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Izzy Palmer Mystery #5
A Corpse for Christmas
Hired to protect a mysterious client on a festive family holiday in the Scottish Highlands, private detective Izzy Palmer poses as a nanny to investigate a string of threatening letters. To solve the case she’ll have to deal with a pack of feuding aristocrats and uncover the truth about a decades’ old rivalry, all while caring for a distractingly adorable baby girl. It's enough to make even the most dogged detective despair. When the exclusive winter resort is snowed in, tempers flare and a fake Father Christmas turns up dead in the snow. With a lord, an admiral, a professor and a celebrated artist among the suspects, Izzy will need the help of her eccentric sidekick (turned undercover chef) and a makeshift princess to find the killer and stop her white Christmas turning red... “A Corpse for Christmas” is a classic, Agatha-Christie-style murder mystery with humour, intrigue and a little bit of ‘Home Alone’ thrown in for good measure. As a standalone novel in the Izzy Palmer Mystery series, you don’t need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this delicious but hilariously deadly Christmas tale. If you love whodunits featuring outrageous characters, Machiavellian suspects, baked goods, warring relatives and genuine, Christmassy warmth, then this is the book for you.
230 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2020
586 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Benedict Brown
52 books490 followersWriting has always been my passion. It was my favourite hour a week at primary school, and I started on my first, truly abysmal book as a teenager. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to study literature at university which led to an MA in Creative Writing. I spent a long time writing kids’ books, including funny fairy tales, dystopic adventures and serious issue-based YA, before switching to murder mysteries last year.
I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.
I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.
I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.
I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 12, 2023
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
Another will written murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thriller novel by Benedict Brown The Lizzy Palmer Mysteries book 5. Lizzy is hired to protect a married woman 🚺 who is getting letters about her life ending. The group is going to Scotland for Christmas. Ramesh goes to as the chef. A woman 🚺 is murdered. Lizzy investigates the murder and finds out who the murderer is. Who is arrested. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic relationships murder mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023 👒😀😡🏡
Happy reading and have fun 🌙😀 on St. Patrick's Day
Another will written murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thriller novel by Benedict Brown The Lizzy Palmer Mysteries book 5. Lizzy is hired to protect a married woman 🚺 who is getting letters about her life ending. The group is going to Scotland for Christmas. Ramesh goes to as the chef. A woman 🚺 is murdered. Lizzy investigates the murder and finds out who the murderer is. Who is arrested. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic relationships murder mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023 👒😀😡🏡
Happy reading and have fun 🌙😀 on St. Patrick's Day
May 7, 2022
So here's the thing. The books in this series are touted as being "standalone" and "spoiler free". 🤔
I have just recently read the first four books (and a novella) and when I got to this one I noticed that I had previously read it...and gave it two stars, which I only give when I hate a book.
I realized that I had previously read it as a standalone book, and that it had been my introduction to Izzy Palmer. Now. I LOVED the first four (and a half) books, so I thought what the heck!?
I read other reviews on here and saw it was mostly people reading it as a standalone/introduction to the series, as I had, giving it terrible reviews and poor ratings. Hmmm.
I read it again and soon realized that 1. I had indeed needed to read the preceding books to get a feel for the writing style and characters, 2. that it was much more enjoyable this time due to the fact of reading them all first, and 3. that all the books leading up to this one had actually contained spoilers of preceding books, especially the first book, including references to the first murderer by name! And I had indeed even giving up reading it halfway through on my first attempt, which I almost NEVER do!
So my advice is to read them in sequence, because they truly are very funny and well written, and Mr Brown, please don't advertise your books as being standalone and spoiler free, as you are alienating prospective future readers by doing so!
Good book, a little OTT, but fun. Highly recommend the series!
I have just recently read the first four books (and a novella) and when I got to this one I noticed that I had previously read it...and gave it two stars, which I only give when I hate a book.
I realized that I had previously read it as a standalone book, and that it had been my introduction to Izzy Palmer. Now. I LOVED the first four (and a half) books, so I thought what the heck!?
I read other reviews on here and saw it was mostly people reading it as a standalone/introduction to the series, as I had, giving it terrible reviews and poor ratings. Hmmm.
I read it again and soon realized that 1. I had indeed needed to read the preceding books to get a feel for the writing style and characters, 2. that it was much more enjoyable this time due to the fact of reading them all first, and 3. that all the books leading up to this one had actually contained spoilers of preceding books, especially the first book, including references to the first murderer by name! And I had indeed even giving up reading it halfway through on my first attempt, which I almost NEVER do!
So my advice is to read them in sequence, because they truly are very funny and well written, and Mr Brown, please don't advertise your books as being standalone and spoiler free, as you are alienating prospective future readers by doing so!
Good book, a little OTT, but fun. Highly recommend the series!
December 17, 2020
This was my trial of Benedict Brown's Izzy Palmer series and I found it too loony for my tastes.
Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited
December 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this until around about the last 2 chapters where it just became ridiculous, also I just couldnt get past the constant name dropping of agatha christie and her most famous characters... Like alright I get it, the main character wants to be a detective like Miss Marple, Christ. Play the next tune already
January 5, 2025
A very good book and well worth a read. Had no clue to who did it until the end. See if you can do better.
December 29, 2022
Fun, quirky, cozy, messy with family/friend drama, who-dunnit murder mystery set in a Christmas themed vacation village.
December 9, 2020
I couldn’t even finish this book. Too many characters, ridiculous situations - just not for me. Disappointing.
December 6, 2020
A jolly Christmas murder mystery
Never having read an Izzy Palmer book before I thought I would try this as the reviews assured me it would work as a standalone. Although there were a few references to previous storyline, it did work very well.
I caught myself giggling many times and enjoyed the inner brain dialogue and Izzy's silly friend, Ramesh.
I'd worked out the whodunit from early on, but the journey there in the book was an entertaining one.
Give it a try, it's free on Kindle Unlimited. If its not your cup of tea and a mince pie, you can easily return it. But I think reading it in December will mean you'll suddenly have the urge to watch one of your favourite Christmas films soon after finishing this story.
Never having read an Izzy Palmer book before I thought I would try this as the reviews assured me it would work as a standalone. Although there were a few references to previous storyline, it did work very well.
I caught myself giggling many times and enjoyed the inner brain dialogue and Izzy's silly friend, Ramesh.
I'd worked out the whodunit from early on, but the journey there in the book was an entertaining one.
Give it a try, it's free on Kindle Unlimited. If its not your cup of tea and a mince pie, you can easily return it. But I think reading it in December will mean you'll suddenly have the urge to watch one of your favourite Christmas films soon after finishing this story.
December 10, 2022
A Corpse for Christmas.
A word of warning❗️ Set aside some “me” time to read this because once you do get started you will not want to stop. I was having trouble sleeping and thought to read a few chapters before successfully falling asleep instead I stayed awake all night not stopping until I’d finished.
In the tradition of of all good murder mysteries, we start of with a conundrum with a wife suspecting her husband of being behind a series of poison pen letters and of even plotting her demise. We then meet our main characters who become cut off by snow in the Scottish Highlands when gathered together for Christmas. On Christmas Eve morning one of the party is discovered dead leaving the rest to realise that “One of us is the killer!“.
What is quite remarkable about this story is the fact that at the end you, the reader, realise that all the events from the discovery of the corpse to the denouement takes place on that same Christmas Eve day.
This is because Bernard Brown manages to pack so much into the plot.
There is so much going on, family secrets, heartbreak, Machiavellian cunning, hubris, long held rivalries, suspected infidelities and enough red herrings to provide smoked kippers to feed the gathering for a month.
What sets this apart from anything in a similar vein by Agatha Christie is the wit,
the humour and the hilarious introspection of Izzy Palmer.
The clues are all there and I’m smug enough to admit I did realise who the killer was when the main clue to be was introduced, how they’d perpetrated the murder and their motive(s) but sufficiently humble enough to also admit that Bernard Brown had me second guessing and doubting myself on more than one occasion as the story developed.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Lord Edgington Investigates’ series and this Christmas mystery being the first ‘Izzy Palmer’ story I’ve read it has engendered the pleasurably confident feeling that I’m going to relish reading more of her adventures.
A word of warning❗️ Set aside some “me” time to read this because once you do get started you will not want to stop. I was having trouble sleeping and thought to read a few chapters before successfully falling asleep instead I stayed awake all night not stopping until I’d finished.
In the tradition of of all good murder mysteries, we start of with a conundrum with a wife suspecting her husband of being behind a series of poison pen letters and of even plotting her demise. We then meet our main characters who become cut off by snow in the Scottish Highlands when gathered together for Christmas. On Christmas Eve morning one of the party is discovered dead leaving the rest to realise that “One of us is the killer!“.
What is quite remarkable about this story is the fact that at the end you, the reader, realise that all the events from the discovery of the corpse to the denouement takes place on that same Christmas Eve day.
This is because Bernard Brown manages to pack so much into the plot.
There is so much going on, family secrets, heartbreak, Machiavellian cunning, hubris, long held rivalries, suspected infidelities and enough red herrings to provide smoked kippers to feed the gathering for a month.
What sets this apart from anything in a similar vein by Agatha Christie is the wit,
the humour and the hilarious introspection of Izzy Palmer.
The clues are all there and I’m smug enough to admit I did realise who the killer was when the main clue to be was introduced, how they’d perpetrated the murder and their motive(s) but sufficiently humble enough to also admit that Bernard Brown had me second guessing and doubting myself on more than one occasion as the story developed.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Lord Edgington Investigates’ series and this Christmas mystery being the first ‘Izzy Palmer’ story I’ve read it has engendered the pleasurably confident feeling that I’m going to relish reading more of her adventures.
December 15, 2020
This is a quirky crazy holiday murder mystery! Set in the Scottish Highlands in a Christmas theme village, complete with tons of real snow, individual chalets, elves and Christmas carols both outside and in, it’s the perfect location for a Christmas murder! PI Izzy Palmer is hired to protect and discover who is trying to kill her client. To do so she fakes being a nanny and goes with the family on their Christmas vacation. Let me make it clear, Izzy is not a nanny, nor a mother, or baby sitter, or has ever had that much to do with children to begin with. The good news is that she is a terrific detective and a huge fan of holidays. No spoilers in this review, so suffice it to say that she fools the clients family and the other families invited on the Holiday Trip of a Lifetime!
Once settled into their chalets, the guests join together in one chalet for dinner and the beginning of the holiday festivities. Things soon turn sour as the hidden issues of the group, made up of some longtime friends, extended family members and one of royal blood, begin to come out. The next morning the first murdered victim is found by no other than Izzy as she takes a hike in the snow. Being a PI she knows how to handle a crime scene but is a little less sure of herself when she finds the local police can not make it for a couple of days due to the huge amounts of snow. Knowing that the murderer is one of the people in the group, Izzy is quick to put everyone in one chalet and begin interviewing but she can not reveal her real identity yet. Brown has written a witty read, full of degenerate
Once settled into their chalets, the guests join together in one chalet for dinner and the beginning of the holiday festivities. Things soon turn sour as the hidden issues of the group, made up of some longtime friends, extended family members and one of royal blood, begin to come out. The next morning the first murdered victim is found by no other than Izzy as she takes a hike in the snow. Being a PI she knows how to handle a crime scene but is a little less sure of herself when she finds the local police can not make it for a couple of days due to the huge amounts of snow. Knowing that the murderer is one of the people in the group, Izzy is quick to put everyone in one chalet and begin interviewing but she can not reveal her real identity yet. Brown has written a witty read, full of degenerate
December 11, 2022
This is the 5th book in the series.
The author did a great job of making it a standalone book.
The story has a great premise and I enjoyed the blurb as well as the prologue.
Then the story started.
The main character, Izzy, is unbelievable and unprofessional.
She's agreed to meet a woman at her house after the woman scares her while she's walking home for the night to look into claims that the lady is worried that her life is in danger. Therefore she is basically hired.
Izzy arrives home to find her mother, stepfather, and real father getting ready to go on a cruise her mom is going to be performing for.
They all do a quick job of consoling her so they can get back to the celebration and get ready to pack.
Izzy is like a petulant teenager as she's more upset that her mom is taking her real dad and hairdresser on the cruise with her instead of her daughter (forgetting the fact that she has a potential client to meet the next day). Izzy also has a third dad, but he's not in the picture.
