| Title | : | The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall : A 1920s Mystery |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published November 14, 2021 |
The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall : A 1920s Mystery Reviews
-
Quite a good book well worth reading.
-
If you LOVE Christmas and mysteries you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. Most books that are set during the Christmas will be all about the plot and only mention Christmas on occasion. This book, however, is about Christmas when a murder occurs. It talks about the tree, the decorations in the rooms, the carols, the food, the excitement, the snow...everything a Christmas lover could wish for. In the midst of all this someone is murdered. And, like I said, Christmas is not sacrificed in order that the mystery plot may proceed. They are simultaneous. While this book is promoted as a standalone within a series, it does have some things happen that will ruin the early books if you haven't read them already...in my opinion. So, I would advise you to read the first two or three books in the series then read this one, in other words, read them in order, because it's not really a standalone book within the series. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book. Christmas lovers and cozy mystery lovers will adore it!
-
I really enjoyed this holiday mystery. Christopher is picked up from school by his 70 year old esteemed grandfather, in his latest sports car. Arriving back at the manor in one peace he learns that he, his mom, and brother to go to a house party at the retired head of the police, and good friend, and former boss of his grandfather. They all pack, including staff and baskets of food. Once there the door is unlocked, but ready for guests. It all seems very odd to his grandfather. The housing staff are missing as well. The only note left was giving his servants time off. The more the guests arrive the stranger the party seems. Christopher leaves the manor to cut down the Christmas tree, and finds their host . He is unfortunately shot through the heart. This is where the true mystery begins. It is not just a mystery, but with decorating, and games, and lots of deserts to serve there is nothing much to do. The phone line is cut, and soon a second victim is found. Now it is up to the retired inspector, and his grandson to get busy, and solve the mystery. How are they connected, and who is the murderer in the house. I found it delightful. It could be funny, and informative to what was served, and played during the days up to, and including Christmas. There were many suspects to consider, and it was fun deciding who the culprit was. Clean murder mystery, with some fun, and food to relieve the tension. Brilliant Christmas reading. 5 stars. I should mention it takes place in the 1920’s, with a buzzard snowing them in, and the freezing weather, and stolen horses, and sleighs It makes for quite the puzzle.
-
Fun Christmas Season Reading
After having started and put down unfinished a couple of holiday novels, I was glad to find The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall to be enjoyable and fun to read. Benedict Brown’s style is engaging; the narrator of this book is a 17 year old boy from a wealthy family, home from boarding school for Christmas. His grandfather, Lord Edgington (a retired police official), has unexpectedly dragged the family and a contingency of his household staff to the grand estate of another lord and former Commissioner to spend the Christmas holiday. They arrive to find several other guests, from assorted walks of life, and a missing host. Of course, there is a murder, and then another. And I should mention there is a blizzard so all the guests and staff get snowed in together. With a killer on the loose. It all makes for an interesting and yes, festive, house party, and each guest seems to take a turn as the main suspect. I was never sure how the story would end, so had to keep reading. This was a delightful story, and I recommend this book for light holiday reading. -
Murder at Christmas...a fun, cozy mystery!
-
I really like country house mysteries and even better, those set at Christmas.
I didn't guess the culprit at all but we really didn't have all the Info needed to solve whodunit til near the end. -
Really a 3-.
I love this kind of mystery, and I liked the setting and the idea of the teen-aged narrator, but I was disappointed in this book.
Quirky fun characters are often highlights of this kind of book, but most of these did not come alive, even as caricatures.
The denouement, the most important part, was the most disappointing. I just did not see why the murderer was so inspired to gather these people and commit the crimes. In addition, I did not see the solution as one an astute reader would have discovered.
My feeling reminds me of my reaction to the two Izzy Palmer books I have read---they had a lot of promise and then disappointed me, althought for different reasons.
I had not read any other books in this series, but I am not inspired to read them now.
PS Probably the best part of the book was the Afterword, in which the author reports his research into holiday traditions. That was great! -
A couple of weeks ago, this book came to my attention. I just can’t remember how though… it may have been through a BookBub email or a Facebook advert… or something else entirely. Either way, the idea of reading a Christmas murder mystery set in the 1920s was too tempting to pass up… but then I noticed that “The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall” was book 4 in a series! I’d seen that this was written as something of a standalone and could be enjoyed even if you hadn’t read the other books, but there was no way I was starting a series at book 4… So I started at book 1 and worked my way through. I say ‘worked’, but it was no work at all. These books are real page turners!
Characters:
In this book there were several returning characters from the previous stories. Most notably, we have Christopher (or ‘Chrissy’) as our main character and narrator. He is a young man in his late teens and is in his final year of boarding school. His grandfather is the esteemed Lord Edgington, a somewhat eccentric former police chief, who has taken Chrissy under his wing in this series and is teaching him how to solve crimes. It really is amazing how many murders this family finds themselves caught up in!
All of the characters have their own distinctive personalities and I think it’s here where it pays to have read the other books beforehand, as you get a real sense of who these people are and why they act in the way they do.
Plot:
As you might expect, “The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall” is set at Christmas and best enjoyed with your festive drink of choice, a mince pie, and perhaps some 1920s tunes as an accompaniment (I think Spotify is super confused about my tastes now, especially since everything else I read is somewhat metal flavoured!). As you also may expect, there is a murder to solve! The “Lord Edgington Investigates” books are fantastic ‘whodunits’ and, while other readers may be able to solve these crimes before Lord Edgington reveals the culprit, I haven’t been able to yet!
In “The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall” there are plenty of twists, turns, red herrings, and descriptions of food (I don’t know why, but I really like this). On this occasion, Lord Edgington takes his daughter and two grandsons (and small team of staff) to Mistletoe Hall to attend a Christmas party thrown by his old acquaintance, Lord Mountfalcon. When they arrive, they find the large house to be empty and other guests start to arrive. Oh, and there’s a dead body. This is important! Oh, and they’re snowed in with no chance of immediate escape or rescue. Soon it seems the guests are going to be picked off one by one unless Lord Edgington and Chrissy are able to find out who the murderer is.
Pacing:
Unlike the previous books in the series, this time our main characters (Chris and Lord Edgington) are in genuine danger and this adds an increased intensity to an otherwise cosy narrative. (I say ‘cosy’, but we’re still talking about murder here, folks!)
The pacing is spot on, never whizzing off ahead and skipping details, but also never lingering too long in one spot. As mentioned previously, this was a real page turner, and I struggled to put it down (even when I really should have been doing other things… like sleeping).
Other thoughts:
I’ve come to love Benedict Brown‘s writing style and it really does feel like we’re being told the story by a 17 year-old boy in the 1920s (not that I know first-hand what that is like, but it’s how I’d imagine it to be). Not only are we told (and experience) the case unfolding, but we also get a good insight into Chrissy’s thoughts, feelings, concerns, and fears. This makes for a far more personal tale; one that you can get truly invested in.
I’ve already added the other “Lord Edgington Investigates” books to my ever-growing TBR, so I’ll definitely be reading them sooner rather than later.
If you’re in the mood for a festive whodunit, then “The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall” could be the book for you. However, to get the full experience, I’d highly recommend starting with Book 1, “The Murder at the Spring Ball”. -
Não sou capaz de escrever um livro, então hesito muito antes de criticar quem consegue fazê-lo. Mas há coisas que me incomodam. No caso, a descrição do livro é a que mais ilude e irrita. Evocar Agatha Christie e um de seus livros mais engenhosos ("And then there were none") é totalmente equivocado. A não ser pelo fato de que há um grupo de pessoas isoladas em uma casa e um assassino à solta. Mais nada. Passa longe da atmosfera e originalidade do livro de Christie. Diz-se que é um livro que se pode ler sem recorrer aos outros da série. Pode ser. Mas por conta disso, os personagens parecem clichês, bidimensionais. Vou ficar com a impressão de que mesmo navegando por esse universo criado pelo autor, não há muito por onde escapar, pelas características atribuídas aos personagens. O narrador é o que soa mais falso. Mesmo situando a trama nos anos 1920, ele não parece um adolescente, ou um pré-adulto. Acho que se quer um Hastings para um simulacro de Hercule Poirot, que seria o avô. Não sou inglesa nem o inglês é minha primeira língua, mas me parece fora de compasso o tratamento que os personagens da história se dão. Teria de ser formal, ainda mais quando de um adolescente para um adulto. Ou de um subordinado (ainda que ex) para com seu antigo chefe, principalmente em sendo esse ex-chefe um lorde. As pessoas se tratam pelo sobrenome ou pelo nome (uma mulher não deveria ser tratada pelo primeiro nome nessa época por desconhecidos).
Enfim, novamente, reconheço o mérito de quem escreve. Mas o livro não me agradou - aliás, o final foi interessante, porém, sem contar detalhes, acho que só reforçou o fato de que o livro não é um "standalone". Não me despertou a vontade de buscar os outros livros da série. -
3.5
I enjoyed this cozy little mystery story, perfect for Christmas which is just what i was looking for.
I thought at times the author tried a little too hard to be funny and it fell a bit flat but other times it worked well and I thought it was hilarious, so it was a mixed experience in that respect. To give a sense of what the humour is like, it's a little childish and cartoonish with how the characters are described but most of the time I didn't mind this too much other than when it felt a bit forced a few times.
