Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Christmas Deliverance by Anne Perry Narrator: Jenny Sterlin
Series: Christmas Stories
Published by Recorded Books on November 8, 2022
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Length: 5 hours, 22 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Scuff has come a long way from his time as a penniless orphan scraping together a living on the banks of the Thames. Now he's studying medicine at a free clinic run by Dr. Crowe, a thoughtful if stoic mentor. But lately Crowe has been distracted, having witnessed an altercation between a wealthy former patient of his named Ellie--a woman that he not only treated but developed unacknowledged feelings for--and her controlling fianc�. It seems someone is forcing Ellie to marry the man. When Crowe's emotions come flooding back, he sets out to uncover the troubling connection between Ellie, her father, and her betrothed.
With Crowe engrossed in his investigation just weeks before the holidays, Scuff is left to run the clinic on his own, treating London's poor and vulnerable. In the holiday spirit, he offers Mattie, a young girl in need, a warm place to stay as the winter chill sweeps through the city. Together, Scuff and Mattie must also fend off the police, who are growing suspicious of Crowe's amateur sleuthing. Will Crowe be able to help Ellie, and will Scuff be able to ensure that he and Mattie--and all of their patients--have a safe and peaceful Christmas?
I really enjoy the historical mystery series by this author and she has multiple series. For the HoHoHo Read-athon, I listened to the newest Christmas story. Goodreads doesn’t consider it a series, but I think of it that way.  All of the Christmas stories are a bit shorter, about a half book size but longer than what I consider a novella (under 100 pages). They are standalones but further develop side characters from various series.
A Christmas Deliverance is related to the William Monk series. The clinic is where his wife Hester, who is a nurse sometimes works. Their adopted son, Scruff, is studying to be a doctor with the main doctor, Crowe, also encouraged by the Monks.
We get an engaging mystery about the plight of a young woman, Ellie, who is a former patient. She seems to be engaged to a man who mistreats her and she doesn’t even like him. Crowe believes she is protecting her father. He and even Scruff, use their contacts to gather information and find out why. It’s a bit dangerous though.
Crowe and Scruff also end up helping a small girl, Mattie. She is homeless, alone, and only about 5 years old. Scruff recognizes one similar to the situation he had at that age. When she brings him a kitten in payment for her treatment, he insists she must stay and take care of it for him. Crowe agrees that they must add her to their clinic.
I love the way these add to our knowledge of the series and its world. We get more about these strong supporting characters. Yet, the mysteries are strongly appealing on their own. I highly recommend them if you appreciate this genre or want to try it.
Narration:
I had not previously listened to Jenny Sterlin. I was very comfortable with her male and female voices. The tone and emotion in the performance felt authentic as well as the English accents. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Anne Perry
Anne Perry (born Juliet Hulme) is a British historical novelist.
Juliet took the name “Anne Perry,” the latter being her stepfather’s surname. Her first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published under this name in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical murder mysteries and detective fiction. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger. As of 2003 she had published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories. Her story “Heroes,” which first appeared the 1999 anthology Murder and Obsession, edited by Otto Penzler, won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- C21-Fall
Interesting that you can’t add this to the related series…
I keep toying with reading some of her books as I love historical mysteries. Where would you recommend starting?
Well I have 2 suggestions for you. I love these Christmas mysteries if you’re in the mood for holiday stories. They are shorter. The focus is on side characters related to the main series. They are very well done and can be read standalone although it is more fun if you know the series a bit. The other suggestion would be to read starting with the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series where it all began for me to get a good feel for the world and writing style, plus they are wonderful reads. Audio is great for these because of the accents, also they are available at most libraries. Plus some of the Christmas ones are on Audible Plus.
This sounds pretty good. I am curious…
These lovely holiday stories can be read as standalones and they aren’t too long either. I really enjoy the audio version.
Yes, I totally agree with all you said about Crow and Scuff’s Christmas adventure. I was glad to get caught up with them.
I LOVE these Christmas stories SO much. I read the Thomas & Charlotte books a LONG time ago and want to get back to finish that series and read some of the other series. These Christmas stories remind me of how very much I want to read them.
I like historical mysteries and this one sounds good. I know I have one by this author on my shelves as well.
The author has long running connected historical mystery series, which I want desperately to get current on them, but these Christmas stories stand alone well and I am LOVING them.
I never did get into Perry’s Monk series, but I used to devour her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. She’s a good storyteller! I am hoping to finish the audiobook I’ve been listening to for at least 6 months now before the year is out. I think I have a couple more hours left in it to go.
I haven’t gotten to current on either series but really want to get current. In the meantime, I LOVE these Christmas stories are short bits of the world and are easily read as stand alones.