Shrouds of Holly

It's Christmastime and Cecily Sinclair Baxter is busy decorating the Pennyfoot Hotel for the holidays. She enlists the help of her husband Baxter and stable manager Samuel and sends them out to collect some holly. Much to her dismay, Baxter and Samuel don't return, but their horse and carriage does - with a dead body inside. Samuel soon turns up but Baxter is still missing and Samuel can't remember what happened. Cecily is determined to find Baxter, no matter what. Not only that, but she wants to find the killer of the body in the carriage. She's convinced she knows who the killer is but the local constable has his own suspicions and won't listen to her theory. Cecily is determined to bring the killer to justice even if it means putting show more her own life in danger.

"Shrouds of Holly" is another nice entry in Kate Kingsbury's annual Holiday Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery series. The series is set in the early 1900's and Kingsbury does a good job of capturing that period of time (maid Gertie's longing to ride in a motor car is a perfect example). All the favorite Pennyfoot characters are here: housekeeper Mrs. Chubb; Gertie; "French" chef Michel; Cecily's friends Madeline Pengrath and Phoebe Fortescue (and her husband, Colonel Fortescue); Kenneth Prestwick; Samuel; Pansy; and of course Cecily and Baxter. There is a nice little subplot involving Gertie that made me smile and I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens. There is a nice sense of humor throughout the book especially involving Michel who loses his French accent when excited, Colonel Fortescue, and Phoebe's annual Christmas Revue that always ends in a hilarious disaster. The mystery is well plotted and well written and the solution not as easy as it first appears. Without giving away the ending, I want to say I chuckled when the identity of the killer was revealed - kudos to Ms. Kingsbury for the solution.

I always enjoy my visits to the Pennyfoot Hotel, I just wish it was more than once a year. show less

Samuel and Baxter are gathering holly when they come upon a man swinging from a tree. Soon the horses and carriage return to the Pennyfoot Hotel without the original occupants and with the dead body. The concern is only amplified when Samuel returns on foot with a head injury and little recollection of the events. Cecily instigates a search for her husband. Samuel slowly regains his memory. Cecily is convinced that P.C. Northcott is incapable of finding the murderer and continues her investigation. The cast of characters at the Pennyfoot is always charming. Cecily's involvement in the case did not seem to be quite as natural as in some previous cases. Although this book has a Christmas setting, the holiday theme is minimal, and the book show more can be read at any time of the year. While it was an enjoyable read, I found a little of the spark of previous installments missing in this one. show less

It must be my mode as I need cheery reading. This is the first I've read in the Pennyfoot Hotel mystery series. It is Christmas time at Pennyfoot Hotel. Proprietor Cecily sent her husband Baxter and stable manager Samuel out for fresh holly to decorate the ballroom. However, the horse trap returned without Bax and Samuel, and in the trap was her neighbor, dead. She called the notoriously enept and lazy local constable. But, by evening Samuel had returned with a wound on his head. A search party was sent out to look for Baxter, to no avail. Poor Cecily was determined to find her husband and find the murderer of her neighbor while running her motel. It was an interesting light read. I like the flavor of early 20th century England, a show more simpler and more slow paced time. I doubt I will make a effort to read more of this series as the pace was rather slow for me. I liked the characters, but not enough to revisit them any time soon. show less