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Scrooge and Cratchit #1
Scrooge and Cratchit Detectives: A Dickensian Christmas Mystery
Scrooge understood this office had been his island, a place of solitude, away from the danger. Now he must embark to a new future, less certain. Less tedious. Potentially more deadly.
After spending the last two years remaking himself, Ebenezer Scrooge is once again visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. Except this time, he is sent on a mission to save an old friend, Hezekiah Hiram Grumbles, who has recently been accused of murder.
In order to clear Mr. Grumbles's name, Scrooge travels to Cornwall along with Bob Cratchit, his business partner; Frederick Edmund Nuckols, his nephew; and Lockie, his new office boy with sticky fingers.
Scrooge must put himself in the line of fire in order to solve the mystery, and in doing so, he will discover that not everything is what it seems, and it takes a lot of courage to be selfless.
He was a new Crusoe.
After spending the last two years remaking himself, Ebenezer Scrooge is once again visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. Except this time, he is sent on a mission to save an old friend, Hezekiah Hiram Grumbles, who has recently been accused of murder.
In order to clear Mr. Grumbles's name, Scrooge travels to Cornwall along with Bob Cratchit, his business partner; Frederick Edmund Nuckols, his nephew; and Lockie, his new office boy with sticky fingers.
Scrooge must put himself in the line of fire in order to solve the mystery, and in doing so, he will discover that not everything is what it seems, and it takes a lot of courage to be selfless.
He was a new Crusoe.
Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2020
17 people are currently reading
2830 people want to read
About the author
Curt Locklear
10 books86 followersCurt Locklear is an award-winning author, historian, teacher, education consultant, and public speaker. He has presented talks from Texas to Louisiana to Mississippi to Georgia to Minnesota. He generally plays his guitar and banjo at his speaking engagements and enlivens the presentation with songs, stories and jokes.
His second novel, Splintered, won the International Laramie Award for Civil War and Western fiction.
His banjo picking is featured at the beginning of the hit PBS TV show, “The Daytripper.”
He is a historian of elements of the Civil War west of the Mississippi – the Trans-Mississippi. He has presented to thousands.
He is related to the first wing-walker, Ormer Locklear. His father, Jack Locklear, trained a horse in the Kentucky Derby. His mother was a librarian. His heritage is Southern and Northern.
His second novel, Splintered, won the International Laramie Award for Civil War and Western fiction.
His banjo picking is featured at the beginning of the hit PBS TV show, “The Daytripper.”
He is a historian of elements of the Civil War west of the Mississippi – the Trans-Mississippi. He has presented to thousands.
He is related to the first wing-walker, Ormer Locklear. His father, Jack Locklear, trained a horse in the Kentucky Derby. His mother was a librarian. His heritage is Southern and Northern.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 8, 2020
This was a truly enjoyable read for me. I have read most of the books Charles Dickens ever wrote and could tell this one would have fit right in with the others. The spirit of Dickens is clearly there. How imaginative that three years after A Christmas Carol, Scrooge and Cratchit are partners. Though Scrooge still struggles with a propensity for miserliness, his better self is always encouraged by Cratchit's kindness of character. When one of their mutual friends appears with a wild tale of being accused of a murder he did not commit, Scrooge and Cratchit commit to getting to the bottom of the mystery. Little did they know the help they would receive from the most unlikely of characters, a street urchin. Without spoiling any of the plot, I was surprised at the end with some fascinating revelations I never saw coming. A great period story. Recommended.
October 30, 2020
This book is wonderful. Who would have thought Scrooge would become a detective. He has become a caring man wanting to clear the name of an acquaintance. He and Cratchit travel to Cornwall to the mines of a murder. They meet some very nice and some not so nice people along the way. Curt is very descriptive in his book. You can picture yourself there in the mines. Their young helper adds more common sense and adventure to the story. I can not wait for the next mystery. Great job.
October 30, 2020
This is a clever who-dunnit with entertaining twists and turns. Loved the new, likeable Scrooge and the, as always, loveable Cratchit. The characters they meet are exciting and fun. This tale will take you on a grand adventure and having you sitting on the edge of your seat.
