Mrs. Wellbeloved, the vicar’s housekeeper, welcomes them with an air of wary caution, but soon warms to the couple as she realizes they are not hoping to permanently replace the vicar, rather carry on his work in his absence and make the transition as smooth as possible. When Clarice discovers the vicar’s personal Bible in the study, she knows he wouldn’t have left it on purpose and attempts to locate where the vicar is on holiday so she is able to forward the Bible.

None of the other villagers know the whereabouts of the vicar either, making Clarice and Dominic suspicious. As snowstorms begin to close the village off, Clarice makes the gruesome discovery of the vicar’s murdered body in the basement. Now instead of ministering to the village during Christmas season, Dominic and Clarice must uncover the murderer who is most likely living among them.

As always, Anne Perry writes a charming Victorian mystery, so much so you never mind the murders. Her characters have Dickensian style names, Wynter, Wellbeloved or even the Reverend Spindlewood. Each carefully chosen name helps to evoke a further image of the character. There are a limited number of suspects and each has a reasonable motive. Being Christmastime, there is of course peace on earth at the end, but nothing too preachy. A Christmas Story is a short, fast read that will be a welcome respite during the hustle and bustle of the season.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry