Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

  ”We were overturned, Mary,” I said as I strode into the room, ”and but for the kind offices of a complete stranger, should be frozen stiff, somewhere between the Winchester and Andover roads. If Mamma has not caught her death, it will be the wonder of the season – and we are all sorely in want of our dinners. Happy Christmas.”
I have read several installments in the Jane Austen Mysteries series by Stephanie Barron and I always know I am in safe hands when I choose one of her books to keep me company. The twelfth (as it were) volume of the series is a beautiful tribute to the traditions that make British Christmas so unique. The greenery, the Yule log, Snapdragon, the merriment of Twelfth Night. The writing is impeccable, proving Jane's point of view to perfection, faithful to the character and the era, and I loved reading about Jemima's wardrobe.
Why 4 stars? In my humble opinion, the mystery itself was a strange mixture of being predictable and far-fetched at the same time, the supporting cast was not particularly interesting and I was disappointed in how a certain subplot was developed. I adored Raphael West.
I started the novel on the 24th of December and finished it on the 5th of January, reading one chapter per day and it gave the festive days of Christmas a certain Regency flair.
A cozy book for the festive season and a journey to the past and how Christmas should be cherished and preserved.