This book did not disappoint! If you are in need of Historical Christmas book, look no further! The book is a cross between Charles Dickens & Agatha Christie, giving you a bit a of a Christmas Mystery. It reminded me of the game of Clue. If a guest can stay the whole 12 days they will receive their own unique prize.

Looking forward to the next in the series!

As a fan of both Christmas books and mysteries, I was excited to read this new book that fits both of these categories. 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep can be called a Dickens-style cozy mystery set in 1851. A group of strangers are invited to stay at Bleakly Manor for 12 days. Mysteries abound, including who invited them all and where their host is. Clara Chapman is the main character, a young girl who recently lost everything, from her family’s money to her fiancé. She is surprised to find her fiancé among the manor’s guests. Things quickly become dangerous and Clara must join forces with her ex-fiancé to solve the mystery and stay safe. This book was a fun, engaging read and I look forward to reading more books from this author. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting book. It has great lessons to be learned. Quirky characters and lovable ones too. All set at Christmastime. The house itself is a character! Strange things keep happening to these strangers brought together. Humor, mystery, intrigue, and tales of redemption await you as you read. Definitely an enjoyable read. I was given a copy of this book, the opinions expressed here are my own.

I have not read many Dickens books nor Agatha Christy books. However, the title and cover intrigued me. This brings together a quaint and quirky cast of characters in a Victorian home without a host. Who sent the mysterious invitations? Who will last until the end? I will admit that I had a hard time getting into the book. Some of the quirks of the characters were hard to imagine. The story focuses on Clara and Ben. Clara has had a hard year in that she lost her family and her fortune and her fiancé. Ben lost his whole life by being locked up for a crime he didn't commit. Or did he? As the days before Christmas count down, we see these characters compete for the prize. I received a copy from Netgalley. The review was not required.

I liked this book ok. It was a mite strange, to tell the truth. Ended well for the two main characters.

Ben and Clara have had a hard last year and Clara is not yet ready to trust Ben again with her heart. Ben has to choose between redemption and revenge. Will Ben and Clara get their second chance?

This really is such a great book on so many levels. The storyline is so unique and interesting. I love the characters and all the mystery; there was a lot of things that kept me guessing. The characters are so eclectic and kooky, especially Miss Scurry with her mice.

I like how the chapters were broken down by the days of Christmas. This would make an excellent story to read around Christmas but is still enjoyable any time of year. I highly recommend this book!

What an intriguing book. I love the premise and it did deliver.

Clara and Ben have some major misunderstandings to work through but once the truth is revealed all will be good, right?

The cast of characters are rich in personality. Michelle did a wonderful job of giving everyone their own voice.

This will begin to get you in the Christmas frame of mine a bit early, but it's never too early for Christmas is it?


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

12 Days at Bleakly Manor is a fun, strange and odd story but in a good way. I assumed it was a Christmas story but it was more of an old English holiday tale....sort of. The characters in the story are requested to spend the 12 days of Christmas at an English Manor and, if they stay the entire time, they will receive a prize. Not just any prize. They will receive their heart's desire. Once everyone arrives (and a strange group of people they are) they discover only one person will win. The last person in the Manor on the twelth day of Christmas will be the lucky winner if they are still alive! With more twists and turns than hallways and staircases at Bleakly Manor this is a fun story! It's almost necessary to read it in one sitting. You might miss a clue if you don't pay attention.

Michelle Griep has once again spun a wonderful tale in "12 Days at Bleakly Manor". Shrouded in mystery, this story is maturely written with rich vocabulary and visual imagery. She only allows a small amount of the mystery to be revealed at a time, enticing the reader to keep reading, thirsty to discover more. Very well done and highly recommended.