She tells mom, dad, and stepdad everything she knows about the potential case and client.
Can you say confidentiality?
The characters are developed, but I've already lost my enthusiasm for the story due to the actions of the MC, and her extended family.
Overall, it's a really strange book and I will not be reading this series.
They all realize that she was upset over something
The author did a great job of making it a standalone book.
The story has a great premise and I enjoyed the blurb as well as the prologue.
Then the story started.
The main character, Izzy, is unbelievable and unprofessional.
She's agreed to meet a woman at her house after the woman scares her while she's walking home for the night to look into claims that the lady is worried that her life is in danger. Therefore she is basically hired.
Izzy arrives home to find her mother, stepfather, and real father getting ready to go on a cruise her mom is going to be performing for.
They all do a quick job of consoling her so they can get back to the celebration and get ready to pack.
Izzy is like a petulant teenager as she's more upset that her mom is taking her real dad and hairdresser on the cruise with her instead of her daughter (forgetting the fact that she has a potential client to meet the next day). Izzy also has a third dad, but he's not in the picture.
She tells mom, dad, and stepdad everything she knows about the potential case and client.
Can you say confidentiality?
The characters are developed, but I've already lost my enthusiasm for the story due to the actions of the MC, and her extended family.
Overall, it's a really strange book and I will not be reading this series.
They all realize that she was upset over something
December 27, 2022
With it being Christmas, it was definitely time to become acquainted with Izzy Palmer in "A Corpse for Christmas". What a fantastic intro to a fascinating young lady who is relatively new to the detecting business. For beginner detective Izzy, being asked to help a woman identify who is writing her threatening letters and work to keep her alive while in Scotland is a mark of success -- but Christmas takes a very different turn. Not thrilled with the idea of pretending to be a nanny over Christmas for her client, she decides it might be the only way to truly enjoy the holiday when she finds out her mother, stepfather and biological father are all going away on a Christmas Cruise -- without Izzy. The holiday in Scotland reverberates with characters and goings on that make you think of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "The Home Alone" movies. The characters are well developed and you truly get into their heads through Izzy's questioning. The location for the mystery sounds like a dream location to spend a Christmas getaway. Izzy is joined by sidekick Ramesh as he assumes the role of chef for the weekend -- little do they know the only dish he can cook is an Indian standby everyone loves. Not to be a failure Ra puts on a fantastic spread the whole weekend -- all with the aid of his phone and YouTube videos! The book is both fun and head scratching and sure to leave you impressed on how Izzy put it all together. Like I said, a great intro to this great character!
December 18, 2022
A lord, a lady, a professor, an earl, a policeman, a dead Santa, and a partridge in a pear tree 🌳
This book is more like what I was hoping for in a holiday mystery…
A murder.
A little humour.
A LOT of Christmas!
An extravagant Christmas themed village in the Scottish highlands, decked out luxury chalets, horse drawn sleighs and Christmas elf bellhops… it seems like a Yuletide paradise.
What these high society guests don’t know is that the nanny is really famous rookie private detective Izzy Palmer, “reverse-Supermanning” it with her glasses off. Hired by one of the hosts who believes that their life is in danger, Izzy and her flamboyant sidekick work to solve the mystery.
Narrated by famous rookie PI… and the two arguing voices in her head 🤔, the author describes this as a stand alone book within his Izzy Palmer Mystery series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first books in the series, as her inner dialogue took a bit of getting used to.
Other than the last few chapters reading like the Home Alone manuscript 🤣 this was a fun little holiday murder mystery that doesn’t take itself seriously at all!
Read this if you like…
🎅 Christmas
🔪 Locked room “whodunnit” murder mysteries
🔎 Playing detective
😆 Funny sidekicks
🎄 Setting as a character
🍣 Red herrings
This book is more like what I was hoping for in a holiday mystery…
A murder.
A little humour.
A LOT of Christmas!
An extravagant Christmas themed village in the Scottish highlands, decked out luxury chalets, horse drawn sleighs and Christmas elf bellhops… it seems like a Yuletide paradise.
