What can be more delightful than finding a book you really want to read under your Christmas tree? That's how I felt about Anne Perry's annual Christmas novella, A Christmas Escape (#539).
This year's story involves a group of British travelers staying together at a guest house on the volcanic island of Stromboli, off the Sicilian coast. The weather is milder than at home, and Charles Latterly has nothing to keep him in England. His wife has recently died, but he realizes that there was never any passion in their relationship; in fact, he is not passionate about anything in his life, and he finds this disturbing. He hopes that a break from his routine will allow him to take stock of his life and perhaps set a new course for himself.
There is tension in the group already assembled at the remote mountain side compound just before Christmas and not all the guests are pleasant. With the volcano looming over them spitting out plumes of smoke and ash, things come to a head. Several will die and Charles' life will be changed forever.
Ms. Perry can pack a lot into a small number of pages. There is a mystery, a volcanic eruption, soul-searching, loss, and redemption all mixed together here, with salvation for those who survive. A cracking good story.
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