Rating: 
Summary: Weak story
Review: It's Christmas time and guests have gathered in the Berkshire countryside house of Applecross for a weekend of Christmas cheer. Unfortunately for one guest, a cutting remark made by another sent her to suicide. In order not to be socially ostracized the young woman who made the remark that caused the suicide embarks on a journey to Scotland to deliver a letter to the deceased mother.I am usually not a big fan of the books written for Christmas by best-selling authors. The prime purpose of most of these books seems to be to cash in on the Christmas dollars people are willing to spend. I had high hopes for this book because I am a big fan of Anne Perry. It started with promise with one of the interesting secondary characters in the Thomas Pitt series, Vespasia Cumming-Gould. The story takes place when Vespasia is in her early thirties instead of the more advanced years of the Pitt series. I thought we would have some good character development and backstory for Vespasia, but instead the character portraits were superficial. The plot was not only rather ludicrous, but weak. Thankfully it's a short book with only 180 pages and wide margins. Save your money and read or re-read any of the excellent books in the Thomas Pitt series or William Monk series.
Rating: 
Summary: A Delightful Victorian Mystery
Review: Just in time for Christmas, for the fans of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery series, Anne Perry has constructed a delightful Victorian mystery featuring one of its more interesting characters, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould. Lady Vespasia is entertaining her highborn friends at Applecross for a holiday weekend of games, good food and romance, when one of her guests commits suicide --- the victim of the waspish tongue of another. The group is stunned and outraged and demands some sort of revenge. At the urging of her good friend, Omegus Jones, Vespasia suggests to the somewhat less than recalcitrant harpy that perhaps she should atone for her foul deed with an unusual act of expiation. In front of the gathered group, she suggests that she should embark on the long and possibly dangerous journey to northern Scotland to inform the victim's mother of her daughter's sad demise. Not only that, but she should bring the grieving mother back to attend. In order to make certain this task of medieval origins is completed, Vespasia offers to accompany her friend on the journey. Vespasia, her friend, the victim and her mother are revealed to have secrets in their pasts that come to light as the journey progresses. Perhaps the suicide is something more than meets the eye. Perry spins a tale of intrigue lavishly adorned with Victoriana and moral conundrums. One almost wishes that expiation were a way of meting out deserved punishment in our times. --- Reviewed by Roz Shea
Rating: 
Summary: Not Ms Perry's Best
Review: Ms Perry is a very talented author and I have read, re-read, and listened to her Monk and Pitt books, but this book was rather disappointing. Unable to wait, I purchased this at full price on its first day of issue- I wish I had waited. As I read it, my excitement lessened and the words 'shallow' and "Harlequin Romance' kept coming to mind. The contrived plot was hard to swallow: a woman is the victim of a stinging remark and commits suicide. No one appears to really care and no police are called. Eager to place blame, the houseparty group convenes a hearing and declares one of themselves guilty of contributing to her death and so must do penance. Huh??? The moral (spelled out otherwise I don't think I would have caught on) is forgiveness and mercy, but it was made known rather abruptly in the last 2 pages (as it often is) and left me wondering if I'd missed something. The characters are Ms Perry's and she may do with them as she wishes, but I cannot say I was happy to learn more about Vespasia in this book. Vespasia, who is well aware of her great beauty and status in society, seems bored- bored with her husband, her life, her friends, and even her children since she leaves them for weeks at a time. Perhaps she accompanied Isobel to the wilds of Scotland out of sheer boredom. She doesn't seemed bored by the attentions of her host, though. Good characters have flaws and weaknesses and Vespasia is certainly one of Ms Perry's best, despite the weak story of this particular book. Borrow before you buy, buy at a discount only.
Rating:
Summary: An Illustration Of The Spirit Of Christmas
Review: Short, terse, well told, with an appropriate ending. A good literary journey, worth taking.
Rating:
Summary: A nice Christmas gift
Review: This is a much shorter book than most of those from Anne Perry; it's a piece of light rewading for and about Christmas. The writer takes Aunt Vespasia, one the favourite characters from her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, and tells the story of one Christmas in her younger days. It isn't exactly a mystery story - a young woman commits suicide and her reasons for doing that seem obvious. But Anne Perry is master of digging beneath the obvious to find the truth beneath the truth. The result is a tale that flows from an elegant house party in a country mansion north to the frozen snowy wastes of Scotland (and Anne Perry lives in northern Scotland so we can assume she knows whereof she speaks). It's a pilgrimage of sorts, with Vespasia and her friend Isobel toiling through storms and snowdrifts to find the mother of the dead woman and, incidentally the truth behind the suicide. The only thing spoiling this good story is the overly moralistic tone that Anne Perry is increasingly becoming bogged down in. Of course you want characters with deep motivation - some pure, some mistaken, some evil - and the battle between good and evil always makes for good plot structure. But Anne Perry does tend to overdo it, leaving the reader wondering if she can stand being swamped beneath so many layers of virtue and morality.
