A Christmas Revelation
"In this intriguing, uplifting holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry, an orphan boy investigates a woman's kidnapping--and discovers there's more at stake than a disappearance. When Worm, a young orphan boy who works at the local clinic, sees Eloise being kidnapped by two men in the days leading up to Christmas, he immediately recruits Squeaky Robinson to help rescue her. But as they track Eloise down, they're surprised to hear that she does not, in fact, wish to be rescued. Instead, Eloise intends to bring the kidnappers, who drew her father into their shady business deals and then murdered him, to justice. The kidnappers are skilled illusionists, and after they try their tricks on Worm and Squeaky, the friends are determined to help Eloise with her plan--and they might just be able to use the kidnappers' tricks against them"--
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Overall a nice little mystery that captures the flavor of Victorian Christmas among poorer folk who don't have family to spend it with. It's focused on several folks who are side characters in her Monk series and who have had to find their own version of family with sympathetic coworkers.
The young woman Worm sees kidnapped isn't someone he can forget easily, and he enlists Squeaky Robinson to help him track her down and make sure she isn't hurt. But there's much more to her story than they dreamed.
I was conflicted about the “meaning of the season” chat because, while it acknowledged a portion of the Christian origin of the season, it mixed it in with legend (having three wise men when the number isn't specified) and so on, with a works-based application: “We need to all be better people to each other during this season.” So while there are mentions of Christian elements it isn't a Christian message.
Content: Squeaky used to own a brothel but now has improved himself and is sorry he ever acted so callously to women. Infrequent profanity and fairly frequent swearing.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.
