December 1890: Eleven days before Christmas, Clarice and her husband, Reverend Dominic Corde, arrive in the idyllic village of Cottisham to watch over the Reverend Wynter’s flock, whilst he takes a richly deserved holiday.
With its village green and thatched cottages, Cottisham is a far cry from the bleak London parish they’ve left behind. But Clarice can’t shake the feeling that the welcoming smiles of the locals are hiding dark secrets.
When a shocking discovery confirms her suspicions, Clarice can’t resist investigating. Could it be that the Reverend is not all that he seems? Are there black sheep in the fold? One thing is certain: Clarice is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means putting her own life in danger.
With its village green and thatched cottages, Cottisham is a far cry from the bleak London parish they’ve left behind. But Clarice can’t shake the feeling that the welcoming smiles of the locals are hiding dark secrets.
When a shocking discovery confirms her suspicions, Clarice can’t resist investigating. Could it be that the Reverend is not all that he seems? Are there black sheep in the fold? One thing is certain: Clarice is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means putting her own life in danger.
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Reviews
Praise for Anne Perry's other Christmas novellas: 'This brief work has an almost Jamesian subtlety, and with its powerful message of responsibility and redemption - "We need both to forgive and to be forgiven" - it conveys a moral force in keeping with the season
The tale is redolent with Victorian atmosphere, from the hypocritical snobbishness to the rigid social conventions of the time
If you don't have a lump in your throat by the time you finish the final few pages, you shouldn't have had all that sherry
