Shrouds of Holly: A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Kate Kingsbury (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Myst | Publication Date: October 7, 2008

Readying the hotel for Yuletide, Cecily learns that her husband, Baxter, sent out to find holly, has gone missing. And his sleigh’s returned with someone’s dead body. Distraught, she puts all merry-making on hold until she can kiss Baxter under the mistletoe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Kingsbury's charming third holiday-themed Pennyfoot Hotel mystery (after 2006's Slay Bells), hotel proprietor Cecily Sinclair Baxter is supervising the final details of the decorations in the ballroom while her husband and the stable master head into the woods to gather holly. All too quickly, the horse-and-carriage return driverless, bearing only the corpse of a stranger. Frantic and dissatisfied with the Badger's End constabulary, Cecily takes it upon herself to find the missing men and identify a murderer. The Edwardian England setting is emphasized by the romances and adventures of numerous stereotypical characters, from Colonel Fortescue with his brandy-soaked tales of exploits in the Boer War to the downstairs crew of stout housekeeper, high-strung French cook and several gossipy maids. Bright, engaging Cecily doggedly seeks the truth in this fast-paced cozy that will provide warm holiday entertainment for Kingsbury's many fans. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kate Kingsbury is a full-time writer and the author of the Pennyfoot Hotel mystery series.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425224317
• ISBN-13: 978-0425224311
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in London, England, and at a very early age began telling stories to my school friends during the London Blitz of WW II while huddling in bomb shelters. I moved to the U.S. in the early sixties, and had passed my 50th birthday when I published my first book. Since then I've written over fifty romance and mystery novels. I have one son, and married for the second time shortly after my 60th birthday.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Kate Kingsbury, December 26, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shrouds of Holly (A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Cecily Sinclair Baxter returns in Shrouds of Holly to solve another murder. Her previous Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries are No Clue at the Inn and Slay Bells.

It's Christmas and Cecily and her employees are decorating the Pennyfoot ballroom for a festive Christmas reception. With a staff shortage (primarily due to illness) Baxter, Cecily's husband, has reluctantly accompanied Samuel, the stable manager, to collect fresh boughs of holly to complete the decorations.

While Mrs. Chubb, the Pennyfoot housekeeper, was out collecting eggs, the sleigh returned with a dead body (Gavin Hargrove) but minus Baxter and Samuel.

Samuel turns up with a head injury and his only memory is of bending over Baxter's body. Is Baxter badly injured or is he dead? The only thing known for sure is that he has disappeared.

With Baxter missing, the stable manager injured and a dead body outside her establishment, Cecily is determined to investigate. It's important to find the murderer but it's more important to find her husband.

The deceased Gavin Hargrove seems to have had some enemies. He owed money to a London syndicate for gambling debts. His fiancée doesn't seem very upset over his death. What's that about? And his brother is dependent on Gavin's goodwill. With Gavin dead, he inherits his father's wealth.

It's going to be a difficult task to find the murderer since the police think they know who killed Gavin but Cecily is not giving up. Her husband's life may depend on it.

Kingsbury's historical Christmas novels are set in England and are delightful cozy mysteries. I love the laid back feel of the books. They are satisfying plots that keep you turning the page.

FYI: Kate Kingsbury is Doreen Robert's pen name.

Armchair Interviews says: For a good Christmas murder, Shrouds of Holly is a winner.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Cozy at the Pennyfoot Hotel or it is Country Club?, December 25, 2007

By 

Donna G. Davis (Rockford, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shrouds of Holly (A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Kate Kingsbury is one of my very favorite cozy mystery authors. Shrouds of Holly finds Baxter and Samuel out in the woods looking for holly to help finish the decorating for the Christmas parties to take place at the Pennyfoot. They fail to return, but the horse and cart return with a dead body in it. Samuel finally shows up but the search for poor Baxter leads to alot of sinister activity with the family of the deceased.

I always get caught up in her writing and the characters are so familiar and entertaining. If you love the English countryside with some mystery thrown in and entertaining and lovable characters - you'll love this charming Christmas read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Read, December 28, 2007

By 

M. J. Palik (Hinckley, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shrouds of Holly (A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Nice series to read during the holidays. No deep thinking necessary. A bit repetitive, but likeable central charactors. Perhaps sometime the author will change the familiar setting and see how the heroine solves a mystery away from her home.