The Case of the Disappearing Beaune: A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Mystery by J. Lawrence Matthews A Short Book Review

It's Christmas morning, 1902, and Dr Watson calls on Sherlock Holmes to invite him and his brother, Mycroft, for Christmas dinner. Holmes refuses the invitation, as Watson new he would and remains steadfast despite Watson's cajoling.

When sand is found substituted for the wine in a bottle of Beaune, a Christmas gift from Holmes to Watson, Holmes fears that the new king's (Edward VII) life is in danger. What follows is a madcap dash around London, with Holmes and Watson one step behind those they are pursuing, ending with a delightful twist, making this a very heartwarming novella.

While not the mystery I anticipated, it was very entertaining and shows that the great detective could be outwitted. A great Christmas read!

Thanks to Ellen Whitfield of Books Forward for a review copy.

The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Co
Length: (416) pages
Format: Hardcover, Trade paperback & eBook 
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

Synopsis

In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.

Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer Book Review

Synopsis

Good old Uncle Willie - rich, truculent and seemingly propped up by his fierce willpower alone - has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead the morning after Christmas day, dressed in his Santa Claus costume, seemingly poisoned by his favourite chocolates. Or was there something sinister in the mince pies? If so, was it the ones stashed in his room or those sent to him mysteriously by post? More importantly, since his will was recently redrafted, who stands to gain by this unseasonable crime?

First published in 1944, Murder After Christmas is a lively riot of murder, mince pies and misdirection, cleverly playing with beloved murder mystery tropes to create

Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books>br> Series: An Inspector Corravan Mystery (Book 2)
Length: (336) pages
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
Genre: Historical Mystery, Detective Mystery, Victorian Mystery

Synopsis

September 1878. One night, as the pleasure boat the Princess Alice makes her daily trip up the Thames, she collides with the Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier. The Princess Alice shears apart, throwing all 600 passengers into the river; only 130 survive. It is the worst maritime disaster London has ever seen, and early clues point to sabotage by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who

Top Ten Tuesday Books on My Summer 2022-2023 To-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. A topic is assigned to each Tuesday. For that topic you are encouraged to make a top ten list, putting your own spin on it, if needed. Upcoming topics and

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Series: On Devonshire Shores (Book 1)
Length: (448) pages
Format: hardcover, trade paperback, & eBook 
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction

Synopsis

Some guests have come for a holiday, others for hidden reasons of their own . . .

When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends

The Hearts of All on Fire by Alana White Spotlight

Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Series: The Guid’Antonio Historical Mysteries
Page Length: 392
Genre: Historical Mystery

Synopsis

Florence, 1473. An impossible murder. A bitter rivalry. A serpent in the ranks.

Florentine investigator Guid’Antonio Vespucci returns to Florence from a government mission to find his dreams of success shattered. Life is good—but then a wealthy merchant dies from mushroom poisoning at Guid’Antonio’s Saint John’s Day table, and Guid’Antonio’s servant is charged with murder. Convinced of the youth’s innocence and fearful the killer may strike again

Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 28 November, 2022
Publisher: Bookouture
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #12
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction/Cosy Mystery

Synopsis

Irish whiskey, rolling green hills, a traditional Christmas feast and… a murder? Lady Swift will need the luck of the Irish to survive this holiday season!

Christmas, 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny, rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland. Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in a castle. Packing Gladstone the bulldog’s coziest Christmas jumper, they

The Brightest Star by Emma Harcourt Book Review

Synopsis

1496. It is the height of the Renaissance and its flowering of intellectual and artistic endeavour, but the city state of Florence is in the grip of fundamentalist preacher Friar Girolamo Savonarola. Its good people believe the Lord speaks through him, just as certainly as the Sun circles the Earth.

For Leonarda Lunetta, eldest daughter of the learned Signore Vincenzo Fusili, religion is not as interesting as the books she shares with her beloved father. Reading is an escape from the ridicule flung her way, for Luna is not like other girls. She was born with a misshapen leg and that, and her passion for intellectual pursuits - particularly astronomy - alters how society sees her and how she sees the world.

Literary Christmas 2022 Reading Challenge My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: In the Bookcase
Challenge period: Now to 31st December, 2022
Sign Up: Now
Aim: To read and review as many Christmas-themed titles as you can from a list you

Wolves of Wagria by Eric Schumacher Release Day Book Blast

Publication Date: Nov 15, 2022
Publisher: Bodn Books
Series: Olaf’s Saga Book 3
Page Length: 344 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Action

Synopsis

Three kingdoms. Two friends. Only one way to survive.

For fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden comes the tale of Olaf Tryggvason and his adventures in the battle-scarred kingdom of Wagria.

It is AD 972. Olaf Tryggvason and his oath-sworn protector, Torgil, are once again on the move. They have left the Rus kingdom and now travel the Baltic Sea in search of

The Case of the Disappearing Beaune: A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Mystery by J. Lawrence Matthews Spotlight

The end of the year is fast approaching and there is a plethora of Christmas-themed novels being released.

My Christmas reading usually takes the form of historical mysteries and I'm excited to share that the latest novella from J. Lawrence Matthews, the author of One Must Tell the Bees, is another interesting case involving Sherlock Holmes and, of course, Dr Watson.

Synopsis

Christmas morning, 1902: Sherlock Holmes discovers that the wine in a bottle of French Beaune (intended as a gift for Dr. Watson) has been switched with sand, and he suspects it means threat to the newly crowned King of England. Or does it? With Dr. Watson's help, he soon finds out...

I'm adding this to my Christmas reading list!