A Christmas Beginning

A Christmas Beginning can stand alone, however you will enjoy it and understand it more if you are familiar with Superintendent Runcorn from Ms. Perry's other novels. From the first Monk novel, the series he appears in, until now, Runcorn has undergone a gradual change. In the beginning, he bitterly dislikes Monk and resents him, seemingly without cause. However, we (and Monk) eventually discover what is in their past...and Runcorn become more human and understandable. Ms. Perry does a good job of giving the reader the backstory on Runcorn, however. We find out that he has come to the remote island to get away from London, to give himself time to ponder. He's made new discoveries about himself and Runcorn, a plain man from very humble beginnings, is not sure how to deal with them. There is also the memory he carries of Melisande, a woman far above him socially and dependent upon her brother. If you are looking for a regular whodunit mystery, there's a good chance you will be disappointed. There is a murder and a mystery to be solved, with several suspects, though. Runcorn finds the body while walking one evening. The officer in charge, a local gentleman, turns out to be engaged to Melisande, and her brother is only too pleased to inform Runcorn of this with a warning to stay away. After all, the police rank socially just above the ratcatcher. The townsfolk are jittery, Christmas is just days away, and Melisand asks Runcorn to help her fiance with the investigation: he is the only one around who has any experience. The mystery is not the soul of the book. Ms Perry takes us into Runcorn's mind and heart while he walks the cold, windswept landscape. Her descriptions make you feel as if you are there, shivering and hurting along with him. He knows he cannot have Melisande, no matter how much he loves her and always will. I found this to be a very peaceful, relaxing book- just perfect for a quiet evening.

This is the first of Anne Perry's Christmas tales that I have read, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I haven't read a lot of her series novels, and so was unfamiliar with the main character, Runcorn--but that didn't matter. This is the perfect book to read by the fire with a cup of tea, an entertaining miniature mystery blended with a tale of love and longing, in a beautiful winter setting. Best of all, it ended in a most satisfying way.

Perry's Christmas tales are always a high point - not so much for the mysteries themselves, which are quite good - but for the way she redeems some of the more questionable characters from her Pitt and Monk series. Here, superintendent Runcorn from the Monk series gets his chance. Originally, Runcorn was, as the antagonist to Monk, totally unlikeable. As that series has progressed, however, we have developed a grudging acceptance of him, as he has done the same for Monk. With this book, however, Runcorn becomes a friend. He finally puts aside his petty jealousy and restrictive character and becomes a character who could now easily share top billing with Monk. And, as I noted above, at the same time he gets to solve a well-crafted mystery as well. A great Christmas read.

Anne Perry is a master of writing historical fiction and historical whodunits. She is the author of two series set in Victorian England and five World War I novels. But she has also written five short novels set at Christmastide, the latest being A CHRISTMAS BEGINNING. Fans will not be disappointed. A CHRISTMAS BEGINNINGstars a supporting character of the William Monk series, Superintendent Runcorn of the London Metropolitan Police. Besides being a first-rate mystery in the "cozy" genre, it is also a riveting psychological portrait of a man alone. Runcorn travels to the Isle of Anglesey off the north coast of Wales. This isolated island, Perry writes, "must be the loneliest place in Britain, all bare hills and bright water, and silent except for the moan of the wind in the grass." This perfectly describes Runcorn's life as well: "Runcorn had nowhere else in particular to be for Christmas, no family. He lived alone. He knew many people, but they were colleagues rather than friends." In Victorian England, where class rules everything, Runcorn knows that he is simply a functionary of the ruling class. He has accepted his lot in life so far. After all, and most tellingly, "he was not a gentleman." But at the age of 50, Runcorn is beginning to have doubts. So he goes on leave for several weeks and decides to go to Anglesey to "take long walks in the open, think deeply for a change." But during one of these "empty days" a sort of ghost of Christmas past appears before him when he encounters an upper-class gentleman he had unpleasant dealings with during a homicide case in London. Runcorn immediately remembers the man's younger sister, Melisande. He wonders if she is also on the island and thinks, "Did she still look the same? Was the curve of her hair as soft? The way she smiled and the sadness in her had continued to haunt him in the year since they'd last met." Runcorn then sees the young woman in church, and she smiles at him. Perry writes, "He could feel it burn inside him." But alas, they are of different classes. Melisande was a lady born and bred; a mere policeman had no reason even to speak to her socially. Fate intervenes when, during an early morning walk, Runcorn stumbles across the body of another beautiful young woman, Olivia, the younger unmarried sister of the vicar, in the graveyard. Olivia has been stabbed to death in the stomach. Murders never occur here; that crime is for the grimy underworld of Runcorn's London. The closed, upper-class society of the island is thrown into a panic. The constable is out of his depth, so Runcorn is asked to help with the initial investigation. Runcorn learns that the dead girl was "difficult." That means she was a free spirit, a dreamer, unwilling to marry the appropriate suitor of her class. This made her an economic burden on her brother, the vicar, who must provide for her. Before Runcorn gets very far into his inquiries, the Chief Constable of the County, Sir Alan Faraday, arrives on the is

Each year Anne Perry gives us a small offering centering around Christmastime, and features members of her Thomas Pitt series and Monk series. This year, she features Runcorn, the policeman who used to clash with Monk - We always seen the rough side of Runcorn. He and Monk would clash terribly, but get the job done...They had investigated a murder in London and one brave woman stepped up and helped them - it was some time ago, but Runcorn still remembers her beauty, bearing, and sweetness. He didn't dare think she saw him as more than a policeman. Runcorn leaves London to celebrate Christmas in Wales - He goes to the local Church and meets the Vicar and his wife, and the vicar's sister. Olivia is a free spirit - for Victorian standards - Runcorn sees the beautiful lady that helped the detectives in London - Melisande Ewart - and he realizes he loves her - but he isn't in the gentry. Olivia is found murdered and Runcorn joins in the investigation. During that time, Melisande meets Runcorn every opportunity she can to encourage him to continue his work. He unravels the mystery of who on a small island in Wales murdered a young lady. He also unravels the mystery of his heart. It is a good read that turns an unlikeable Runcorn into a three-dimensional man who feels and strives to be the finest he can be -