“A Highland Christmas,” by M. C. Beaton

FM’s ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 9

3.      Plot 7

4.      Characters 7

5.      Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

“Hamish did not want to visit Mrs. Gallagher.  But the idea that someone had been living in solitude and fear on his beat nagged at him.  The wind had come back and as he drove off, a ragged cloud of crows rose up from the field behind the police station and scattered out over the loch.  Low clouds scurried over the mountaintops.  Hamish wondered if the Romans had held their Saturnalia at just this time as a sort of drunken wake to the death of the year.  On such a day it seemed as if the grass would never grow again or the sun shine.”  The prose is the highlight here.  As understated as it is, its effectiveness is all the more impressive.  At 128 pages, we don’t expect a lot from this novel in the way of plot or character development, but there are several moving scenes nevertheless, and we relate to these people in spite of the terseness.  The cultural references are fascinating as well, especially the practice of keeping Christmas celebration “behind closed doors,” so to speak.  The very religious disdain the relatively heathen aspects of Christmas, but tolerate it as long as it isn’t flagrant.  What a contrast to the ridiculous overkill we experience in the U. S.!  The idiosyncrasies of small town life, particularly among the nosey Scots, are cogent here, with everyone knowing about everyone else’s business almost immediately.  This author strikes me as superb without even trying; which has kept me coming back on a regular basis.

Here’s the January line-up!

“An Ice Cold Grave,” by Charlaine Harris [1-7-17]

“The Assembler of Parts,” by Raoul Wientzen [1-14-17]

“The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner,” by Stephenie Meyer [1-21-17]

“Midnight’s Children,” by Salman Rushdie [1-28-17]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)