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Christmas in Newfoundland — Memories and Mysteries Book 2
From the author of the Award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mysteries including Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries Book 1, comes anotherwelcome addition to the Sgt. Windflower family of books.
Come sit by the fire of the woodstove in the kitchen and listen to stories of Christmas long ago in Grand Bank and Ramea and tales of great adventure and Christmas magic in St. John’s in the 1960s and onward. Have Christmas dinner with Sgt. Windflower and Sheila and their two little girls. Then wait and see if any special visitors show up to entertain them.
Sing along with the choir or have a drink with old friends to celebrate Tibb’s Eve. Follow along as Eddie Tizzard has a special mission in the middle of a snowstorm and Herb Stoodley becomes an unlikely Christmas hero.
Christmas in Newfoundland is always a time for good food, good friends, and good cheer. And there’s always another chair at the table.
What readers are saying about Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries:
"For someone whose family hails from Newfoundland and have lived on The Rock for generations upon generations, this novel was so beautifully nostalgic that I found myself smiling throughout the entire time I was reading it. The work is wonderful, warm, and charming as we walk with the author down memory lane to simpler times in one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. This is just one big warm hug that will bring back fond memories to every reader, regardless of where they hail from.”
“Christmas in Newfoundland can be read quickly or slowly but I highly recommend reading it and getting lost in the Christmas spirit. Mike Martin will have you reminiscing about some of your old family traditions and may even give you ideas of new things to try in your Christmas.”
Come sit by the fire of the woodstove in the kitchen and listen to stories of Christmas long ago in Grand Bank and Ramea and tales of great adventure and Christmas magic in St. John’s in the 1960s and onward. Have Christmas dinner with Sgt. Windflower and Sheila and their two little girls. Then wait and see if any special visitors show up to entertain them.
Sing along with the choir or have a drink with old friends to celebrate Tibb’s Eve. Follow along as Eddie Tizzard has a special mission in the middle of a snowstorm and Herb Stoodley becomes an unlikely Christmas hero.
Christmas in Newfoundland is always a time for good food, good friends, and good cheer. And there’s always another chair at the table.
What readers are saying about Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries:
"For someone whose family hails from Newfoundland and have lived on The Rock for generations upon generations, this novel was so beautifully nostalgic that I found myself smiling throughout the entire time I was reading it. The work is wonderful, warm, and charming as we walk with the author down memory lane to simpler times in one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. This is just one big warm hug that will bring back fond memories to every reader, regardless of where they hail from.”
“Christmas in Newfoundland can be read quickly or slowly but I highly recommend reading it and getting lost in the Christmas spirit. Mike Martin will have you reminiscing about some of your old family traditions and may even give you ideas of new things to try in your Christmas.”
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2022
17 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 17, 2022
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The stories in this book are a delightful way to add to your Christmas spirit. Go back in time with the author and the characters from his Sgt. Windflower Mysteries during their holiday seasons.
While I really enjoyed all the stories, A Different Tibb’s Eve was my favorite. Herb Stoodley gets caught in a blizzard trying to get home for Christmas but he stops to help someone stuck in a drift and ends up having a heartwarming experience and his “best Tibb’s Eve ever”.
Several stories are about Winston Windflower’s and his wife Sheila’s Christmases over the years and they were fun to read too. Those from Winston’s childhood were a real treat as were the ones from the author himself.
The graphics at the start and in between the chapters, and the cover of the book add to the Christmas feeling coming from the stories.
Every family has their own Christmas traditions and they are born in several ways over the years. It was entertaining to read about the traditions of the people from Grand Bank and Ramea.
Entertaining and nostalgic, this book of stories invoked several memories of my own. If I wasn’t already in the Christmas spirit these stories would have gotten me there. You can read this book over several days or be like me and curl up in a blanket with the book and read them all in one evening. It was a wonderful read.
I haven’t read the 1st Christmas in Newfoundland but I have added it to my Christmas list.
The stories in this book are a delightful way to add to your Christmas spirit. Go back in time with the author and the characters from his Sgt. Windflower Mysteries during their holiday seasons.
While I really enjoyed all the stories, A Different Tibb’s Eve was my favorite. Herb Stoodley gets caught in a blizzard trying to get home for Christmas but he stops to help someone stuck in a drift and ends up having a heartwarming experience and his “best Tibb’s Eve ever”.
Several stories are about Winston Windflower’s and his wife Sheila’s Christmases over the years and they were fun to read too. Those from Winston’s childhood were a real treat as were the ones from the author himself.
The graphics at the start and in between the chapters, and the cover of the book add to the Christmas feeling coming from the stories.
Every family has their own Christmas traditions and they are born in several ways over the years. It was entertaining to read about the traditions of the people from Grand Bank and Ramea.
Entertaining and nostalgic, this book of stories invoked several memories of my own. If I wasn’t already in the Christmas spirit these stories would have gotten me there. You can read this book over several days or be like me and curl up in a blanket with the book and read them all in one evening. It was a wonderful read.
I haven’t read the 1st Christmas in Newfoundland but I have added it to my Christmas list.
November 22, 2022
Christmas delight!
Another Christmas treat from Mike Martin. A feast of “memories and mysteries”. We all could use a little love and laughter in our lives and Martin does just that with his writings, giving wings to the delights of this special season in Newfoundland.
I must admit to treasuring the growth of Windflower’s daughters, his loving relationship with Sheila, and the development of other characters we’ve grown close to. Like Eddie Tizzard, Herb Stooley, Ron Quigley—valued old friends.
The peeks at Christmas Day with these characters, the opening of presents are enchanting, the traditions, some just beginning, others tried and true.
Memories of Windflower’s life as a child are a precious addition.
An uplifting and very enjoyable trove of stories for this time of the year.
A Mike Martin ARC
Many thanks to the author.
Another Christmas treat from Mike Martin. A feast of “memories and mysteries”. We all could use a little love and laughter in our lives and Martin does just that with his writings, giving wings to the delights of this special season in Newfoundland.
I must admit to treasuring the growth of Windflower’s daughters, his loving relationship with Sheila, and the development of other characters we’ve grown close to. Like Eddie Tizzard, Herb Stooley, Ron Quigley—valued old friends.
The peeks at Christmas Day with these characters, the opening of presents are enchanting, the traditions, some just beginning, others tried and true.
Memories of Windflower’s life as a child are a precious addition.
An uplifting and very enjoyable trove of stories for this time of the year.
A Mike Martin ARC
Many thanks to the author.
December 16, 2022
This collection of Christmas tales includes characters from the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries (in my top five favorite cozy mysteries) as well as memories from the author. It’s a sweet, entertaining read that begs a cup of hot cocoa and a quiet corner. Reading it, I was transported to Canada and Christmases past. It made me long for a place I didn’t know existed, and family I wished I had.
The stories are perfect for reading while you’re waiting in line somewhere, or when you need to grab a moment of sanity during the holidays. This would make a great stocking stuffer, or a small gift for a favorite reader. And it might whet your appetite for the author’s full-length Windflower Mysteries. To me they are true cozies with great scene setting, likeable characters, and plots that hold my interest all the way through. Whenever I read one, I feel like I’m spending time with old friends I’ve come to care a great deal about.
The stories are perfect for reading while you’re waiting in line somewhere, or when you need to grab a moment of sanity during the holidays. This would make a great stocking stuffer, or a small gift for a favorite reader. And it might whet your appetite for the author’s full-length Windflower Mysteries. To me they are true cozies with great scene setting, likeable characters, and plots that hold my interest all the way through. Whenever I read one, I feel like I’m spending time with old friends I’ve come to care a great deal about.
November 3, 2022
Just so you know, my favorite writer — dead or alive — is Kurt Vonnegut.
Kurt was a wise man, and he has left us (since, sadly, he’s among the dead) plenty of his pearls.
I’m not surprised if you’re wondering what Vonnegut’s wisdom has to do with Mike Martin’s Christmas in Newfoundland [Ottawa Press and Publishing].
Hang on to your wondering…
One of the wise men in Wince Windflower’s life is his grandfather who…well, wisely, said this to Wince about Christmas when Wince was a wee Cree boy in Pink Lake, Alberta: “I can think of no greater gift to give someone than an act of kindness.”
Ah, kindness.
In his Greetings to Babies, Vonnegut, wisely, says this to babies newly arrived on this planet: “God damn, (babies), you’ve got to be kind.”
There you have it. Two wise men pointing out the need for kindness.
Surely there’s a third wise man out there somewhere, eh b’ys?
So, come Christmas, if you have no other gift to offer, be wise, give kindness, even though it might be difficult to package and stuff under a tree.
A couple of the memories made in Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries highlight the kindness of folks in Grand Bank when a most horrendous thing happens — a Christmas power outage.
Turkey dinners are in jeopardy.
Fear not. The people of Grand Bank behave kindly. Those with generators share their power and their stovetops. When the dust settles, so to speak, all hands are stuffed with Christmas dinner — turkey and vegetables and, no doubt, stuffing — all floating in gravy.
Of course, there’s a whole lot more to the story than simply a hot Christmas dinner. Read all about it yourself in this Christmas collection.
Wince Windflower’s honey, Shelia, speaks of her Christmas memories of mummers, masked and disguised folks rapping at the door, seeking entrance.
Despite once upon a time being a wee bay-boy, I have no Christmas memories of mummers. I don’t remember ever hearing the word, even when I left the cove and moved to a foreign province.
Yet, in the crypt of my cranium, there’s a chamber stogged to its dripping stalactites with memories of jannies.
Yes, jannies. Mummers by another name. Both — one and the same — masked revelers who during Christmas came rap, rap, rapping on the porch door with splits, chopped kindling from their own wood-boxes.
As that aforementioned wee bay-boy, at Christmas time I was often a jannie scuffing my boots on our outport’s doorsteps, splintered split in hand.
I was never a mummer.
Change gears.
Mike Martin — dare I say Townie, not bay-boy? — writes, “We never got wrapped presents. That wasn’t a thing back then.”
No wrapped gifts at our house either. Perhaps there was a polar shortage of wrapping paper and Santa’s elves packed his sack with toys whose gaudy Christmas colours sufficed as cheerful decoration.
B’ys, reading Christmas in Newfoundland #2 will make you nostalgic. That’s its intention. Read, pick your own memories from the stories, as you would pluck raisins from a Christmas duff.
Oh, one last thing. I knew it, there is a third wise man. The Dalai Lama who famously has said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Merry Christmas memories.
Thank you for reading.
Kurt was a wise man, and he has left us (since, sadly, he’s among the dead) plenty of his pearls.
I’m not surprised if you’re wondering what Vonnegut’s wisdom has to do with Mike Martin’s Christmas in Newfoundland [Ottawa Press and Publishing].
Hang on to your wondering…
One of the wise men in Wince Windflower’s life is his grandfather who…well, wisely, said this to Wince about Christmas when Wince was a wee Cree boy in Pink Lake, Alberta: “I can think of no greater gift to give someone than an act of kindness.”
Ah, kindness.
In his Greetings to Babies, Vonnegut, wisely, says this to babies newly arrived on this planet: “God damn, (babies), you’ve got to be kind.”
There you have it. Two wise men pointing out the need for kindness.
Surely there’s a third wise man out there somewhere, eh b’ys?
So, come Christmas, if you have no other gift to offer, be wise, give kindness, even though it might be difficult to package and stuff under a tree.
A couple of the memories made in Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries highlight the kindness of folks in Grand Bank when a most horrendous thing happens — a Christmas power outage.
Turkey dinners are in jeopardy.
Fear not. The people of Grand Bank behave kindly. Those with generators share their power and their stovetops. When the dust settles, so to speak, all hands are stuffed with Christmas dinner — turkey and vegetables and, no doubt, stuffing — all floating in gravy.
Of course, there’s a whole lot more to the story than simply a hot Christmas dinner. Read all about it yourself in this Christmas collection.
Wince Windflower’s honey, Shelia, speaks of her Christmas memories of mummers, masked and disguised folks rapping at the door, seeking entrance.
Despite once upon a time being a wee bay-boy, I have no Christmas memories of mummers. I don’t remember ever hearing the word, even when I left the cove and moved to a foreign province.
Yet, in the crypt of my cranium, there’s a chamber stogged to its dripping stalactites with memories of jannies.
Yes, jannies. Mummers by another name. Both — one and the same — masked revelers who during Christmas came rap, rap, rapping on the porch door with splits, chopped kindling from their own wood-boxes.
As that aforementioned wee bay-boy, at Christmas time I was often a jannie scuffing my boots on our outport’s doorsteps, splintered split in hand.