What these high society guests don’t know is that the nanny is really famous rookie private detective Izzy Palmer, “reverse-Supermanning” it with her glasses off. Hired by one of the hosts who believes that their life is in danger, Izzy and her flamboyant sidekick work to solve the mystery.
Narrated by famous rookie PI… and the two arguing voices in her head 🤔, the author describes this as a stand alone book within his Izzy Palmer Mystery series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first books in the series, as her inner dialogue took a bit of getting used to.
Other than the last few chapters reading like the Home Alone manuscript 🤣 this was a fun little holiday murder mystery that doesn’t take itself seriously at all!
Read this if you like…
🎅 Christmas
🔪 Locked room “whodunnit” murder mysteries
🔎 Playing detective
😆 Funny sidekicks
🎄 Setting as a character
🍣 Red herrings
August 9, 2022
While walking around enjoying London's Christmas decorations, Izzy Palmer is approached by a mysterious woman who wants Izzy to investigate the letters she has received threatening her life. She suggests Izzy act as their Nanny and accompany her family to Scotland for a winter holiday. The group consists of several friends who have known each other since college and their families. Despite knowing each other since college, the women have engaged in a fierce rivalry throughout the years. Izzy convinces her friend, Ramesh, to go along undercover as a chef.
When one of the women, Astrid, dressed as Father Christmas is found dead, Izzy has her work cut out trying to sift through the rivalries and sorting out the lies in an attempt to unmask the killer.
Who killed Astrid? Why was she killed? Are the letters and the death connected? Was she killed by mistake? Can Izzy solve the mystery and expose the real killer?
Benedict Brown has another wonderful story with plenty of humor along with the twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from start to finish. He has great characters and realistic situations to give his stories a personal feeling.
When one of the women, Astrid, dressed as Father Christmas is found dead, Izzy has her work cut out trying to sift through the rivalries and sorting out the lies in an attempt to unmask the killer.
Who killed Astrid? Why was she killed? Are the letters and the death connected? Was she killed by mistake? Can Izzy solve the mystery and expose the real killer?
Benedict Brown has another wonderful story with plenty of humor along with the twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from start to finish. He has great characters and realistic situations to give his stories a personal feeling.
December 30, 2020
While her mom, dad, step-dad and mom's hairdresser sail away on a cruise to show case Bu Bu Le Mer's new celebrity, Izzy will be left alone for Christmas. Until a strange woman tracks her down in a crowd to tell her that she needs to meet with her, that people are following her and that she fears for her life. Izzy decides to take on the case but discovers she will be heading to a snowy hide-away with the woman, her husband & baby and some close friends(?) Izzy goes undercover as Sally, the nanny, and takes Ramesh with her, undercover as a chef. There is murder but not what you expect. They are snowed in and it is up to Sally (Izzy) and a very minor royal, who recognized her (you have to read about it), to solve the mystery. Ra can't help because he is too busy streaming recipes and how-to cook instructions. Practically everyone comes under suspicion, but Izzy and the sort-of princess manage to solve the mystery right before the police are able to get through and haul off the bad buys and the ambulance hauls off the injured. This is a stand-alone Izzy Palmer mystery, and another fun romp through the mind of Izzy. I love these books.
February 11, 2023
Ultimately maybe 3-
I needed some light entertainment, and at first this fit the bill, but the more I read the more dissatisfied I got. There were some clever aspects to Izzy's solution of the crime, but if you are going to write a mystery in which the reader is going to want to stay mentally alert, be warned that they will probably notice poorly worked-out details that do not matter to the crime also, and these are inexcusable and unnecessary. One very obvious one: they group is in an isolated set of cabins, cut off by a snowstorm, and there is no staff there or ability for people to make deliveries. Nonetheless, Ra gets there with no menu in mind and proceeds to make a week of elegant meals. Where did the food come from? Also, Izzie finds Astrid's phone and notices it is almost out of power. She makes a big deal of this. She thinks to ask the woman's daughter what her PIN is so she can access the contents but does not think to ask her if she knows where her mother's phone charger is. Dumb oversights like that spoil a book for me.
