In a peaceful Victorian English village a girl was murdered and a friendship broken. Twenty five years later, Mariah Ellison is trying to rebuild her life by facing her past. Can her newfound strength overcome a vicious murderer?
Some Christmas stories focus on light-heartedness and coziness. Others focus on finding redemption even if that journey is hard and/or painful.
This story has elements of coziness. People bustling about doing errands, some Christmas foods, and a village Christmas party. It has the added cozy appeal of the Victorian era. Soft gaslights, landscape unburdened by modern changes, people with a certain propiety.
A Christmas Return has those elements but is primarily a story of redemption and facing down evil. Mariah Ellison was burdened, broken, and cruel because of an abusive marriage. Now she is in the process of redemption and change. If she has to reveal her past to give others courage so be it. If she has to face down a man nauseatingly like her husband she will. Perry gives Mariah the insight to see human shortcomings and compassion about why they exist. She’s compassionate, courageous, a bit high tempered, and -on a much lighter note- able to weaponize dessert.
As for the mystery, the who is clear but other matters are unclear. Who could disprove an alibi? Why did a lawyer drop the case? What secret is burdening Mariah’s friend?
I’d suggest A Christmas Return to someone seeking Victorian mystery and/or a thought-provoking Christmas time story.
Note: This story contains people and events referred to in other books. For instance, Mariah began her journey of change in A Christmas Guest. You can enjoy A Christmas Return without reading prior books. I ended up reading it because it was on my library’s Lucky Day book shelf.
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