The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons

by Jill, guest reviewer

Having read the first Anty Boisjoly mystery, "The Case of the Canterfell Codicil", and become completely enamored with the writing style, humor, and characters, I was ecstatic to find that a second book had arrived! "The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning" does not disappoint – it has all the wit and humor of the first, plus a seemingly impossible murder to solve! This book entertains and keeps you guessing until the very end, and once you get to the end and the culprit is revealed you do not believe you were not able to figure it out. One word summarizes the writing and the solving of the crime – brilliant!

Anty Boisjoly has travelled to spend the Christmas holiday in Graze Hill with his Aunty Azalea Boisjoly, and, upon his arrival, his Aunt tells him, “There’s a dead body under the tree,” except his Aunty does not have a Christmas tree! Anty is able to discern that his aunt’s neighbor, WWI flying ace Flaps Fleming, has been murdered and is lying under his tree, and to the local constable, his Aunt seems to be the prime suspect. Inspector Ivor Wittersham, with whom Anty “worked” in the first book, soon arrives on the scene. While Ivor is convinced Aunt Azalea is the murderer, Anty of course is not and is determined to prove his aunt’s innocence. While solving the murder we meet the colorful residents of Graze Hill, including the Graze Hill Golden cow Hildy who appears to be a midget cow and plays a unique role in the story. As the story progresses two more crimes are committed, both of which Anty is involved in solving. Also along the way we are entertained with Anty’s wit and humor, his valet Vickers’ absentmindedness, his aunt’s “moth-like” habits, and his interactions with Ivor. In the end, Anty puts everything together and neatly provides to Inspector Wittersham the identity of the culprits of all three crimes.

PJ Fitzsimmons’ writing is enjoyable for many reasons and this book, as well as the first, has much to recommend it. Fans of Wodehouse will delight in the setting, the characters, and the witty dialogue, while Christie fans will savor the complex mystery with seemingly hidden clues. The mystery is so complex that the reader is kept guessing until all is revealed at the end. It is in the revealing that the reader discovers how brilliant the book is – as Anty systemically walks through the clues that led him to the true murderer, you realize that the clues were there all the time and had you been more observant, you could have solved it too! There are times you feel that Anty cannot possibly solve the murder and then, when he finally pulls together the suspects, you gain a new respect for Anty’s intelligence and logic.

I highly recommend this book, as well as the first in the series, and look forward with anticipation to the next!