A review by katreader
A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond

4.0

A CHRISTMAS CAROL MURDER by Heather Redmond
The Third Dickens of a Crime Mystery

An evening of Christmas caroling turns tragic when Charles Dickens and his friends witness a man plummet to his death from a second story window. While Kate doesn't believe the old man physically capable, Charles is convinced that the disagreeable homeowner is a murderer. Charles is keeping busy trying to work on his book, find a good home for an orphaned baby, and help a growing mudlark, but when the body of the dead man disappears, the situation has the very makings of a novel!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens is a tale of redemption, and so it is with A CHRISTMAS CAROL MURDER by Heather Redmond. In this case, the redemption portion is a secondary story to the murder. Charles, falsely accused, is nonetheless faced with losing his fiance, his job, and his very livelihood and place in society. His future is in peril due to a misunderstanding and the commission of a good deed, causing him to look to redeem himself while trying to solve a murder.

That's not the only similarity you'll find to the classic Christmas story. It was one thing when Mr. Jacob Harley falls to his death wrapped in chains, but when the cranky Emmanuel Screws came on scene I had to giggle. Of course there's a baby Timothy and a Mr. Cratchit too! Charles is also visited by three specters...or at least three mysterious figures during dressed like phantoms.

The third Dickens of a Crime novel is an atmospheric Victorian mystery that highlights the differing mindsets, foibles, and dangers of this bygone time. I enjoy seeing Charles Dickens struggling to find his place in the world and witnessing what could have been his inspiration.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL MURDER is a complex mystery that haunts a young Charles Dickens at Christmastime. Grab a cup of mulled wine and settle in for a delightfully literary holiday treat.

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.