December 11, 2024
If you've ever wondered what it would be like it Ebenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit became friends and stumbled into a murder mystery, then Curt Locklear's "Scrooge & Cratchit, Detectives" is the perfect Dickensian Christmas read. 📖🔍🎄
January 12, 2022
Who if anyone will Survive for Chritsmas?
I never thought that I would get to see what happened to Ebeneezer Scrooge after the events of Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol however thanks to Curt Locklear he has been brought to life once more.
This was a charming murder mystery set around the festive period which was full of twists that I was unable to anticipate. My familiarity with Scrooge and Cratchit made it easy to get drawn into the story as they felt like old friends.
The book was written in a similar fashion to Dickens and was divided in to Staves rather than chapters where a brief desciprtion of what the chapter would entail was included under the stave. For example Stave Four: Marleys Ghost Returns... this was a great way to hook me into the story as I constantly wanted to see what events would pan out in the chapter to come.
It was also beautifully written which made it feel like a continuation of a Dickens book, my favourite line was " the night dropped its curatin, and the dark surrounded the house"
I hope there will be a sequel to this charming book as I would like to go on another adventure with Scrooge and Cratchitt.
I never thought that I would get to see what happened to Ebeneezer Scrooge after the events of Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol however thanks to Curt Locklear he has been brought to life once more.
This was a charming murder mystery set around the festive period which was full of twists that I was unable to anticipate. My familiarity with Scrooge and Cratchit made it easy to get drawn into the story as they felt like old friends.
The book was written in a similar fashion to Dickens and was divided in to Staves rather than chapters where a brief desciprtion of what the chapter would entail was included under the stave. For example Stave Four: Marleys Ghost Returns... this was a great way to hook me into the story as I constantly wanted to see what events would pan out in the chapter to come.
It was also beautifully written which made it feel like a continuation of a Dickens book, my favourite line was " the night dropped its curatin, and the dark surrounded the house"
I hope there will be a sequel to this charming book as I would like to go on another adventure with Scrooge and Cratchitt.
December 11, 2020
Scrooge and Cratchit-Detectives takes place two years after the events of the Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens in 1843. Ebenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit return to the scene as detectives. With the help of their new office boy, Lockie, and Scrooge's nephew, Edmund, they travel from London to Cornwall to prove their friend Hiram Grumble's innocence.
Finishing my advance reader copy in a week during my spare time, I found the tale of Scrooge's life after the ghostly events to be an easy and fun read. The descriptive nature of the work immersed me in the story's setting.
Characters and locations woven throughout the book left clues to a surprise ending, though not one uncommon in the world of Scrooge.
Anyone interested in the original Christmas Carol or the merriment of the era should read Scrooge and Cratchit-Detectives.
Finishing my advance reader copy in a week during my spare time, I found the tale of Scrooge's life after the ghostly events to be an easy and fun read. The descriptive nature of the work immersed me in the story's setting.
Characters and locations woven throughout the book left clues to a surprise ending, though not one uncommon in the world of Scrooge.
Anyone interested in the original Christmas Carol or the merriment of the era should read Scrooge and Cratchit-Detectives.
November 29, 2023
This is a really fun read! Reading this book is like watching a really well produced movie.
Curt quickly moves the reader from the past recollection of Scrooge and Cratchit and the Christmas Carol to 2 years later and the beginning of a new focus for their partnership.
The characters share their strengths and shortcomings so the reader can see why they are such good partners. New role players are introduced very soon in the story and their roles are fleshed out as the saga continues.
Like many well written mysteries, Curt drops in hints about clues, observations and character motivations that are not obvious at first, but you will find yourself going back and saying, "Now I understand what he discovered" more than once.
I could go on and on, but let me close by highly recommending reading this book, then letting Curt know you'd like to see the next book in this genre SOON.
Curt quickly moves the reader from the past recollection of Scrooge and Cratchit and the Christmas Carol to 2 years later and the beginning of a new focus for their partnership.
The characters share their strengths and shortcomings so the reader can see why they are such good partners. New role players are introduced very soon in the story and their roles are fleshed out as the saga continues.
Like many well written mysteries, Curt drops in hints about clues, observations and character motivations that are not obvious at first, but you will find yourself going back and saying, "Now I understand what he discovered" more than once.
I could go on and on, but let me close by highly recommending reading this book, then letting Curt know you'd like to see the next book in this genre SOON.
December 4, 2020
Found this book a very easy, entertaining read. I kept having the feeling that the author was "telling me the story, describing all of the characters and pointing out all of marvelous details of the settings" instead of me just "reading the words in the book." Curt Locklear has a fantastic ability to draw the reader into the story, not just in this book, but other titles of his that I have read. Author hinted in the prologue, there may be another "case" for these two novice detectives to solve in the future. And, I will probably procure it too, if Scrooge will lend me some money.
December 26, 2024
A delightful story. Learning the new life and history of Scrooge and Cratchit, and their young apprentice, Lockie. Fighting crime is their new profession.
Although Scrooge is on the path to becoming a gentler soul, he still holds onto his stinginess. His heart fluctuates and his need for fortune still drives him, just not as heavily. It’ll be interesting to see if he mellows as time passes.
Cratchit seems to be a stronger and more capable man than portrayed in The Christmas Carol, he too, has benefited from Scrooge’s warming heart.
Their apprentice, Lockie, is a street urchin trying to make a living and life for himself.
A revelation at the end of the story had me laugh out loud and interested in how this will play out in the next few stories.
Good reads!!
Although Scrooge is on the path to becoming a gentler soul, he still holds onto his stinginess. His heart fluctuates and his need for fortune still drives him, just not as heavily. It’ll be interesting to see if he mellows as time passes.
Cratchit seems to be a stronger and more capable man than portrayed in The Christmas Carol, he too, has benefited from Scrooge’s warming heart.
Their apprentice, Lockie, is a street urchin trying to make a living and life for himself.
A revelation at the end of the story had me laugh out loud and interested in how this will play out in the next few stories.
Good reads!!
January 7, 2022
The story was interesting, though not consistent in its flow. It jumped from event to event without preamble causing the reader to reread portions to figure out what had just happened. Scrooge didn’t seem to be a very good detective. He had to have visitation from the Christmas ghosts in order to solve the mystery, and obvious clues were ignored, while the detectives wandered up and down the hill to the mine and back again. Also, good writers do not have to use a Thesarus to find interesting vocabulary without knowing meanings and word usage. Editors needed to be more exacting.
October 9, 2023
What a surprisingly delightful book! Read it on the recommendation of the friends, and I'm so glad they did! Well written experiences with Scrooge's ghostly companions from the past in entirely different scenarios. If you enjoyed Dickens' portrayal of these characters, you'll be delighted with how Curt Locklear develops them and brings a whole new approach.
Now have my hands on Book 2, and looking forward to a nice, long weekend on the couch with Scrooge and Cratchit!
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!
Now have my hands on Book 2, and looking forward to a nice, long weekend on the couch with Scrooge and Cratchit!
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!
December 24, 2024
This is a fun concept and I love a nod to classic literature, but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the story or the writing at all. There were multiple instances of words being used that couldn’t possibly mean what they were meant to based on context (e.g. the word “puerile,” which means “childishly silly and trivial” being used to describe the arm of a corpse) and the plot itself was alternately insulting (lots of unnecessary references to sexual assault and degrading language about sex workers) and simply unoriginal. Sadly, not a book I would recommend.
December 26, 2023
Did not finish; got about 30% in and found very little connecting the story with Scrooge or Cratchit as I understand the characters, nephew Fred even more so. Just gave up as the plot wasn’t engaging me enough to distract me from the characters.
