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Anne Perry, well known and loved as a mystery writer, has given readers a wonderful holiday tonic with A CHRISTMAS SECRET. In her new book, she brings back two secondary characters from her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels, and gives them their own story. The Reverend Dominic Corde and his wife Clarice appeared earlier in THE CATER STREET HANGMAN and BRUNSWICK GARDENS. Even if you have never met them before, you will still love them --- and their story.
Dominic and Clarice, who have been married for little more than a year, are traveling to Oxfordshire. Dominic has been asked by the bishop to take over for the elderly vicar, Reverend Wynter, who has gone on a holiday. He and his wife leave the industrial landscape of London and Dominic's current job as curate for a three-week reprieve. The train travels through gentle rolling country sides and past hilltops dusted with snow and delivers them at the station, where a pony trap waits to take them to the hamlet of Cottisham.
The village is picturesque with thatched dwellings and a wide green with a duck pond. The church is Saxon with a slate roof and a square tower that rises against the winter sky. Readers feel as if they are in a late 19th century setting trimmed with snow. The stone vicarage has a feeling of warmth even though Mrs. Wellbeloved, who has looked after the vicar for years, greets them with a dubious look. She shows them the house and informs Dominic and Clarice about the dog and cat to tend as well.
Soon after the couple makes themselves at home, they receive their first caller. Sir Peter Connaught is the local squire; he welcomes them and is relieved to learn that the couple had not met the Rev. Wynter. When Mrs. Wellbeloved comes to help later, she tells Clarice that Sir Peter and the vicar quarreled. Clarice hears what high esteem villagers have for Rev. Wynter and how much he deserved a holiday to paint, a hobby he loves.
Dominic calls on Mrs. Wellbeloved to ask her advice about whom he should visit, and she tells him to be sure to call on the vicar's former right-hand man, John Boscombe. When Boscombe has the same reaction as Sir Peter when Dominic discloses that he had not met the elderly vicar, Dominic is curious. John will not speak of why he is no longer with the vicar, but he does provide helpful information to Dominic about the history of the village and its people. Dominic and Clarice share their experiences of the village with each other. Dominic hopes to give a good sermon, help those in need and be received with grace during the Christmas season. Clarice wishes they could stay longer.
As she settles into the vicarage, Clarice discovers Rev. Wynter's winter clothes and his paints and brushes. One morning, Clarice awakens to find the world white with snow. Knowing that Dominic will need to be up and out to call on villagers in need, she takes the coal bucket and heads to the cellar --- with the cat and the dog not far behind. When Clarice soon realizes that the pets have wandered off, she sets out to look for them. Her search leads her to a second cellar where she discovers the Rev. Wynter's body. There are wounds that are hard to explain as a heart attack or fall, so Clarice suspects murder. Dr. Fitzpatrick, who comes to examine the body, is skeptical, but Clarice and Dominic investigate the murder anyway by talking with the parishioners.
As their investigation unfolds, secrets that are harbored by some of the villagers endanger the lives of Dominic and Clarice. Eventually, the murderer is uncovered. Dominic delivers a sermon on Christmas Day attended by everyone in Cottisham that speaks of hope, even though mistakes have been made. Dominic declares, "That is what Christmas is: everlasting hope, a way forward to the best in ourselves and all that we can become."
There is nothing better than having one of your favorite writers pen a story that includes the holidays as a setting. As this year draws to a close, put up your feet, get your favorite drink and holiday treat, and starting reading. A CHRISTMAS SECRET will create a spirit of the season that lasts long after you have finished and will leave you with a heartfelt message for your own holiday season.
--- Reviewed by Jennifer McCord
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