I did think the contrast in tone was quite funny as there is of course a murderer picking people off but at the same time everyone is determined to have a festive good time.
Overall a slightly silly but charming story which can be read as a standalone, i thought the christmas vibes were pretty perfect for getting into the spirit of things and it wasn't too high stakes so was nice to read as a chill cozy book.
Worth reading and I might even try the others in the series as I'm intrigued by the dynamic of Christopher and his grandfather solving mysteries together. -
I can't recall enjoying a Christmas mystery like this since Charlotte MacLeod's Rest You Merry.
Mystery of Mistletoe Hall is now my favorite all-time holiday book. Set in the 1920s, narrated by a seventeen-year-old boy, it is a fresh, fun, atmospheric, joy ride. A group of guests are invited to a holiday weekend at the manor of a retired detective, only to find that his servants were dismissed, and he was murdered. The guests are now snowed in with phone lines cut to await what the killer has in store for them next. The young man and his grandfather, also a retired detective, hope to reveal the killer before the body count piles up.
Stoke up the fire, get your hot toddy, and get cozy with this treat! -
Read for a book club.
This was sweet and the authors narrative style is lovely and I had quite a few laugh out loud moments which was really nice. I think he is great for light hearted easily enjoyable reads, which this book largely is. I would recommend this to people who like light reads or tweens as its not so dark.
Sadly on the murder mystery side of things, the ending felt like a real disappointment. I didn’t really believe why the murderer needed all those characters to be involved & it felt forced. I’m still a bit unconvinced.
Maybe the murder mystery scene just isn’t for me. Maybe I only enjoy darker thrillers like gone girl and sharp objects. Am I messed in the head? Maybe a little bit 😇 -
Every year I spend most of the December-month reading Christmas-themed novels, but in the case of the new Lord Edgington Investigation by the marvelous Benedict Brown I simply could not wait.
In this delightful tale Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher have been invited to a Christmas gathering by an old colleague. But the moment they arrive things get really strange and several people are found… well…dead.
I enjoyed this novel very, very much. There were only two people I did not suspect of the murders, and those were Edgington and Chrissy. I had fun trying to figure out who did it, but BB’s brilliant writing kept it hidden from me until the very end! -
Delightful Historical Christmas Mystery
The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall by Benedict Brown takes Lord Edgington ( Former Chief Inspector ) and his family to an elaborate, large, and creepy mansion in a small village near Surrey England. Immediately they and the other guests find that their host has been murdered. Such a wonderful variety of unusual characters, and much regarding many Christmas traditions. Slightly above a cozy, and does keep you guessing. It's considered humor & Satire, and is free with Kindle Unlimited. -
A Stand Alone that I wished that I’d left alone.
I’ve not read this series before. If you haven’t either, don’t start with this one! The prologue is random and depressing, perhaps it will make sense when the conclusion is reached. I’m afraid that I didn’t make it to that point.
As for the tale, it says that it’s a standalone. However, the very frequent references to prior incidents, make it taxing to follow the narrative. I will persevere with the first book in the series. Hopefully it doesn’t drag like this one… -
Lord Edgerton drags his reluctant grandson Christopher off to an eccentric old colleagues stately pile for Christmas in one of the snowiest winters on record. They're met by an empty mansion, and several guests who are variously and mysteriously connected. Christopher soon discovers the corpse of their missing host, and as the body count grows, the group realise that they are trapped in the house with a killer on the loose, and he can only be one of the guests that form the Christmas party.
Loved it. Had a glimpse of the ending, but pushed it aside very quickly. Very good and atmospheric -
A holiday who-done-it!
This is the first Lord Edgington novel I've read. It is able to stand alone so I wasn't confused by not knowing the back story. I loved the eccentric Lord Edgington!! What a character! And his grandson Christopher, that he seems to be grooming to become a detective as well, is another wonderful character. I have to now go start from the beginning. I am looking forward to getting to know all the characters and see what shenanigans they get up to! Highly recommend! -
Enjoyable historical mystery
5 stars . I enjoyed the twists near the end.I thought I had it figured out( Just like Christopher) but was thrown a curve. Great history regarding 1920's England. Well researched and even in the midst of a murder investigation Mistletoe Hall felt like a cosy place to be at Christmas. Christopher and his grandfather Lord Edgington make a good pair of sleuths. -
Nice Christmas mystery.
Nice little seasonal story....not a lot of 'meat' to it, but an okay light read. While a stand alone I think I might have found it more enjoyable if I had read another of the series and, therefore known more about the main characters. Unfortunately this did not inspire me to read more of them.
