Anne PERRY : A Christmas visitor - Christmas stories #2

It is mid-December and Henry Rathbone travels to the Dreghorn family manor house near Ullswater. But despite the festive season and the beautiful surroundings, this is not a happy occasion ; he is going to comfort the family following the death of his friend, the master of the house. It seems that Judah Dreghorn slipped while crossing a stream on the grounds of the estate in the middle of the night and drowned. And when Henry arrives, he finds that there is more than a widow's grief to contend with.

Ashton Gower, recently released from jail, is slandering Judah's name, claiming that he was wrongfully imprisoned for forging the deeds to the estate that the Dreghorns now own. Gower insists that his family rightfully owns the estate and that the deeds were genuine. It seems preposterous to Henry that Judah, a judge in the local court, could be accused of sending an innocent man to prison and blackening his reputation in order to steal his inheritance. To Henry and the two remaining Dreghorn brothers, also returning to the Lakes for Christmas, Judah's mysterious death and Gower's outrageous claims seem inextricably linked. Is Gower a murderer as well as a liar ? Or could the life-long idolisation of a close friend and older brother be blinding them all to the truth ?

 

When I think "Christmas stories", I think "share the love", "be a better person", warm and fuzzy, cosy reading, a bit gooey. This is not the case here.

This particular novella is rather depressing ! It begins with a traditional family reunion in awful circumstances : one of the brothers has died recently, his morality is questioned, he left a widow and a young son. So the story is laced with mourning, gloom, resentment, anger and violence.

Some parts were repetitive : poor Henry Rathbone has to go to the station to pick three members of the family who, of course, arrive one by one and each time, he has to tell them the bad news - only the reactions are different. My other problem is with the murderer : he's only a means to an end. Can't tell you more without spoiling.

I can see what the author did, and I can see the Christian spirit in here. It's impossible to tell more without spoilers but basically, it's about what you would/should prefer : live your dream apart from everyone with the freedom that money gives, or live with less money, but together. It was too realistic for me : give up on what you 'd love to do to do the right thing instead is all too familiar.

My major problem with all this was that it was not what I expected, but if it had been brought up together with better skill, I would have loved it even if it was depressing. By the way, I love Anne Perry, I have read a great many of her books so I won't be giving up on her sometime soon.