Tag: Christmas

Mini-Reviews: Holiday, Crime, Cold

Leave a comment

Catherine Walsh, Holiday Romance

Molly and Andrew are both Irish expats living in Chicago, and they’ve become friends over the years as they’ve taken the same flight home to Dublin every Christmas. This year, though, a winter storm grounds their flight, so they must desperately search for another way to get home for the holidays. What begins as the road trip from hell slowly evolves into something else as Molly starts feeling more-than-friendly toward Andrew, and it seems as though he might feel the same. This sweet romance, which I picked up as a cheap e-book, was a pleasant surprise! Molly and Andrew are likable characters, and I believed in both their friendship and their love story. It made sense to me why they hadn’t gotten together sooner, which is often my main gripe with a friends-to-lovers romance. I also liked that of the two of them, Andrew is the one who adores Christmas, while Molly (though not really a Scrooge) is more indifferent. I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre and will be trying more by Catherine Walsh.

Martin Edwards, ed., The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories

This anthology of short mystery stories set at Christmastime didn’t do much for me, unfortunately. I don’t tend to enjoy mysteries in short-story form, as they usually aren’t long enough to let the sleuth do any actual detecting, or to leave enough clues for the reader to play along. Instead, most of the stories here rely on a chilling atmosphere or a clever last-minute plot twist. Some of them do this quite well — I enjoyed “By the Sword” by Selwyn Jepson, for example, in which an overconfident man thinks he can get away with murder but soon discovers otherwise. Similarly, Cyril Hare’s “Sister Bessie or Your Old Leech” is a fine piece of dramatic irony centering around a man who wants to murder his blackmailer. I can’t think of any stories I particularly disliked, but most of the others were pretty forgettable. Ultimately, what I enjoy about reading mysteries is the chance to try and solve them along with the detective, and these stories don’t provide that experience.

Alicia Thompson, With Love, from Cold World

Lauren Fox and Asa Hutchinson both work at Cold World, a kitschy Florida amusement park that aims to create a winter wonderland all year round. However, they butt heads constantly; Lauren is a serious-minded, type A accountant (Asa calls her robotic), while Asa is fun-loving and carefree (Lauren calls him a slacker). When they’re forced to work together to come up with ideas for improving Cold World, they’re drawn to each other and tentatively embark on a relationship. But they each have baggage that prevents them from being open with each other. I enjoyed this cute contemporary romance; I like a good rivals-to-lovers plot, and I found Lauren particularly relatable in her insecurity and occasional social cluelessness. I also really liked Cold World and kind of wish it were a real place! So overall, I liked this one and would consider reading more by Thompson. Her previous book, Love in the Time of Serial Killers, looks fun!

Mini-Reviews: Betting, Gambit, Midwinter

Leave a comment

Lynn Painter, Betting on You

Charlie and Bailey first meet on a 10-hour flight, where his careless cynicism clashes with her uptight, rule-following personality. But they really get to know each other three years later, when they end up working at the same amusement park. Charlie is adamant that guys and girls can’t really be friends, but Bailey is determined to prove him wrong. As they grow closer, however, the lines between friendship and romance get confusingly blurry. The book’s cover copy emphasizes fake dating and multiple bets among the main characters, but these are both pretty minor plot points. In reality, the novel is a cute friends-to-lovers YA romance, though it also gets into some heavier issues, as both Bailey and Charlie struggle with being children of divorced parents. I enjoy Lynn Painter’s writing style; she does good banter and makes her characters feel like believable people. I also liked getting some of Charlie’s POV, though Bailey is the primary narrator. The book perhaps owes a little too much to When Harry Met Sally, but I liked it nonetheless and now want to rewatch the movie!

Evie Dunmore, The Gentleman’s Gambit

Between writing a book on female political leaders, managing her absentminded father’s household, and working for the suffragist cause with her three best friends, Catriona MacPherson is burned out. When she meets her father’s handsome new colleague, Elias Khoury, she’s immediately attracted to him but doesn’t think he (or anyone) could be interested in her. Meanwhile, Elias is on a mission to repatriate historical artifacts — legally or otherwise — to his homeland of Mount Lebanon. He doesn’t have time for romance, but Catriona intrigues him. As with the previous books in this series, Evie Dunmore tries to balance a love story with a lot of historical detail, to mixed effect. In this case, information about the women’s suffrage movement and the ethics of removing antiquities from their lands of origin overwhelmed the romance. Also, between Catriona’s negative internal narrative (she seems to struggle with some form of depression) and the Serious Political Stuff, there’s just no joy in this book. Since I want joy in my romance novels, this one didn’t work for me, and I doubt I’ll read any future books from this author.