I needed some light entertainment, and at first this fit the bill, but the more I read the more dissatisfied I got. There were some clever aspects to Izzy's solution of the crime, but if you are going to write a mystery in which the reader is going to want to stay mentally alert, be warned that they will probably notice poorly worked-out details that do not matter to the crime also, and these are inexcusable and unnecessary. One very obvious one: they group is in an isolated set of cabins, cut off by a snowstorm, and there is no staff there or ability for people to make deliveries. Nonetheless, Ra gets there with no menu in mind and proceeds to make a week of elegant meals. Where did the food come from? Also, Izzie finds Astrid's phone and notices it is almost out of power. She makes a big deal of this. She thinks to ask the woman's daughter what her PIN is so she can access the contents but does not think to ask her if she knows where her mother's phone charger is. Dumb oversights like that spoil a book for me.
June 11, 2025
Posh and Circumstance of Murder
Put four scrabbling couples of a posh echelon who’ve kept a long standing feud going, hidden behind social niceties of course, in a snowed in Christmas village in Scotland. Add two teenagers, a young boy, a baby and an unattached Lord. Hire Izzy as a Detective posing as a Nanny to ferret out who’s behind the death threats. Bring in Izzy’s best friend Ramesh as an undercover chef—except he only knows how to cook one dish—for backup. Leave Mom and two Dads and the traveling hairdresser mystery solving team behind on a cruise ship in the name of Bu Bu le Mer’s—aka Mom’s—budding career.
Put it all together and you have a whoddunit Christmas mystery that’s enjoyable even in the heat of summer.
What makes this one so satisfying is the intricate history of the couples and ferreting out who means what to whom. Plus, the ending is ever so satisfying. I have officially and fully forgiven the author for the unfulfilling ending in book one. :-)
Put four scrabbling couples of a posh echelon who’ve kept a long standing feud going, hidden behind social niceties of course, in a snowed in Christmas village in Scotland. Add two teenagers, a young boy, a baby and an unattached Lord. Hire Izzy as a Detective posing as a Nanny to ferret out who’s behind the death threats. Bring in Izzy’s best friend Ramesh as an undercover chef—except he only knows how to cook one dish—for backup. Leave Mom and two Dads and the traveling hairdresser mystery solving team behind on a cruise ship in the name of Bu Bu le Mer’s—aka Mom’s—budding career.
Put it all together and you have a whoddunit Christmas mystery that’s enjoyable even in the heat of summer.
What makes this one so satisfying is the intricate history of the couples and ferreting out who means what to whom. Plus, the ending is ever so satisfying. I have officially and fully forgiven the author for the unfulfilling ending in book one. :-)
March 3, 2022
A Christmas Miracle!! (Or Murder Mystery)
Izzy is back at it with her lovable sidekick Ramesh. This time she is hired to find out who is threatening to kill the woman hiring her. Posing as a nanny and Ramesh as a chef, they head to Santa's Village in Scotland for Christmas. But of course, where Izzy goes, murder goes (that's not very nice brain, maybe bad luck just follows her...if you've read the books, you'll get this sidebar!) Murder and chaos ensues. Will Izzy the nanny be able to figure out who the masterful killer is?! And will there be Christmas pudding?! This character has grown a lot since the first book and I just LOVE her and her crazy friends and family...even Fernando, the hairdresser! I don't want to spoil things so I'll just say READ THIS BOOK!! Oh and it can stand alone, so if you haven't read any other Izzy Palmer books, you won't be lost. Great book with even greater characters! Highly recommend!
Izzy is back at it with her lovable sidekick Ramesh. This time she is hired to find out who is threatening to kill the woman hiring her. Posing as a nanny and Ramesh as a chef, they head to Santa's Village in Scotland for Christmas. But of course, where Izzy goes, murder goes (that's not very nice brain, maybe bad luck just follows her...if you've read the books, you'll get this sidebar!) Murder and chaos ensues. Will Izzy the nanny be able to figure out who the masterful killer is?! And will there be Christmas pudding?! This character has grown a lot since the first book and I just LOVE her and her crazy friends and family...even Fernando, the hairdresser! I don't want to spoil things so I'll just say READ THIS BOOK!! Oh and it can stand alone, so if you haven't read any other Izzy Palmer books, you won't be lost. Great book with even greater characters! Highly recommend!
