In A Christmas Gathering, Anne Perry’s 17th historical Christmas adventure, it’s the dawn of the 20th century and her beloved pair of relative newlyweds yet old acquaintances, Lord Victor and Lady Vespasia Narraway, are invited to a small Christmas gathering at a countryside manor just outside of London. Vespasia knows this trip has nothing to do with spending the holiday with friends and everything to do with Victor’s former job as a spy for Her Majesty. Vespasia also knows that something from his past is burdening Victor, and when a young woman guest is brutally attacked, Vespasia must convince him to not only let her help him with this secret assignment, but also to let her in on what’s been troubling him.

Anne Perry ushers in the Edwardian era with mystery, intrigue, treasonous actions, and good, old-fashioned espionage in this Agatha Christie-like Christmas tale. Via a small group of suspects all trapped in a large English country home for the holidays and through the eyes and actions of her star characters, the author connects the dots with a trail of subtle hints along the way, hopefully leading readers to the correct villain by the end of the story. She also sweetly and expertly affirms the true love between her newly married couple, giving them genuine fears and vulnerabilities that add a certain legitimacy to their relationship.

The settings are realistic and the nasty weather adds just the right atmosphere. The narrative has perfect flow and the mystery stands well on its own in this opportunity to become reacquainted with Vespasia and Victor, two admired characters from her long-running Pitt series. Fans of Perry and the historical mystery genre will not be disappointed with her latest festive novel.