A Christmas Gathering

Written by Anne Perry

Narrated by Jenny Sterlin

A cold case adds an extra chill to the holiday season as bestselling author Anne Perry whisks readers to an elegant home in the English countryside for a Christmas of secrets, soul-searching, and forgiveness.

As beautiful as it may be, their friends’ country house is not where Lady Vespasia wishes to spend Christmas with her new husband, Victor Narraway. She’d have preferred a relaxing holiday at home with him—especially as Victor, former head of the London Special Branch, seems to be hiding undercover dealings with the other guests who have gathered at the spacious estate.

As tensions grow, the young and beautiful Iris Watson-Watt becomes the center of several men’s focus. Unbeknownst to Vespasia, Iris carries a sensitive package that she must pass to Victor in the hope of unmasking a British traitor. While Victor plots his moves, he is reminded of a similar case from twenty years before, when a young Frenchwoman also carried a clandestine message—one that resulted in her murder, unsolved to this day. Victor has always been tormented by his failure to protect her, and now, with all eyes on Iris, Victor must act fast before history repeats itself.

With the joy of Christmas at risk of being forgotten and Vespasia feeling alone with a distracted husband, Victor must ultimately learn to forgive himself in order to save both his country and the spirit of the holiday.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980011903

Anne Perry

With twenty million books in print, ANNE PERRY's was selected by The Times as one of the twentieth century's '100 Masters of Crime', for more information about Anne and her books, visit: www.anneperry.co.uk

Reviews for A Christmas Gathering

[Caroline Gold · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my idea of a mystery more a spy drama which is not my thing.

[Ruth Caramanica · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Too boring unlike most of her books, and didn’t like the narrator.

[iudita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a pretty standard who-dunnit, but I enjoyed the writing which was crisp and richly detailed.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A past mystery confounds a present-day one. Vespasia and Victor must sort through old relationships and current violence during a Christmas celebration confounded by foreign intrigue.

[kmjessica · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Anne Perry book I have read.
This is also a book in a series with the character Lady Vespasia. There were hints about what I might have missed in past books but I felt like this was a stand alone book and did not miss anything by not reading past books. This was a very fast read.
It was a light , cozy mystery that got straight to the point. There wasn't a whole lot of the story that tried to mislead the reader to wonder who the villain was. I like reading books that take place in the 1800's to early 1900's. The way people gathered at houses for weeks at a time for socializing. And the way society was back then is very interesting. I can see this would be a fun series to continue to follow. Hopefully there will be another in the future.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the short Christmas collection stories where minor minor characters are showcased in a Christmas setting, giving me a peek into their lives that in the normal MONK/PITT series you do not see. This time we see Lady Vespasia and her husband Lord VIctor Narraday at a Christmas house party held by Lord and Lady Cavendish. But it's not an ordinary house party. Victor, the former head of Special Branch has been enlisted to meet a courier and retrieve a package which will then be passed on and hopefully identify the person who is engaged in treason. The host and hostess appear to severely dislike Victor and Vespasia and when the courier, a young woman is found unconscious after an apparent attack, Victor and his wife must protect the package, the young girl, and figure out who is responsible all before the end of the house party. Seeing Vespasia interacting with Victor and the two working together to solve the mystery with the Christmas party in the background was fun. Hope these special Christmas books continue for many years to come!

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I do so love an English turn of the century murder mystery. Max and Lady Amelia Cavendish are hosting a small Christmas gathering at Cavendish Hall. Lady Vespasia and Lord Victor Narraway have been invited and there are misgivings by all. Lots of polite remarks, little meaning behind them, these people have all the social graces and know how to employ them. Tea is a formality embraced by all, dinner is dress, conversation is stilted and often the underlying meaning and tone is venomous. Jolly good show, what? An ugly past mistake is constantly on Lord Narraway’s mind and he is becoming undone. “As head of Special Branch he knew too much about too many people to be liked.” Lady Vespasia is aware something is amiss but is afraid to confront the man she adores. Treason, diabolical plots, nasty attacks, failure of a mission, a hand-off of military information - jolly good show, what? There might have been just a little too much past and present mental gyration. Still it was a quick, entertaining bit of that “upstairs, downstairs” drama. A mind and force to be reckoned with, underestimate Lady Vespasia at your own peril. Anne Perry knows how to construct a good mystery and rarely disappoints.Thank you Net Galley and Random House- Ballantine for a copy.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Anne Perry's books and her wonderful series, and I love these little Christmas novellas as well. This is number 17 in that series, and again we have Aunt Vespasia and her new husband Victor Narraway. For those who have read Ms. Perry's books you will recognize these names from the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. Vespasia and Victor are invited to an English country manor for Christmas. Unknown to Vespasia, Victor is going to be doing some Special Branch work that looks simple enough. Once they get there though the antagonism begins right away, and the danger is not far off. Both Victor and Vespasia handle it with their usual grace and consideration. There's a lot of suspense in this little book even though it's short, and Ms. Perry wields her magic pen and keeps it coming throughout. I really enjoyed this book, and as usual, it puts me in the Christmas spirit. It has become a tradition with me.

[liscarey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Vespasia, now Lady Vespasia Narraway, since her marriage to Victor Narraway, former head of the Special Branch, wanted to spend Christmas with Victor, at home, with a few close friends over. Instead, they are spending Christmas at Cavendish Park, with a small group of social acquaintances, none of whom are really close friends. Lady Vespasia has known the hosts, Lady Amelia and Max Cavendish, for many years, but no, she and Amelia are not really friends.So why are they there? Lady Vespasia is fairly sure Victor has another Special Branch assignment, though he isn't saying that. Victor, meanwhile, is troubled not only by the assignment at Christmas when he and Vespasia would rather be home, but by echoes of a similar assignment many years ago, relatively early in his career.This assignment, like the earlier one, is aimed at passing along secret military documents--that have been subtly altered to ensure the Germans won't get the good information they're after, and the Special Branch will also be able to identify the real leaker. In this assignment, Victor's role is to receive the documents from someone better able to receive them from their source, and then later pass them on to someone who can pass them to the next link in the chain. In the previous one, his role was to protect the young woman who was to pass the papers to the person playing what is now Victor's role. In that earlier assignment, he failed, and the young woman was killed. He's haunted by guilt over that.When the young woman he is to received documents from in this new assignment is attacked and badly, perhaps fatally, wounded, his guilt explodes, and he absolutely must find the attacker and successfully complete this last assignment.It's an emotionally challenging time for Vespasia, Victor, and others among the little company of guests. In particular, Victor and Vespasia are still comparatively new to their marriage, and each remains astonished that the other chose to enter the marriage. (Vespasia is a good deal older than Victor; Victor is of a much lower social background.) The young lady who is carrying the documents this time, Iris Watson-Watts, is beautiful, and her husband, again of slightly lower social standing, is worried and a bit jealous of the apparent fascination the other men at the gathering regard her with. And so on through the group; everyone has reasons for insecurity.And of course, there's the small matter of the attack on Iris and who the attacker was, as well as what his real purpose is.Like all of Perry's Christmas stories, this is fairly short, and very contained in location and participants. It is also, like the others, an opportunity for the series regulars in it to grow emotionally and move forward in their lives. Very well done!Recommended.I bought this audiobook.

[ladyofthelodge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In "A Christmas Gathering," Anne Perry serves up a deliciously intriguing story that will delight readers who have enjoyed her past Christmas novels. Although on the surface, this might seem like a typical country house mystery, the book features an undercurrent of intrigue. Victor and Vespasia confront memories from the past as they seek to unmask the person who attempted to murder a young female house guest. The holiday setting and wintry mix add to the feeling of dark secrets and international intrigues swirling below the festive seasonal get together. I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[eyes92c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Victor and Vespasia. Always a pleasure!I love these two, Victor Narraway and Lady Vespasia. True love in their mature years. As Vespasia muses, "So late in life, she had found the man she truly loved with all the passion, intelligence, and trust in her nature." What a special couple!Victor has retired as head of the London Special Branch, but unbeknownst to Vespasia he's acting as a contact for a young woman, Iris Watson-Watt, involved in a sting to unmask a traitor. So they are spending Christmas at Cavendish Hall the country house of Max and Lady Amelia Cavendish. Not really where they both wanted to be. For Victor this case is personal. It takes him back to a similar occassion in France which did not end well. And like that time twenty years ago, the young woman Iris is attacked. Recovery is uncertain. Will history repeat itself?Vespasia of course knows most of the people at the house party, not that she'd had much to do with them for some time. The guests seem an uneasy lot and when the claws come out, I applauded the way Vespasia held her own against cutting remarks made by the hostess. Such panache and style!A taut mystery novella that showcases the strengths and misgivings of these two wonderful Perry personalities that I've always adored. Another Anne Perry Christmas treat!A Random House ARC via NetGalley

[lindapanzo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The annual Anne Perry Christmas novella is a long-running treasured gift for the holidays to her legions of fans and this 17th installment does not disappoint. Thankfully, Lady Vespasia is back in the holiday book, this time with her new husband, Victor Narraway, as they spend the holidays at a country estate.The past and the present and a lot of intrigue are the highlights of this installment.As usual, very enjoyable!!(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)