I was never a mummer.
Change gears.
Mike Martin — dare I say Townie, not bay-boy? — writes, “We never got wrapped presents. That wasn’t a thing back then.”
No wrapped gifts at our house either. Perhaps there was a polar shortage of wrapping paper and Santa’s elves packed his sack with toys whose gaudy Christmas colours sufficed as cheerful decoration.
B’ys, reading Christmas in Newfoundland #2 will make you nostalgic. That’s its intention. Read, pick your own memories from the stories, as you would pluck raisins from a Christmas duff.
Oh, one last thing. I knew it, there is a third wise man. The Dalai Lama who famously has said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Merry Christmas memories.
Thank you for reading.
October 6, 2022
Christmas in Newfoundland — Memories and Mysteries Book 2 is the perfect book to start to ease yourself into a holiday state of mind. It’s a collection of short stories from Winston Windflower’s world in Newfoundland as well as some charming childhood memories from author Mike Martin. It’s a nice blend of Windflower and characters we know and care about from the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries series, introducing us to holiday traditions and celebrations and author Martin’s stories about growing up and spending Christmas with family, stories that touch your heart and feel close to home. I grew up in a very different place but in the same general time as the author and it was a warm pleasure to think about our traditions and how some general experiences while growing up were the same across the miles. Heidi movies, new means new-to-me, and possible disappointments being transformed into special memories through the presence of friends and family sparked recognition from my own life and brought a nostalgic joy.
The Windflower stories bring that familiar comfort from the series, while showing us another side to some of the characters or providing some insight into their pasts and what has made them the people they are today. Very satisfying, very, very enjoyable read.
Thanks to author Martin for providing an advance copy of Christmas in Newfoundland — Memories and Mysteries Book 2 for my reading pleasure and honest review. I am always so happy to spend time in Grand Bank with Winston, Sheila and the girls, Eddie Tizzard and Carrie, Richard Tizzard, Herb Stoodley and the rest. This book was a bonus entry, and Martin’s personal recollections were sweet. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries Book 1, but this book was so delightful I am heading right out to get a copy. I recommend this wonderful book without hesitation. All opinions are my own.
The Windflower stories bring that familiar comfort from the series, while showing us another side to some of the characters or providing some insight into their pasts and what has made them the people they are today. Very satisfying, very, very enjoyable read.
Thanks to author Martin for providing an advance copy of Christmas in Newfoundland — Memories and Mysteries Book 2 for my reading pleasure and honest review. I am always so happy to spend time in Grand Bank with Winston, Sheila and the girls, Eddie Tizzard and Carrie, Richard Tizzard, Herb Stoodley and the rest. This book was a bonus entry, and Martin’s personal recollections were sweet. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries Book 1, but this book was so delightful I am heading right out to get a copy. I recommend this wonderful book without hesitation. All opinions are my own.
September 27, 2022
This book, as well as all the others by Mike Martin, is like going home to a familiar and comfortable place with kind, caring people in a beautiful setting. Newfoundland feels like home each time I pick up a book by this talented author.
The characters in this lovely book about Christmas-time traditions, family life and happy times is full of feel-good celebrations with family and friends. It makes the reader become nostalgic about one’s own gatherings at Christmas, the love that is shared, the good food and good times that we cherish and hold close to our hearts.
This was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that took me back to my childhood and refreshed precious memories of days long past. It made me long for those days again.
The characters in this lovely book about Christmas-time traditions, family life and happy times is full of feel-good celebrations with family and friends. It makes the reader become nostalgic about one’s own gatherings at Christmas, the love that is shared, the good food and good times that we cherish and hold close to our hearts.
This was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that took me back to my childhood and refreshed precious memories of days long past. It made me long for those days again.
December 1, 2024
This is another nostalgic collection of Christmas stories harkening back to simpler times. Most feature the cast of characters from the author's Sergeant Windflower series, but he includes some from his own St. Johns childhood as well. Most of the stories focus on the way that families create traditions and memories with their children, and that Christmas is about people, not stuff. I almost deducted another star as some of these stories depart from the timeline of the mystery series, and some even contradict each other, but in the spirit of the Christmas season, and in the spirit of the characters in this book, I am going to be kind. I did, after all, enjoy this book very much.
