Janet Gordon is married, retired, obsessed with her Westlake Terrier, Rollo – and books are her passion. She reads multiple books a week across all genres and reviews books for Rest Less.
As well as this month’s round-up, featuring The Party Season by SJI Holliday; The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict; and The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead by Antony Johnston.
Janet has also reviewed some of her other festive favourites, including a visit to The National Trust’s Christmas Light Trail at Wimpole Hall and REAL White Peony Tea.
Note: Prices can change often, so you may notice some variations on the providers’ websites. Prices and availability are accurate as of the 13th of December, 2023.
Wimpole Hall’s Christmas Light Trail, National Trust
As readers have probably realised I love this time of the year, which gives me a lovely opportunity to pop on something glittery.
When I used to travel up to London to work, I spent time planning work outfits to look smart and take me from work to an evening’s entertainment. But now that I’m retired and my work outfits have ended up in the charity shop of my choice (St Claire’s Hospice if you’re wondering), my choice of clothes has definitely changed.
Cosy sweaters and comfy cashmere joggers are what I spend my days in now – so, with our crochet club Christmas lunch looming, finding something glittery to wear has taken top priority. And of course, if I find the perfect outfit in a charity shop, then that’s just perfect.
But one fantastic press night that my husband and I were invited to recently was the launch of Wimpole Hall’s Christmas Light Trail in Royston, Herts. Definitely no sequins to be worn, but knitted hats and gloves, and flat boots, were de rigueur, as was a warming mug of whipped cream hot chocolate as we slowly wended our way around the almost two-mile illuminated trail – not forgetting to ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ at Father Christmas as we passed by.
Wimpole Hall is owned by the National Trust and, of course, there are a multitude of illuminated trails up and down the country. It was mobbed – packed with oohing and aaahing children being pulled along on sledges and crammed into pushchairs, but not forgetting oldies like us, who could marvel at the spectacle just as much as the young ones. There was also a small funfair, including a helter-skelter at the entrance just to get all the visitors into the mood!
REAL White Peony Tea (REAL Tasting Gift Set, £30) and Mince Pienut Butter (ManiLife, £4.50)
The postie recently delivered a lovely bottle of REAL White Peony Tea to our door. And while peonies are one of my favourite flowers, I would never have imagined drinking them! But it’s rose, which is always a plus in my book. And, coincidently, I was also sent a jar of ManiLife Mince Pienut Butter.
So having discovered a quick and easy recipe for mince pies without using a cookie cutter – just press the pastry mix (and I’d made my own!) into the cupcake cases, last Sunday, I thought I’d try out the Pienut Butter and Peony Tea when we had lunch with the family.
My son loves cooking and is great at it – having escaped from catering college because he was asked to write too many essays on tea bags – and my daughter-in-law is veggie, so whilst we tucked into a roast, we opened the Peony Tea.
Non-alcoholic, it was so tangy and sparkling, we all loved it. According to the bottle, it has notes of nougat and summer fruits, with flavours of strawberry, cranberry, and raspberry – it’s a definite winner with our family and the grandchildren felt very grown up drinking it.
And then we had my homemade mince pienuts and they were a success too. I’m not a great peanut butter fan, although I quite like it when I make Jan-Jan Noodles (my variation on an oriental theme), but the peanut butter kids asked for more.
Now, in line with usual business, onto some crime novels that’ll make great reads this Christmas…
The Party Season by SJI Holliday (Kindle £2.99, Amazon £9.19, Hodder £9.99)
And if you’d like a change from cosy Christmas reads, why not try Crime for Christmas?
The Party Season by S J I Holliday has a gorgeous blonde (or maybe a redhead) accosting certain men during hotel Christmas parties, luring them (not that they needed much luring) up to the hotel room, where they were never seen alive again.
Told partly in the first person by the sequinned murderer and also by the detective duo Eddie and Becks, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict (Simon & Schuster £14.99)
And if you love jigsaw puzzles – can there be anything more relaxing on a winter’s evening than a glass of something, soft music, and a book or a jigsaw puzzle? So why not combine the two?
Renowned puzzle setter Edie who hates Christmas is surprised to find a hand-delivered parcel outside her front door containing a jigsaw box with six pieces. Naturally, she puts them together – well, why wouldn’t you? – and is horrified to find it’s part of a blood-soaked crime scene.
There’s also a message announcing that four or maybe six people will die before Christmas Eve – “unless you can stop me”. Oooooh, imagine being alone in the house when this happens…
The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead by Antony Johnston (Allison & Busby £16.99)
Actor Gwinny Dog sits in between acting roles and is happy to dog sit for Ace a Border Collie belonging to an ex-rock star. He lives on a houseboat in Little Venice (and for those non-Londoners, it’s the most glorious little piece of London).
And Gwinny is having fun, until Crash Double as the ex-rock star is known – is found – very dead – in the canal during the Canal Carnival.
This book is great fun – and makes a great change from all those cosy cat crimes!
For further book and literature discussions, you might be interested in joining the thriving book club or short story club over on Rest Less Events.
Have you read any of these books? Or have you added any of them to your reading list? Or perhaps you’re planning to visit one of the National Trust’s Christmas Light Trails? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.