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Kitty Worthington Mysteries #5
A Murder of Christmas Past
A Christmas wedding in an English castle. Tree trimming, carol singing, figgy pudding. What could be more wonderful than that? But then a dead body turns up and ruins all the fun.
England 1923. No sooner does Kitty Worthington arrive at Wynchcombe Castle for her sister’s holiday nuptials than she makes a gruesome discovery—the remains of a woman who perished long ago. Her death was not natural; she suffered a violent end. And there’s a mysterious connection to the Wynchcombe family that must be explained.
With the ceremony rapidly approaching, Kitty and her merry band of sleuths, comprised of her maid, lords, ladies, Scotland Yard’s finest Detective Inspector Crawford, and Sir Winston, the family’s beloved basset hound, jump into the fray to solve the murder. For if they don’t, her sister’s wedding day may not only be ruined but might not take place at all.
England 1923. No sooner does Kitty Worthington arrive at Wynchcombe Castle for her sister’s holiday nuptials than she makes a gruesome discovery—the remains of a woman who perished long ago. Her death was not natural; she suffered a violent end. And there’s a mysterious connection to the Wynchcombe family that must be explained.
With the ceremony rapidly approaching, Kitty and her merry band of sleuths, comprised of her maid, lords, ladies, Scotland Yard’s finest Detective Inspector Crawford, and Sir Winston, the family’s beloved basset hound, jump into the fray to solve the murder. For if they don’t, her sister’s wedding day may not only be ruined but might not take place at all.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2022
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299 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 1, 2024
London’s Victoria station. Winchester-bound train. December 1923. Magda Alexander’s A Murder of Christmas Past (Kitty Worthington Mystery, #5) is a quick cozy mystery read that is set at Wynchcombe Castle where the Worthingtons and other guests have gathered for Kitty’s sister, Margaret’s, Christmas wedding to the Duke of Wynchcombe. The Ladies of Distinction Detective Agency, a detective agency started by Kitty, find a case that must be solved while preparations for Margaret’s wedding are in full swing and Christmas activities planned to decorate Wynchcombe Castle for both the wedding and Christmas. How will Kitty, her mom, and everyone solve this case? But they do, and along with that, they celebrate Christmas, are introduced to some of the Duke of Wynchcombe’s Christmas traditions, and feast quite often! This is a fun book and quite festive even with a crime to solve! 5 stars.
May 7, 2024
Awww... 🥹🥹 I'm sooo happy for Sabastien and Margaret! This was a fun novella. As usual, the author pulled together a great mystery that was a page turner. Onto the next book which, from the description, is what we've all been waiting for!! 🙌🏽 🙌🏽 More on the mysterious Robert! 🤩🤩
December 7, 2022
Lively, clever and clean
Kitty is a great protagonist. Her support crew are varied and interesting. Enough nasties to keep it from being insipid!
Kitty is a great protagonist. Her support crew are varied and interesting. Enough nasties to keep it from being insipid!
December 9, 2022
3.5-4 stars… it was fine. Very short. Kind of hard to keep track of all the characters. I would probably have done better if I’d started at the beginning of the series rather than jumping to this one first.
December 30, 2022
Pretty bad. Too many characters, most interchangeable. Rushed and obvious ending. And where is the editor here? People are hanged, not Christmas ornaments.
January 17, 2023
Surprises and secrets from the past emerge when Kitty Worthington and her family travel to Wynchcomb Castle to attend the Christmas nuptials of her sister. The stately home of her soon to be brother-in-law is in major need of a clean and refresh--a problem solved if they could only find the reclusive housekeeper. The cook is intimidated by the new-fangled stove, placing the wedding and holiday feasts in jeopardy. Finally, there's the matter of a skeleton discovered in a secret room---will the deadly find disrupt the wedding plans?
Author Alexander weaves a clever tale of holiday mayhem sure to delight cozy mystery fans. Family secrets, scandalous deeds, and a dash of romance make for an entertaining, holiday whodunnit!
Author Alexander weaves a clever tale of holiday mayhem sure to delight cozy mystery fans. Family secrets, scandalous deeds, and a dash of romance make for an entertaining, holiday whodunnit!
December 6, 2022
Justice at Last
I chose this rating because I really liked this book and all Kitty Worthington's mysteries. The plot kept you guessing and the interaction among the characters was very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
I chose this rating because I really liked this book and all Kitty Worthington's mysteries. The plot kept you guessing and the interaction among the characters was very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
December 11, 2022
The Case of the Missing Brother?
There are a lot of characters to keep track of in these books; I appreciate that.
