Publication: November 7, 2023-Random House-Ballantine-Historical Mystery
Book Summary
Charlotte Pitt’s clever grandmother investigates the sudden disappearance of her dear friend in this chilling holiday whodunit by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.
Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love.
It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?
Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
A Christmas Vanishing takes place during a miserable winter, outside foggy, sooty London, around the turn of the century. Anne Perry’s vivid descriptions of the English countryside whisk readers by train to a quaint village green with decorated shop fronts, the aroma of roasting chestnuts, and church bells that peal to gather the townspeople. Main character, Mariah, is escaping demons from her past, an unhappy marriage, and the person she has become. Anne Perry’s ability to peer deep into Mariah’s past and express her heartfelt misgivings and admitted mistakes, illuminates human frailties in Mariah, the townspeople, and in ourselves. Who invites a guest for Christmas and then disappears? Sadie, Mariah’s confidant from decades past, is described as spirited and engaging. The severe cold, approaching Christmas Eve, and her place in village society makes Sadie’s disappearance quite disturbing and mysterious. Is Sadie being selfish or is she desperate? Will the townspeople solve the mystery in time for Christmas? Anne Perry’s A Christmas Vanishing deals with mistakes, repaying old debts, and forgiveness. Listen for the church bells!
Anne Perry passed in April 2023. I’ve enjoyed reading and reviewing her annual Christmas novels for many years. Read about her incredible career in her own words: https://anneperry.us/about-me/
Anne Perry : 28 October 1938 – 10 April 2023
Anne’s publishing career began with The Cater Street Hangman. Published in 1979, this was the first book in the series to feature the Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his well-born wife Charlotte. This is arguably the longest sustained crime series by a living writer. Murder on the Serpentine is the latest (32nd) in the series. She has now started a series featuring their son Daniel, beginning with 21 Days (2017).
In 1990, Anne started a second series of detective novels with The Face of a Stranger. These are set about 35 years before and features the private detective William Monk and volatile nurse Hester Latterly. The most recent of these (24th in the series) is Dark Tide Rising.
The Grateful Reader 