PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A SHORT STORY OF APPROXIMATELY 8000 WORDS. IT IS NOT A FULL LENGTH NOVEL.
The last person Detective Sergeant Kate Redman wants to see while she’s doing her Christmas shopping is habitual petty thief and homeless alcoholic Charlie Petworth. While she knows that Charlie steals small things in part to get a warm bed for the night, it’s still annoying, particularly in the season of good will.
Then a far more serious crime occurs and Kate realises that Charlie might well be involved. But why would he go from stealing a packet of flower seeds to stealing a little toddler? And is there more to this case than at first meets the eye?
A short story written especially for fans of the Kate Redman Mysteries, this short, seasonal mystery is from crime writer Celina Grace, author of the Kate Redman Mysteries, The Asharton Manor Mysteries and the historical mystery series, Miss Hart and Miss Hunter Investigate.
"Crime and mystery fans should love this short story, which is a great introduction to the character."
Reviewer: Reader for Bookangel.
Detective Kate Redmonds act of kindess for a habitual thief the day before christmas opens a can of worms, and cold case she couldn't have expected.
This is an unusual detective story as it isn't the story of a case, but simply a day in the life of a detective the day before Christmas. Paperwork, last minute shopping, and no one wanting to get caught in the office on Christmas Day. Detective Kate Redmond comes across as intelligent, if disorganised in her personal life, and someone it is easy to sympathise with when she gets a nightmare case the day before christmas and then it turns into something worse. The supporting cast, even when they appear briefly, have unexpected depths.
I didn't spot any spelling or grammar errors, even when I went back for a re-read, which tells you that I enjoyed it. The only real negative I found was that there's a lot of extraneous content, with nearly a third of the book being made up of it.
Crime and mystery fans should love this short story, which is a great introduction to the character. Rating:4
