3.5 Stars

One Liner: A decent read
 

December 1923, 

Iris Woodmore is back sleuthing when the leading lady in the pantomime charity play is found dead. With Percy’s younger brother being one of the suspects, Iris decides to investigate the case. She also comes face to face with her nemesis intent on regaining his lost name. 

Can Iris solve the case and try not to mess up her private life again? 

The story comes in Iris’s first-person POV. 

I was happy to see the next book in the series set during Christmas. Walden does sound good in winter. The festival doesn’t have a major role in the plot, though. Don’t look for a proper Christmas mystery here. 

As always, we have to deal with a large cast of recurring characters and new ones related to the case. While the book works as a standalone, it can be overwhelming to remember who is who without prior knowledge. I enjoyed the presence of the recurring characters, though not all. 

The pacing is steady, and we get a clue or tidbit as the story progresses. How it fits the bigger picture is for us to guess. There are a few lighthearted moments too, which I quite enjoyed. 

The mystery started out well with a couple of subplots to thicken the plot. However, the reveal could have been better. No issues with who the killer is but I did want the method of solving the mystery to be more detail-based. 

I like how the social situation of the period is woven into the plot. With many characters in business and politics, we get more than enough feel of the time. 

While I like Iris’s determination to do the right thing when it comes to the cases she solves, her disregard for ethics in her personal life is worrying. Sorry but not sorry. No amount of feminist talk can make her look good in this aspect. Her pathetic track record in men has to break somewhere. 

That said, I am excited for the next book and hope a scandal knocks sense into her silly mind. The MC could do with a reality check about her life. At the same time, I want the nemesis to be put in place. He shouldn’t get away for what he did (is doing). 

To summarize, A Corpse in Christmas Close is a decent addition to the series even if isn’t the best. The book does take the story forward, so I’m hoping the next one will be a much better read. 

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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