September 30, 2022
Christmas in Newfoundland by Mike Martin was an enjoyable read as the newlyweds begin new Christmas traditions as the incorporate things they both grew up doing with they families. As the years progress we learn more and more about some of the celebrations that happen in their part of the world. Reading this books takes you back to your childhood and makes you recall the memomeries that you made with your own family. I would recommend this sweet read to others. I received an ARC from the author, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 4, 2022
I love Sgt. Windflower Mysteries and I'm always happy when i can travel to Newfoundland. This is a book of short stories and they're as lovely as the others stories in this series.
Mike Martin always delivers gripping and well written story and this book is up to the rest of the series, a compelling and entertaining read full of festive spirit.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Mike Martin for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.
Mike Martin always delivers gripping and well written story and this book is up to the rest of the series, a compelling and entertaining read full of festive spirit.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Mike Martin for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.
November 11, 2022
Wonderful feel good Christmas stories. Well written, nostalgic, delightful and full of the Christmas spirit.
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
January 1, 2023
This is a heartwarming, nostalgic collection of festive-themed stories, perfect for getting into the Christmassy mood in the run up to the big day. Old-timers (like me and the generation before me) will enjoy a peek back into the family-focused festive memories of their own childhoods, but younger readers will do well to look back on times past, relive the uplifting feelings of spending time with your friends and neighbours and maybe put the technology away for a while to create some satisfying memories of their own for years to come.
(You can read my full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...)
(You can read my full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...)
November 9, 2022
I thought reading Christmas in Newfoundland - Memories and Mysteries Book 2 by Mike Martin was going to be a tough read for me. Earlier this year I lost my mother, she was my rock, my best friend, and Christmas holds a lot of dear memories of her so reading a book about Christmas memories.....I wasn't sure. But I was pleasantly surprised. I am a huge fan of Mike Martin and his Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, I feel like the characters are a part of the family as I have grown to know and love them while reading this series.
Christmas in Newfoundland - Memories and Mysteries Book 2 is the second book that Martin devotes to small stories involving his Sgt. Windflower characters and Christmas and stories of their memories. You do not have to be a fan of this series in order to read this book. This book consists of 13 short stories about the holiday and some of the stories are of Windflower's memories, his wife Sheila's, his best friend Herb Stoodley, his one employee and friend, Eddie Tizzard and his father Richard.
This book can be read in one sitting, I almost did it, but you can try to read it slowly, devoting time to reflect after reading each story. As soon as I opened the book and started reading I became so caught up in the stories that I kept reading until I had only three stories left. I will admit some of the stories did grab at the heartstrings and I found myself emotional.....and that is completely fine....if a story, even a short story, grabs you, you go with it !!
If you are a fan of Mike Martin and his Sgt. Windflower Mystery series then you will feel right at home reading these stories. If you aren't a fan, you just may find yourself wanting to learn more about these people and their quaint little town and neighbors. Either way this is a great book to lose yourself in.
Christmas in Newfoundland - Memories and Mysteries Book 2 is the second book that Martin devotes to small stories involving his Sgt. Windflower characters and Christmas and stories of their memories. You do not have to be a fan of this series in order to read this book. This book consists of 13 short stories about the holiday and some of the stories are of Windflower's memories, his wife Sheila's, his best friend Herb Stoodley, his one employee and friend, Eddie Tizzard and his father Richard.
This book can be read in one sitting, I almost did it, but you can try to read it slowly, devoting time to reflect after reading each story. As soon as I opened the book and started reading I became so caught up in the stories that I kept reading until I had only three stories left. I will admit some of the stories did grab at the heartstrings and I found myself emotional.....and that is completely fine....if a story, even a short story, grabs you, you go with it !!
If you are a fan of Mike Martin and his Sgt. Windflower Mystery series then you will feel right at home reading these stories. If you aren't a fan, you just may find yourself wanting to learn more about these people and their quaint little town and neighbors. Either way this is a great book to lose yourself in.
November 15, 2022
Christmas-themed stories from Newfoundland and beyond. From Winston Windflower's childhood with his beloved Aunt and Uncle and family to his current family in Newfoundland, Mike Martin expertly weaves the spirit of the season into each of these tales (even interspersing some of his own Christmas memories, I believe). Each one is a little gem.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews