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The Christmas Carol Murders

by Christopher Lord (Goodreads Author)

3.32 of 5 stars 3.32 · rating details · 31 ratings · 18 reviews

It’s the holiday season in Dickens Junction, Oregon. Local bookstore owner, Simon Alastair, is getting ready for the community’s annual celebration of Charles Dickens’well-known story. But when a mysterious stranger shows up in the Junction and is murdered hours later, Simon begins to suspect that his little community has been targeted for destruction by a shadowy organiza...more

Paperback, 267 pages

Published September 24th 2012 by Harrison Thurman

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Dec 20, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: oregon, mysteries, christmas

In this storywe are introduced to Simon Alastair, who is the proprietor of a bookstore in the hamlet of Dickens Junction, near the Oregon coast. The town was founded by his grandfather as a tribute to Charles Dickens and the ideals he espoused in his literary works. Naturally, in the town center there is a statue of the author, and most of the businesses in the square have either Dickensian motifs or are named after one or another of the characters that Dickens brought to life. Simon's store is...more In this storywe are introduced to Simon Alastair, who is the proprietor of a bookstore in the hamlet of Dickens Junction, near the Oregon coast. The town was founded by his grandfather as a tribute to Charles Dickens and the ideals he espoused in his literary works. Naturally, in the town center there is a statue of the author, and most of the businesses in the square have either Dickensian motifs or are named after one or another of the characters that Dickens brought to life. Simon's store is called Pip's Pages, the local inn is Bleak House and of course there is an Old Curiosity Shop.

Dickens Junction comes to life at Christmas, when there are several events that attract the tourists; the first of which is a series of tableaux commemorating selected scenes from A Christmas Carol. Many of the merchants in the square participate, but of late they have been pestered by a newcomer to town, Mervin Roark, who is representing a group called Marley's Enterprises. He is offering exorbitant amounts of money for the property in the environs of the square. He refuses to tell anyone what the purpose behind the purchases is. But Dickens Junction, like many places, is suffering greatly from the recession––or, as the merchants refer to it euphemistically, an economic downturn. Many could find security with this monetary offering. Before he has been in the town long he is dead, murdered in a Marleyesque fashion. Jacob Marley, who was Scrooge's business partner, is known to be as dead as a doornail. Roark is killed by a doornail. And his body is discovered at the Christmas Carol staging.

The next event is a competition for the best Dickensian village reconstruction, but this too is marred by the grotesque discovery of another body. The discussions about motive swing widely from the idea that someone who wants to preserve the village's way of life is on a rampage, to the notion that Marley Enterprises group has a subversive intent to do as much damage as possible. Simon feels that he is well placed to do some sleuthing on his hometown's behalf.

On the surface the story is about a murderous Christmas, there is an underlying comparison between the collectivist philosophy of some of Rand's books and the idea of a social conscience that Dickens espoused. Who should be first? The group or the individual? I came out on the side that it is the time of year for the lion to lie down with the lamb.

The story has a romantic subplot that is engaging. I did have to Google the definitions of certain fashion terms that Simon knew much better than I. There were the peplum jacket, the sock monkey PJ's and, finally, kitten heels. I didn't know cats had any.

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Dec 17, 2012 Yvonne rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s Christmas time in Dickens Junction, Oregon but all is not as peaceful as you would think. As the citizens of Dickens Junction prepare for their annual Christmas celebration, a stranger visits their small, quiet town. Not long after he shows up, the stranger is murdered. The local bookstore owner, Simon Alastair, fears for the safety of his small hometown and conducts his own investigation.

Simon’s fears mount as another murder occurs and he begins to suspect his friends and business associat...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Ron Fritsch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dickens Junction is a town near Astoria, Oregon, dedicated to the spirit of the author after whom it was named. So Bleak House is a popular bed-and-breakfast. Micawber’s Investments went under in the recent financial crisis. The town’s economy at least partly depends upon its appeal to tourists.

Simon Alastair is the somewhat wealthy scion of the founders of the town. He’s also the gay owner of Pip’s Pages, a bookstore stocked only with books he’s read and can therefore recommend to his customers...more Dickens Junction is a town near Astoria, Oregon, dedicated to the spirit of the author after whom it was named. So Bleak House is a popular bed-and-breakfast. Micawber’s Investments went under in the recent financial crisis. The town’s economy at least partly depends upon its appeal to tourists.

