As usual, Perry has produced a good, quick reading mystery, involving one of my favorite characters, Victor Narraway, as a young, newly posted lieutenant to Cawnpore. We have a slight introduction to frontier life in India and some aspects of military posting there. I gave this book 4 stars as there was a lot of talk and agonizing over duty that became a bit repetitious; a little less agonizing and Narraway might have recognized the important clue earlier (tho that would make a much shorter book). Perhaps a more involved plot and less agonizing? SUMMARY: The year is 1857, soon after the violent Siege of Cawnpore, with India in the midst of rebellion. In the British garrison, a guard is killed and an Indian prisoner escapes, which leads to yet more British deaths. Cries for revenge are overwhelming. Despite no witnesses and no evidence against him, a luckless British medical orderly named John Tallis is arrested as an accomplice simply because he was the only soldier unaccounted for when these baffling crimes were committed.Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraway’s superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldier’s widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth. In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope.REVIEW: I have to say that I felt the title of this book was a misnomer. It really was a mystery of sorts rather than a Christmas story. The only tie to Christmas was the season of the year. I did find the detail on the Indian rebellion and the British involvement interesting and the storyline was well done with a bit of a Hitchcokian type ending. But I have read other Christmas stories by Anne Perry that I enjoyed more.
What do You think about Der Weihnachtsverrat (2013)?
A surprise at the end made this a special read. Ms. Perry has never failed to delight me.
—crimsonredd
Another well written book from one of my favorite authors.
—Ammz
I'm not sure that this book had much to do with Christmas.
—Jonas
