A Christmas Garland

August 20, 2012
A particularly strong plot distinguishes bestseller Perry's 10th Christmas mystery (after 2011's Christmas Homecoming). In India in 1857, unrest over the oppressive minority rule of the East India Company has come to a head, with thousands of civilians as well as company employees dying in the ensuing violence. Against this tense backdrop, inexperienced Lt. Victor Narraway must defend Cpl. John Tallis, the medical orderly at Cawnpore, who stands accused of aiding an escaped Indian prisoner, Dhuleep Singh, who murdered a guard and fled with classified information on British troop movements. Though no one doubts Tallis's guilt, Narraway's military superiors order him to mount a vigorous defense to preserve a sense of law and order. The tension becomes palpable as the lieutenant frantically strains to find some evidence to exonerate Singh. Few readers will anticipate the clever solution. Agent: MBA Literary.

October 1, 2012
Perennial best-selling author Perry (A Sunless Sea, 2012, etc.) once again shows why her work resonates with readers in this short Christmas story that doesn't rely on all of the usual yuletide tricks to make it sing. Victor Narraway serves with the British army in 1857 war-torn India. Going into the service wasn't his idea, though; his father decided it would turn him into a man. Young Narraway now wears the insignia of lieutenant in a troubled country ruled by the British Empire. Recent uprisings among the Indian people have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Englishmen and their families, and the escape of a prisoner led to the tragic ambush of a patrol. It's that escape and patrol that now occupy Narraway, even though he wasn't even part of the garrison when the attack took place. His senior officer, Col. Latimer, who will preside over the court martial of a suspect in the case, has appointed him to represent the soldier, a medical orderly named John Tallis, who stands accused of conspiring with an Indian traitor to facilitate his escape and the targeting of the patrol. Narraway is only given a couple of days to prepare for the trial, which he understands he will lose: Tallis is the only soldier who cannot be accounted for during the time that the escape took place. But when Narraway visits with Tallis, he is struck by how much he likes the forlorn and ultimately doomed medical orderly and believes he is innocent of the crime. With little hope of saving the man before the onset of Christmas, Narraway sets out to prove his innocence and surprises even himself with his resourcefulness. Perry avoids all of the mawkish pitfalls that are usually the hallmark of holiday books by choosing an unconventional setting and decidedly different approach. Rather than leaning on sentiment, she writes an honest, though somewhat grim, story that captures the essence of 19th-century India and the character of a compassionate man. A novel approach to an oft-explored subject, this tale will delight Perry's fans and bring her new ones.

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June 15, 2012

Perry's tenth Christmas novel takes a new turn; it's set in 1857 India and features Victor Narraway, the boss of Perry stalwart Thomas Pitt. On his first assignment, Narraway arrives in India during the mutiny against the East India Company, charged with defending a British medical orderly accused of murdering a fellow guard. Narraway succeeds with the help of two children and a Christmas garland. A couple of books in this series have been New York Times best sellers; the change of venue could be a real refresher.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2012
When Lieutenant Victor Narraway arrives in Cawnpore, India, emotions are still raw from the 1857 Indian mutiny and the atrocities that rebels committed at the Bibighar. In addition, a prisoner, Dhuleep Singh, escaped, leading to the massacre of a British patrol. After an investigation, the army found that medical orderly Corporal John Tallis was the only man who didn't have an alibi during the escape. Tallis is being tried as a traitor, and the 20-year-old Narraway is to handle his defense. The army wants the trial and execution held quickly, and the commanding officer doesn't want Narraway making waves. Tallis, however, proclaims his innocence, and Narraway believes him. Narraway worries his inexperience will cost Tallis his life, but then with the help of two children, he cracks the case. This engaging historical mystery offers an introspective look at the character, Narraway, who will become the future boss of Thomas Pitt, star of Perry's long-running series. Perry's tenth Christmas novel is a winner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

October 15, 2012

Colonial India is the setting for best-selling Perry's tenth Christmas novella (A Christmas Homecoming). The soldiers at Crawnpore are still reeling from a mutinous massacre and a recent ambush that was possible because a prisoner escaped with information about the British patrol route. Medical orderly John Tallis is now on trial for allegedly helping the prisoner escape, mainly because he is the only soldier whose whereabouts at the time of the escape are unknown. Lt. Victor Narraway, the future boss of series sleuth William Pitt, is new to Crawnpore and commanded to defend Tallis enough to make the trial look fair. Narraway is surprised when he believes Tallis's claims of innocence and sets out to find out what really happened. VERDICT A clever but grim mystery best for Perry's established fans. [See Prepub Alert, 5/20/12.]

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.