Simon Alastair is the somewhat wealthy scion of the founders of the town. He’s also the gay owner of Pip’s Pages, a bookstore stocked only with books he’s read and can therefore recommend to his customers.

When I learned that his last two partners left him to live in a larger metropolitan area, I could only think what fools they must’ve been. I would’ve remained a Junxonian.

On the day deep in the holiday season when the residents of the town present their annual tableaux in Dickens Square depicting various scenes from A Christmas Carol, two strangers show up. One is Zach Benjamin, a “model-handsome” reporter for Rainbows, a monthly gay and lesbian travel magazine, on an assignment to write a story about the charms of Dickens Junction.

When Simon asks him to stay at his house, Gad’s Hill Place, his friends, the town’s leading citizens, soon wonder if Simon and Zach are lovers. Simon is reluctant, though, to begin a relationship only to have the lure of big-city life end it once again and leave him alone with his hurt.

The other newcomer is the sinister Mervin Roark of Marley Enterprises. He goes about offering extravagant sums of money to all the owners of the Dickens Square commercial properties except Simon. If they should refuse to sell, he hints, Marley Enterprises will ruin them. Simon and his friends can’t help but wonder if somebody wishes to take over the town and destroy it and their quaintly Dickensian way of life.

When, that same day, the murders begin, Zach convinces Simon he must discover who is committing them. Simon knows the townspeople better than the sheriff’s investigator does. He also has the most to lose if the villain in this story bulldozes Dickens Junction and replaces it with something radically different.

I greatly enjoyed reading this cozy mystery pitting “Atlas Shrugged versus A Christmas Carol. Rand versus Dickens. Buyers versus sellers. Community versus selfishness.”

The Christmas Carol Murders is Christopher Lord’s first novel in a series of Dickens Junction mysteries. I’ll rush to read his second. I’d like to return to Dickens Junction as soon as Mr. Lord makes it possible for me to do so. The next witty conversation involving the exquisitely tasteful Simon, Zach, and Simon’s friend George Bascomb will alone be worth the price of admission.

(As originally reviewed on Rainbow Book Reviews. Please visit http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com for other reviews that may be of interest.)(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Steve Cotton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Murder mysteries are getting a lot more interesting. They have always offered up corpses and eccentric characters. But they are now offering literary conceits of clashing philosophies. Think Matthew Pearl.

Christopher Lord's first novel (The Christmas Carol Murders) offers some of the same literary devices -- to good effect.

The Christmas Carol Murders is based in the fictional Oregon village of Dickens Junction. A community founded on the charitable principles of Charles Dickens.

Just as the commu...more Murder mysteries are getting a lot more interesting. They have always offered up corpses and eccentric characters. But they are now offering literary conceits of clashing philosophies. Think Matthew Pearl.

Christopher Lord's first novel (The Christmas Carol Murders) offers some of the same literary devices -- to good effect.

The Christmas Carol Murders is based in the fictional Oregon village of Dickens Junction. A community founded on the charitable principles of Charles Dickens.

Just as the community is preparing for its annual Christmas celebration of Dickens's tale of Christian charity, a stranger shows up causing tension in the village. Within hours, he is the first victim of a serial killer.

The stranger turns out to be the agent of a corporation based on Objectivism -- the philosophy propounded by novelist Ayn Rand. And, of course, there will be no room for Charles Dickens in the world if Objectivism -- where charity is considered to be a vice.

Local bookstore owner Simon Alastair sets out to solve the murders while trying to discover why Objectivists have targeted his quaint village. Pitted against him is Dagny Clack, the CEO of a corporation based on Objectivism.

Setting up a slap down between Charles Dickens and Ayn Rand is a natural choice. Their life philosophies are poles apart. Even though I suspect there are as many people who admire Rand's paean to individualism, but reject her atheistic self-centered philosophy as there are people who admire Dickens's sentimentality, but reject the Christian foundation of his philosophy.

But, this is a murder mystery. And, even though, the Dickens-Rand philosophical spat is extremely one-sided, the future of Dickens Junction drives a tale that keeps the reader's attention chapter after chapter. And with just enough misdirection to make the novel's climax interesting.

Lord has an interesting layered writing style. The story line is obviously designed to be a story unfolding in the world we inhabit. But, it easily could be a Cartesian construct taking place only in Simon Alastair's mind.

Either way, it is a good read. (less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Everyone in Dickens Junction is gearing up for Christmas.

Zach Benjamin works as a reporter for the magazine, Rainbows. He is in town to write about Dickens Junction. Mervin Roark is the owner of Mervin Enterprises. He is interested in purchasing property in Dickens Junction. Some people are not interested in selling. Mervin has pissed off several people with his bully tactics but who did he piss off enough to want to murder him?

The Christmas Carol Murders reminded me some of author, Gail Fraser...more

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Oct 10, 2012 guiltlessreader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, reads-2012, cozy-mystery, crime, requested-review

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Originally posted on my blog Guiltless Reading. Please pop over for a visit, more reviews and lots of bookishness!

Charles Dickens and Ayn Rand. Christmas and murders. Have a merry one!

The book in one sentence: A battle of between two schools of thought - Charles Dickens vs. Ayn Rand - results in a string of murders in a quaint literary town.

My two cents: This is a murder mystery decked out Dickens style with a huge dose of literary-ness!
I enjoyed it and since this is just the first book in a ser...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Kaye rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge

I liked the premise of this one, a town founded on the charitable principles of author, Charles Dickens. All the businesses around Dickens Junction, Oregon, are named after Dickens characters and the major events in town are based upon Dickens books. So, just before the Christmas Carol tableaux is held, a recent arrival in town is found murdered followed by another murder but this time of a local townsperson and then one more murder occurs. Yikes! Enough already!

What could possibly be the motive...more I liked the premise of this one, a town founded on the charitable principles of author, Charles Dickens. All the businesses around Dickens Junction, Oregon, are named after Dickens characters and the major events in town are based upon Dickens books. So, just before the Christmas Carol tableaux is held, a recent arrival in town is found murdered followed by another murder but this time of a local townsperson and then one more murder occurs. Yikes! Enough already!

What could possibly be the motive? The only thing the reader knows is that the first victim is an employee of Marley Enterprises and that he has been trying to tempt local businesses into selling their property for huge sums of money. Is the reader to surmise being paid more than a property is worth could possibly incite murderous instincts? It seems so because no other motives were apparent. No hints of any kind were presented and no credible suspects were visible. Never mind the reason and ridiculous manner of death for the second victim.

Hmmmm . .....

As a cozy aficionado, this is not acceptable. I prefer the author to play fair with the reader and offer up several motives and or suspects and then develop the plot from there. In the final Agatha Christie-like denouement, the main character, local bookstore owner, Simon, gathers the town inhabitants and unmasks the murderer after his own investigation. No one could possibly have guessed who this was nor did the author present any hints as to the reason why this happened until the finale. Not, so not a fan of the killer coming out of left field with motives not even previously hinted at!

The plot thread of objectivism and repeated reference to Ayn Rand's philosophy as opposed to Dickens's philosophy left me feeling that the author was trying to be too clever for his own good. In my humble opinion, the author's time would have been better spent with developing more of the mystery plot with less emphasis on gay romance and contrasting beliefs. Sorry, but this one earns a solid 2* from me.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by MindBuck Media in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Nov 02, 2012 Cathy Cole rated it 3 of 5 stars

First Line: No one was dead: to begin with.

Like everywhere else in the country Dickens Junction, Oregon, was hit hard by the economic crisis. Everyone is hoping that there will be lots of shoppers spending lots of money this Christmas season. Some business owners have already given up and left; others are hanging on by a thread.

The only exception to the rule is Simon Alastair, owner of the bookstore Pip's Pages. His great-grandfather and grandfather were timber barons and built the small town of...more First Line: No one was dead: to begin with.

Like everywhere else in the country Dickens Junction, Oregon, was hit hard by the economic crisis. Everyone is hoping that there will be lots of shoppers spending lots of money this Christmas season. Some business owners have already given up and left; others are hanging on by a thread.

The only exception to the rule is Simon Alastair, owner of the bookstore Pip's Pages. His great-grandfather and grandfather were timber barons and built the small town of Dickens Junction, basing it on many of the principles found in the writings of Charles Dickens. Although far from being a millionaire, Simon is comfortably well off and able to afford to stock his bookstore with only the titles of books he's read. (He admits that he doesn't much care for contemporary fiction, so don't beat a path to the door of Pip's Pages expecting to find a signed copy of Fifty Shades of Grey.)

The holiday season is a special time of year in Dickens Junction, and Simon ponders three things as he walks over to take part in the annual Christmas tableaux: (1) the stranger who's been visiting all the businesses on the square, (2) the sudden run on Ayn Rand titles in his shop, and (3) Zach, a handsome magazine reporter who's just come to town. The tableaux come to a screeching halt when the stranger is found dead-- hidden underneath a costume right in front of Simon.

Since the killer almost has to be one of Simon's friends and acquaintances, Zach decides to stay and persuades Simon to go around interviewing everyone to see who has an alibi and who doesn't. Simon doesn't need much encouragement: he cares deeply for the town and the people who live there, and he doesn't want harm to come to either. When a second murder occurs, it becomes even more important to find the killer before anyone else dies.

The Christmas Carol Murders is a good, solid beginning to the Dickens Junction mystery series. Simon is an interesting character who seems content to stay in his beloved small town rather than move out to create a life for himself in a city. This behavior has already cost him two long-term relationships, and it's also made him extremely leery of beginning anything with Zach. Simon often trades literary quips with his friend, George, and it's one of the highlights of the book--as are Simon's eccentric methods of running a bookstore.

The rest of Simon's friends and fellow business owners are a fine cast to draw from in future books, but I did find two or three things that blunted my enjoyment of the story. This, for all intents and purposes, is a cozy mystery, but the second murder is so gruesome that I became a bit queasy as I read the scene. (And I do have a strong stomach.) This is so unusual in a genre known for its offstage violence and lack of graphic depictions of blood and gore that it startled me.

The other two things that proved distracting for me both concerned the author's wealth of description. For the first quarter of the book almost every male character has his teeth described in some fashion. (Yes, I kept track.) It made me wonder if there were dentists in the author's family tree. Fortunately the toothsome portraits didn't continue throughout the book.

The other thing that proved distracting for me (and it may very well be a personal quirk of mine) concerned how each character was described when he or she made an appearance: age, build, coloring, detailed clothing inventory, type of makeup, how it was applied (or lack thereof)... it was just too much. Had the BBC's What Not to Wear come to Oregon's version of Cabot Cove? All this did was pull me away from a very good mystery.

Yes indeed, the mystery is a very good one with a surprising reveal at the end, and despite being distracted several times in this first book, I look forward to seeing what happens next in Dickens Junction-- and what happens to the characters living there.
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Oct 05, 2012 LORI CASWELL rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

Dicken's Square was built in 1950 as the central civic attraction of the newly incorporated Dicken's Junction. It has a pedestrian areas lined with shops, a central fountain and a statue that was suppose to be Charles Dickens. It was later learned that Dickens hated memorials and wanted to be remembered for his work only so the statue was modified with an ability to change the head at different times of the year. Dickens novels were stories of social commentary. In a New York address, he express...more Dicken's Square was built in 1950 as the central civic attraction of the newly incorporated Dicken's Junction. It has a pedestrian areas lined with shops, a central fountain and a statue that was suppose to be Charles Dickens. It was later learned that Dickens hated memorials and wanted to be remembered for his work only so the statue was modified with an ability to change the head at different times of the year. Dickens novels were stories of social commentary. In a New York address, he expressed his belief that, "Virtue shows quite as well in rags and patches as she does in purple and fine linen".* Dicken's Junction was set to follow his beliefs especially those of a charitable nature.

It is ten days before Christmas, the perfect time for a visit to this fine town as they have many events planned for the holiday season. Simon Alastair owns Pip's Pages, a bookstore where he only stocks books he has read himself. A mysterious stranger comes in looking for a book by Ayn Rand which Simon quickly finds for him and then he learns the man represents Marley Enterprises. A company that wants to purchase all the square's properties. Simon knows this means trouble but the man has left his store before he can get any details. When the man is later found murdered Simon knows he must investigate himself to get the whole story. A story that will lead him somewhere he doesn't want to go.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Ayn Rand's beliefs and those of Charles Dickens could not be further apart. We are seeing this up close and personal now with the Presidential Campaigns today. Paul Ryan wants to emulate Ayn Rand on some of her principle beliefs while Barack Obama is more like Dickens. Rand opposes taxation as she considers it theft but she advocated the legalize abortion. Dickens brought us Scrooge, the rich capitalist and showed him how to be more charitable. Romney is like a modern day Scrooge without the later redemption, wanting to get rid of vital social programs. That makes this story a very timely read not only for the holiday season but as a look at these two very different schools of thought.

