On This Page
Description
On Christmas Day, a University scrooge finds a murdered librarian Each December, the faculty of Balaclava Agricultural College goes wild with Christmas lights. The entire campus glitters with holiday decorations, save for one dark spot: the home of professor Peter Shandy. But after years of resisting the Illumination festival, Shandy snaps, installing a million-watt display of flashing lights and blaring music perfectly calculated to drive his neighbors mad. The horticulturalist flees town, show more planning to spend Christmas on a tramp steamer, but soon feels guilty about his prank and returns home to find his Christmas lights extinguished, and a dead librarian in his living room. Wishing to avoid a scandal, the school's head asks Shandy to investigate the matter quietly. After all, Christmas is big business, and the town needs the cash infusion provided by the Illumination. As Peter Shandy will soon find, though, there is a dark side to even the whitest of white Christmases. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I adored the late Charlotte MacLeod’s Kelling series so, so much that I devoured all 12 books and only wish she’d lived to write a dozen more. So when my book club, the Great Escape, suggested Rest You Merry, the first novel in MacLeod’s Peter Shandy series, as our December read, no one was more enthusiastic than I.
Curmudgeonly bachelor Peter Shandy’s a tenured professor of agrology at Balaclava Agricultural College in Balaclava Junction, Massachusetts. While he’s gone, the wife of his best friend, an interfering, overbearing woman named Jemima Ames, turns up dead in Shandy’s living room. Police declare Mrs. Ames’ death an unfortunate accident that occurred when she was trying to take down Shandy’s vulgar Christmas show more display; however, neither Shandy nor Ames’ husband Tim buy that explanation. Rest You Merrydoesn’t rank with the Kelling books, but the mystery cozy was pretty good, and I immediately downloaded the next book in the series, The Luck Runs Out, from the library.
Special thanks to my Great Escape sisters for a chance to launch into yet another Charlotte MacLeod series. And with 10 books in the Peter Shandy series, I will be enjoying myself for years to come. show less
Curmudgeonly bachelor Peter Shandy’s a tenured professor of agrology at Balaclava Agricultural College in Balaclava Junction, Massachusetts. While he’s gone, the wife of his best friend, an interfering, overbearing woman named Jemima Ames, turns up dead in Shandy’s living room. Police declare Mrs. Ames’ death an unfortunate accident that occurred when she was trying to take down Shandy’s vulgar Christmas show more display; however, neither Shandy nor Ames’ husband Tim buy that explanation. Rest You Merrydoesn’t rank with the Kelling books, but the mystery cozy was pretty good, and I immediately downloaded the next book in the series, The Luck Runs Out, from the library.
Special thanks to my Great Escape sisters for a chance to launch into yet another Charlotte MacLeod series. And with 10 books in the Peter Shandy series, I will be enjoying myself for years to come. show less
A straightforward murder mystery that doesn't make its reader think, but just enjoy it. An easy read that doesn't take much concentration to keep the characters straight, and it's cozy setting and late 70's time period makes for a nice, pleasant get away from the regular world for a few hours.
3.5 stars, and recommended to anyone to likes/loves "cozy mysteries".
3.5 stars, and recommended to anyone to likes/loves "cozy mysteries".
Rest You Merry by Charlotte Macleod is a 2012 Mysterious Press/Open Road publication. (Originally published in 1978)
I’ve been curious about this series for ages, and I love reading through old cozy mystery series. The downside to that is trying to locate all the installments, since many of these older books are out of print or are priced outside my budget. Thankfully, I found a healthy number of Macleod’s Peter Shandy series in digital format on Hoopla while looking for holiday mysteries. As it turns out, this is both a Christmas themed book and the first book in the series, so it seemed the perfect time to dive in and test the waters.
For a book originally published in 1978 it held up well. There are a few remarks made that we show more might frown on, and some phrases popped up that were pretty funny. “When can we split for lunch?” Split? LOL! But the best one was referencing law enforcement as the ‘Fuzz’. That one made me laugh out loud. But, overall, the book is not all that dated. The mystery is solid, and I rather liked Peter Shandy. There were a few characters to keep up with, which was a little trying at times, and for a cozy mystery I was a little surprised at some of the language- no F-bombs or anything, but occasionally some words went beyond ‘mild language’, which is not typical for books in this category.
