A Christmas Legacy
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- Create Date：2021-10-31 04:41:05
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Anne Perry
- ISBN：B08XNGQLWD
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Summary
Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's former maid takes a new job as Christmas approaches--but not everyone in the household may survive the holidays in this tension-filled novel from bestselling author Anne Perry。
After leaving her position with Charlotte and Thomas Pitt to get married， Gracie thought her days as a maid were behind her。 But when her good friend's daughter， Millie， turns up on her doorstep just before the holidays， frantic because things are going missing from the kitchen in the household she serves， Gracie knows she has to find out what is happening。 Millie， whose mother died years before， can't risk being accused of theft and getting thrown out on the street， with no character references for a new position。
So Gracie takes on Millie's job herself， claiming Millie is sick and needs a few days to recuperate。 At first， it seems that all is normal in the household， even if the couple's elderly granny keeps entirely to her bedroom upstairs。 But Gracie begins to realize that Granny is suffering from neglect--and rather than helping her， the husband and wife have decided she isn't dying fast enough。
After leaving her position with Charlotte and Thomas Pitt to get married， Gracie thought her days as a maid were behind her。 But when her good friend's daughter， Millie， turns up on her doorstep just before the holidays， frantic because things are going missing from the kitchen in the household she serves， Gracie knows she has to find out what is happening。 Millie， whose mother died years before， can't risk being accused of theft and getting thrown out on the street， with no character references for a new position。
So Gracie takes on Millie's job herself， claiming Millie is sick and needs a few days to recuperate。 At first， it seems that all is normal in the household， even if the couple's elderly granny keeps entirely to her bedroom upstairs。 But Gracie begins to realize that Granny is suffering from neglect--and rather than helping her， the husband and wife have decided she isn't dying fast enough。
Reviews
Stanley McShane
，
Read the full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Orphans and runaways lived a very difficult life in big cities at the turn of the twentieth century。 Either they are placed in strict government-run children’s homes or are left to fend for themselves on the streets。 Many freeze to death or die of malnutrition。 The very wealthy take them in and provide room and board but little if any compensation。 A young lady knocks on Gracie Tallman’s door and asks for help but then is sick with a cold and cannot Read the full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Orphans and runaways lived a very difficult life in big cities at the turn of the twentieth century。 Either they are placed in strict government-run children’s homes or are left to fend for themselves on the streets。 Many freeze to death or die of malnutrition。 The very wealthy take them in and provide room and board but little if any compensation。 A young lady knocks on Gracie Tallman’s door and asks for help but then is sick with a cold and cannot accomplish her work。 Gracie replaces her and helps in the job while she recuperates。 Without a reference from another family or maintaining her job， however， all will be lost。 Every aspect of life in the rich person’s manor is closely monitored by the wife of the landlord。 How dare the people living in livery expect more than a warm bed and a paltry diet！ The offspring of the very wealthy expects everyone to provide luxuries for them without recompense or a simple thank you。 They are the entitled。The end result of Ms。 Perry’s writing is a glimpse into a totally stark world of excess and poverty。 Even an older person may be hidden away while the family hopes for a quick death to speed the execution of the will and acquisition of the properties。 5 stars - CE WilliamsWe received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review。 These are his honest opinions。 。。。more
Kate Baxter
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4。5 / 5。0 starsThe holiday novellas of gifted mystery writer， Anne Perry， are treasures to which this reader looks forward each winter。 This nineteenth offering in her Yuletide mysteries is certainly among her best。 There's mystery， superlative mise en scène with its spot-on historic detail as well as a strong Dickensian feel。 There is gravitas to it which causes the reader to sit up and take notice。 A cautionary tale， if you will。True to form， Ms。 Perry has drawn on a secondary character of her 4。5 / 5。0 starsThe holiday novellas of gifted mystery writer， Anne Perry， are treasures to which this reader looks forward each winter。 This nineteenth offering in her Yuletide mysteries is certainly among her best。 There's mystery， superlative mise en scène with its spot-on historic detail as well as a strong Dickensian feel。 There is gravitas to it which causes the reader to sit up and take notice。 A cautionary tale， if you will。True to form， Ms。 Perry has drawn on a secondary character of her Charlotte and William Pitt mystery series， to act as the protagonist within her holiday story。 Former maid to the Pitts， Gracie Tellman， has been sought out by Millie Foster， the daughter of a deceased friend。 Millie is in service at the Harcourt's home。 