Customer Reviews

Christmas is Murder (A Rex Graves Mystery)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Rex Graves is a red-haired Scottish barrister who wants to spend Christmas in Swanmere Manor, an historic hotel in East Sussex. But a harsh blizzard and an unexpected murder ruin those plans. The murderer must be among the guests. There are several possibilities, and Rex must sort through several intriguing clues in a search for the truth.

Challinor presents strong elements of mystery and suspense in a literary style that will remind you of Agatha Christie - at her best. This novel is one of the finest novels I've read in a long time. Fans of mystery will not be disappointed. Challinor is an author who will cause you to clear some space on your bookshelf in anticipation of her next offerings.

Highest Recommendation!

This mystery was recommended and had me turning the pages in total absorption until the very end. Good plot, compelling characters, humorous, and a little romance to-boot. The sleuth is a Scottish barrister from Edinburgh, very principaled and likeable. There's an exerpt at the back for the next Rex Graves mystery, "Murder in the Raw," which is set at an exclusive nudist resort in the French West Indies, and which I'll definitely read when it comes out!!

This was like Agatha Christies "And Then There Were None" but more readable. I liked the sleuth Rex Graves. He does not try to be enigmatic like many mystery sleuths. I will read the next book when it comes out.

Prompted by memories of happy childhood visits at Swanmere Manor, QC Rex Graves travels to that remote estate, looking forward to a relaxing Christmas holiday in the country. His mother's friend, the widowed Dahlia Smithings, is still in residence there, having converted her family home to a small hotel.
A series of unexpected events complicates his plans in this entertaining debut novel straight out of the Agatha Christie school of plotting.
His arrival coincides with a blizzard that will bury the inn, effectively isolating both guests and staff. Within minutes, he learns that the previous afternoon's tea had been disrupted by a sudden death. One of the guests confides to Rex that he has questions about the cause of death: Was it a stroke - or poison in the almond tart?
Soon, there's another death. An accident? Or is there indeed a murderer in the house? The body count rises and Rex investigates, aided by two fellow guests. The amateur sleuths uncover some curious secrets and an abundance of possible motives as the list of suspects grows. Unfortunately, that list must include Rex's two confederates, one of whom is an attractive young woman who has sparked a romantic interest in the bachelor barrister.
Finally, in the classic denouement, the survivors gather in the drawing room to hear Rex reveal the solution to this contemporary cozy mystery.

Rex Graves has no superpowers. He stumbles humorously in relationships and fashion. Rather, his sharp mind and quirky awkwardness make him an engaging and believable sleuth in this mystery set in a manor in the English countryside. It is easy to imagine sitting down to a pint with him. He employs great skill, but his manner enables him to interrogate gently, and earn the confidence and trust of all those in the isolated inn. The setting may be a bit on the nose, but it is also cinematic and timeless. Aside from Rex, the setting and food/drink get the highest marks from me (perhaps i was hungry when reading). Funny and effective use of accents. I enjoyed matching wits with Rex, especially since I almost, but not quite matched him (just as it should be). The author, employs a vivid style that is a shade lighter than you might expect, considering that murder is afoot, but this is fitting when one gets to know Rex. An interesting read, and the most enjoyable airport delay I've ever had. I went directly to order Rex's next, "Murder in the Raw".

What a nice surprise! The novel got off to a fast start and held me in its thrall until the last page. The plot holds together well through seemingly unrelated murders, and the characters are interesting and not what you would expect. The setting - a Victorian country manor-turned-hotel in a captive snowstorm - while being suspenseful, was cozy, with nice little touches. There was a budding romance that did not intrude on the mystery, but rather added to it, and even a dog, which played a small role. The lawyer sleuth is a charming Scotsman who likes his porridge and fine port. I am looking forward to his next adventure and to seeing if any other of the characters from Christmas Murder reappear. I thoroughly recommend this book for any time of the year!

My review is based on the Thorndike Reviewers' Choice hardback format. I have read other books by this author (compare with Simon Brett, Anne Perry, M. C. Beaton). It's cozy in every sense, but not predictable, and not meant to be taken too seriously, I don't think. It features affable Scottish barrister/sleuth Rex Graves and takes the series to the snowbound English village of Swanmere in Sussex. Lovely setting and a memorable host of characters (Dahlia Smithings, "the help" Clifford, the young buxom Rosie, and the antiques dealer) with a modern twist. A humorous satire where tennis racquets and talcum powder are put to ingenious uses, plus the novel abounds with interesting tidbits of information. Highly recommended for a wintry read.

Christmas Is Murder riffs off Agatha Christie in an obvious and amusing way, but the plot stands up on its own merit, and is neither outrightly absurd nor predictable. The setting is old school -- secluded English country house -- and Christmasy, but takes place in the modern day, with cells phones and other communication devices conveniently rendered useless by a snow storm, so the amateur sleuth is at liberty to solve the murders himself. Since the story is seen and heard through the eyes and ears of this one character, affable Scottish barrister Rex Graves, there is no jarring head-hopping and change of view-points to muddle and confuse. Thus the deep and dark secrets in other peoples' hearts can only be guessed at, but Mr. Graves' innate logic and perception and his shrewd ability to induce people to give up confidences serve him well in his quest for the truth. It's not all murder and hard sleuthing, however. Graves manages to get in some sumptious Christmas fare and even a romantic interlude during his holidays. Recommended for cozy mystery readers, epecially those who appreciate a plot- rather than character-driven puzzle mystery a' la Christie.

It sounds like many other reviewers, however, were reading this as a straight mystery (not written tongue in cheek). I think the author had "And Then There Were None" in mind -- this is amusing as a satire, but as a mystery, just isn't very good. I developed a theory of "who did it" fairly early in the book, but the motive seemed ridiculous. I was right, and the motive was more than a little ridiculous for a serious mystery -- but for a satire, part of the fun.

It's your classic snowed-in-at-a-fabulous-old-house cozy mystery, with an array of guests and staff, listed in the front of the book, and the certainty that it's someone in the house who is a killer -- but which of the cast of characters? In true Agatha Christie fashion, the killings don't end with one victim. There are the usual parlor games, chatty cooks, roaring fireplaces, and, because this is set at Christmas, a Christmas tree. They are cut off from the nearest village, two miles away, because of the snow, so Rex Graves assumes responsibility for detecting the killer. He does the classic interviewing everyone in the parlor thing, and even uses talcum powder to examine fingerprints on a candlestick (didn't I tell you this is a satire?) Rex's credentials are three years as a QC (queen's counselor -- kind of like being an assistant district attorney, aka Law and Order). I don't honestly think Yardley's scented talcum powder would do a very good job at capturing finger prints and would probably foul up any that were actually there, but this is supposed to be a take-off on a certain genre.

If you're familiar with the Agatha Christie English cozies of a certain period (e.g., like Dorothy Sayers), you'll get all the jokes. As a serious mystery, for me, it didn't work very well, although I did enjoy how well that English manor house in the snow was described -- I could see it all.

I read in one sitting/afternoon. In response to the Silver Mom review, last time I was in England the police did not drive around in Land Rovers and nor could you get a room at a pub. Since snow blizzards are rare on the South coast, the cops would not be prepared for snowbound village roads. There was nothing truly implausible about the story even though it's obviously not intended to be taken seriously. Read as a Christie spoof, it has an added layer of humor. I read Phi Beta Murder first, which is somewhat grittier--still cozy but with more serious themes. Another 5 stars.