Well I guess this is book 19,I read it out of order but it didn't make a difference cause it was a really sweet Christmas story about a lady, a mom who goes into service you could say "Under Cover" to find out what's going on in The household of a servant girl who reports to her friend who's married to a policeman in England back in the 1800's.Gracie is going and exploring the household of where food is missing but none of the other servants are talking. What Gracie finds out under that roof are scared people,mystery,greed and a old lady in the attic!! The different characters in this story are not a lot where you figure out and become aware of who everyone is and what the big mystery is especially with the people who own the house and the people who are in service are so scared they might be out put of the house at Christmas and no where else to go!! Follow this wonderful story only Anne Perry can write!! What is really going on in that house and find out what the real reason problems or are turning their backs on the strange things going on until Gracie shows up to put everyone right!!! Received this from Net Gallery..

I really love all of Anne Perry’s books and this was not really an exception, although I wouldn’t say it is my favorite. As usual the story is well thought out and you are transported back in time to the Victorian era. I found it a little unbelievable that Gracie would go back into service but that is just being nit picky. I look forward to reading more by this wonderful author. I received an ARC from the publisher Random House through NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

A Christmas Legacy by Anne Perry

A former maid takes a new job as Christmas approaches, but not everyone, in the household may survive the holidays in this tension-foiled home.

This was an enjoyable and just worthy book. Many characters: some friendly, some not. It points out that you should be compassionate, not only at Christmas, but always.
Well-written. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I enjoyed this book. I felt an attachment to the characters in the story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Victorian-era mystery set during the Christmas season. A quick easy entertaining read and a departure from your typical Christmas romances. Cozy mystery novella.

A look in on Gracie and Tellman for the holidays when Gracie has a chance to solve a mystery that could change Christmas for a household experiencing fear and dread. Each entry in Anne Perry’s Christmas mysteries put a bit of extra anticipatory sparkle on the holiday season.

A Christmas Legacy is the nineteenth Christmas mystery. I suppose it could standalone for the current mystery and situation, but it did have a bigger impact on me because I knew Gracie and her husband as well as the off-page characters mentioned from the older Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series.

Gracie feels she must help the downtrodden and scared Millie who hints at something not being right in the household she is in service for and Gracie feels the only way she can help is the replace Millie and do some sleuthing of her own. She didn’t know what was off, but she never imagined where this act of Christmas kindness to a friend’s child would lead.

While not a traditional murder mystery like her full-length books the novellas in this series provide mysteries more of the heart and themes of the season. A Christmas Legacy is no exception. Gracie eventually digs up an appalling situation and then gets to witness a Christmas miracle when matters are set to rights. It was fascinating returning to Gracie’s below stairs world in a strange household and in so doing Anne Perry tackled the historical ills of elder abuse and servants utterly dependent for their homes and lives to the caprice of the households they served- and it wasn’t a matter of shopping for a good one when a good reference was like a golden ticket.

The plot and characters were thoroughly engaging and well developed. I confess that Gracie and Tellman were favorite side characters so I was tickled to get this story that shared something of their home life and what they have been doing in the intervening years since Gracie left the Pitt household and Pitt left the police and went into Special Branch so Tellman wasn’t as present either. Loved seeing them as a couple and parents.

All in all, it was a heartwarming Dickens-ish holiday mystery that engaged me completely. I can highly recommend the author’s historical mysteries and this Christmas Mystery collection particularly this latest.

This is a Victorian-era holiday mystery.This is my first read by this author and I know this book is part of a series but I had no problem jumping right in and enjoying the story to the fullest.
A easy reading mystery is what it is but not a murder mystery. You can feel the heartfelt empathy of the characters as you read, except for the ones who should be feeling it the most.
It's a pulling together, almost like a teamwork these characters have to protect each other and do what they feel is right. I really must explore these characters more and hopefully find out more of a back story on them. I enjoyed this very much. Recommended!

Pub Date 09 Nov 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Anne Perry never fails. This was a nice quick read with a mystery to solve and a little Christmas spirit. Perry never disappoints with her Christmas novels.

Gracie, who was a former maid for Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, is now married and has children of her own. When a good friend’s daughter Millie shows up upset, Gracie decides to help. Gracie goes to help Millie to solve a mystery at Millie's current place of employment. The mystery is solved by the ending with a twist of events.

I gave only 4.5 stars because it was a good story, just not a wow story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks, NetGalley, Anne Perry, and Ballantine Books for this eARC.

This is a cozy mystery perfect reading for the Christmas season. Gracie Tellman is home with her three children when Millie, a servant from a nearby home, asks for her help. There are small thefts going on in the household of her employer and Millie seems fearful. Having previously worked “in service”, Gracie takes Millie’s place for the week before Christmas. She uncovers the mystery and the book ends in a delightful conclusion. This is part of a series by Anne Perry but it worked quite well as a stand alone book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick read and cozy mysteries. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Anne Perry writes a wonderful love story. Her words are timeless. This novel is heartwarming and sad but also hopeful. A perfect read for the Christmas season!