Other than that, this book got the series off to a good start. I have no idea if reading in order is required- I rather doubt it, to be honest- I’ll have to go with what books are available, though, either way. But I will most definitely read more books in the series whenever possible.
4 stars show less
I’ve been curious about this series for ages, and I love reading through old cozy mystery series. The downside to that is trying to locate all the installments, since many of these older books are out of print or are priced outside my budget. Thankfully, I found a healthy number of Macleod’s Peter Shandy series in digital format on Hoopla while looking for holiday mysteries. As it turns out, this is both a Christmas themed book and the first book in the series, so it seemed the perfect time to dive in and test the waters.
For a book originally published in 1978 it held up well. There are a few remarks made that we show more might frown on, and some phrases popped up that were pretty funny. “When can we split for lunch?” Split? LOL! But the best one was referencing law enforcement as the ‘Fuzz’. That one made me laugh out loud. But, overall, the book is not all that dated. The mystery is solid, and I rather liked Peter Shandy. There were a few characters to keep up with, which was a little trying at times, and for a cozy mystery I was a little surprised at some of the language- no F-bombs or anything, but occasionally some words went beyond ‘mild language’, which is not typical for books in this category.
Other than that, this book got the series off to a good start. I have no idea if reading in order is required- I rather doubt it, to be honest- I’ll have to go with what books are available, though, either way. But I will most definitely read more books in the series whenever possible.
4 stars show less
3.5 stars
Peter Shandy is a professor at a small college. Many of the faculty live close to each other, and at Christmas they go all out in their neighbourhood to decorate. It’s called the Illumination Festival and it attracts people out to see the lights. While Peter is away, there is a Christmas party. When Peter returns, he finds the assistant librarian dead in his house. It appears she was trying to fix some decorations and she fell. But, on looking closer, Peter doesn’t think it was an accident. The last time the librarian was seen, she was leaving the party.
I quite liked this. It’s a quick read and, unfortunately, the first in a series. I will continue on (if I can find the next book(s), as this one was originally published show more in 1978). I don’t read a lot of Christmas-themed books, so the Christmas-y stuff was kind of fun, too. show less
Peter Shandy is a professor at a small college. Many of the faculty live close to each other, and at Christmas they go all out in their neighbourhood to decorate. It’s called the Illumination Festival and it attracts people out to see the lights. While Peter is away, there is a Christmas party. When Peter returns, he finds the assistant librarian dead in his house. It appears she was trying to fix some decorations and she fell. But, on looking closer, Peter doesn’t think it was an accident. The last time the librarian was seen, she was leaving the party.
I quite liked this. It’s a quick read and, unfortunately, the first in a series. I will continue on (if I can find the next book(s), as this one was originally published show more in 1978). I don’t read a lot of Christmas-themed books, so the Christmas-y stuff was kind of fun, too. show less
It's the night before Christmas as I write this review.The season is merry and I should be too.
Yet despite best intentions and goodwill to all men, I couldn't bring myself to listen to this book again.
The story is slow and the characters are bland. I don't care whodunnit or how they are found.
Two hours of listening to lengthy discourse on marbles and murder and wrongly locked doors, with no tension and no action are more than enough. I'm setting it aside to read other stuff.
Yet despite best intentions and goodwill to all men, I couldn't bring myself to listen to this book again.
The story is slow and the characters are bland. I don't care whodunnit or how they are found.
Two hours of listening to lengthy discourse on marbles and murder and wrongly locked doors, with no tension and no action are more than enough. I'm setting it aside to read other stuff.
I was looking for a shortish Christmas-time book to read with one of my book groups, and we chose this one. Originally published in 1978, it felt like it took place in the 1950s. In other words, the characters didn’t act as “cool” as I remembered people in the 70’s being. There was no reference to music of the time (only classic Christmas carols) and the clothes mentioned didn’t allude to anything specifically from that era, other than a large purple cape worn by the murder victim. There are several classic literary references (that I had to look up) and a whole lot of alcoholic drinking (bourbon, cocktails and sherry).
