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A review by ladylothlorien
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was in the mood for a Jazz Age cozy Christmas mystery and couldn't resist jumping into the middle of this series that I have never read. Reader, it was totally fine. The author gave me enough information that I knew who everyone was and what their history was with Georgie, so I didn't feel confused about any of that. I suppose there wasn't much information about how Georgie has been involved in previous mysteries, but that only made me want to go back and read all of the previous books (and the ones that have been released since.
My brain has been a little fried lately, so I blame that for me not catching on to some of the elements of the mystery before they were openly revealed, but sometimes it's just nice to let a story unfold without doing too much guessing. I didn't have any trouble following the story and I don't feel like anything was over or under explained in the end. It was overall just a fun and perfect cozy Christmas story.
I listened to this on audio and I have to say the narrator, Katherine Kellgren, was FANTASTIC. In fact, I think I will make a point to listen to the other books in the series provided they are narrated by her. She did a great job differentiating voices, especially with differing English (and Irish) accents, so I almost always knew who was speaking (once or twice Georgie's grandfather and the local policeman were hard to differentiate). She kept the tone light and just fit this book perfectly.
My brain has been a little fried lately, so I blame that for me not catching on to some of the elements of the mystery before they were openly revealed, but sometimes it's just nice to let a story unfold without doing too much guessing. I didn't have any trouble following the story and I don't feel like anything was over or under explained in the end. It was overall just a fun and perfect cozy Christmas story.
I listened to this on audio and I have to say the narrator, Katherine Kellgren, was FANTASTIC. In fact, I think I will make a point to listen to the other books in the series provided they are narrated by her. She did a great job differentiating voices, especially with differing English (and Irish) accents, so I almost always knew who was speaking (once or twice Georgie's grandfather and the local policeman were hard to differentiate). She kept the tone light and just fit this book perfectly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
It's a cozy mystery, so nothing is really too graphic in terms of the deaths, but still some of the ways in which people die (or are harmed) is a bit gruesome just in mentioning it (e.g., electrocution, being set on fire by a candelabra). And quite a lot of people die (or attempts are made on their lives). I also wasn't fond of the way that Georgie was sexually harassed by a couple of the men in the story; both of them put their hands on her legs at the dinner table and one of them clearly makes an attempt to assault Georgie in her bedroom while she is drunk (her maid interrupts and puts a stop to it). It wasn't graphic, but I didn't like how later Georgie pretty much tosses it off as normal. I understand that is probably a realistic way for Georgie to cope with it, but later she says she liked the man despite the incident. I don't want to have sympathy for him, thanks. He may not have deserved the end he got, but that doesn't mean his behavior was appalling and wrong.