This is probably my favorite Christmas-themed cozy mystery. First in the Peter Shandy series, it all starts when Professor Shandy can’t take the pressure from the ladies of the college community to decorate his house for Christmas. His revenge backfires, though, when he comes home after a few days away to trip over a dead body in his living room. MacLeod is witty as always, and creates a memorable cast of characters.
Review of 'Rest You Merry (Peter Shandy Mysteries)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is probably my favorite Christmas-themed cozy mystery. First in the Peter Shandy series, it all starts when Professor Shandy can’t take the pressure from the ladies of the college community to decorate his house for Christmas. His revenge backfires, though, when he comes home after a few days away to trip over a dead body in his living room. MacLeod is witty as always, and creates a memorable cast of characters.
Review of 'Rest You Merry (Peter Shandy Mysteries)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Book Review: Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod
This is the first book in the long running (10 books) Peter and Helen Shandy mystery series, by the late Charlotte MacLeod, veteran mystery writer. It came out in 1978 and feature Professor Shandy, an aging bachelor professor at a fictitious New England college. A book very much in the Agatha Christie school of mystery, it was a humorous "closed door" murder mystery that provided several memorable characters.
Professor Shandy, a bachelor in his early 50s, teaches at the venerable Balaclava Agricultural College. He is being badgered by the Illumination committee to get with the Christmas spirit and decorate his house in a festive manner. He goes over the top and then slips out on vacation.
But when he gets back, his house is not only the most talked about one in the area, but it also contains a dead body. A …
Book Review: Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod
This is the first book in the long running (10 books) Peter and Helen Shandy mystery series, by the late Charlotte MacLeod, veteran mystery writer. It came out in 1978 and feature Professor Shandy, an aging bachelor professor at a fictitious New England college. A book very much in the Agatha Christie school of mystery, it was a humorous "closed door" murder mystery that provided several memorable characters.
Professor Shandy, a bachelor in his early 50s, teaches at the venerable Balaclava Agricultural College. He is being badgered by the Illumination committee to get with the Christmas spirit and decorate his house in a festive manner. He goes over the top and then slips out on vacation.
But when he gets back, his house is not only the most talked about one in the area, but it also contains a dead body. A cover-up ensues, while Shandy works alone to figure it out. As he gets closer, more bodies show up, and there are more red herrings than a barrel could hold. Finally, he pieces everything together, with the help of a pretty newcomer, with whom he becomes smitten (yeah, it uses that kind of language).
A fun quick read, with enough originality and personality that I want to read the next one in the series, [b:The Luck Runs Out|512986|The Luck Runs Out (Professor Peter Shandy Mystery, #2)|Charlotte MacLeod|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1189631793s/512986.jpg|2570149]. Nothing major, but fun. It does have that annoying flaw where the main character figures things out but hides it from the reader until dramatically appropriate, which bugs me. But I liked Shandy and Helen, as their interaction reminds me a bit of Nick and Nora Charles. There are plenty of humorous moments, although there are a few too many names for me to always keep straight. I am looking forward to the second book.