February 13, 2022
Marvelous Christmas mystery
When Izzy is asked to help prevent a murder instead of solving one, she heads off to Scotland pretending to be a nanny. Soon after they arrive a murder does occur and she has to solve it without letting everyone know who she really is. Which one of the group of not so close friends committed the murder? Izzy continues to grow as a detective and as one of my favorite fictional characters. I love this book, not only because it is a very well written story with several surprises, but also because Izzy is on her own solving the mystery. Her well meaning and lovable family are off having an adventure of their own. I truly enjoy the mixture of mystery, humor, friendship, and the TV, music, and movie references.
When Izzy is asked to help prevent a murder instead of solving one, she heads off to Scotland pretending to be a nanny. Soon after they arrive a murder does occur and she has to solve it without letting everyone know who she really is. Which one of the group of not so close friends committed the murder? Izzy continues to grow as a detective and as one of my favorite fictional characters. I love this book, not only because it is a very well written story with several surprises, but also because Izzy is on her own solving the mystery. Her well meaning and lovable family are off having an adventure of their own. I truly enjoy the mixture of mystery, humor, friendship, and the TV, music, and movie references.
December 29, 2024
Writing and characters are so bad
The writing and characters were so bad. The over the top mother, the childish main character, the best friend - such caricatures. The inner monologue the main character is constantly doing is annoying, silly, useless and detracts from the pace of the story. This is supposed to be a standalone book but constantly refers to events from previous books. The main character is supposed to be a master detective but is riddled with doubt and has to give herself constant pep talks?!? And she is extremely tall but nobody recognizes her because she took her glasses off!?! Give me a break. The who-done-it part of the story was good but everything else was just so terrible.
The writing and characters were so bad. The over the top mother, the childish main character, the best friend - such caricatures. The inner monologue the main character is constantly doing is annoying, silly, useless and detracts from the pace of the story. This is supposed to be a standalone book but constantly refers to events from previous books. The main character is supposed to be a master detective but is riddled with doubt and has to give herself constant pep talks?!? And she is extremely tall but nobody recognizes her because she took her glasses off!?! Give me a break. The who-done-it part of the story was good but everything else was just so terrible.
December 18, 2025
I read this for my book club's December pick because we wanted something Christmassy. We didn't realize that it's actually the 5th book in the series, although in the opening pages the author assures readers it can be read as a one-off, and I do agree. There is enough backstory filtered through that, while I'm sure I missed some references and inside jokes, I wasn't horribly confused the entire time. The author describes the main character as a Bridget Jones type, and I agree that that is exactly what the author is going for. Although I found the characters slightly lovable, quite incompetent, infuriating, and overall idiotic and unfeeling, it was a good book to pass the time while I was stuck in an airport.
December 30, 2022
This book was just okay, but definitely not one that I would ever consider reading again. The characters were so over the top that they could have been included in the board game of CLUE. (Santa, the victim, was just a cute chick dressed up in a red suit and the Scottish police couldn’t get to the crime scene because of an intense blizzard… so the mystery had to be solved by the remaining relatives who were gathered for Christmas.)
Overall, if you’re seriously bored and desperate for something to read, then you might consider this one… but otherwise, just move on to a crossword puzzle or take up birdwatching.
Overall, if you’re seriously bored and desperate for something to read, then you might consider this one… but otherwise, just move on to a crossword puzzle or take up birdwatching.
January 20, 2022
Fun read
I loved all the mix of characters. I loved the humor and the reverse superman lines.
In this book She is undercover as a nanny and her best friend Ra
As a chef. The support system that Izzy has is the icing on the cake. Always ready to help, yet in their own quirky self absorbed ways, they supply the humor murder mysteries need to lighten the story.
This is one of the best of the Izzy books so far.
The description of the village, the craziness of the people, the action...Everything is perfect. I
I love being part of her world
I loved all the mix of characters. I loved the humor and the reverse superman lines.
In this book She is undercover as a nanny and her best friend Ra
As a chef. The support system that Izzy has is the icing on the cake. Always ready to help, yet in their own quirky self absorbed ways, they supply the humor murder mysteries need to lighten the story.
This is one of the best of the Izzy books so far.
The description of the village, the craziness of the people, the action...Everything is perfect. I
I love being part of her world
December 21, 2022
Chalet murder
This story has it all, Christmas, murder, posh, stymied "nanny" and dry strange families. Izzy has solved some crimes, but is still a bit new to it all. But she and her best friend, Ramesh, are quite good and wth too many suspects and very strange circumstances, they still manage to solve the murder. Add to that all the Christmas things as well as royalty and such, the story makes for an interesting and fun read. And the murderer is quite the shock.
This story has it all, Christmas, murder, posh, stymied "nanny" and dry strange families. Izzy has solved some crimes, but is still a bit new to it all. But she and her best friend, Ramesh, are quite good and wth too many suspects and very strange circumstances, they still manage to solve the murder. Add to that all the Christmas things as well as royalty and such, the story makes for an interesting and fun read. And the murderer is quite the shock.
January 3, 2023
Snowy Freezing Christmas or One Less Santa!
Admire the completely tangled Christmas adventure marooned in an overboard fantasy town.
This time Santa got "run over by a raindeer", without grandma close to save him.
Not only was hatred and malis at overflowing heights, but what in the world did this bunch have any reason to gather? Full of turns and tricks, Izzy solves the case and leaves us delighted to have read the book
Admire the completely tangled Christmas adventure marooned in an overboard fantasy town.
This time Santa got "run over by a raindeer", without grandma close to save him.
Not only was hatred and malis at overflowing heights, but what in the world did this bunch have any reason to gather? Full of turns and tricks, Izzy solves the case and leaves us delighted to have read the book
January 2, 2025
Having read Benedict Brown's over Christmas books, this was the last one in my list, and also my first Izzy Palmer book. It almost felt like it was written by someone else. The mystery itself was clever, but then it turned into Home Alone. Characters were described as innocent because if vague reasons, and I could not get my head around what I assume is her inner voice. I'm planning to read the rest of his books, but I feel this series might be skipped
April 14, 2025
Loved it!
As always with Mr Brown, this book was a brilliant read. The plot line and characterisation are superb and I just love Izzy’s conversations with her brain. I chat with my brain as well and I bet Benedict Brown does too, although my brain is just annoying rather than judgemental and annoying as Izzy’s is. Mr Brown is a first rate writer and his imagination never ceases to amaze me. Very highly recommended.
As always with Mr Brown, this book was a brilliant read. The plot line and characterisation are superb and I just love Izzy’s conversations with her brain. I chat with my brain as well and I bet Benedict Brown does too, although my brain is just annoying rather than judgemental and annoying as Izzy’s is. Mr Brown is a first rate writer and his imagination never ceases to amaze me. Very highly recommended.
March 15, 2021
A proper festive murder mystery
I was super disappointed with the novella 'A Corpse in a Caravan' so, despite having enjoyed all the other Izzy Palmer novels I was a but apprehensive about starting this one. I really shouldn't have been as it was Benedict Brown back to his Agatha Christie inspired best.
I was super disappointed with the novella 'A Corpse in a Caravan' so, despite having enjoyed all the other Izzy Palmer novels I was a but apprehensive about starting this one. I really shouldn't have been as it was Benedict Brown back to his Agatha Christie inspired best.
April 4, 2022
The disguise?
I've come to moderately enjoy the Izzy Palmer books, but a few things need to be addressed. First (and it seems to be a problem with many Kindle books) grammar errors MUST be found and corrected before the books are released. This particular Izzy Palmer book was just too over the top. Only one person recognized her without her glasses. Really? Ugh.
I've come to moderately enjoy the Izzy Palmer books, but a few things need to be addressed. First (and it seems to be a problem with many Kindle books) grammar errors MUST be found and corrected before the books are released. This particular Izzy Palmer book was just too over the top. Only one person recognized her without her glasses. Really? Ugh.
December 27, 2022
Really Fun & Challenging Mystery
My first "Izzy" read. But, not my last.
Love this author. Normally read his Lord Edgington series and although I do like it best this one is very good. It has moments of comedy plus serious reflection as Izzy figures out who the killer is and why the deed was done.
My first "Izzy" read. But, not my last.
Love this author. Normally read his Lord Edgington series and although I do like it best this one is very good. It has moments of comedy plus serious reflection as Izzy figures out who the killer is and why the deed was done.
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