Honestly, other than some of the setup, there’s very little reason this story utilizes the Carol characters and they could be nearly anyone character from that time period
Honestly, other than some of the setup, there’s very little reason this story utilizes the Carol characters and they could be nearly anyone character from that time period
December 27, 2024
As a fan of mystery novels, this was a very enjoyable one. A Christmas carol is one of my favorite Christmas stories that I look forward to watch every Christmas and Scrooge and Cratchit took it to the next chapter. It was nice to see how Scrooge has changed ever since his Christmas Eve night with the ghosts making him a better person. I look forward to reading the rest of the series since it did leave off a cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
I was lucky enough to meet the author a few weeks back when I purchased this book and I must say I don’t regret it! He takes an already established character and transforms him into what he might become after the events of A Christmas Carol. It was a welcome change of pace in both setting and verbiage. I enjoyed all the characters, and honestly, a good Victorian mystery gets me every time. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a nice, relaxing and intriguing read!
August 11, 2022
Beloved Christmas characters but not so much a Christmas story. 4* because I don't want to discourage people from reading this whimsical, cozy, twisty mystery. It may have gone a bit far toward the end but I will leave that to others to decide. All I can say is...
Come in and know me better man👻🌲🔪❄️
Come in and know me better man👻🌲🔪❄️
December 26, 2021
I enjoyed this detective story. Knowing a little about the characters helped me slip into the story easily. A fast paced read for me. A few times holding my breath. I will be waiting for the next book to see what other trouble they can get into.
December 29, 2023
This was a cute little cozy mystery. Starting out I wasn't sure if this was going to be for me but I stuck it out and am glad I did. I ended up having a fun time reading this and did not guess the twists!
December 22, 2024
Part of me had some fun reading this, the other part of me was shaking ‘her’ head and making exclamations out loud. In the end it was too over the top for me. I’m generous in giving 3 stars, but as I said, I enjoyed part of it.
January 5, 2021
Interesting continuation of an old classic. Fabulous!
December 19, 2022
Very well written and fun to read. Such a nice surprise tie in at the end. Loved every moment of this book!
January 23, 2023
The Dickens classic explodes by answering such questions as: why Scrooge? What were his struggles to maintaining his changed personality?
September 26, 2023
I am a Charles Dickens super fan. This first book in the series was entertaining and kept me asking “What’s next?”
November 26, 2023
A wonderful weaving of the age old story of Scrooge transformation with a murder mystery. I loved the intrigue and trying to solve the mystery.
December 16, 2023
Works better as a random 19th-century detective story than it does as a sequel to A Christmas Carol.
Want to read
December 19, 2023GR jumped the gun - still reading it. A bit slow but hoping to get through this part and finish!
February 23, 2024
A fun and interesting view of Scrooge and Cratchit after the experiences of A Christmas Carol. A wonderful story of the two men becoming friends and helping a friend.
April 9, 2025
A fun mystery if you like the Scrooge story. Sherlock Holmes makes an appearance, also. Very enjoyable.
October 16, 2025
An enjoyable read. It is always enjoyable to see familiar characters in new situations and stories.
November 1, 2020
A superb mystery and spooky and fun, too. The amazing sequel to Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol."
Merged review:
Outstanding sequel to "A Christmas Carol." It's a book that can be read any time of year for an amazing mystery with a host of possible outcomes and possible villains. Scrooge is not completely changed from his old behavior, and now, his old partner, still a ghost, coerces him to travel to the spooky tin mines of Cornwall by the ocean to exonerate an old friend who has been accused of murder. Charming, exciting, and true to the historical period, this is a wonderful read for anyone who loves Charles Dickens (Locklear emulates aspects of Dickens style without overdoing it.)
Also, if you just love a great action-packed mystery, this is the one for you. The action grows and grows. I worry that any of them will survive for Christmas.
Merged review:
Outstanding sequel to "A Christmas Carol." It's a book that can be read any time of year for an amazing mystery with a host of possible outcomes and possible villains. Scrooge is not completely changed from his old behavior, and now, his old partner, still a ghost, coerces him to travel to the spooky tin mines of Cornwall by the ocean to exonerate an old friend who has been accused of murder. Charming, exciting, and true to the historical period, this is a wonderful read for anyone who loves Charles Dickens (Locklear emulates aspects of Dickens style without overdoing it.)
Also, if you just love a great action-packed mystery, this is the one for you. The action grows and grows. I worry that any of them will survive for Christmas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews