A Christmas Garland

📘 About This Book

“An annual treat,” declared The Wall Street Journal of Anne Perry’s Victorian-era holiday mysteries. Now she continues this magnificent tradition with A Christmas Garland, a yuletide tale set in exotic India. This time the mistress of mystery tells the story of a terrible crime that sets the stage for another: accusing an innocent man of murder. The year is 1857, soon after the violent Siege of Cawnpore, with India in the midst of rebellion. In the British garrison, a guard is killed and an Indian prisoner escapes, which leads to yet more British deaths. Cries for revenge are overwhelming. Despite no witnesses and no evidence against him, a luckless British medical orderly named John Tallis is arrested as an accomplice simply because he was the only soldier unaccounted for when these baffling crimes were committed. Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraway’s superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldier’s widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth. In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope. The trial of John Tallis equals the white-knuckle best of Anne Perry’s breathtaking courtroom dramas. And thanks to a simple Christmas garland and some brilliant detective work, Narraway perseveres against appalling odds, learning how to find hope within himself—and turn the darkest hour into one full of joy and light. PRAISE FOR THE CHRISTMAS NOVELS OF ANNE PERRY A Christmas Homecoming “Could have been devised by Agatha Christie . . . [Perry is] a modern master.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Vastly entertaining . . . uplifting and thought-provoking by turns.”—The Star-Ledger A Christmas Odyssey “[Perry] writes with detail that invades the senses.”—Lincoln Journal Star A Christmas Promise “Poignant . . . should be on the Christmas stocking list of anyone who likes a sniffle of nostalgia.”—The Washington Times A Christmas Grace “[A] heartwarming, if crime-tinged, complement to the holiday season.”—Booklist A Christmas Beginning “Intriguing . . . Perry’s use of period detail is, as always, strong and evocative.”—The Seattle Times

📖 Summary

Anne Perry returns with another captivating installment in her celebrated series of Victorian-era holiday mysteries in A Christmas Garland. Set against the vibrant and exotic backdrop of India in the year 1857, this novella transports readers to a time of profound tension and historical upheaval. The narrative unfolds shortly after the violent Siege of Cawnpore, while India is in the midst of a fierce rebellion against British rule. Within a tense British garrison, a terrible crime occurs when a guard is brutally killed and an Indian prisoner manages to escape. This initial act of violence unleashes a chain of events that leads to even more British deaths, creating an atmosphere of intense fear, anger, and a pervasive, overwhelming cry for revenge among the military personnel. Amidst the chaos, a scapegoat is urgently needed to satisfy the demand for retribution. The suspicion quickly falls upon John Tallis, an unfortunate and luckless British medical orderly. Tallis finds himself arrested as an accomplice to the escape and murder, despite the glaring absence of any eyewitnesses, physical evidence, or logical motive connecting him to the crime. His only misfortune is that he was the single soldier unaccounted for during the confusion of the escape and the subsequent deaths. As the narrative progresses, Perry weaves a complex web of injustice, examining the dangerous consequences of a military culture driven by vengeance rather than reason or truth. The story explores the heavy moral burdens placed upon ordinary individuals caught in the machinery of empire and military justice. Through meticulous pacing and atmospheric prose, the author captures the stifling heat, cultural clashes, and psychological strain of the garrison. A Christmas Garland offers a departure from the traditional snowy Victorian parlor mysteries, instead plunging its characters into a scorching, high-stakes environment where the shadows of rebellion threaten to consume everyone involved. Readers are taken on a tense journey to discover whether truth and justice can prevail when the entire system is clamoring for a quick, convenient conviction, making this short novel a powerful and thought-provoking holiday read.

🎯 Key Lessons

⚖️ Pros & Cons

✍️ About the Author

Anne PerryView all books →

❓ FAQ

💬 💬 Reader Comments (0)