a bit!
I love a cosy mystery, particularly at Christmas, but I wasn't really a fan of the writing in this and ended up skimming quite a bit!
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