Loved it. I don’t usually like Christmas books, but the is a winner as is Anne Perry. I loved all the characters and descriptions. Nice twist at the end

When the daughter of a former friend turns up on her doorstep Gracie is unable to turn her away. She learns that the household that this girl, Millie, is working for is missing food and other things. She cannot loose this job and be turned out into the street since her mother died she has no where to go.
Gracie agrees to do Millie’s job for a week to give Millie a rest and see if she can find out what is happening.
After a couple of days Gracie agrees that something is definitely going on in the house. Not only is food missing but there is a strange moaning coming from the attic. After some careful investigating Gracie discovers the elderly Grandmother who is mostly ignored by her children. They seem to be anxious for her to die. Some of the maids have been secretly taking care of her. They are very torn between a kind old Lady and their loosing their jobs if they are found out.
Anne Perry is very good at showing how goodwill and kindness can overcome greed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my copy of A Christmas Legacy by Anne Perry in exchange for an honest review. It published November 9, 2021.
It just isn't Christmas if I don't get to read the newest Anne Perry Christmas book! It has become a beloved tradition, and this was another great one. I loved following Gracie, and I thought the story-line was very good. I enjoyed the mystery, and the fact that this was different than your typical Christmas romance book.
I thought the ending was especially touching, and definitely worth your time!

I enjoyed this novel. I read it in a sitting. I appreciate publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this wonderful book. I hope to get more by this author!

I really did love this book. I loved the time period and enjoyed the development of the characters in the story. I highly recommend this book as a very good Christmas book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Anne Perry puts out a Christmas book every year in which the protagonist “detective” is a bit character from one of her several successful detective series. This year’s installment sees Gracie Tellman, known to readers as Thomas and Charlotte Pitt’s former maid, take up temporary residence as a housemaid in a grand London manor to get to the bottom of the strange events that have put all the servants so on edge. As with last year’s installment, the Christmas theme is rather muted in this one; I must say I prefer the years where Christmas is front and center, as in 2019’s “A Christmas Gathering.” (And it’s hard to beat Lady Vespasia as a heroine.) “A Christmas Legacy,” however, was a pleasant “Downton Abbey”-style glimpse into the downstairs world of a stately Edwardian home and a fun way to spend a snowy afternoon by the fire.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. This is my first book by Anne Perry and I did not realize how many she had written in a series before this one. After reading A Christmas Legacy I’m going to go back to read some of her older series who’s characters may be related from what I can tell.

Gracie is the main character in this story set in Victorian times, she came from a life of service as a maid for a loving distinguished family. Gracie now is married and has a family of her own. She was asked by a friend who is working as a maid for the Harcourt family to help her figure out something that is “off” in the home and causing tension. Gracie fills in for her friend while she is sick (a plan they put together) and during her time in the house the mystery unfolds.

I really enjoyed this book! It is definitely set in a different era that what I’m used to reading and now I want to read more. It was a good light mystery set during the holidays (although not overly a holiday book). 4 stars!

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2021/11/26/a-christmas-legacy-by-anne-perry/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I've always enjoyed the books by this author and for the HoHoHo Read-athon, I have been devouring the Christmas series.  I listened to first few through Audible plus, and found more at the library.  I'm not quite finished but the books are unrelated to each other and mostly not connected to the various series. <strong> A Christmas Legacy</strong> is related to the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40488-charlotte-thomas-pitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Charlotte & Thomas Pitt</strong> </em></a>series, as the main character is Gracie who was a maid for their household for many years, but now has a husband and children.  So I suppose there are some general spoilers for that series.

All of the Christmas stories are a bit shorter, about a half book size but longer than what I consider a novella (under 100 pages).  Regardless, the development of the world and characters is exquisite.  I felt the characters as real people and their emotions connected to me.  I could smell and taste the food, feel the fabrics cottons, wools and silk fabrics of items, and the chill of the winter air.

Millie comes to Gracie because she fears being thrown out of the home where she is in service because things aren't right.  Gracie, having been with the Pitts, knows how to research a mystery.  So she goes to Millie's place while Millie stays with her family.   Really I wish Millie could have been clearer about what was happening.  But a servant can be dismissed easily for a wide variety of things, whether true or not, so she needed to be discreet.

Gracie, on the other hand, is not really a servant, can't be dismissed, and even if she were, she can just go home to her husband and family.  So with great difficulty, she finds out what is wrong and tries to improve things.  It's an ugly situation but Gracie is able to provide some comfort all around.

<strong>A Christmas Legacy</strong> was a fast, easy read because it was so well written and interesting. I recommend it and all the Christmas stories I have read.

Like many of the Anne Perry Christmas stories I've read, this is a mixture of pain and pleasure and a marvelous warm holiday (mostly) happy ending. This story involves Charlotte Pitt's former maid, Gracie, now an adult married to a Bow Street Runner, with children of her own. To help the daughter of a deceased friend, she insinuates herself, in the girl's place, in a household in the days leading up to Christmas. There's a mystery to solve. Disappearing food, furtive behavior, the haughty and selfish husband and wife, the mysterious old lady. Will Gracie figure out what's going on before Christmas calls her back home? There is heartbreaking truth about the treatment of old folks, but also a wonderful resolution that I've come to expect and love about Anne Perry's Christmas stories. Always a pleasure that I highly recommend.

I always read Anne Perry's Christmas stories, and this is a great addition. Good for mystery readers during the holiday season.