Stella Riley, Midwinter Magic

This novella caps off the Rockliffe series and gives readers one last look at most of the main series couples. Adrian and Caroline, the earl and countess of Sarre, are hosting a Christmas party at their country estate, but complications ensue when Caroline’s vulgar mother and sisters show up uninvited. Two romances develop, one involving Adrian’s French friend, Bertrand Didier, and there’s even a Christmas miracle. This is undoubtedly the weakest installment of the Rockliffe series — perhaps unsurprisingly, since it’s a novella with few new characters and (mostly) low stakes — but I still enjoyed it overall. I wish Ralph and Elizabeth from Cadenza had made an appearance, as I would have loved to get a peek at their marriage, and part of me wanted to roll my eyes at the aforementioned miracle. But I guess that sort of thing is to be expected in a Christmas story! I definitely would not recommend this novella if you haven’t read and enjoyed the rest of the Rockliffe books, but it’s a sweet holiday treat for fans of the series.

Mini-Reviews: Christmas, Compromised, Morgan

Leave a comment

Kerry Winfrey, Faking Christmas

Six months ago, Laurel interviewed for a social media job, and to demonstrate her skills, she showed some Instagram posts she’d done for her sister Holly’s farm. But her boss mistakenly assumed the farm belonged to Laurel, and because she desperately needed the job, she didn’t correct him. Now he’s invited himself to “Laurel’s” farm for Christmas, and she has to scramble to sustain the lie. The most awkward part is that she needs a fake husband, and the only option is her brother-in-law’s best friend, Max, whom she’s always hated. But as she spends more time with Max, she’s forced to reevaluate her opinion. This book is a frothy holiday read that will likely appeal to fans of Hallmark Christmas movies. But even as a fan of those movies, I found the book a bit too lightweight. The “comedic” hijinks of Laurel’s struggles to maintain her fictional persona get too much page time, at the expense of the romance and any deeper character development. It’s a cute story with plenty of Christmas spirit, but ultimately I wish it had been a little more substantial.

Darcie Wilde, A Lady Compromised

This fourth book in the Rosalind Thorne mystery series sees Rosalind traveling to Devon Winterbourne’s ducal estate. Ostensibly she’s there to help his cousin, Louisa, with her upcoming wedding; actually, she and Devon hope to decide whether they want to rekindle their romance. But Rosalind is soon distracted by another mystery: Louisa’s friend Helen has unanswered questions about her (Helen’s) brother’s recent death, and finding those answers could imperil Rosalind’s life as well as her relationship with Devon. I liked this series installment, which moves the setting from London to the country and also expands the narrative by increasing the number of point-of-view characters. I was also happy to see some progress in Rosalind’s romantic life. But as with the other books in the series, the plot is a bit slow and the mystery is unsolvable until almost the last moment. I’m still planning to continue with the series, but I’d call myself mildly interested rather than enthusiastic.

Amy Barry, Marrying Off Morgan McBride

As the oldest McBride sibling, Morgan has been like a parent to his younger siblings since Ma died. While he loves them dearly, he’s also tired of the responsibility. Now that his brother Kit is married and settled, he finally feels free to leave, but his little sister, Junebug, refuses to let him go. In desperation, she once again advertises for a mail-order bride. Epiphany “Pip” Hopgood has been rejected many times for her “plain” looks and views Morgan as her last chance. They’re immediately attracted to each other, but Morgan is adamant that he doesn’t want a wife. Can Pip change his mind? I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and this installment is very similar in tone. Junebug is a hilarious character, and I especially enjoyed the scenes with all the McBrides and their friends together. The romance itself was a little disappointing; though both Morgan and Pip are interesting, complex characters, they don’t really get to know each other very well. This book is also significantly steamier than the last one, which I found disappointing. Overall, though, I’m definitely still planning to read the next book when it comes out!

