When Dilys Hughes finds herself snowbound in the middle of a bleak and lonely stretch of Yorkshire, she has no option but to accept help from passing motorist Inigo Brown, who is on his way to visit his uncle.
Arriving at his uncle's remote country house, Wintry Wold, the couple encounters a less than warm welcome from Inigo's new young aunt, Theresa. Why is she reluctant to let Inigo see his uncle, and is he really as ill as they are told?
As the snowstorm brings more stranded strangers to their door, Dilys starts to realise that all is not as it seems at Wintry Wold. When the morning brings news of the death of Inigo's uncle, Dilys sets out to investigate - was it a natural death, or was it murder?
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
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I've taken to collecting some of the classic crime books; there are so many out there that are really worth a read, and I love seeking them out. I got this one for Christmas last year, and so decided it would be a good idea to wait until the next festive season to delve into it.
It is utterly charming, from start to finish. The beautiful thing about classic crime is that it's so easy to read, and in many ways it's silly, with plots that are simple and not particularly believable. But this book was so easy to read, so sweet, and so quaint, that it just isn't necessary for it to be complicated or shocking. Books like Another Little Christmas Murder are wonderful because they are so simple. I loved every moment of reading this mystery, and I devoured it in a couple of days.
Rating: ⍟⍟⍟⍟
*spoiler alert*
The Story
Let me just start by saying that this book wouldn't win any awards for exciting plot or dramatic narrative. It's simple, but it's this simplicity that makes it so easy to read. It's quaint and contemporary, and I love that.
The story begins with Dylis getting stuck in the snow, and consequently meeting Inigo. This story would not be as successful if it wasn't for these two characters, who are just so likeable that they carry the story completely. Dylis in particular is, in equal measures, kind and sassy, and she's a great heroine to follow in a classic murder mystery like this. It's a shame that the rest of the characters aren't particularly exciting, but in this lighthearted story, Dylis and Inigo manage to carry the story between them. It's also sweet that they rely on each other so heavily across the course of the book. They've obviously just met, and in more modern novels it would be unrealistic that these characters would have created such a bond so quickly under these circumstances. Nonetheless, in this instance it works, and I think it's partly due to the gentle nature of the story that this is deemed acceptable to the reader.
Helping them, we do have Inigo's aunt, Theresa, who is, at the very least, interesting. She's a bit of an enigma at first, and it's not hard to see why Dylis doesn't take to her. She's a little too false right from the off, and she makes a great contrast to Dylis, who appears, to the reader, very open and honest in all her thoughts and actions. These are the three strongest characters in the book, who carry the story between them. It's disappointing that there aren't any other lively characters to add to the story as well, as the charming setting and gentle plot could be elevated with more exciting figures. However, the plot does manage to stand up with just a few stand-out personalities.
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The real turning point in the story is where Dylis meets Inigo's uncle in the middle of the night. Dylis and Inigo have been told multiple times by this point by Theresa that he is very unwell, and must be attended at all times. Theresa's insistence on being in charge of his care is suspicious, but not so suspicious that we can be certain that something isn't quite right. It's a delicate balance, and I think it's written well; Theresa makes a point of this enough times for us to smell a rat, but doesn't place so much emphasis on it that we are convinced something is wrong.
When Dylis finally meets Mr Brown, it adds a lot of intrigue. It's clear that not everything Theresa was saying was quite true, and that slight miscommunication is enough to create even further suspicion. It's a delicate thing to do, and I think it is done well in this novel; subtlety is the perfect way to build drama in crime fiction, and it works perfectly with the gentle nature of this story. Why did Mr Brown want Inigo to visit? Why did he suggest Inigo bring a friend? And why didn't he want his own wife to know about his letter? There are a million reasonable explanations to these questions, but there are also so many reasons why these explanations aren't quite believable enough to be true. I liked that Dylis met Mr Brown in this way. She can see that Inigo's uncle isn't as unwell as has been implied, despite his staying in bed. I knew from the book's blurb that he was not going to make it through many more chapters alive, but rather than ruining the surprise of his death, it actually just increased anticipation as to how he would die, and what impact that would have on Dylis following their meeting.
That night also raises a number of other questions. Where is Ledgrove, and why has he disappeared? Is he in some way responsible? Did he get too complacent in his care? More questions spring up as the story moves on, and for the gentle mystery this is, it gets surprisingly tense at times! The one area that remained disappointing, however, as I have already mentioned, was the lack of characters. Dylis, Inigo and Theresa make up for this by being particularly prominent, but the rest of the cast is a little dull. Mr Carpenter has his moments but is on the whole very tedious. Charlie Best is likeable, but we never find out enough about him. There are many other people who come to stay at the house as well, but who I can't even really remember the names of. They just didn't feature at all! I can count on one hand the number of characters who actually had an impact, and it's such a shame that more wasn't made of them. Having more personalities could have added so much more life to the story, and lifted it to another level. Charm can only carry a plot so far, and I do feel it was let down by a lack of substantial characters.
Nonetheless, there is just enough drama to carry the story through to the end. The second night of Dylis' investigation is just as intriguing as the first. Her witnessing the torch outside is gripping, and the fact that a lot of the action is set at night really does add to the plot's atmosphere. I also liked the little stand-off between Dylis and Theresa. These women have been written as clear opposites, and I was rubbing my hands in anticipation when they started to clash more. The previous few chapters had been slow, and I liked that this drama was added in. It really did feel as though the plot had been carefully planned, with bursts of action and dialogue to break up any sections that had the potential to grow too tedious.
I have to say, I was a little disappointed in the ending. I liked the way Ledgrove reappeared in time to play a part, and the way Ashley was intertwined into the events of the past few days. Yet it came as absolutely no surprise that Theresa was responsible for Mr Brown's death. Her involvement with 'Crane' and his henchmen could have made this slightly more interesting, if it wasn't for the fact that we know absolutely nothing about these additional characters, and they have had no impact over the course of the story. It's deflating coming to the end of an enjoyable mystery and finding that the climax is dull, and that was what I felt here. I did enjoy the story, but it was unnecessarily predictable, and lacked the substance that was needed to make it really stand up as a good crime story.
The Verdict
This story is so endearing. It begins in the snow with an unexpected meeting, and an impromptu drop-in on a house in the build-up to Christmas. There is a suspicious hostess, and an unwell man, as well as other mysterious visitors who appear to have turned up unexpectedly. In short, the plot has everything it needs to make a great crime story. It's also written with such charm and gentleness that it had no reason not to work. All it needed was a host of characters who could hold the reader's interest.
It's a shame that this cast of characters didn't quite do it for me. Dylis makes a wonderful protagonist; Inigo, her likeable sidekick. Theresa is another great character, and when we meet Mr Brown, albeit briefly, he also adds some padding to the story. But the rest of the characters are a little bit of a non-entity. They don't really do an awful lot, and they fade into the background. I spent all scenes with an eye on the three main characters, and the other interactions I found, frankly, boring. It's frustrating, because the story has very little else wrong with it. It could have been a fantastic book, and I had such high hopes for it after the first couple of chapters.
That being said, I did still enjoy the book, and its charm and setting do make up for its flaws. Read this one for a quick and enjoyable piece of light-hearted festive fiction; but don't expect outstanding things as you might end up, unfortunately, disappointed.
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