Dr. Crowe and his apprentice, Scuff, tend to the poor in their free clinic on the banks of the Thames River. Christmas is approaching, but there are many wounds to mend and Dr. Crowe’s heart may be one of them. He is appalled when he witnesses a former patient being manhandled in the streets. The beautiful Ellie Hollister holds a place in Crowe’s heart. Crowe saved her life and tended to her while she recuperated from a terrible accident. Now Ellie is engaged to the brute Paul Dolan, and Crowe is determined to make sure Ellie doesn’t make the mistake of marrying the horrible man in A CHRISTMAS DELIVERANCE.
As Crowe begins his investigation, he soon learns Ellie may marry the man to save her father’s reputation. As he digs deeper, he finds a connection between a warehouse fire, Ellie’s father, and her fiancé’s father, Silas Dolan. Did the men conspire to burn down a warehouse of goods to collect the insurance money? And did they intend to kill the night watchman in the process? Crowe needs to be careful because as he learns the truth, powerful men threaten his reputation and his clinic.
While Scuff is watching the clinic in Crowe’s absence, he takes in a young homeless girl and her pet kitten. Mattie is a clever little girl and helps around the clinic. All she wants is a safe and warm place for her and her kitten to live this holiday season. Will Dr. Crowe find the truth and keep Ellie, Scuff, Mattie, and Rose safe for Christmas?
This short Victorian Christmas novella by Anne Perry is like a warm hug. It envelops you in the characters’ lives and transports you to another time. Dr. Crowe and Scuff are admirable characters as they tend to the poor and support each other. Mattie and her kitten Rose are a nice addition and show how a little compassion makes a big difference. The mystery is intriguing, the action continuous, and the guilty get their due in the end. I would love to see these characters again in a future novel. A CHRISTMAS DELIVERANCE is a delightful, enjoyable, quick read that will make you smile and lift your spirits this holiday season.
Scuff has come a long way from his time as a penniless orphan scraping together a living on the banks of the Thames. Now he’s studying medicine at a free clinic run by Dr. Crowe, a thoughtful if stoic mentor. But lately Crowe has been distracted, having witnessed an altercation between a wealthy former patient of his named Ellie—a woman that he not only treated but developed unacknowledged feelings for—and her controlling fiancé. It seems someone is forcing Ellie to marry the man. When Crowe’s emotions come flooding back, he sets out to uncover the troubling connection between Ellie, her father, and her betrothed.
With Crowe engrossed in his investigation just weeks before the holidays, Scuff is left to run the clinic on his own, treating London’s poor and vulnerable. In the holiday spirit, he offers Mattie, a young girl in need, a warm place to stay as the winter chill sweeps through the city. Together, Scuff and Mattie must also fend off the police, who are growing suspicious of Crowe’s amateur sleuthing. Will Crowe be able to help Ellie, and will Scuff be able to ensure that he and Mattie—and all of their patients—have a safe and peaceful Christmas?
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