If you enjoy Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie, then 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep is a book you want to savor by the fire. Great hosts can entice nearly anyone to a fine mansion for the holidays. In true bleak form, however, this is one place you may not want the carriage to stop. On December 24th, 1850, invitations were delivered to a select few who would spend the holidays at the stately Victorian manor.
12 Days at Bleakly Manor: Book 1 in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas by [Griep, Michelle]
For Clara Chapman, a young woman reduced to poor circumstances after being left at the altar on her wedding day, the surprising invitation is quite puzzling for it said:

"The Twelve Days of Christmas
As never's been reveled
Your presence, Miss Chapman, is respectfully herald.
Bleakly Manor's the place
And after twelve nights
Five hundred pounds
Will be yours by rights."

There would be no question she would go though she hated to leave the aunt she lovingly cared for. Go she did and what she found would change her life forever.

Benjamin Lane, betrayed and marked with a prison tattoo languished in his cell, angry at the unknown person who stole his life, took his fortune and turned his only love against him. He too received an invitation to the manor but his invitation gave him no choice but to attend. Attend the twelve days at Bleakly and he may get his freedom. Escape from Bleakly and he would love his life.

All who gathered at Bleakly were led there for a purpose. All sought the reward offered if they could but stay the twelve nights. Each day grew bleaker, however and death was not a stranger as mysterious events turned up and the guests numbers dwindled.

As fate would have it, Clara and Benjamin had met before. She was his love, the one he lost through betrayal. He was the man who left her alone at the church humiliated. A humiliation that was heightened by the ruin of her family's business and fortune through embezzlement by the same man she trusted and loved.

Who will remain and win the prize? If you seek the answer, read the book! A delicious plot complete with the Dickens flavor of Victorian England. Charles Dickens, my favorite author of all time, was a champion of the poor and mistreated. Agatha Christie would have loved the intrigue of the stately manor and absent host. I enjoyed the opportunity to read this book for review from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing. I recommend this book as one you will read this season and in seasons to come!

This is a cozy mystery set around Christmas in Victorian England. Clara is invited to spend 12 days at Bleakly Manor in order to collect a reward. When she arrives, she learns other strangers-including her ex-fiance Ben-were also invited. Whoever lasts the 12 days will get what they want most. I admit that it's been a while since I've read Dickens' Bleak House so a lot of the references passed me by. However, like Dickens' writing, the cast of invited strangers are eccentric and quirky with hidden motives. Danger surrounds the guests as "accidents" start to happen and conditions at the manor deteriorate. I kept wanting to read to figure out who was behind this game and who was behind all of the "accidents." After the reveal, I admit I wasn't sure about the motives but it was cleverly done. There is light spiritual content and some humorous moments among the strange guests. I enjoyed the author's descriptive writing and Clara and Ben's second-chance-at-romance.
* I received this book free of charge from NetGalley.

I absolutely loved it! It had me hooked from the beginning, and was hard to put down. I love historical romance and Christian romance.....this has both plus mystery. It is about getting a second chance, and we all need those at some point in our lives. I was so surprised to find out who Charles was and I won't give it away. I really like the author's Historical notes at the end of the book, So happy I got the opportunity to read this amazing book! Thank you!

Clara Chapman has been invited to attend a party at a mansion in the country for the 12 Days of Christmas and if she is the last one there she will receive 500 pounds. Benjamin Lane is in prison for something he did not do and suddenly is released from prison, told he must stay for the 12 Days of Christmas to receive his freedom. They were once to marry but she was left at the alter and does not know what happened to Benjamin. The others each have a reason to be there. Who will last the 12 days and what secrets will come to light? Can Clara & Benjamin both win what they have been promised?

It's part cozy Christmas mystery, part Agatha Christie. It made me want to curl up with my blanket and a cup of hot tea. I loved the characters, and I'm so glad this is first in a series. I will absolutely read more!

Fan's of Dickens will be delighted with Michelle Griep's 12 Days at Bleakly Manor. The setting is a large country manor with limited staff. A group of people each receive an invitation to spend the 12 days of Christmas at the Manor. If they stay the entire time, they will be granted something they really desire. the characters are an odd group, some endearing, others truly weird. I enjoyed the story and look forward to re reading it on a cold snowy day with a large cup of tea and a cozy blanket!
I was given this book for review purposes by Netgalley.com. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:


A mysterious invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home may bring danger...and love?

England, 1851: When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet feels compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of five hundred pounds.

But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.

Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar. Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters.

What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

Pour a cup of tea and settle in for Book 1 of the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series--a page-turning Victorian-era holiday tale--by Michelle Griep, a reader and critic favorite.

About the author:

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write--except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager.

12 Days At Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep was given to me by Net Galley for an honest review. This is the first book that I have ever read by Michelle Griep and will NOT be my last. 12 Days at Bleakly Manor was truly an outstanding read, one I had to finish after reading the first page. Truly a wondrous book for the mystery, romance, and historical novel lovers out there. Upon receiving a mysterious letter by someone Clara Chapman has never met before summons her to the mysterious Bleakly Manor. There she meets Mr.Pocket, Mademoiselle Pretents, Mr.Minnows. Mrs.Scurry, and Benjamin Lane, a man she thought that she would never have to see again. The story moves about a great pace, not a dull moment. Each guest that is at Bleakly manor is promised something for spending the twelve days of Christmas there and not leaving early. The story continues on with an easy ease, then slowly each character start to reveal their true selves. Thank you once again Michelle Griep for writing a tale so wondrous and thrilling.

With a writing style reminiscent of Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie, Michelle Griep sets up quite the atmospheric novel. I enjoyed getting to know the characters over a 12 day time period, the 12 Days of Christmas at Bleakly Manor. A tale that kept me reading as I was so intrigued to read the twists and turns taking place. I never knew what to expect til the end. This well developed plot and characters where enjoyable to read about in this mystery. Looking forward to reading book 2 in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series releasing Fall 2018. I also enjoyed reading about Victorian Christmas Traditions and their description from the end of the book.
Pub Date 01 Sep 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for a review copy in exchange fro my honest review.

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor puts a little twist on what we expect from Christmas tales. This story is part Clue and part And Then There Were None with a dash of romance. Michelle Griep created an enjoyable mystery as the 1st part to her Once Upon A Dickens Christmas series that leaves me excited for the next. Set in 1851 the story focuses on young Clara who has lost everything and faces an uncertain future when a mysterious invitation arrives promising her 500 pounds to spend the 12 days of Christmas at Bleakly Manor. With no other prospects or much hope Clara sees no other option than to oblige and see how the 12 days will play out. What awaits for her at Bleakly Manor is certainly not at all what she was expecting when she arrives and finds a group of strangers who were also made promises in exchange for staying the full 12 days. The most unexpected surprise for Clara, however, comes in the form of the very man who jilted her at the alter and left her in her difficult situation she has faced for nearly a year. None of the guests understand why they are there or even who the mysterious host is, but day by day things slowly start to unravel and they begin to learn the truth which nobody expected. 12 Days at Bleakly Manor is a unique and fun little read for the chilly days up ahead.

What a heart gripping tale of two loves - coming from two different directions. One believed he left her at the later and he believed she had him put in prison for embezzling their families companies money on the day of their wedding. Both wanting explanations both wanting revenge both wanting to love again. You feel yourself being pulled deeper and deeper into the story with each new amazingly hauntingly huge disaster after another, as dangerous as it were. I started reading it late at night and found myself greeting my kid in the morning as I was fine wishing it cause there was no way was I going to put this down til I was done and I knew it all and I tell you - you won't either. You will love and adore it like I do.

The story seemed like it was originally a fan fiction offering of Charles Dickens' Bleak House. Having just watched the miniseries, many of the characters were recognizable from Dickens' story, which might be alright had some of the dialogue and plot points not also been stolen. The cover was cute and I was in the mood for a Christmas type tale but I didn't find much of it here despite the events in the book taking place over Christmas. I didn't feel there was much character development beyond the exposition. I also wasn't that interested in the mystery. And the romance plot had weak chemistry going between the two characters. Great idea, poor execution.