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Camille Divine Murder Mystery #1
The Christmas Tree Murders
The Christmas trees in Knightsbridge sparkle with festive joy, and there’s nothing more fun than Christmas cocktail parties to ring in the new year of 1922.
Camille Divine, known as Lady Camille Divine, has decorated her little house in Birdcage Mews with glistening decorations and a beautiful Christmas tree, but she has more on her mind than the festive season. Lady Phoebe Carruthers has begged Camille and her maid, Cecily to investigate the disappearance of her personal maid. Then women begin to disappear off the street, their bodies left under the Christmas trees that stand in front of London's most popular landmarks. Something links the women who have been murdered and Phoebe's maid, and Camille is determined to find out what the connection is before another woman is murdered.
She realises there is safety in numbers, that she can do so much more with a team of resolute women by her side, so she recruits some of our old friends, Carrie, Elsie, Dorothy and Ida to help her discover what happened to Phoebe's maid, and why so many women are being murdered in such a brutal way.
Camille Divine, known as Lady Camille Divine, has decorated her little house in Birdcage Mews with glistening decorations and a beautiful Christmas tree, but she has more on her mind than the festive season. Lady Phoebe Carruthers has begged Camille and her maid, Cecily to investigate the disappearance of her personal maid. Then women begin to disappear off the street, their bodies left under the Christmas trees that stand in front of London's most popular landmarks. Something links the women who have been murdered and Phoebe's maid, and Camille is determined to find out what the connection is before another woman is murdered.
She realises there is safety in numbers, that she can do so much more with a team of resolute women by her side, so she recruits some of our old friends, Carrie, Elsie, Dorothy and Ida to help her discover what happened to Phoebe's maid, and why so many women are being murdered in such a brutal way.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2022
1017 people are currently reading
755 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Hicks
42 books47 followersWriting is my passion...along with soft furnishings and Jaffa cakes! I write the books I want to read; the stories that occupy my thoughts, seemingly at every moment. My hope is you will love my characters, and the stories I write about and want to read more. I'm always interested in hearing about your favourite characters and what you like to read.
Visit me at www.andreahicks-writer.com or contact me at info@andreahicks-writer.com I love connecting with my readers and other authors. Reading other authors and writing my books connects me to the world around me, giving me the opportunity to explore different situations, emotions, and even other countries.
Thank you for spending so much time with me
Love
Andrea xxx
Visit me at www.andreahicks-writer.com or contact me at info@andreahicks-writer.com I love connecting with my readers and other authors. Reading other authors and writing my books connects me to the world around me, giving me the opportunity to explore different situations, emotions, and even other countries.
Thank you for spending so much time with me
Love
Andrea xxx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 11, 2022
Nice plot...but the book suffered greatly from, what I call, new writer syndrome. For instance, at the beginning, characters appear, some without names, and the reader has no inkling what's going on. Common fiction usage is to name a character when he/she first appear, with a few words why. That didn't happen here. Every character deserves a name. If not, why have him/her at all?
Then there're plot holes. A minor one is when Camille invites Phoebe's children to her home for Christmas while their remaining parent, their father, goes off to a shoot. Good start. It gives some background on the children and their relationship to their father.
But! What happens at Christmas? We're told the children took their unopened presents with them to Camille's home. What were they? Did they, with Camille and Ottilie, gather around the tree to distribute the presents? Did Camille have a nice lunch/dinner for the children, somehting to make holiday memorial? What was their reaction to the weekend?
We don't know.
The kids were due to arrive and them---nothing. They weren't mentioned again, except in passing, for the rest of the book. The whole holiday section could have been deleted from the book and it would have changed nothing.
This is just a couple of examples. There were more. If these errors had been fixed before publishing the book, it would have earned another star.
Then there're plot holes. A minor one is when Camille invites Phoebe's children to her home for Christmas while their remaining parent, their father, goes off to a shoot. Good start. It gives some background on the children and their relationship to their father.
But! What happens at Christmas? We're told the children took their unopened presents with them to Camille's home. What were they? Did they, with Camille and Ottilie, gather around the tree to distribute the presents? Did Camille have a nice lunch/dinner for the children, somehting to make holiday memorial? What was their reaction to the weekend?
We don't know.
The kids were due to arrive and them---nothing. They weren't mentioned again, except in passing, for the rest of the book. The whole holiday section could have been deleted from the book and it would have changed nothing.
This is just a couple of examples. There were more. If these errors had been fixed before publishing the book, it would have earned another star.
November 23, 2022
A different 1920's cozy mystery
Our heroine, Lady Divine, is estranged from her husband who keeps their daughter away from the mother. The Lady has a devoted staff and eclectic group of friends to assist her investigating suffragettes being murdered.
Our heroine, Lady Divine, is estranged from her husband who keeps their daughter away from the mother. The Lady has a devoted staff and eclectic group of friends to assist her investigating suffragettes being murdered.
November 2, 2023
"I know there was scandal when you and papa were married, simply because of the burnished hue of your skin, the velvety luster in your complexion"
Apparently, cringe as a writing style exists.
Apparently, cringe as a writing style exists.
December 16, 2022
Not exactly a bad start to a cosy mystery series, but I've listened to better - both in terms of story, mystery build, and narrator.
The main character, Camille Divine, feels a little bit like a wannabe Miss Fisher in a London setting. I both liked her and found her slightly obnoxious. As the book ticked on, I never really warmed to her - or the other characters - and that became a reason why I never really felt hooked by the book.
Since I picked this book for, what I thought was, a Christmas themed murder mystery, I was actually rather disappointed to find that Christmas had next to nothing to do with anything. It was there for a while and then it had suddenly passed.
Without the randomness of murder victims - for whatever random reason the sort-of-insane murderer - showing up under public Christmas trees (thus the title of the book), I wouldn't even have noticed the season.
As for continuing this series, I think I'll pass. There are other fish in the sea I think might fit me better.
The main character, Camille Divine, feels a little bit like a wannabe Miss Fisher in a London setting. I both liked her and found her slightly obnoxious. As the book ticked on, I never really warmed to her - or the other characters - and that became a reason why I never really felt hooked by the book.
Since I picked this book for, what I thought was, a Christmas themed murder mystery, I was actually rather disappointed to find that Christmas had next to nothing to do with anything. It was there for a while and then it had suddenly passed.
Without the randomness of murder victims - for whatever random reason the sort-of-insane murderer - showing up under public Christmas trees (thus the title of the book), I wouldn't even have noticed the season.
As for continuing this series, I think I'll pass. There are other fish in the sea I think might fit me better.
May 7, 2024
Normally I read these cozy historical novels quickly, but not this one. I found it very hard to slog through. The grammatical errors are distracting and occasionally make it difficult to understand what’s actually being said.
I didn’t realize that the main character first appeared as part of another series. I sometimes get annoyed when an author spends too much time rehashing what happened to the character in the prior book in the series. Here though, the beginning mentions the main character’s involvement somewhat in the other series, but I really had no idea what had gone on or who was involved. This may explain why the characters who played such a key role in the first part of the book (I believe main characters in the other series) disappear as the story continues.
There are parts that don’t include the main character, I assume to build out the characters’ histories and possibly to the lay the groundwork for the future, but it’s done clumsily.
I can’t tell if it was an editing decision, but it seemed like things were missing in the story. For example, the main character, Camille (Lady Divine), decides to invite her estranged husband’s friend’s children over for Christmas, since their father would be away. This is an issue because her husband has essentially banned her from Society. They talk about how lovely it will be and Camille’s daughter is excited. Then…nothing. Christmas Day isn’t even mentioned.
I also found it a little ridiculous that the issue of race didn’t come up more. Race is still an issue in England, but Camille, the daughter of an Englishman and an “African princess” waltzes about with no impediments to her activities in the early 1920s?
I dont really want to read the next book but I do kind of like characters.
I didn’t realize that the main character first appeared as part of another series. I sometimes get annoyed when an author spends too much time rehashing what happened to the character in the prior book in the series. Here though, the beginning mentions the main character’s involvement somewhat in the other series, but I really had no idea what had gone on or who was involved. This may explain why the characters who played such a key role in the first part of the book (I believe main characters in the other series) disappear as the story continues.
There are parts that don’t include the main character, I assume to build out the characters’ histories and possibly to the lay the groundwork for the future, but it’s done clumsily.
I can’t tell if it was an editing decision, but it seemed like things were missing in the story. For example, the main character, Camille (Lady Divine), decides to invite her estranged husband’s friend’s children over for Christmas, since their father would be away. This is an issue because her husband has essentially banned her from Society. They talk about how lovely it will be and Camille’s daughter is excited. Then…nothing. Christmas Day isn’t even mentioned.
I also found it a little ridiculous that the issue of race didn’t come up more. Race is still an issue in England, but Camille, the daughter of an Englishman and an “African princess” waltzes about with no impediments to her activities in the early 1920s?
I dont really want to read the next book but I do kind of like characters.
December 10, 2022
beginning was confusing
I was incredibly confused while reading this book. It’s the first book of a series and the entire story kept referencing things and people that had previously happened. Characters are brought into the story as if I should be aware of who they are and their back story. I actually went back to Amazon to see if there was a novella that introduced the main character and the original story line As mysteries go I found it a bit strange. The ending had more of a soap opera finale than a cozy mystery. Btw this is the first cozy mystery I’ve read where the main character uses profanity. I also found her to be a bit of a bully. I hope the next book in the series is better.
I was incredibly confused while reading this book. It’s the first book of a series and the entire story kept referencing things and people that had previously happened. Characters are brought into the story as if I should be aware of who they are and their back story. I actually went back to Amazon to see if there was a novella that introduced the main character and the original story line As mysteries go I found it a bit strange. The ending had more of a soap opera finale than a cozy mystery. Btw this is the first cozy mystery I’ve read where the main character uses profanity. I also found her to be a bit of a bully. I hope the next book in the series is better.
December 31, 2022
A soft pick, I quite enjoyed the progression of this cosy crime novel. With Camille Devine being a female amateur sleuth in the 1920s, it’s tempting to make comparisons with Phryne Fisher, but I don’t think the author intends Camille to be another Phryne. Not much of a link to Christmas though, so disappointing as a seasonal read! There’s no explanation as to why the bodies were placed under Christmas trees; it feels like a device to jump on seasonal sales rather than an actual plot point and left the novel feeling a little unsatisfactory.
December 6, 2022
A delightful addition to the 1920s amateur lady detective genre. Lady Camille is fabulous. Incorporating a real historical figure from the suffragette movement added extra interest. And of course, we all like a lady who can beat the police detectives at their own game, although Lady Camille achieves this with such good grace.
December 22, 2024
Love this sweet cozy mystery. Just what I needed to read this time of year.
December 11, 2022
The author did amazing work recreating that narrative style and voice you might find in a classic mystery or drama. UNFORTUNATELY, this book does NOT live up to its title and premise XD. The book is largely NOT about The Christmas Tree Murders XD. It is instead about a missing person. The lady lead, Camille, ignores significant evidence, and jumps to conclusions about other details. Not that ANY of the detecting matters one iota! The author A) Holds the reader's hand by switching PoV, making sure we get all pertinent information and confessions straight from the horse's mouth, and B) Holds the surprise (i.e. tropetastic NON-surprise) of a hitherto unknown evil sibling having been the guilty party all along until the final 15 pages of the book! There are head-banging parts of the mystery that the reader can deduce so easily, that it's an insult when Camille can't, and yet she's praised for her "intelligence". And there are other parts of the book that the reader was never going to get, because the author was more interested in giving a reveal than rewarding a sleuth.
I give the book one star back for being inclusive, and for having positive messages about community needing to be about mutual respect and friendship that transcends class. But I can't do more than that, I'm too bitter about the misnomer of this mystery.
I give the book one star back for being inclusive, and for having positive messages about community needing to be about mutual respect and friendship that transcends class. But I can't do more than that, I'm too bitter about the misnomer of this mystery.
January 7, 2023
Eh. The writer shows promise but I didn’t follow who the characters were and what their relationship to Lady Devine was. It felt like I was jumping in to a series in the middle. Her backstory should’ve been the first book but the plot was good.
December 13, 2022
The first book in any new cozy series is usually all about getting to know the characters and their stories. "The Christmas Tree Murders" the first book in the Camille Devine Murder Mysteries by Andrea Hicks was the perfect holiday read and after starting it I learned this is an offshoot of another series by Hicks, "The Nightingale Lane" series. So, although the characters were all new to me, they've been in another series for a while now. I enjoyed this book very much! It had all the necessary cogs to make it a fun mystery that just happens to take place at Christmas time.
Camille Devine is quite the character. She's married to a man who is less than desirable, but since he threw her out to take up with another woman, she's turned into a real dynamo. She's gained her independence and with that she's not willing to put up with anything that just seems wrong. So, when ladies of society, women in her same social circle begin turning up dead under various Christmas trees in the city, she's going to figure out what's going on. She's got the advantage of being able to get in where the investigators can't and with the help of her maid they set out to put a stop to these brutal killings.
This was fun, entertaining and an unputdownable book for me! Characters are great, time period is one of my favorites with it taking place in the early 1920's and then there's the Christmas time setting that brings it all home. I've already downloaded book 2 and can't wait to see what Camille gets into next. Happy Reading!
Camille Devine is quite the character. She's married to a man who is less than desirable, but since he threw her out to take up with another woman, she's turned into a real dynamo. She's gained her independence and with that she's not willing to put up with anything that just seems wrong. So, when ladies of society, women in her same social circle begin turning up dead under various Christmas trees in the city, she's going to figure out what's going on. She's got the advantage of being able to get in where the investigators can't and with the help of her maid they set out to put a stop to these brutal killings.
This was fun, entertaining and an unputdownable book for me! Characters are great, time period is one of my favorites with it taking place in the early 1920's and then there's the Christmas time setting that brings it all home. I've already downloaded book 2 and can't wait to see what Camille gets into next. Happy Reading!
December 13, 2025
⭐️ 3.5 Stars — The Christmas Tree Murders by Andrea Hicks
This one was a slow burn for me. It starts with a missing maid and slowly spirals into a series of murders. Our sleuth was actually my favorite part of the book — she’s opinionated, speaks her mind, and is dealing with her own estranged marriage. But she does manage to solve not one, but two crimes.
The mystery itself had potential, but the storyline around the missing maid felt disconnected from the murders. Nellie wasn’t missing because of the killer — she disappeared after trusting her husband, who was trying to cash in on the paintings Riddel stole. She only ended up helping expose the murderer because she was part of the movement and was used to catch him in the act. As for Anthony, I’m not sure “obsessed” is the right word, but he clearly had some emotional attachment to Emily. Still, whatever feelings he had didn’t justify the leap into serial killing, and his motive never fully made sense.
As the investigation unfolded and Nellie was found, the pieces finally clicked, but I still wanted more clarity. Why target the suffragettes? Emily was a suffragette herself. What did these women have to do with Emily’s death? The killings felt misguided and, honestly, pointless. And why hide the bodies under Christmas trees? That detail never paid off in a satisfying way.
I pushed through the first 200 pages for the sake of giving a review, but some parts felt overly detailed while the important motivations were left vague.
Overall: interesting premise, strong sleuth, but the motive and pacing held it back.
This one was a slow burn for me. It starts with a missing maid and slowly spirals into a series of murders. Our sleuth was actually my favorite part of the book — she’s opinionated, speaks her mind, and is dealing with her own estranged marriage. But she does manage to solve not one, but two crimes.
The mystery itself had potential, but the storyline around the missing maid felt disconnected from the murders. Nellie wasn’t missing because of the killer — she disappeared after trusting her husband, who was trying to cash in on the paintings Riddel stole. She only ended up helping expose the murderer because she was part of the movement and was used to catch him in the act. As for Anthony, I’m not sure “obsessed” is the right word, but he clearly had some emotional attachment to Emily. Still, whatever feelings he had didn’t justify the leap into serial killing, and his motive never fully made sense.
As the investigation unfolded and Nellie was found, the pieces finally clicked, but I still wanted more clarity. Why target the suffragettes? Emily was a suffragette herself. What did these women have to do with Emily’s death? The killings felt misguided and, honestly, pointless. And why hide the bodies under Christmas trees? That detail never paid off in a satisfying way.
I pushed through the first 200 pages for the sake of giving a review, but some parts felt overly detailed while the important motivations were left vague.