Rating:
Summary: a good short story
Review: While "A Christmas Journey" proved to be a wonderfully affecting and poignant short story about forgiveness and the expiation of sins and a wonderful read for a short train journey home from work, honesty does compel me to admit that it is a bit of an expensive read -- $15.95 plus tax for an hour's enjoyment. If you can afford it well and good, otherwise borrow the book from the library. For while "A Christmas Journey" was a well written short story, it does lack the depth and intensity one has come to expect from a really good Anne Perry novel. It's the Christmas season, and Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould has been invited to spend it at a house party at Omegus Jones's estate (Applecross) in Berkshire. The atmosphere at Applecross is, at first, one of good cheer, hope and romance; until a jealous and cruel remark by one of the guests, Mrs. Isobel Alvie, courses another guest, Gwendoline Kilmuir, to commit suicide. Everyone is upset and angry, and all seem to hold Isobel responsible for Gwendoline's death. Hoping to avert a scandal, Omegus Jones comes up with the notion of having Isobel journey to Scotland in order to inform Gwendoline's mother of her death, deliver a letter that Gwendoline had written to her mother just before she killed herself, and also to explain the part that Isobel herself played in driving the unfortunate woman to her death -- in other words to undertake a journey of expiation for sins committed. And while Isobel is reluctant at first to do this, the dawning realization that she will be ostracized by everyone she knows in society, forces Isobel to agree to undertake the journey. Deeply affected by Gwendoline's death and Isobel's plight (and wanting to get the better of a few malicious members of the house party who would like nothing better than to socially shred Isobel's reputation) Lady Vespasia impulsively offers to accompany Isobel on her journey. But as the two women travel into the heart of Scotland in the middle of a harsh winter, Lady Vespasia cannot help but wonder about Gwendoline's death and her character. Why had such a meaningless and malicious remark caused such a tragedy? What's in the letter that they are carrying to Scotland? Will it explain why Gwendoline killed herself? And more importantly, will her friend Isobel be able to carry out her task and face a mother's wrath and anguish? I enjoyed reading "A Christmas Journey." It had all the poignancy and pathos that one would expect from an Anne Perry novel. The short story unfolded smoothly and briskly -- even if it did harp on one particular motif over and over again (Lady Vespasia's Roman interlude) -- and even if the characters were not as well developed as they usually are. However Ms Perry did such an excellent job of providing us with such vivid thumbnail sketches of all involved that the lack of any deeply developed characters was not felt by this reader at all! If I had any quibbles about this book it was that Omegus Jones had such little difficulty with sweeping Gwendoline's death under a rug -- the Justice of the Peace did not make an appearance and there was no inquest. Gwendoline was quickly and quietly buried, while Isoble and Lady Vespasia left for Scotland without any hindrance from the law. So that while the whole idea of a journey of expiation was an interesting plot device, I think that I would have liked to see how Jones would have got the JP to go along with his plan. The other thing was that "A Christmas Journey" was not really very a suspenseful at all. However, because the book was not really a mystery so much as it was a study of people, manners and psychology, the lack of suspense wasn't that much of a factor at all. And indeed Ms Perry's sublime descriptions of the Scottish wilderness in the midst of winter more than made up for this lack. So that on the whole, I'd rate "A Christmas Journey" as a good 4 star read.
Rating: 
Summary: charming holiday story
Review: With the London season over, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould like most of her peers is now looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Vespasia's husband is abroad on business and her children remain in London while she attends a party at Applecross, home of friend Omegus Jones. Vespasia feels good about life in general, but hers in particular as she reflects that her nation is prospering in the peace of the middle of the century though rumors fly that war in the Crimea is imminent. However, at a gala, Vespasia's friend Isobel Alvie's behaves is rather spiteful and nasty especially towards widow Gwendolyn Kilmuir. The next day, Gwendolyn is found dead, apparently having jumped off a bridge. Everyone blames the tragedy on acrimonious Isobel due to her cruel words so no one will talk to the "culprit" except Vespasia. A despondent remorseful Isobel accompanied by her only loyal friend Vespasia journey to Scotland to offer sympathy to Gwendolyn's mother where they will learn the truth behind the suicide and the true meaning of friendship. A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY may be a mid nineteenth century tale, but the deep messages remain valuable in today's society. The story line is kept from being light fluff by a strong cast especially the two lead women that brings to life the era yet also relates the true meaning of friendship "never fades" regardless. Fans of Anne Perry or just the time period will appreciate this charming holiday story. Harriet Klausner
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