A Christmas Deliverance

By: Anne Perry

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A courageous doctor and his apprentice fight to save London's poor—and discover that the hearts of men can be colder than a winter chill—in this gripping holiday mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

Scuff has come a long way from his time as a penniless orphan scraping together a living on the banks of the Thames. Now he's studying medicine at a free clinic run by Dr. Crowe. Lately Crowe has grown distracted after witnessing an altercation between a former patient of his named Ellie—a woman he not only treated but grew to love—and her controlling fiancé. It seems someone is forcing Ellie to marry the man, and as Crowe's emotions come flooding back, he sets out to uncover the troubling connection between Ellie, her father, and her betrothed.

With Crowe engrossed in his investigation just weeks before the holidays, Scuff is left to fend for himself, performing surgery after surgery on London's poor and vulnerable. He is desperate for help, so when a needy young girl named Mattie comes to the clinic for treatment, Scuff offers her a place to live in exchange for assistance with his medical work. Together, Scuff and Mattie must not only run the clinic but also fend off the police, who are growing suspicious of Crowe's amateur sleuthing. Will Crowe be able to help Ellie, and will Scuff and Mattie ensure all of their patients—and they themselves—can manage to have a peaceful Christmas?

©2022 Anne Perry (P)2022 Recorded Books

one of my favorites

Anne Perry does it again with a fabulous Christmas treat..I so love her books

Another Wonderful Christmas Mystery

Scuff, the adopted son of Thames River Police Inspector Monk, is studying to be a doctor and apprenticing with Dr. Crowe, helping to treat London's poor. When Dr. Crowe begins investigating suspicious circumstances surrounding a young woman, Ellie, who he had treated, Scuff finds himself in charge of the clinic a few weeks before Christmas. He also has to field questions from shady policemen who want to know what Dr. Crowe is up to.

This is a compelling mystery, which brings Christmas to us in a different way. I am still transported to the Christmas season in London, but to a community that is poor and to whom a bed and a warm meal would be a welcome gift. The addition of the character Mattie brings home the true spirit of Christmas, and it's more real than any temporary celebration. There is a wonderful romance, and we see the stark class differences that exist between the rich and the poor in Victorian London.

The most heartbreaking aspect of this novella is the many homeless children who seem to be basically ignored by those of means.

The narration by Jenny Sterlin perfectly captures the story. The characters come alive during her performance.

This is a holiday novella that, in addition providing to a great mystery and romance, reminds us to reach out to others in need.

I received a free copy of this novella from Random House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Loved this Christmas story

Another wonderful Christmas story from Ann Perry and reading by Jenny Sterlin. Great way to start the season.

Very lovely story

I enjoyed this audio book. It has love, mystery, and humor. It was truly wonderful

Wonderful!

It was so good to visit the world of William Monk again. It was a good story. I always liked Crow and I'm glad he and Scuff/Will were the principal characters in the book. Also, happily, William Monk and the Thames river police made an appearance. I loved the ending. I hope Anne Perry writes another Christmas story in the world of William & Hester Monk.

Great

Loved spending time with Scuff and Crow again. Plus the addition of Mattie and her kitten Rosie was icing on the cake. The story was suspenseful and romantic with a wonderful happy ending.

Do no Harm!

I was really rooting for Dr. Crowe and Ellie. I have read most of the Thomas Pitt stories and only the first novel in the William Monk series so I don’t really know the background of Scruff but I found this little novella quite entertaining.

Heartwarming!

Yay for Will and Dr Crowe! I enjoyed this very much. I love the tradition of Anne Perry’s Christmas novellas!

Crowe, Scuff, and a young woman in trouble

Like Perry's previous Christmas novellas, this one focuses on minor characters--in this case, Dr. Crowe and his assistant, Scuff. Scuff, the former mudlark, is also the adopted son of William and Hester Monk, Will. That's how he learned to read, and got his great interest in medicine--and became a medical student and Crowe's assistant.

They're working at Crowe's free clinic, when there's a serious carriage accident not far away. Crowe is called to the scene, and sews up two serious wounds on a young woman's leg. Then the men on the scene help transport her to his clinic.

She's Ellie Hollister, only child of a wealthy businessman, and not someone who would ordinarily come anywhere near his clinic. It's too soon to move her any greater distance, though, and Crowe takes her there, and sends her carriage driver to tell her father.

Crowe is soon smitten with Ellie, and she might be with him, too. Her father is outraged at her being in such an obviously inferior clinic, but accepts the advice of the Hollister family physician that Crowe has done excellent work and it's better for her to stay there awhile longer.

Once she goes home, Crowe expects to never see her again.

Meanwhile, he has sewn up a cut on a little girl's finger. The girl stays because it's warm and safe there, and helps Crowe with tasks that are within the ability of a five-year-old mudlark. On learning she doesn't even have a name, he calls her Mattie.

When Crowe, walking home from visiting a patient, sees Ellie having an argument that turns violent with a young man, he intervenes.

The man is Paul Dolan, Ellie's fiancè, and the son of ruthless and dangerous businessman Silas Dolan. Why has Albert Hollister, who obviously loves his daughter, agreed to this marriage? Why has Ellie? Does Silas Dolan have a hold on Hollister?

Crowe starts poking around, talking to friends, patients, and newsies who know things that would never go in the papers they sell.

These people tell him a lot, but also that Silas Dolan is too dangerous to cross. When Crowe learns about a warehouse fire in which a valuable cargo was destroyed, or reported destroyed, and a night watchman killed, he becomes alarmed, and strange things start happening.

Meanwhile, Mattie is becoming the most useful little pair of hands in the clinic, when Crowe or Scuff need another pair of hands, to thread needles, fetch clean cloths, and generally keep in order the things that she can safely handle. Crowe is startled when he has to explain what the color "blue" is. Scuff doesn't know how to say no when she brings home a kitten--so he doesn't say no, and makes sure Crowe doesn't, either.

When it becomes frighteningly clear that Ellie's father may be involved in the deadly crime Silas Dolan organized, Crowe's heart is aching, but he has to tell Monk what he knows.

This is a trip through the desperately poor and often dangerous streets where they people who seek the services of the free clinic. We see the desperation, but also the bonds of friendship and cooperation. We also see the bonds of found family, in Crowe, Scuff, Mattie, and Monk (and Hester, but she's referred to but not seen in this book.)

There's tension and fear, and warmth and friendship.

Satisfying as always.

I bought this audiobook.

The sense of justice for the poor

Very good story, a good Christmas theme and good moral themes with each character having to choose between what is expedient and what is right