But this story was built around Margaret's wedding. Celebrated by her friends and family.
All of her family...except for a brother. Richard.
Remember Richard? It'd be easy to forget about him. We've yet to be introduced to the guy, what with him off in Egypt.
But this was a family wedding . And it's not as if it was some shotgun affair - there were months of planning.
And still, no Richard. He had time to travel home. It's Christmas, after all!
But not only was he not in attendance, he wasn't even mentioned, Not so much as a 'It's a shame your brother couldn't get away'.
For characters who are all about family, that just seemed odd
There are a lot of characters to keep track of in these books; I appreciate that.
But this story was built around Margaret's wedding. Celebrated by her friends and family.
All of her family...except for a brother. Richard.
Remember Richard? It'd be easy to forget about him. We've yet to be introduced to the guy, what with him off in Egypt.
But this was a family wedding . And it's not as if it was some shotgun affair - there were months of planning.
And still, no Richard. He had time to travel home. It's Christmas, after all!
But not only was he not in attendance, he wasn't even mentioned, Not so much as a 'It's a shame your brother couldn't get away'.
For characters who are all about family, that just seemed odd
December 9, 2023
See. This is one of the things that bugs me about series. Where is the editor of the series. In this installment, Bumble is the daughter to Mr. Clapham, but in the previous installment, she's his granddaughter. Her mother, Ophelia, is his daughter, whom she named her child after.
UGH! This is the problem with listening/reading a series back to back. I may not have remembered that tidbit if I had been listening/reading them as they came out.
Also, these installments are getting shorter and shorter.
UGH! This is the problem with listening/reading a series back to back. I may not have remembered that tidbit if I had been listening/reading them as they came out.
Also, these installments are getting shorter and shorter.
December 8, 2023
This novella was a delight to read! I decided to read this one even though it was book 5 in a series because it looked like a fun Christmas mystery for December. Well, I absolutely loved it! The mystery was fun but, surprisingly, I had such a good time reading about the wedding prep, the decorating, the drinking game they played while decorating the tree and other such mundane events. Strip whist was hilarious! There were a lot of characters and I think I would have benefited from reading the rest of the series first, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I loved the characters and the writing style, and I cannot wait to go back and get caught up!
October 27, 2023
Another really good light cozy mystery. Nice and short, which is great.
June 25, 2025
an wedding takes place before christmas, which leads to an accidental discovery of an old murder.
December 16, 2025
Loved this little cozy holiday murder mystery. It was a very short read, but the author does a good job of getting you invested in the characters in a short amount of time.
December 5, 2023
First Christmas book of the year...well of December. Short fun. A lot if characters so it helps to have read the other books first
January 17, 2024
It isn’t probably Kitty Worthington’s best of the series. The ending is so hurried that I thought I had missed some details.
Anyway, I love Kitty and her tea and scones!
Anyway, I love Kitty and her tea and scones!
December 24, 2022
The wedding
Kitty’s sister is marrying and the wedding is to be held at the groom’s castle. Kitty and the entourage arrive early to clean and set up the site that has been neglected for some time. Kitty and Robert discover a “priest’s hole” where they also discover a woman’s body, long dead. Discovering her identity and then a murderer falls on Kitty and her friends. Another interesting historical cozy.
Kitty’s sister is marrying and the wedding is to be held at the groom’s castle. Kitty and the entourage arrive early to clean and set up the site that has been neglected for some time. Kitty and Robert discover a “priest’s hole” where they also discover a woman’s body, long dead. Discovering her identity and then a murderer falls on Kitty and her friends. Another interesting historical cozy.
December 26, 2022
A quick and pleasant read, historic British cozy set in the 20s.
December 21, 2022
Wonderful
Another in this series of thoroughly enjoyable books. I cannot wait for the next installment and more of Kitty's adventures.
Another in this series of thoroughly enjoyable books. I cannot wait for the next installment and more of Kitty's adventures.
December 16, 2022
Enjoyed this. Glad that justice was served.
I wanted a little light reading. Even though it involved a murder, there was goodness to offset the bad. I will definitely look into reading the first books in the series.
I wanted a little light reading. Even though it involved a murder, there was goodness to offset the bad. I will definitely look into reading the first books in the series.
December 18, 2022
Love Kitty!
I love the characters in these books. The author gives just the right amount of descriptive and historical detail to help the reader along.
I love the characters in these books. The author gives just the right amount of descriptive and historical detail to help the reader along.
December 12, 2022
And old Mystery to haunt a wedding at Christmas
Miss Kitty and DCI Robert solve another mystery with Mr Clapham, proving his worth. Looked by forward to Book 6.
Miss Kitty and DCI Robert solve another mystery with Mr Clapham, proving his worth. Looked by forward to Book 6.
December 9, 2022
okay
The ending was a bit rushed and abrupt. The author needed an editor for this book. There were a number of errors.
The ending was a bit rushed and abrupt. The author needed an editor for this book. There were a number of errors.
December 30, 2022
Frequent grammatical and writing errors mar this series. Subject-verb agreement problems, unclear pronouns, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, confusion of restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, and unnecessary repetition are among the problems I noticed. Even more annoying - in fact, infuriating - is that the author perpetuates a common misquote from Shakespeare's Macbeth (which is not an obscure play). She frequently says to her beloved, "lead on, Macduff." The correct quotation is "lay on, Macduff," which occurs in the battle at the end between Macduff and Macbeth. It basically means something like, "go ahead, do your worst." But the main character says this repeatedly, which makes both the character and the author look ignorant.
Also, the plotting in this book and the previous one leaves much to be desired. I really enjoyed the first book, and each one after that was a little more careless. Read the first one or two and skip the rest until the author finds a well-read copy editor and a draft reader who will ensure she meets the standards of the first book.
Also, the plotting in this book and the previous one leaves much to be desired. I really enjoyed the first book, and each one after that was a little more careless. Read the first one or two and skip the rest until the author finds a well-read copy editor and a draft reader who will ensure she meets the standards of the first book.
March 13, 2023
Justice is never to late
Everyone is gathering for Margaret and Sebastian's Christmas Eve wedding. After spending time together with everyone Kitty and Robert want to be alone for awhile so they go to the library, Kitty accidentally discovers a hidden room behind a wall, called a priest hole they were built in castles to hide priest's to save their lives. Kitty and Robert go exploring and of course they find a dead body, a young woman named Daisy Gordon who worked as a maid in the castle, unfortunately Daisy got pregnant by the wrong person, rather then take responsibility he murdered her and tried to murder Mrs. Sweetwater to keep the secret, but as we know secrets are hard to keep. Thanks to Kitty and her fellow group of crime solvers the guilty person is finally arrested. Margaret and Sebastian are married and everyone enjoys Christmas together before heading home. This is a great series and worth reading, you'll enjoy it and get hooked like me, on to the next book.
Everyone is gathering for Margaret and Sebastian's Christmas Eve wedding. After spending time together with everyone Kitty and Robert want to be alone for awhile so they go to the library, Kitty accidentally discovers a hidden room behind a wall, called a priest hole they were built in castles to hide priest's to save their lives. Kitty and Robert go exploring and of course they find a dead body, a young woman named Daisy Gordon who worked as a maid in the castle, unfortunately Daisy got pregnant by the wrong person, rather then take responsibility he murdered her and tried to murder Mrs. Sweetwater to keep the secret, but as we know secrets are hard to keep. Thanks to Kitty and her fellow group of crime solvers the guilty person is finally arrested. Margaret and Sebastian are married and everyone enjoys Christmas together before heading home. This is a great series and worth reading, you'll enjoy it and get hooked like me, on to the next book.
December 31, 2024
BX Link: https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Where: England
When: 1923
Thoughts/Reflections: A cute little holiday-themed cozy mystery to close out the year for me. Kitty Worthingston’s sister is about to marry a duke. What could be more romantic than a Christmas wedding in an English castle? Things get a bit dicey when our heroine discovers a secret section of the castle… and the remains of a young woman killed decades earlier. Kitty and her cohorts solve the mystery without (much) disruption to the wedding or the holiday celebration. This one surprised me. I am starting with book #5 in what is clearly a series, but in 120 pages I didn’t expect much in terms of either plot or character development, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was some of each. While this isn’t an edge of your seat mystery, I hadn’t solved it 30 pages in, either. All in all a pleasant way to spend the late morning on New Years Eve.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Where: England
When: 1923
Thoughts/Reflections: A cute little holiday-themed cozy mystery to close out the year for me. Kitty Worthingston’s sister is about to marry a duke. What could be more romantic than a Christmas wedding in an English castle? Things get a bit dicey when our heroine discovers a secret section of the castle… and the remains of a young woman killed decades earlier. Kitty and her cohorts solve the mystery without (much) disruption to the wedding or the holiday celebration. This one surprised me. I am starting with book #5 in what is clearly a series, but in 120 pages I didn’t expect much in terms of either plot or character development, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was some of each. While this isn’t an edge of your seat mystery, I hadn’t solved it 30 pages in, either. All in all a pleasant way to spend the late morning on New Years Eve.
December 11, 2023
Pretty Good Christmas Mystery
This story had all elements for a cozy Christmas mystery. Lots of descriptions of fun, traditional Christmas activities: sleigh rides, tree decorating, and, of course, the proverbial snow on Christmas morning.
There is a dead body found in a secret passageway that must be accounted for, but there's nothing bloody, no bad language, and no graphic bedroom scenes. For my tastes, that's how I want my Christmas stories.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was that I am unfamiliar with this series, and this story takes place well into the middle of it. It's clear that all the characters are meant to be known to the reader (and to one another), and there were a lot of them. I would have preferred fewer characters personally, but it wasn't a huge problem. I just kept reading and enjoying.
This story had all elements for a cozy Christmas mystery. Lots of descriptions of fun, traditional Christmas activities: sleigh rides, tree decorating, and, of course, the proverbial snow on Christmas morning.
There is a dead body found in a secret passageway that must be accounted for, but there's nothing bloody, no bad language, and no graphic bedroom scenes. For my tastes, that's how I want my Christmas stories.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was that I am unfamiliar with this series, and this story takes place well into the middle of it. It's clear that all the characters are meant to be known to the reader (and to one another), and there were a lot of them. I would have preferred fewer characters personally, but it wasn't a huge problem. I just kept reading and enjoying.
September 1, 2025
England, Christmas 1923. As Kitty Worthington's family and friends descend upon Wynchcombe Castle for her sister Margaret's wedding to Sebastian, the newest Duke of Wynchcombe, everyone is caught up in the flurry of wedding festivities as well as the magic of the Christmas season. While exploring the rambling castle, Kitty and her fiancé Robert Crawford come across the remains of a long-dead woman in a hidden "priest hole," a secret chamber built centuries ago to shelter persecuted Catholic priests. The murder victim turns out to be missing castle maid Daisy, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Kitty, Scotland Yard DCI Crawford, and their fellow sleuths must solve this gruesome mystery so Margaret's wedding can go ahead without this murderous shadow hanging over it.
November 18, 2023
An Old Murder
England 1923. No sooner does Kitty Worthington arrive at Wynchcombe Castle for her sister’s holiday nuptials than she makes a gruesome discovery—the remains of a woman who perished long ago. Her death was not natural; she suffered a violent end. And there’s a mysterious connection to the Wynchcombe family that must be explained.
A past maid of the household had been murdered. They discovered her long dead corpse while revealing a priesthole There is a ghost involved.. They are not going to let it stand.
I borrowed this book from KindleUnlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.
England 1923. No sooner does Kitty Worthington arrive at Wynchcombe Castle for her sister’s holiday nuptials than she makes a gruesome discovery—the remains of a woman who perished long ago. Her death was not natural; she suffered a violent end. And there’s a mysterious connection to the Wynchcombe family that must be explained.
A past maid of the household had been murdered. They discovered her long dead corpse while revealing a priesthole There is a ghost involved.. They are not going to let it stand.
I borrowed this book from KindleUnlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.
September 15, 2023
Not bad but annoying mistakes
I like the characters in this story but if you set a story in England in the 20's at least attempt to get it right. There are very few intact, livable castles in the UK, most are ruins, and not every aristocrat lives in one. The biggest error is the idea that it snows at Christmas and the idea of sleighs being needed in Hampshire is laughable. Umbrellas and wellies yes - sleighs maybe once in 500 years.
I like the characters in this story but if you set a story in England in the 20's at least attempt to get it right. There are very few intact, livable castles in the UK, most are ruins, and not every aristocrat lives in one. The biggest error is the idea that it snows at Christmas and the idea of sleighs being needed in Hampshire is laughable. Umbrellas and wellies yes - sleighs maybe once in 500 years.
May 18, 2024
Merry Christmas!
Kitty's sister, Margaret, is getting married. The wedding, planned for Christmas Eve, brings friends and family to Sebastian's estate.
Unfortunately a body is found in an old priest's hole. Who was the victim and why was she killed?
I truly enjoyed the Christmas traditions that were seamlessly woven through the plot . A great addition to the list of Christmas mysteries I have been compiling.
Kitty's sister, Margaret, is getting married. The wedding, planned for Christmas Eve, brings friends and family to Sebastian's estate.
Unfortunately a body is found in an old priest's hole. Who was the victim and why was she killed?
I truly enjoyed the Christmas traditions that were seamlessly woven through the plot . A great addition to the list of Christmas mysteries I have been compiling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews