Infinite Books

“Murder on Mistletoe Lane” by Debbie Young is the fifth installment in Stella and Lyndy’s historical mystery series. I enjoyed listening to the first four novels, and this was the first one I read on paper, happily discovering that it’s as charming as the audiobooks.

Stella, a wealthy American heiress, and her aristocratic Viscount husband Lyndy spend their first Christmas together at Lyndy’s parents’ country house, Morrington Hall, where behaving according to one’s social status is essential. Stella has already broken the rules several times, asking the servants to sit down or trying to embrace someone in distress, and her husband admires her for that empathy and enthusiasm. They are in love, delighted by their similarities and differences. Even Lyndy’s mother, a traditional “upper stiff lip” matriarch, warms up to her daughter-in-law. Will Stella’s openness cause trouble?

Unfortunately, this Christmas is not just traditional meals and singing carols by the fireplace. Two bodies are found, and they don’t look like accidental deaths. Once more, Stella’s intelligence helps to solve the puzzle, and the New Year can be welcomed with hope.

The author did excellent research, and, in addition to the great characters, the small details make the novel especially interesting. The charity organization that Stella established is based on a real organization. The New Forest Point-to-Point Boxing Day race – an essential event in the novel – is still held yearly, keeping up with the 250-year-old tradition. And who could suspect that the humble mincemeat pie will play a critical role in the story…

MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE by Debbie Young, Kensington Books, 2023