Mini-Review: Movies, Egg, Better

3 Comments

Kerry Winfrey, Not Like the Movies

Chloe has always indulged in a bit of flirty banter with her boss, Nick. In fact, her best friend, Annie, has just written a screenplay based on that banter and their (alleged) romantic chemistry — and now the screenplay is set to become a blockbuster movie. As the film gets more publicity, Chloe finds herself viewing Nick differently, but she has no interest in pursuing a relationship; she’s too busy caring for her dad, who has Alzheimer’s, and trying to finish her degree. She’s adamant that her real life isn’t a rom-com — but the more time she spends with Nick, the harder it is to deny her feelings. I really adored Annie’s story, Waiting for Tom Hanks, and was excited for this sequel featuring Chloe. Overall, I enjoyed it, though Chloe’s total refusal to acknowledge her feelings for Nick got pretty frustrating! I also wish we’d gotten some chapters from Nick’s POV, but instead we only see him through Chloe’s eyes, and he’s a bit too perfect and forbearing. Still, it’s a good read for romance fans, and Winfrey is an author I definitely plan to keep seeking out.

Mary Kelly, The Christmas Egg

A few days before Christmas, a former Russian countess is found dead in her London apartment, and her valuables — including a priceless Fabergé egg — are missing. Inspector Brett Nightingale and Sergeant Beddoes are on the case, and they suspect a particular gang of professional thieves. But the dead woman’s grandson can’t be ruled out, nor can the owner of a jewelry store who was allegedly trying to buy some of her treasures. I liked the writing style of this book and found the characterizations interesting, but I felt like there was a lot of backstory between Nightingale and Beddoes (and also between Nightingale and his wife) that I was missing. Apparently this is book #3 in a series, so maybe those relationships are fleshed out more in previous books. I also don’t think the book works particularly well as a mystery; it’s more of a thriller, with the police planning to trap the bad guys and things going wrong — but it’s not particularly thrilling. Still, I’d try another book by this author if I came across one.

Lynn Painter, Better Than the Movies

This YA contemporary romance is narrated by Liz, a quirky teen who loves romantic comedies. They’re deeply personal to her because they were her late mother’s favorite movies, and now that Liz is a high school senior, she’s hoping to experience her own film-worthy romance. When her childhood crush, Michael, moves back to town, Liz is convinced that he’s her romantic hero. But to get closer to him, she needs the help of Wes, her neighbor and long-time prank war nemesis. As Liz stumbles her way to romantic enlightenment, she also deals with grief and family/friend conflicts. This is a light, fun read in which each chapter begins with a quote from a rom-com. It’s extremely predictable, and Liz’s obtuseness and bad behavior can get frustrating, but I did think the book was cute overall. I’m interested in trying one of the author’s adult romances at some point.

Mini-Reviews: Kiss, Corner, Matzah

2 Comments

Lisa Berne, You May Kiss the Bride

Gabriel Penhallow is bored witless by the young ladies he meets in Society, but he knows it’s his duty to marry, so he decides to propose to the beautiful but insipid Cecily Orr. While visiting the Orrs, however, he comes across Livia Stuart, whose straightforward nature both irritates and attracts him. An impulsive kiss forces Gabriel and Livia into a hasty betrothal, but a true romance develops as they spend more time together. This is a pretty stereotypical historical romance, with a stuffy, imperious hero and a feisty, unconventional heroine. That said, I do like that formula and I enjoyed the book. It’s a bit different from The Worst Duke in the World (which I also enjoyed) — less frivolous in tone, and with more explicit sexytimes. Overall, I’d consider reading more by the author, but I’m not racing out to do so.

Elizabeth Cadell, The Corner Shop

Lucille Abbey is a highly competent, efficient woman who runs a secretarial business. When three of her best secretaries quit a particular job within the first day, Lucille decides to see for herself why this job is so difficult. She encounters an absentminded, impolite professor and an uninhabitable cottage; but despite her initial antipathy, she decides to stay and put things in order. Later, in Paris, she encounters the professor again and gets mixed up in an art theft. This is a light, pleasant read that I enjoyed for its sharp character observations and satisfying romance. The plot has a few too many coincidences but resolves well, though I wanted the art thief to get more of a comeuppance! Overall, I liked this more than Any Two Can Play and will likely reread it at some point.

Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

Rachel is a Jewish woman with a shameful secret: She loves Christmas and is, in fact, a best-selling author of Christmas romance novels. But now her publisher is asking for a Hanukkah romance, and Rachel is at a loss — for her, Hanukkah just doesn’t have the same magic. Hoping for inspiration, she decides to attend a high-profile Hanukkah celebration called the Matzah Ball . . . but to get a ticket, she’ll need a favor from Jacob Greenberg, her summer camp first-love-turned-nemesis. If you would like to learn more about being Jewish in America during Christmastime, or about living with an invisible illness (Rachel has chronic fatigue syndrome), you’ll like this book. But if you’re looking for a believable, relatable romance, look elsewhere. Rachel and Jacob were 12 years old when they fell in “love,” and after only one meeting as adults, they’re thinking about each other in terms of love and long-term commitment. I just couldn’t buy it, and I wouldn’t recommend the book unless Rachel’s specific attributes and situation in life really resonate with you.

Mini-Reviews: Golden, Holidays, Undertaking

6 Comments

Francis Spufford, Golden Hill

It’s November 1746, and Richard Smith has just arrived in the small town of New York. He visits a countinghouse and produces a note for 1,000 pounds — a huge sum. The denizens of New York don’t know what to make of him: Is he simply a rich man planning to explore the pleasures of a new place? Or is he some kind of fraud, spy, or scoundrel? As Smith explores the city, he gets into various kinds of financial, political, and romantic trouble, but it’s not till the end of the novel that his true purpose is revealed. I really enjoyed this book, which apes the picaresque adventures and digressive style of 18th-century novels. It does a good job of pointing out the social ills of the period (such a slavery) without being anachronistic or preachy. It’s also just plain fun to follow the possibly roguish Smith around and try to figure out what he’s up to, though the ending is a bit of a heartbreaker. But I’d still heartily recommend this book to historical fiction fans!

David Sedaris, Holidays on Ice

This book is a collection of holiday-themed stories and essays, some of them autobiographical and most previously published elsewhere. “SantaLand Diaries” chronicles the time Sedaris worked as a Macy’s elf, “Christmas Means Giving” follows two families as they compete to see who can best demonstrate the true meaning of the season, and “Jesus Shaves” sheds some light on different cultures’ Easter traditions. These short works contain some hilarious moments, but frankly, a lot of them are dark and depressing. One story ends with the murder of a baby, while in another, parents sell their children to a pedophile. So if you’re looking for light, fun stories to get you in the holiday spirit, I’d recommend skipping this one! But if you’re of a more cynical disposition during this time of year, then it could be just the thing for you. For me, it was a mixed bag and probably not a keeper.

Megan Bannen, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

This book is a weird but winning genre mashup of romance, fantasy, and Western. Hart Ralston is a marshal in a fantasy world similar to our own, but with zombielike creatures called drudges; his job is to kill them and take their bodies to the nearby undertakers. One such undertaker is Mercy Birdsall, who loves her job but is desperately trying to keep the family business afloat, despite a sick father and uninterested brother. Hart and Mercy fight constantly, but their mutual antagonism is concealing very different feelings, which emerge when they become anonymous penpals. So basically, the book is The Shop around the Corner/You’ve Got Mail with a bit of zombie action and a Western flavor…which sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it totally does! I didn’t need quite as much world-building and would have preferred more of a buildup to the romance, but overall I loved this one and would recommend it if the premise sounds appealing.

Mini-Reviews: Promise, 25, Santa

1 Comment

Mary Balogh, Only a Promise

The fifth installment of the Survivors’ Club series focuses on Ralph Stockwood, who is tormented with guilt because he encouraged his three best friends to fight in the Napoleonic Wars; they all died while he survived. As a result, he has completely shut down emotionally and believes himself incapable of love, though as the heir to a dukedom it’s his duty to marry and produce an heir. His godmother’s companion, Chloe Muirhead, proposes a marriage of convenience, since he needs a wife and he’s her only chance of a husband. I enjoyed this book a lot but find I don’t have much to say about it. Only Enchanting is still my favorite in the series so far, but this one is definitely worthwhile if you enjoy Regency romance.

Poppy Alexander, 25 Days ’til Christmas

Single mom Kate has been struggling ever since her husband’s death four years ago. She works a terrible job for low pay, her son Jack may have special educational needs, and her mother-in-law is slowly succumbing to dementia in an expensive assisted living facility. Attempting to focus on the positive, Kate decides to do one special Christmas thing with Jack every day in the month leading up to Christmas. Along the way she connects with the handsome and sensitive Daniel, but will she be able to take a chance on love again? I hoped this would be a cute Christmas romance, but it’s just so dreary; both Kate and Daniel are pretty miserable until the very end of the book, and it’s not fun to see Kate getting constantly beaten down by life. If you’re looking for an upbeat holiday read, this is not the one!

Mavis Doriel Hay, The Santa Klaus Murder

This is a standard English country house murder with a Christmas twist: the family patriarch has arranged for one of his guests to pose as “Santa Klaus,” but the patriarch is then killed during the festivities. Was the man dressed as Saint Nick the murderer? Suspicion abounds, especially when a second Santa suit is found. I liked this book fine; I enjoy the author’s writing style, and the mystery is fair play, although the murderer doesn’t get a huge amount of page time. My biggest complaint is that none of the characters were particularly likable or interesting, so reading the book was like being stuck in a house with a lot of mildly unpleasant people. I did like the novel overall, though, and it was a fun seasonal read.

Mini-Reviews: Christmas novellas

Leave a comment

Connie Willis, Take a Look at the Five and Ten

Ori isn’t looking forward to the holiday season with her obnoxious relatives. She especially dreads seeing Grandma Elving, who tells the same story — about how she worked at Woolworth’s one Christmas in the 1950s — over and over again, in mind-numbing detail. But at Thanksgiving dinner, her stepsister’s new boyfriend, Lassiter, seems fascinated by Grandma Elving’s story. He thinks it may be a traumatic flashbulb memory, and he wants to include Grandma Elving in an experiment to uncover the root cause of this trauma. Ori drives Grandma Elving to and from the research lab and ends up assisting Lassiter in his experiment. But she doesn’t expect to fall for him, nor to discover that his hypothesis may be entirely wrong. I love Connie Willis, and this is another great Christmas story from her, although I must confess it’s not my favorite — I think that might be All Seated on the Ground. But I’d still recommend this one, especially to fans of her work!

Kate Clayborn, Missing Christmas

I’ve been meaning to read more Kate Clayborn ever since I read and loved Love Lettering back in January. This novella is loosely tied to her Chance of a Lifetime series, but it can definitely stand alone as well. Kristen and Jasper are friends and business partners, but Jasper has always wanted more. He’s crazy about her, but he doesn’t want to make a move that would jeopardize their friendship and partnership. Unfortunately, one kiss changes everything, and then they end up stuck in a snowy, romantic cabin over the holidays. I liked this story but didn’t feel the same magic I felt with Love Lettering. Maybe Clayborn just does better with a full-length novel. Still, I did enjoy this one and will continue to read more by the author.

Jackie Lau, One Bed for Christmas

Another holiday romance novella, this one centering on happy-go-lucky Wes Cheng and competent, driven Caitlin Ng. Wes has been in love with Caitlin since their college days, but he hasn’t made a move because he doesn’t feel worthy of her. But when a snowstorm knocks the power out at Caitlin’s place, she asks Wes if she can stay with him for a few days, and sparks start to fly between them. I’m not sure why I didn’t connect with this story more; both the main characters are likable, and I usually enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. Maybe I was a little frustrated by Wes…I just wanted him to COMMUNICATE already! The novella was also a bit too racy for me, but obviously others’ mileage will vary. Overall, I didn’t hate this one but didn’t particularly like it either, and I won’t seek out more by this author.

Review: Mystery in White

1 Comment

Mystery in WhiteJ. Jefferson Farjeon, Mystery in White

Six passengers in a third-class train compartment become entangled in a sinister mystery when the train is trapped in a snowdrift on Christmas Eve. The group includes a lively young brother and sister, a chorus girl, an elderly bore, a shy clerk, and a professor with an interest in the supernatural. They all decide to leave the train and seek shelter at a nearby station, but they become lost in the snow and end up at an isolated country house. Desperate for shelter, they enter the house, but no one seems to be home. Yet the teakettle is on, and the table is set for a meal. As the characters try to make sense of these events, one of them reveals that a man was murdered in the train — and when the group is later joined by another “lost” individual, they suspect that he may be the murderer. This chain of events later converges with another mystery concerning the house itself and a murder that happened 20 years ago.

I enjoy Farjeon’s light and humorous writing style, and his characters are well rounded and sympathetic. But plot-wise, I was quite disappointed in this novel. The six characters introduced in the opening chapters of the book are the ones we follow for about two-thirds of the novel, so naturally I assumed that they would be the most important people in the story. But in fact, aside from the professor, who acts as the detective and orchestrates the denouement, none of these six people have any relevance to either of the mysteries in the novel! They provide some humor and some human interest, but they have no actual function in the plot. Instead, two new characters come in late in the game, and they turn out to be central to the story. I can’t understand why Farjeon would structure his story in such a way that it’s totally disconnected from the characters we’ve been following all along. I also felt sorry for several of the characters, who deserved a happier ending than what they got. All in all, this might be entertaining for people who enjoy a witty period piece, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for people who want a good mystery!

Mini-reviews: Duke, Christmas, Memorial

3 Comments

Duke in Shining ArmorLoretta Chase, A Duke in Shining Armor

This book is the first in a series starring a trio of dukes known as Their Dis-Graces. Ripley, Ashmont, and Blackwood have been friends since childhood, and together they’ve drunk, gambled, and whored their way through London society. Now Ashmont is getting married, but the bride — bookish, practical Olympia Hightower — is having second thoughts. When she runs away on the wedding day, it’s up to best man Ripley to track her down and return her to Ashmont. The trouble is, the more time Ripley spends with Olympia, the more he wants her for himself. I really enjoy Loretta Chase’s writing, especially her humor, but this book was not the right book for me. I really don’t like the “reformed rake” trope, and Ripley is such a stereotypical alpha-male hero. (That said, the humor makes him somewhat more bearable.) But I’ll still be reading more Loretta Chase, and perhaps even more in this series…Blackwood’s marital difficulties, a tiny side plot in this book, sound intriguing!

A Lot Like ChristmasConnie Willis, A Lot Like Christmas

This collection of Christmas-themed short stories with a speculative-fiction twist is a revised and expanded edition of Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. I still stand by my review of that book, but here are my comments on the new stories:

  • “All about Emily” — A sly take on the movie All about Eve featuring an aging Broadway actress and a robot who wants to be a Rockette. A fun one for fans of musicals and old movies.
  • “All Seated on the Ground” — The aliens have arrived, but no one can figure out what they want. The clue may reside in a Christmas carol, so protagonist Meg teams up with choir director Calvin to solve the mystery. A lovely and romantic meditation on “peace on earth.”
  • “deck.halls@boughs/holly” — I liked this funny rom-com about the effects of technology, especially the internet, on Christmas. It’s futuristic and over the top, of course, but the story does a great job of presenting different views on the issue — with a charming romance thrown in!
  • “Now Showing” — Lindsay really wants to see a particular movie, but she keeps being thwarted by circumstance. It seems like the universe is conspiring against her . . . and according to her ex-boyfriend Jack, that’s exactly what is happening. I really liked this playful homage to romantic-suspense-adventure movies such as How to Steal a Million, French Kiss, and Romancing the Stone.
  • “Just Like the Ones We Used to Know” — Thanks to climate change (or a “discontinuity,” or Armageddon, or . . . ?), places all over the world are having a white Christmas. Places like Los Angeles, and Honolulu, and Jerusalem. The story follows various characters as they deal with the unexpected snowstorm and try to figure out what’s causing it. I thought there were maybe a few too many characters in this one, and at least one storyline was never satisfactorily resolved.

All in all, I’m glad I purchased this one, even though I already own Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. But if you don’t have either book, definitely go with A Lot Like Christmas instead!

Memorial Hall MurderJane Langton, The Memorial Hall Murder

This is the third book in the Homer Kelly mystery series, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. The book begins with an explosion that destroys part of Memorial Hall on the campus of Harvard University. A headless body is found in the rubble, and it is soon identified as the corpse of Hamilton Dow, an extremely popular music professor. Homer Kelly, who used to work at the district attorney’s office, happens to be on the scene and decides to investigate. As a mystery, the book is nothing to write home about; the reader is given a lot of information early on, and the perpetrator’s identity isn’t hard to discover. I kept thinking there would be a plot twist to point the finger in a new direction, but it never came. However, the book is fun to read for its playful satire of university life and its prominent featuring of Handel’s Messiah. All in all, I’d consider reading more books in this series.