The story took place during the Christmas holidays in a fictional Massachusetts college town and the snow, show more holiday decorations, music, and winter activities clearly qualified as a Christmas-time book.
As it turned out, this was the first in a 10-book mystery series by Charlotte MacLeod featuring Professor Peter Shandy. Here he discovers his murder mystery-solving skills as well as fights off arduous attention from a variety of women.
The best thing about this book, other than that it was short, was the occasional witty, sly humor. And the “screwball mystery” had me guessing as to who the murderer was – lots of red herrings to keep me speculating. This one gets only a three-star rating and I won’t be reading the others in the series. show less
The story took place during the Christmas holidays in a fictional Massachusetts college town and the snow, show more holiday decorations, music, and winter activities clearly qualified as a Christmas-time book.
As it turned out, this was the first in a 10-book mystery series by Charlotte MacLeod featuring Professor Peter Shandy. Here he discovers his murder mystery-solving skills as well as fights off arduous attention from a variety of women.
The best thing about this book, other than that it was short, was the occasional witty, sly humor. And the “screwball mystery” had me guessing as to who the murderer was – lots of red herrings to keep me speculating. This one gets only a three-star rating and I won’t be reading the others in the series. show less
I don't have enough good words to say about this mystery! It's funny, it's witty, it's warm, it's cozy and the mystery is excellent! One of my all-time favorite cozies.
The setting is at Balaclava College, a small agricultural college with a cast of kooky characters that keep you amused from the start. Professor Peter Shandy, the fifty-some year old hero, and Helen, the 40 something year old heroine, are two of the most pleasant characters in the mystery world. You'll wish you lived next door to them by the end of the book.
The mystery itself takes a plenty of time to unfold and that is good because I enjoy the story so much I don't want it to end too quickly. I'm so glad that Charlotte MacLeod wrote a series about Peter and Helen so you show more can spend a lot more time with them.
There's nothing slick or modern or hard-bitten about this book. It's pure comfort food for the cozy reader. show less
The setting is at Balaclava College, a small agricultural college with a cast of kooky characters that keep you amused from the start. Professor Peter Shandy, the fifty-some year old hero, and Helen, the 40 something year old heroine, are two of the most pleasant characters in the mystery world. You'll wish you lived next door to them by the end of the book.
The mystery itself takes a plenty of time to unfold and that is good because I enjoy the story so much I don't want it to end too quickly. I'm so glad that Charlotte MacLeod wrote a series about Peter and Helen so you show more can spend a lot more time with them.
There's nothing slick or modern or hard-bitten about this book. It's pure comfort food for the cozy reader. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Christmas Books
370 works; 40 members
Books Read in 2020
4,379 works; 124 members
New England Books
101 works; 10 members
Books Read in 2022
5,164 works; 113 members
Books Read in 2023
5,547 works; 145 members
Cozy Mystery List
26 works; 2 members
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Best Christmas Mysteries
112 works; 2 members
Books Read in 2025
4,091 works; 97 members
Author Information
60+ Works 12,171 Members
Charlotte MacLeod was born in Bath, New Brunswick, Canada on November 12, 1922. She immigrated to the United States in 1923 and became a naturalized citizen in 1951. She attended the School of Practical Art, now the Art Institute of Boston. She was a staff artist and copywriter at Stop and Shop supermarkets from 1945 to 1952. She also worked at show more N.H. Miller & Co. advertising firm from 1952 to 1982 starting as a copy chief and ending up as a Vice President. She wrote two series under her own name, a Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery series and the Peter Shandy Mystery series. She also wrote two series under the pseudonym Alisa Craig, the Madoc and Janet Rhys Mystery series and the Grub-and-Stakers series. She also wrote Had She But Known: A Biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart and a dozen juvenile books. She won five American Mystery awards and a Nero Wolfe award. She edited the anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings. She is the co-founder and past president of the American Crime Writers League. She died on January 14, 2005 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Rest You Merry
