James Lovegrove adds a new addition to the Sherlock Holmes genre with this Christmas Mystery (available in Hardback, EReader and Audio format). To quote the author, this is a compelling mix of a tragic suicide, a sizable legacy, a creature from folklore, a haunted castle and a maiden at the heart of it all. The Murder is committed in a secluded location so there is an aspect of a closed cast of suspects.
In true Arthur Conan Doyle style there is a twist in the tail as well as more than one strand of enquiry bringing it all together. Dr Watson takes his place as the regular sidekick and it is timed to slot into the early days of their partnership with Watson mentioning he has only published 2 of Homes/Watson adventures at this point in the friendship. This is a nice Christmas murder mystery in the classic style, providing a light and entertaining story for fans of the world-famous consulting detective.

We are lucky in Harrogate to have an amazing amatour dramatic offering with our Pheonix players bringing The Wizard of Oz to the Harrogate Theatre stage from the 26th -29th of March 2025. Tickets will be avaliable from
https://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/events/the-wizard-of-oz/#book from today in a range of prices. If you have children this all time classic would make a nice tie in with the new Wicked the musical release and showcases the catchy tunes we all know and love. Use the discount code Pheonix to get 10% of during the production.

This is a fun murder romp of the cosy crime variety putting a modern twist on the locked room/closed circle genre - (ie they are stuck in a castle on an island and trapped due to a storm). (Formats avaliable on Audio book, Electronic and paper copy). To set the scene this is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone - where the characters are all getting together at Dunwick Castle for a wedding which is accessed via a single narrow bridge. As they arrive police are dealing with the corpse of a man on the beach and for our plucky cast it all goes downhill from there. Shortly after a 2nd body is found on the beach with a storm close on the heals of the discovery is the storm of the centuary trapping the cast on the island and taking out the power/internet and phones in true spooky castle tradition. I would class this is a similar style to Agatha Raisin by MC Beaton with a warm cosy feel - though it is a 3 ladies detective team.

 For 2024 I am reviewing Christmas Murder mystries (suggestions welcome) starting with new to my TBR (for the non #booktock initiated To Be Read pile) offering of The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallet. I picked it up 2nd hand on Commercial Street at the enchanting old world book shop Books for All (it smells like a proper book shop should).

This book is part of a larger series which I think would have added to my understanding as its not really a stand alone. The writing style is as if its an amatour theatre group are communicating with each other via Wattsap, email, text and group chat - the murder doesn't come out till virtually at the end and it came out the case was being used as a case study for 2 law students of if it should be taken to court or not. In reality this would be a police decision but makes for an interesting moral dilema. All in all a short interesting christmas murder read but do feel reading the rest of the series is key.