Overall: interesting premise, strong sleuth, but the motive and pacing held it back.
April 30, 2023
Not your usual 1920s protagonist.
After a not so enticing start, this was quite the cracker of a cosy. At first Camille comes off as the bitter estranged wife, thrown over for a new fancy (not that the former hubby is anything to fight over). However, to my surprise, that little escapade isn’t even the focus of the story! Once the prologue is over, everything kick starts into a fast paced and overall enjoyable new mystery. Loved the 20s setting (so nice to not have characters slaves to their phones, social media, or Netflix), and how Camille’s circumstances have been altered. The suffrage movement is at the core of the book, and seeing how the husbands blithely refer to it is rather nauseating. There is a secondary character that the author may be setting up as the future love interest.
So, this is a high 3.5 stars and I’m picking up book two after this.
After a not so enticing start, this was quite the cracker of a cosy. At first Camille comes off as the bitter estranged wife, thrown over for a new fancy (not that the former hubby is anything to fight over). However, to my surprise, that little escapade isn’t even the focus of the story! Once the prologue is over, everything kick starts into a fast paced and overall enjoyable new mystery. Loved the 20s setting (so nice to not have characters slaves to their phones, social media, or Netflix), and how Camille’s circumstances have been altered. The suffrage movement is at the core of the book, and seeing how the husbands blithely refer to it is rather nauseating. There is a secondary character that the author may be setting up as the future love interest.
So, this is a high 3.5 stars and I’m picking up book two after this.
April 23, 2023
The beginning of Lady Camille's career as an investigator
I enjoyed this book as like all the books in this series, it was very well written. I enjoyed the background information about the characters which filled in gaps for me as I had read other books in the series first.
I loved the background information about this period in history. It is shocking to realise how little control women had over their lives in the early twentieth century.
Again, the plot was complex enough to hold the reader's interest without allowing the reader to guess the identity of the murderer. It was also not too farfetched for it to be believable. All in all, I found it a very satisfying read and I look forward to the next one in the series.
I enjoyed this book as like all the books in this series, it was very well written. I enjoyed the background information about the characters which filled in gaps for me as I had read other books in the series first.
I loved the background information about this period in history. It is shocking to realise how little control women had over their lives in the early twentieth century.
Again, the plot was complex enough to hold the reader's interest without allowing the reader to guess the identity of the murderer. It was also not too farfetched for it to be believable. All in all, I found it a very satisfying read and I look forward to the next one in the series.
October 31, 2023
DNF at 9%.
I know, I know, how can I DNF at 9%? I'm sorry but this is supposed to be the first book in a series but it harks back to a previous investigation. By page 29 we have been told TWICE that Camille's husband Henry is known as Harry. The book screams anachronisms, for example Camille, the former Lady Divine, lends her servant clothes and takes her to the theatre with her daughter FFS. The characters are caricatures. Camille says she loved Harry until he dumped her for his mistress, but frankly he seems to be a chauvinist pig (even for the unenlightened 1920s) so it is difficult to understand what she ever saw in him.
Anyway, I didn't like the writing style, I didn't warm to the characters so I DNF.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
I know, I know, how can I DNF at 9%? I'm sorry but this is supposed to be the first book in a series but it harks back to a previous investigation. By page 29 we have been told TWICE that Camille's husband Henry is known as Harry. The book screams anachronisms, for example Camille, the former Lady Divine, lends her servant clothes and takes her to the theatre with her daughter FFS. The characters are caricatures. Camille says she loved Harry until he dumped her for his mistress, but frankly he seems to be a chauvinist pig (even for the unenlightened 1920s) so it is difficult to understand what she ever saw in him.
Anyway, I didn't like the writing style, I didn't warm to the characters so I DNF.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
January 19, 2024
I received this book as a freebie in return for an honest review.
I quite liked the story of this book, it gave a glimpse of the fight for the rights of women to vote, and of the 'snobbishness' displayed by the aristocracy years ago. It was set in a time when things were changing and people seemed to be unsure of what their future role was to be.
The story started with the disappearance of a lady's maid, and finished with the murder of 3 'ladies' and a horse. When it was finally discovered who the murderer was, it was a bit of a stretch to follow the reasoning behind his actions, but, it is a novel, and the author can make the reasons be anything she wants.