- Original publication date
- 1978
- People/Characters
- Peter Shandy (agronomy professor, Balaclava College); Hannah Cadwall (college comptroller's wife, Jemima's best friend); Jemima Ames (assistant librarian, Tim Ames' wife, a nosy pest); Timothy Ames (professor, Soil Management Dept., Shandy's best friend); Fred Ottermole (Balaclava Junction police chief); Eddie Grimble (campus security chief) (show all 54); Sieglinde Svenson (Thorkjeld's Valkyrie-like wife); Thorkjeld Svenson (President, Balaclava College); Adele Dysart (Bob's wife); Bob Dysart (professor, college engineer); Dr. Helen Marsh, D.L.S. (librarian, Tim's daughter's mother-in-law's cousin); Mrs. Lomax (Prof. Shandy's housekeeper); Henry (Shandy's elderly cousin); Elizabeth (Henry's wife, her niece, Alice, visited Shandy when a girl); Dr. Melchett (local doctor, physician-on-call to the college); Harry the Ghoul (Harry Goulson, local undertaker); Roy Ames (Tim & Jemima's son); Jemmy Ames Marsh (Tim & Jemima's daughter, about to have their first grandchild); Dave Marsh (Jemmy's husband); Heidi Hayhoe (student); Jim Feldstar (professor, Fundamentals of Dairy Mgmt, Shandy's next-door neighbor); Mirelle Feldster (his shrewish wife); Dr. John Enderble (professor emeritus of local fauna); Mary Enderble (his wife); Dr. Ben Cadwall (college comptroller, the Ames' nosy next-door-neighbor); Roger Jackman (Shandy's other next-door neighbor); Sheila Jackman (his wife); Dickie Jackman (their little son); Wendy Jackman (their little daughter); Pam Waggoner (college animal husbandry dept. assistant); Shirley Wrenne (another college assistant, specializes in native crafts); Dr. Phil Porble (Balaclava College head librarian); Grace Porble (his wife); Lizanne Porble (their daughter); Eugene (one of Imogene's kittens); Imogene (the Enderbles' cat); Rex (the Enderbles' dog, of indeterminable breed); Algernon (the Enderbles' white Belgian hare); Sam (head campus security assistant); Officer Budge Dorkin (Balaclava Junction police); Miss Tibbett (ollege registrations office); Charles (college mail boy); Miss Baxter (college administration office); Miss Tippett (probably a typo for Miss Tibbett); Mrs. Melchett (the doctor's wife); Olivetti (Massachusetts state policeman); Daniel Stott (professor, animal husbandry dept. chairman, pig expert); Ned (one of the college engineers); Jackie (student & waitress); Benita Cadwell (Ben & Hannah's daughter); Frank Cadwell (Benita's brother); JoJo Jackman (one of the Jackmans' two older sons); Mrs. Myrnette Woodruff (Dr. Caldwell's secretary, out with the flu?); Ingeborg Svenson (one of the Svenson's lovely daughters)
- Important places
- Balaclava Agricultural College, Massachusetts, USA (fictional); Balaclava Junction, Massachusetts, USA (fictional)
- Dedication
- For Helen and Glenn
- First words
- 'Peter Shandy, you're impossible,' sputtered his best friend's wife.
- Quotations
- 'As far as I'm concerned', he roared back, 'you can take the Balaclava Buster and squat on it till you both rot. There's been murder done in my house and I'm not going to stand for it. If you didn't carry your brains in your ... (show all)backside, you'd realize you can't afford to either. Didn't your grandmother ever tell you about the rotten apple in the barrel? Don't you know the meaning of the expression 'moral decay'? You let one member of your faculty get away with a thing like this, and you know what's going to happen to the whole college?' (Prof. Shandy)
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Come, Thorkjeld, it is past your bedtime."
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 526
- Popularity
- 56,614
- Reviews
- 18
- Rating
- (3.65)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 19
- ASINs
- 13
