A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry | Christmas Mystery Review

A Christmas Vanishing

Anne Perry

Mystery

Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.

Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love.

It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?

My Thoughts

I have fallen down a rabbit hole with this one! Can you believe that I have never read a book by Anne Perry before? What a perfect story to break me in. You know that I am now going to have to go back and binge all of her previous novels.

This little Christmas novella is a spin off of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels. The main character Mariah is the grandmother of Charlotte. Mariah travels to her longtime friend, Sadie's home to spend the holidays only to find her friend is missing and no one seems to know where she's gone.

Mariah is determined to not only find her friend but also discover the reason for her disappearance. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to discover the who, what, where, and why of it all. In the end I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery that was revealed. I especially liked the overtone of forgiveness. It is impressed upon that forgiveness is really for oneself. You can't be free if you harbor resentment and anger towards another.

If you are like me and have never been exposed to this delightful author now is the time to check her stories out. This particular tale is set at Christmas but I think it would be a wonderful read any time of the year.

Disclosure

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate my review.