The Christmas Carol Murders by Christopher Lord

Blurb: It's the holiday season in Dickens Junction, Oregon. Local bookstore owner Simon Alastair is getting ready for the community's annual celebration of Charles Dickens's well-known story. But when a mysterious stranger shows up in the Junction and is murdered hours later, Simon begins to suspect that his little community has been targeted for destruction by a shadowy organization. With the support of Zach, a dashing young magazine reporter, Simon decides to investigate the crime himself. When a second murder follows, Simon must confront the worst questions of all: which of his friends and business associates is a ruthless murderer? And why is everyone suddenly reading Ayn Rand?

My Review: I can't tell you how excited I was when this book popped up on my radar. A Christmas Carol is my all-time favorite story, so a cozy mystery set at Christmas in a town named Dickens Junction - it's like it was written just for me.

I was surprised at how this book veered from my idea of a traditional cozy - the protagonist is openly gay, and the murders are quite gruesome. In spite of this (and the fact that the political slant is so opposite my views it made me cringe), I really enjoyed this complex mystery. The characters were unique, the setting divine, and the revelation of the killer was a complete surprise...definitely Christie-esque. I would definitely visit Dickens Junction again.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher with the request for a review.

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