Beyond the differing philosophies Lord has created a mystery much like Agatha Christie. His protagonist has the "aha moment" when all the clues fall together. He then calls a meeting of the interested parties to reveal the guilty party.

The characters are interesting and diverse. The dialogue is sharp. The setting sounds like a wonderful place to visit. A little Dickens mixed with murder and mayhem. Let's get the holiday started right.(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Alexandrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnw-authors, read-2012, own

I really like all of Lords characters and his descriptions of the town, the people and the foods being prepared. The characters that are killed off, are done in creative ways and I did not expect the murderer to be who it was...I had my suspicions, but not of this person. I look forward to Lords next installment.

Quotes:

"My stories don't have to be strictly true, they illuminate character."

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Jan 13, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-oregon

Simon Alastair owns the bookstore in Dickens Junction, a town designed by his ancestors to be a celebration of the values in the famed author's books--and quite a tourist draw, too. But the economy is hurting everyone but Simon, who has kept his inherited money. So Roark, an emissary of an out-of-town company, is a threat when he comes to town to try to buy stores around the quaint town square. As the town deals with its usual Christmas celebrations, and as Simon falls for a travel writer who pr...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Alison added it

Shelves: cozy-mystery

This was the first in a new series, and I thought it was an interesting read. Simon is an intriguing character, and the town of Dickens Junction sounds like a pleasant place to visit (apart from the murders of course!). The mystery was a tough one to solve, and I certainly didn't pick who the murderer was. The townsfolk are an entertaining bunch, although I found it hard to keep track of who was who in the beginning. I did think that both the story and characters could have done with a bit more...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Antoinette rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love reading Christmas books at this time of the year. When I read about this book and could not get it in Canada, I ordered it from the States. The idea sounded so awesome- a town devoted to all things Dickens and a mystery thrown in. Concept great, execution not so much. I did finish it just to see whodunit, but would definitely not recommend anyone pick it up. Definitely did not put me in the Christmas mood.

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Dec 10, 2012 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars

The concept of the bookstore tied to the town philosophy and Ayn Rand Objectivism tied to the takeover bid, so to speak, of the town was okay. Otherwise felt the characters and story were not well developed thus the end fizzled.

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Nov 22, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was kind of fun. A village in Oregon has a definitely Charles Dickens theme. As their Christmas festival approaches people start to die. And a very very rich woman is trying to buy the town. She has a plan to fashion a new town with Ayn Rand's ideas for the world.

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Dec 10, 2012 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cute premise. A bit over-wrought, though, both in its gayness and the Rand-bashing. It's not "litracha". It's popcorn. Read it as such.

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Oct 10, 2012 Vinnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, books-i-helped-with

I loved it. But I'm biased. I helped edit and produce it.

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Dec 18, 2012 Peachyteachy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Eww - I couldn't stand this story. Way too many characters and so much slop in between. Maybe would be better as a 'made-for-tv' holiday movie. Yuck.

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Jan 16, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was just TOO much fun to read. Great to snuggle up with on a cold dark evening. I looked forward to picking it up each time. Looking forward to the next in the series!

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Shelves: mysteries, lgbtq, pacificnorthwest

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Shelves: bought-to-be-read

Mar 28, 2013 Joshua Bavaro rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Jan 09, 2013 Jo Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Dec 30, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

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About Christopher Lord

I have been a Dickens fanatic since I read Our Mutual Friend at age fourteen; I also love classic cozy mysteries. A native of Astoria, Oregon, I now live in Portland with my partner of twenty years and our Devon Rex, who bears a strong resemblance to Simon's Miss Tox. In future Dickens Junction mysteries I promise even more juicy and unusual ways for characters to meet their unfortunate ends.

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