Mariah Ellison is the featured sleuth in this, Anne Perry's last Christmas novella. Blackmail is rampant in the village of St Helens and the blackmailer is missing. Good characters, a lot of soul searching and gentle persuasion and Anne Perry's always good plotting and explication make this fitting ending to her long, productive and excellent career. ( )

It is hard to face the end of a tradition. I have been reading Anne Perry’s Christmas missives as long as she has been writing them. They are usually dark and more troubling than you would expect from a Christmas offering. “A Christmas Vanishing” speaks to harsh remembrances from the past and whether they can be understood, righted, perhaps forgiven. There were many secrets that had been hidden for so many years, covered over with hope that they would never find the light. But then a woman goes missing, old mistakes explode and an octogenarian, with her own secrets, is determined to answer what could be a plea for help, to take “the chance to choose which way to go.

I will miss Anne Perry and her many characters. I want to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this last Christmas novella. ( )

A very slow-paced, novel about a missing woman. Her friend, Mariah Ellison comes to visit Sadie in St. Helens but... finds Sadie is gone. No one in the town seems to know where she is. Mariah is determined to find her, using her wits and instincts she asks for help from the right people.

Superficially seems to be a simple case but there is more to it than meets the eye.

Good read.

A CHRISTMAS VANISHING by Anne Perry
In this story we find Mariah and she's traveled to visit her friend Sadie, via train schedule she had been sent. She is to spend time with her for Christmas and she's remembering their past lifes together growing up.
When she arrives Sadie is not there and her spouse has no idea when she will return. She travels to her other friends in the neighbored and finds a sister of a friend will welcome her graciously.
She gets along just perfect and she feels very welcome. She then dives into the disappearance of her friend. After talking to many in the town she found out others have a secret involving Sadie and it's troubling to Mariah. She has many who want to help her locale Sadie and it all comes together Christmas eve.
Clues are adding up and the people searching for her scurry through the town while it's snowing out...
Love this type of mystery and I can never guess until it's written down. I also guess someone else.
Sad to learn the author has passed away this year, I have many of her works and can't wait to read the older ones.
Received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AChristmasVanishing #NetGalley ( )

This installment in Anne Perry's Christmas series introduces readers to Mariah, an elderly lady who arrives for a visit with a friend. However, her friend is missing! The story focuses on a search that ultimately involves all the citizens of the small town of St Helens. In the process, secrets are uncovered and fears are revealed.

I enjoyed this mystery with a moral, as all Ms. Perry's Christmas novels feature some deeper meaning and analysis of human emotions and behaviors. While it is set at Christmas time, the events in the novel could have taken place at any time of the year. The characters experience growth throughout the novel, and the entire town learns some home truths about human relationships. The descriptions evoke a cold wintry feeling, and readers will be able to picture the small town and its people.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )