A friend (CC) gifted me a number of the books in this series. I have been using them as a distraction from worries recently. This particular one has a Christmas theme, however, the series has had a history of skipping holidays--we'd hear about a Halloween party but then the next book would skip past any mention of Halloween. So even though Faith plans to go home for Christmas, I suspect we won't see a Christmas celebration but that the next book will resume when Faith returns to her job after Christmas.

This retreat is a Charles Dickens Society themed event--complete with readings of "A Christmas Carol" and quite a few Dickens quotes. I wasn't bothered by the Dickens quotes though I didn't recognize many of them. I can see where some readers might think they were laid on a bit thick.

I don't know if the story/information about the actress who played Miss Havisham in a movie is true or not.

I did think Faith acted unwisely a few times--going off alone (without anyone else even knowing she was meeting with the person) with someone who was a suspect. I didn't guess who the murderer was before it was revealed. That's often my norm, so your experience may differ. I don't think I'd even considered the person it turned out to be. ( )

The Christmas season brings the Charles Dickens Society to Castleton Manor for a retreat. It's all things Dickens all the time. Unfortunately one of the main presenters is rude, annoying and handsy. Manor Librarian Faith Newberry puts up with Charles' stupid come-on comments and bad disposition for the sake of her job....but she is a bit surprised that nobody seems to like the man, even the members of the society. The week starts off festive but goes downhill when society members start reporting thefts from their rooms. Then it gets worse.....a murder. How much Dickensian drama can one retreat handle?

I enjoy this series.....the characters, the setting, the pets, and the plots. Despite the books being written by several authors, the sweet vibe of this cozy mystery series is present in all the stories I have read so far. The background plots are varied (each retreat has a different theme) and very entertaining. All in all, this series delivers a nice cozy mystery experience each time. The books are sold on a monthly membership basis by Annie's Attic. Luckily, most of the books have been donated to my local library! :) Yay!

I like the fact that guests and staff can bring their pets to the manor. Each book has different authors and retreat guests and their various pets. :) I know an upscale retreat resort would in reality never, ever allow pets, especially in a library.....but it makes for a sweet cozy mystery. :) I love Faith's cat Watson....he has an abundance of cattitude. :)

The hardcover books are high quality and attractive. The cover art is colorful, engaging and cute (as is common with cozy mysteries). The series would look quite nice displayed on bookshelves. But I'm content to borrow them from my local library as I only read mysteries once.

Another enjoyable cozy experience. Moving on...I picked up the next book in the series (An Autographed Mystery) at the library today! Can't wait to find out what Faith and Watson are getting into next! :) ( )