Murder is combined with a timeless Christmas story in this enchanting installment of the popular mystery series by award-winning author Katherine Hall Page
The Body in the Sleigh
It's Christmastime, and the Fairchild family is spending the holidays on idyllic Sanpere Island in Maine while the Reverend Thomas Fairchild recuperates from surgery. His caterer wife, Faith, is rejoicing in the rare, holiday family-time together�watching ice boaters, snowshoeing, and doing plenty of reading in front of the fire.
But Faith's high spirits are dampened when she discovers the body of a young woman in an antique sleigh in front of the Sanpere Historical Society. The victim, Norah, was a teenage drug addict who apparently died by her own hand. Beloved by many, her untimely death rocks the isolated, tight-knit island community.
Meanwhile, Mary Bethany, a local spinster who raises goats, happens upon a newborn baby boy lying in the manger of her barn on Christmas Eve. The only clues to his identity are a note in the basket asking her to take care of him, as well as an alarming amount of cash. As Faith helps Mary locate the baby's mother, she soon finds that the truth behind the abandonment is connected to Norah's last days�and that, just as death and life are intertwined on Sanpere, so are evil and redemptive goodness.
From Publishers Weekly
In Agatha-winner Page's delightful 18th Faith Fairchild mystery (after 2008's The Body in the Gallery), Faith and her family get away to their cottage on Sanpere Island in Maine's Penobscot Bay for the Christmas season. Tranquility reigns only briefly before Faith finds a young girl's body tucked among the mannequins in a local holiday display. If this wasn't enough to keep Faith busy, she receives a Christmas Eve call from reclusive goat farmer Mary Bethany, who's discovered a babe in her manger�a newborn boy inside her barn, along with a puzzling note and a serious bankroll. When Mary determines to keep the baby safe and Faith attempts to locate the birth mother, both women end up in peril. Amid the holiday festivities, Faith wears the hats of good wife and mother while slipping into her sleuth cap at every opportunity. Her investigative work builds to an exciting conclusion. Faith's kitchen skills result in some wonderful recipes listed at the end. (Nov.)
Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
�Delightful.� (Publishers Weekly on The Body in the Sleigh )
�Katherine Hall Page is my favorite writer of the traditional mystery. Not only is The Body in the Sleigh a gripping whodunit, but it�s a classic tale of hope.� (Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author of Long Lost )
�A tasty holiday treat.� (Iron Mountain Daily News (MI) on The Body in the Sleigh )
�This charming story, told with humor, warmth and wonderful characters, is a perfect holiday present for cozy mystery fans.� (Romantic Times on The Body in the Sleigh )
�The feel-good Christmas theme, pleasant characters and recipes will keep the faithful content.� (Kirkus Reviews on The Body in the Sleigh )
�This 18th entry in the addictive series featuring Faith Fairchild, minister�s wife and caterer extraordinaire, attests to Page�s skill at creating absorbing cozies with likeable, well-rounded characters who feel like old friends.� (Mystery Scene on The Body in the Sleigh )
�An enjoyable, swift read....Page...gift-wraps everything up with a bow on top.� (Bangor Daily News on The Body in the Sleigh )
�Page is adept at mixing charming narrative with page-turning mystery.� (BookPage on The Body in the Sleigh )