Silent Night (A Lady Julia Grey Mystery)

Unlike the novels this is a quick afternoon of light reading preferably with a cup of hot tea and scones a d a blustery wind outside. The author is clearly used to a . Longer time line and gets lengthy on plotline. But a fun supplement to the Lady Julia Mystery stories. I would not recommend it as a first read of Lady Julia as there is no character development, just a fun snack for Lady Julia and Brisbane fans.

A delightful look at English holiday traditions. Lady Julia picks back up where the last story ended, pestering Brisbane to let her solve mysteries. And of course, no Lady Julia story is complete without one (or more) of her eccentric but fun family. Finished it in one night!

I have really enjoyed all the Lady Julia books, but this short story really excelled, there was the usual mystery plus the romance and an extra helping of humor, it had me laughing out loud quite a few times.

Shocked and disappointed in this new Lady Julia story! As I began reading this novella, I was wondering if Ms. Raybourn had really written this. A recycled plot, lack of detail and pasted together scenes. Gone are the beautiful descriptions of Lady Julia's wardrobe and scene setting detail that we have all come to love and expect. You won't find any fun loving banter between Julia and Brisbane here. The use, or should I say re-use of a plot from Silent in the Sanctuary, her second book in the Lady Julia series is ridiculous. Luckily, I only spent $1.99 on this book.

Deanna Raybourn has created quite a heroine in Lady Julia Grey. Full of spunk, wit, and keen intelligence, Julia is not your typical Victorian lady. Over the years, we've enjoyed meeting Julia's crazy family and seen her relationship (both personal and professional) develop with detective Nicholas Brisbane. In "Silent Night", we get a tiny taste - an amuse bouche, really - of Christmas with the March family, post-Brisbane.

When Julia's family gathers together, trouble is sure to follow, and that is definitely the case in this novella. Though most of her siblings are unable to attend Christmas this year, there is still excitement to be found. First, Aunt Hermia's coral ring goes missing. Next, a valuable emerald ring goes missing. With a new maid who has recently left Hermia's home for women of the street, nearly the entire staff sick with a cold, and a menagerie of animals running around, it's anyone's guess where the items have disappeare to.

This is, by no means, a complete Lady Julia story, nor is it meant to be one. I'd despaired of seeing Julia's family again, and I'm thrilled to once again witness a yuletide gathering of the Marches. It's quick, cute, and a great way to tide you over until the next one.

This little novella isn't really a mystery at all; there's no murder to solve. There are odd goings on and of course we have Julia and Brisbane and Julia's family. It does take place at Christmas, so there is the draw of the holiday.

Overall, it was a gentle story that let me spend time with a couple of my favorite characters. It's really only for series fans, though. It's a solid 3.5 star read; I rounded up simply because I like Christmas.

Note: This is NOT a good introduction to the series for newcomers as it fits chronologically after the five current books, and therefore contains many spoilers. Read them in order--besides, the first one has one of the best opening paragraphs you'll find in current fiction--it's not to be missed!

For fans of these, well, any chance to spend time with Lady Julia is worthwhile, even a story as short as this. But, be forewarned, it will leave you hungry for more. Several laugh out loud moments, as always, and superb wordsmithing make this a credible addition to the series, even though the mystery itself is but a small one.

This story was first published in/or around 2012. On the cover Julia was wearing a red hooded cloak. The description should have been a give away as to the age of the story since they have been married for much longer than one year in the series

So often authors virtually phone these "in-between" novellas in. Not so with "Silent Night," which comes after the fifth full entry in the Lady Julia Grey mystery series. In this novella, amusingly counted as 5.5 in the series, Lady Julia and her new husband and old partner, Nicholas Brisbane, spend Christmas with her father, the eccentric Earl March, and some of her unconventional family. While at Bellmont Abbey, the March family's country home in Sussex, Lady Julia, acting mostly without Brisbane's help, successfully investigates the appearance of a ghost and the disappearance of pieces of jewelry.

The Audible Audio Edition is less than two hours long, but author Deanna Raybourn manages to create an appealing mystery that you'll devour in one sitting. Having thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Enquiry, it was nice to have a little bit of Lady Julia to tide me over until the next full novel. I can hardly wait!

My first encounter with this series of books is in this novella on e-book. I enjoyed the writing style, it was witty and fun. I'm hoping to read more of her books because I really like the characters in this book. Enjoyable!!

In this Christmas-themed novella, Lady Julia and Brisbane head off to March Abbey directly after their latest adventure in The Dark Enquiry. This adventure is more light-hearted than most their excursions, but it doesn't make it any less satisfying. The lack of a murder leaves more time to explore the intricacies of the Brisbane's married life as well as seeing more of the March clan in action. It's a fun read and a perfect tide-me-over until the next Lady Julia novel appears in 2013.

My sole complaint about this little entry is that it is entirely too short. I adore these books and I cannot wait until Raybourn's newest one comes out. Lady Julia Grey is not your average Victorian heroine, and I just can't get enough of her adventures.

I thought this was a nice break or interlude from the previous titles. However, I would be lying if I said that the mysteries in this book intriguing. I solved the mysteries myself before I reached halfway through the book. Nice, fun little read nonetheless.