I have read a great many Anne Perry books and have enjoyed all her series. The Christmas series are generally novellas of about 200 pages, as is the case with A Christmas Vanishing. This novella is a quick easy read, but do not for a moment think of it as unimportant. Perry never chooses topics that are unimportant.

In A Christmas Vanishing, Perry uses a group of older characters to illustrate the need for forgiveness, hope, and betrayal. The secrets of the past are secrets that most people prefer to keep hidden, but with the disappearance of Mariah's friend, Sadie, Mariah quickly learns how gossip can destroy friendships and lives. Since Mariah is the grandmother of Charlotte Pitt, readers familiar with Perry's series with understand that Mariah will not stop searching until she solves the mystery of Sadie's disappearance. Mariah listens carefully, grasps the importance of what is not being said, and can quickly fill in the blanks. The characters in A Christmas Vanishing are complex and multi-layered. Perry knows her characters and is quite capable of of writing the sorts of details that hold the readers attention.

A Christmas Vanishing was an enjoyable read. I am so sad that Perry has died, and unless there are some forthcoming novels in the pipeline, I won't have the opportunity to read more of her novels. I want to thank Ballantine Books for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The above comments are my honest thoughts. Thank you also to NetGalley for making the downloading of novels so easy for readers.

Historical fiction with a moral. This is a quick read about a small village and gossip. Blackmail and secrets add to the intrigue. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and gifted author. Anne Perry was a great writer who I’ll not be forgotten.