I would like to read future novels.
I quite liked the story of this book, it gave a glimpse of the fight for the rights of women to vote, and of the 'snobbishness' displayed by the aristocracy years ago. It was set in a time when things were changing and people seemed to be unsure of what their future role was to be.
The story started with the disappearance of a lady's maid, and finished with the murder of 3 'ladies' and a horse. When it was finally discovered who the murderer was, it was a bit of a stretch to follow the reasoning behind his actions, but, it is a novel, and the author can make the reasons be anything she wants.
I would like to read future novels.
May 11, 2024
A new series and author for me, the 1920’s to 1950’s is an interesting period everywhere I find.
The sleuth is a divorced Lady by marriage to the dastardly Lord Harry, while her background
is of little importance to the story itself, it really makes this fiction fluff.
A little believability for this era makes fiction fun, twisted lines makes for fantasy,
a killer is exacting revenge with no rationale, and leaving the bodies in public places
one suspects to encourage thought… of what I am not sure.
Overall a background story for gardening, artwork, preparing a cheese board,
hoping book #2 finds its feet in reality even if just for reader fun.
Thank you for your words Andrea Hicks, appreciated. :-)
The sleuth is a divorced Lady by marriage to the dastardly Lord Harry, while her background
is of little importance to the story itself, it really makes this fiction fluff.
A little believability for this era makes fiction fun, twisted lines makes for fantasy,
a killer is exacting revenge with no rationale, and leaving the bodies in public places
one suspects to encourage thought… of what I am not sure.
Overall a background story for gardening, artwork, preparing a cheese board,
hoping book #2 finds its feet in reality even if just for reader fun.
Thank you for your words Andrea Hicks, appreciated. :-)
May 16, 2025
Some of the characters are annoying and on at least one occasion contradict themselves. As usual we have women complaining that the police are useless then gloating that have more information than the police even though they admit that is because people don't like to be involved with them so don't tell them more than they have to! Even when Lady Camille does tell DCI Owen what she and her 'sources' have discovered she waits days before doing so. Making the police look stupid doesn't make the women any cleverer, it merely makes them smug. Which isn't really attractive. I'm not sure whether I'll read another.
December 19, 2022
This books was an enjoyable read! I love the message of women supporting women and the breaking of class walls! I loved that the female lead is not an all knowing force that could do anything. She worked within her means as a woman of her time and I appreciated that. The reveal of the killer, however, was little bit anticlimactic to me. The twist was good, but it threw me across the left field and not in a good way, because it totally came out of nowhere. Overall, it delivered what it promised: a cosy, whodunit murder mystery, perfect for an easy Christmas holiday read.
January 16, 2023
I was looking for a cozy Christmas themed mystery. Unfortunately, this book had very little to do with the holiday and was not as cozy as I like. It may have been due to my disappointment in the theme that I could not get really interested in the story in the beginning. Characters were introduced and I had a difficult time remembering who was who. That said, as the story progressed I was able to find the connection with the story and characters. There were some interesting plot twists. I will begin the second in the series to see if the characters grow and story line increases my interest.
January 27, 2023
I enjoyed everything about this book… right up until the denouement.
The writing style, the descriptions, the characters, the pacing, the plot and the complexities were wonderful. I was really enjoying reading a book where I had solved some of the puzzle but was still stumped by part of it. Which is rare for me.
Right up until the author committed one of the cardinal sins of detective crime writing and conjured up a brother possibly a twin (not described as such) from nowhere to pin the crime on. So so very disappointing.
The writing style, the descriptions, the characters, the pacing, the plot and the complexities were wonderful. I was really enjoying reading a book where I had solved some of the puzzle but was still stumped by part of it. Which is rare for me.
Right up until the author committed one of the cardinal sins of detective crime writing and conjured up a brother possibly a twin (not described as such) from nowhere to pin the crime on. So so very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2024
Murder of the Suffragettes
An enjoyable mystery from the early days of the “roaring twenties “. Still a time period where women were fighting for rights not only to vote , but to control their own lives . Camille Divine befriends a woman artist whose maid has disappeared. In helping her friend search for her maid, she stumbles into murder, theft, and the truth of concerning her aristocratic husband and his friends. It’s full of twists and turns which keep you busy, figuring out all the horrors being vented on woman of the suffragette period.
An enjoyable mystery from the early days of the “roaring twenties “. Still a time period where women were fighting for rights not only to vote , but to control their own lives . Camille Divine befriends a woman artist whose maid has disappeared. In helping her friend search for her maid, she stumbles into murder, theft, and the truth of concerning her aristocratic husband and his friends. It’s full of twists and turns which keep you busy, figuring out all the horrors being vented on woman of the suffragette period.
December 13, 2024
3 1/2 stars
I liked the story and was inclined to give it 4 stars, but chose not to. First, the character Horace (who owns the gallery), I’m not sure if his last name was Ridell or Lidell. The author used it interchangeably throughout the book. Such a small detail, but it was driving me a bit crazy when I’d come across it. And he’s actually an important piece of the story. Also, I get why it was written with that dialect, but it made the story more difficult to read.
Overall, I thought the book was good but not great. I might consider more of this series in the future, but not right now.
I liked the story and was inclined to give it 4 stars, but chose not to. First, the character Horace (who owns the gallery), I’m not sure if his last name was Ridell or Lidell. The author used it interchangeably throughout the book. Such a small detail, but it was driving me a bit crazy when I’d come across it. And he’s actually an important piece of the story. Also, I get why it was written with that dialect, but it made the story more difficult to read.
Overall, I thought the book was good but not great. I might consider more of this series in the future, but not right now.
December 29, 2024
I have been really enjoying books set in the 1920s recently. For a murder mystery, I feel the author did a great job of tying the plot together. The ending is not something that would be easily guessed. The only plot point that I questioned is that they automatically went to Emi standing for Emily and not any other Emi name.
I am going to continue with this series. I am routing for Camille and Chief Inspector Owen to fall in love. There are a few spelling or punctation errors but they are easy to overlook.
I am going to continue with this series. I am routing for Camille and Chief Inspector Owen to fall in love. There are a few spelling or punctation errors but they are easy to overlook.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
I picked this up in December because of the title, and I really wish I hadn't because I wanted something Christmasy. Murder, yes, but Christmas murder. This was not that. It wasn't bad, I actually enjoyed the writing style. I felt the message was a tad heavy-handed but not the worst by far. Overall it was okay but kind of forgettable in the grand scheme of what I read in December because of what types of books I was reading... meaning fully set at, on, and around, about Christmas books.
January 5, 2025
The Christmas Tree Murders Book 1 A Camille Divine Mystery Book
Camille Divine is involved in helping the police in finding the murderer of four women, with a reputation of being a suffragette and a horse. The bodies are discovered underneath decorated Christmas Trees. One of the victims has hired Camille to find her own maid. Camille keeps looking for Phoebe's maid Nellie and helps gather clues for the police. A great read that keeps the reader along for the ride.
Camille Divine is involved in helping the police in finding the murderer of four women, with a reputation of being a suffragette and a horse. The bodies are discovered underneath decorated Christmas Trees. One of the victims has hired Camille to find her own maid. Camille keeps looking for Phoebe's maid Nellie and helps gather clues for the police. A great read that keeps the reader along for the ride.
December 4, 2025
the Christmas tree murders - a 1920s cozy mystery, etc
I found this book long winded. Lady Divine, & her various cronies and her supposed suspects… was sort of interesting. (The 5 women + horse were murdered and she was investigating ).
Her marriage to lord divine, was horrible. This book was during the 1920s, and the women’s rebellion for equal rights….. that men were against….
I found this book long winded. Lady Divine, & her various cronies and her supposed suspects… was sort of interesting. (The 5 women + horse were murdered and she was investigating ).
Her marriage to lord divine, was horrible. This book was during the 1920s, and the women’s rebellion for equal rights….. that men were against….
December 20, 2022
An enjoyable read with likable characters, set in early 1920’s London. A sufficiently complex plot to hold the readers’ attention throughout. Lady Camille Devine is a quirky combo of a woman raised in high society, yet we hear her ask her cabby, “What’s the damage?” If similar incongruities and occasional lapses in grammar do not push your buttons, simply enjoy this charming read.
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