The Twelve Saints of Christmas by Karen Baugh Menuhin Series: Heathcliff Lennox #12
Published by Little Dog Publishing Ltd on May 25, 2024
Source: Purchased
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 240
Format: eBook
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Twelve Saints, who are not true saints at all. They are the great and the good, although none are entirely great, nor good - indeed one is a murderer.
Temple House near Bath is built upon an old Roman Temple, the house bequeathed many centuries before to a secret order of old aristocracy. The 'Saints' are not true saints, they are remnants; the last of their line, they have wealth, but no heirs.
The Order may invite any such relict to join them. They will come to live in Temple House, they will become a revered and venerable Saint, and when they die all their wealth must go into the saints coffers.
Each Christmas these coffers are opened and the Saints - after much debate and contemplation - will donate a proportion of their wealth to a good and deserving cause.
This fine philanthropic task has followed the same line for hundreds of years - until now. It is Christmas 1923 and a Saint is found dead, murdered, and the killer is from within Temple House itself. The Order of the Saints is shrouded in secrecy and this dreadful deed cannot be allowed to expose them. And so their keeper of the books - the Dead Reckoner - suggests they call in Major Heathcliff Lennox and ex-Inspector Jonathan Swift to uncover the killer.
Major Heathcliff Lennox was formerly an RAF pilot and hero. But, now WWI is over and Lennox is acting as an investigator along with his good friend Former Detective Jonathan Swift, for Scotland Yard on an as needed basis – usually when the upper classes are involved. This time, they’ve been been called to Temple House, where one of the saints has been murdered. The saints are a group of extremely wealthy, elderly, heir-less philanthropists living in retired semi seclusion. And yes, they are as eccentric as you might imagine.
The mystery was put together well. We had several clues and suspects and I have to admit that I was fooled. Lennox and Swift’s investigations can seem a little haphazard, since they each have their own approaches, but they get there in the end.
This is definitely a Christmas mystery. We’ve got a decorated tree and some cute cats and a dog to play with the ornaments. We have some present shopping and carol singing. I’m not sure if this would work as a stand alone or not. Yes, the mystery is self-contained, but as is often the case, you get a better feel for the characters and their relationships if you follow along from the beginning. But, if you’re reading it as a one-off Christmas mystery, I think it’s still enjoyable.
About Karen Baugh Menuhin
At 60, Karen Baugh Menuhin decided to write, and suddenly the stories came pouring out, along with the characters. Eccentric Uncles, stalwart butlers, idiosyncratic servants, machinating Countesses, and the hapless Major Heathcliff Lennox.
An itinerate traveller all her life, she grew up in the military, often on RAF bases but preferring to be in the countryside when they could.
She is living and writing in the Cotswolds with her dear husband Krov. Krov is a professional writer, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, professional diver, pilot, ex US special forces soldier, and the eldest son of violinist, Yehudi Menuhin.
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