From his early days as an orphan and a mudlark on the Thames riverbanks of London’s Thames, scrounging a bare living from selling trash for food, twenty-two-year-old Will Monk, still known as Scruff, has gone up in the world, but still is close to the poor folks eeking out a living on the docks.
Scruff is now completing his medical studies under the mentorship of his good friend Dr. Crowe in his free medical clinic, serving anyone in need. The clinic is solely supported by small gifts of food or service by the poorest of the poor and is helped by donations from those who can pay with all funds going for much-needed medicines and food. Scruff is thorough and knows his medical stuff, yet still feels the need for Dr. Crowe’s helpful words of advice and encouragement to help his confidence.
Dr. Crowe, however, has been distracted and is off doing his own personal investigation. The good doctor treated a wealthy young lady for injuries from a carriage accident in the past and over the course of caring for Ellie Hollister, got to know her as a kind and spirited person. Seeing Ellie on the street one evening, Dr. Crowe is shocked by the uncaring and abusive treatment she is putting up with from her fiance. Why would her father let her marry such a brute? What hold does he have over Ellie?
A CHRISTMAS DELIVERANCE is the twentieth novel in an amazing series of Christmas novellas by Anne Perry, a well-known British writer of Victorian mystery novels. Fans of Perry’s Monk Series are sure to be delighted to see Scruff in action caring for medical emergencies, both large and small, while Dr. Crowe seeks to solve the mystery behind Ellie’s engagement.
I am quite impressed by this entrancing and captivating Christmas season mystery and Perry’s descriptive writing abilities. From Crowe’s concern and a bit of heartfelt fondness for his former patient to the delightful comments of the wee girl with the bleeding finger, the characters are authentic in manners, speech, and characteristics.
After reading A CHRISTMAS DELIVERANCE, I definitely am looking forward to deep diving into her Monk series of mysteries. As noted, Perry has a real gift for setting the scene, and the characters are authentic in detail for their time and life circumstances. Despite the poverty and hunger of the poor in the docks area which is graphicly described, Perry really shines the candle on those who are not poor in spirit, but willing to help others in need.
If you love British-based detective mysteries or historic novels, there is much to savor in A CHRISTMAS DELIVERANCE for both readers new to Perry’s novels as well as her seasoned fans! So, do not delay to get spirited away to the docks in Victorian London and find out just what happens with Dr. Crowe and Scruff! Enjoy!
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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