A Christmas Garland

I tried reading a German translation from the library. The translation was so horrible that I couldn't finish it, but the story was interesting enough that I bought the e-book to finish it.

You know all along that there is going to be a surprising end to the story. I thought I had it figured out, but the real end was much better (and much more surprising) than The one I expected.

So much for the mystery part of the book. What I really enjoyed was the exploration of how the various members of the Cawnpore British community reacted to continuing to live in the shadow of the mutiny. This is kept muted, but is still the underlying premise of the whole story.

I've been a fan of Anne Perry for a long time. She writes the most wonderful historical novels. Her William Monk mystery series remains my favourite. Although I have missed a few of her books over the years, I have never missed reading the annual Christmas novella she's been writing since 2003.

This year's book - A Christmas Garland - takes us to 1857 India. It is a few days before Christmas, but things are not peaceful in Cawnpore. The Indians are rebelling against the rule of the East India Company. Lieutenant Victor Narraway is a young soldier, only nineteen, but with a year in India under his belt already. When his superior officer calls him in to tell him he must defend a medical orderly accused of murder he is stunned - he has no show more formal law training at all. But the orderly swears he is innocent. Can Narraway save him from the hangman's noose in the few days he's been given?

Make yourself a pot of tea, turn on your reading lamp and settle in for another deliciously atmospheric tale from Perry. Her detailed descriptions bring historic events and settings to life. Narraway is a character I recognize from the Thomas Pitt mystery series. It was a treat to see him at a much earlier stage of his life. The opposing counsel is just as well drawn, albeit it in a negative light. The language and tone of the time are captured in Perry's dialogue - the horrors of war, the sense of honour and duty.

And into this slim volume, Perry manages to weave together a good mystery (I missed the conflicting clue) with a sense of hope and the human spirit. Reading Perry's annual Christmas book has become a tradition for me. And for those readers who haven't sampled Perry's writing yet, it's a great introduction. show less

After a prisoner escapes from prison, killing a guard in the process and then causing an ambush that killed several soldiers, an investigation rules out all suspects but one. Young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is ordered to defend the man, mainly because Narraway is a new arrival to the post. Narraway is not haunted by memories of the recent siege and its atrocities, and he can't later be accused of bias in his conduct during the trial. Although it's obvious to everyone that the accused man must have committed the murder, it's also important that he be seen to receive a fair trial. Narraway's superior insists that Narraway provide some reason for the crime at the trial. He has less than 48 hours to come up with a defense since the trial show more must be over before Christmas. What possible explanation can there be that makes any sense?

War and massacres of innocent civilians may seem like an odd topic for a Christmas novel. Perry forces readers, through her characters, to consider theological questions regarding God's existence, good and evil, mercy and justice. Narraway (and Perry) look into the darkest aspects of humanity and see a glimpse of hope revealed in the meaning of Christmas and its celebration. As always with her Christmas novellas, it's possible to enjoy this one without reading any of the previous books in this series or in the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series in which Narraway is a minor character.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. show less

Every year at Christmas time, Perry writes a novella featuring one of the characters from her books that doesn't ever really have a starring role, so to speak. In this book, she takes Victor Narraway, Pitts' old boss, and goes back many years to when he was only twenty, places him in India in the military, and has him ordered to defend a medic accused of murder. Have always like Narraway, found him very principled and intelligent. I think this may be a favorite of mine, at least as far as these novella's go. Very cleverly done, mixing history with a bit of mystery.

Lt. Narraway is ordered to defend a medical orderly accused of being an accomplice in the killing of a guard and the escape of a prisoner. The escape of this prisoner resulted in the horrific slaughter of British citizens, many of which were women and children. John Tallis appears to be the only person in the vincity at the time who could have helped in this escape. But he says he is innocent. Narraway is chosen to defend him, but not too vigorously, for the case cries out for revenge, and Tallis is the scapegoat. Author Anne Perry has penned an intricate and thoughtful mystery, with a twist at the end that is keeping with the spirit of Christmas: There is always hope, even in the darkest of days.

I read every book that Anne Perry writes. She is my favourite author, and I love all of them. I especially love these little Christmas gems. Each one is about a more minor character in either of Ms. Perry's Victorian series. This one is about Thomas Pitt's old boss Victor Narraway from the Thames River Police. Narraway is a young man of 20 during the time of this book. The book is set in India in 1857 and close to Christmas. That is is the year of the revolution when natives of India rose up in mutiny against the British garrison. The battle was called the Siege of Cawnpore. Many lives from both sides were lost and both sides were reeling from the violence. Young Victor is a Lieutenant for the British army and he is asked to defend a show more young medic who has been accused of aiding and abetting a traitor who when released, went on to betray a British patrol where many British soldiers were killed. Why did Tallis do this inexplicable thing-release a prisoner in order to betray a British patrol and kill the guard who had been guarding this prisoner? Young Victor doesn't know, but he feels in his bones that John Tallis is innocent.

For those of you familiar with the William Monk series, you will know that there is always a courtroom case in each book. Well this little book has its own court case. And even though the book is short Ms. Perry has not stinted on the detail. This book has all the attributes of one of Ms. Perry's regular length novels-great plot, wonderful characterization, evocative prose and a wonderful sense of time and place. I don't intend to ever miss one of these little Christmas stories. show less

Thomas Pitt's Special Branch boss, Victor Narraway, wasn't always the head of Special Branch. Long ago and far away, he was a twenty-year-old British Army lieutenant in India during the Mutiny. As the youngest officer, and new to the unit he's now in, Lt. Narraway gets assigned a fairly nasty task: defending an Army medic charged with a horrible murder.

The medic was well-liked, but so was the guard who was killed. And this killing took place as part of the escape of a prisoner, who after escaping also slaughtered an Army patrol. Also, there's no evidence against the medic except that everyone else's location is positively accounted for at the time of the murder. He's the only one who could have done it.

It's an altogether nasty show more situation, and Lt. Narraway knows he's expected to not make too much trouble as the defense, and let the situation be resolved with no more pain than is absolutely unavoidable.

But it bothers him that there is no actual evidence against his client, and that his client is very, very convincing when he says he didn't do it. With less than two days to work with, Narraway starts investigating.

It's a clever mystery with an unexpected but convincing resolution.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. show less