Reverend Dominic Corde and his wife, Clarice, look forward to leaving London for Cottisham to substitute for the much- loved vacationing vicar, Reverend Wynter. The locals are very attached to the vicar, but make the newcomers feel welcome in their village. Dominic wants to make a good impression, so he and Clarice begin visiting with members of the congregation to get to know everyone and better minister to their needs. In these meetings, they discover that all is not well among all the members.

When Clarice locates the vicar's family Bible, something he would surely have taken with him, she tries to find out where, exactly, he is vacationing. What she discovers is that the highly respected vicar never made it out of the coal cellar. The condition of the body in the cellar leads Dominic and Clarice to believe foul play is involved, and the pair set out to discover who hated the vicar enough to kill him.

A CHRISTMAS SECRET is an excellent Victorian cozy mystery. Anne Perry captures the ambiance of the Victorian era with the wonderful characters of Dominic and Clarice. The couple is devoted both to one another and to their faith. Fans of Ms. Perry will want to add this one to their collection.