She shared with Gracie concern for disappearing fancy foods and fears that some or all of the staff will be thrown out at Christmas with an accusation of thievery。 All of the staff are on tenterhooks。 It is agreed that Gracie will step into Millie's place to see what's what and hopefully resolve the issues。 In return， Millie will stay at the Tellman's home to care for Gracie's family while she "recuperates from a nasty cold"。 Gracie soon gets the lay of the land at the Harcourt home and eventually justice is served。 This was a well done story with some real food for thought。 I recommend it to fans of historical fiction and especially to those who enjoy a touch of mystery in their stories。I am grateful to Ballantine Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book。 Their generosity， however， has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone。Publisher: Ballantine BooksPublication Date: November 9， 2021No。 of pages: 208ISBN: 9780593159392 。。。more
Cheryl
，
I enjoyed reading this book。 It gave a glimpse at the heirachy in the Victorian household among servants as well as the often haughty homeowners！ The mystery that unfolded was not quite what I expected but once revealed， I would have liked to know more of the backstory of Mrs。 Adelina Harcourt and her son。（and his wife）。 The story also revealed how important the servants all were to one another。。。as it was sometimes the only family some knew。。。。and how much they depended on these homes for their I enjoyed reading this book。 It gave a glimpse at the heirachy in the Victorian household among servants as well as the often haughty homeowners！ The mystery that unfolded was not quite what I expected but once revealed， I would have liked to know more of the backstory of Mrs。 Adelina Harcourt and her son。（and his wife）。 The story also revealed how important the servants all were to one another。。。as it was sometimes the only family some knew。。。。and how much they depended on these homes for their livelihood。 Overall， it was a good read。。。。not high on Christmas cheer。。。。but a Christmas story none the less！ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine Books， for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy。 #NetGalley #AChristmasLegacy 。。。more
Crystal Credeur
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The first of Ms Perry’s Christmas novels I’ve read， A Christmas Legacy transports the reader back to a time when servitude was still commonplace and a way of life for so many。 I doubt many escaped it as the main character， Gracie， was able to do。 Well written， the novel offers mystery， romance， hidden dreams， and even a surprise ending。
Nora St Laurent
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I’ve never read a book by this author; I didn’t know what to expect。 I enjoyed how she whisks readers back to the Victorian era as families prepare themselves for the yuletide season， and how main character Gracie puts herself in the middle of an intriguing situation in hopes of finding out who’s doing what。 Millie， a friend of Gracie， begs her for help。 Millie is scared。 She fears being accused of stealing。 Things are disappearing。 No one knows （or they are not saying） who they suspect。 Because I’ve never read a book by this author; I didn’t know what to expect。 I enjoyed how she whisks readers back to the Victorian era as families prepare themselves for the yuletide season， and how main character Gracie puts herself in the middle of an intriguing situation in hopes of finding out who’s doing what。 Millie， a friend of Gracie， begs her for help。 Millie is scared。 She fears being accused of stealing。 Things are disappearing。 No one knows （or they are not saying） who they suspect。 Because Millie and her mother had been accused in the past （and was cleared of all charges） She is afraid that fingers will point to her first。 I enjoyed learning about how houses were run back then， combined with an interesting mystery。 The main character seeks out anything that looks suspicious and/or out of the ordinary。 Gracie is character that expresses love and compassion to everyone she works with。 Showing them that she works hard and will not let the fear of losing her job get in the way of helping someone in need。 She hopes to get to the bottom of things by Christmas and hopefully have everyone keep their jobs。 This was an interesting story that made me want to read more novels by this author。Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions I have expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”Nora St。 LaurentTBCN Where Book Fun Begins！The Book Club Network blog www。bookfun。org 。。。more
The Library Lady
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The Anne Perry Christmas stories can get a little hokey， and the ending of this one is just too， too， perfect。 Still， it's fun to get a visit with Gracie， now the proud mother of three， and there's a brief appearance from Charlotte Pitt。 The Anne Perry Christmas stories can get a little hokey， and the ending of this one is just too， too， perfect。 Still， it's fun to get a visit with Gracie， now the proud mother of three， and there's a brief appearance from Charlotte Pitt。 。。。more
Christine
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It’s that time of year again - time for a new Anne Perry Christmas mystery。 Perry’s Christmas novels feature secondary characters from her novels。 I’ve read some with characters from the WIlliam Monk series， but the main character of this book is Gracie Tillman from the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series。 Gracie used to be a main for the Pitts but is now married with three young children。 She temporarily goes back into service at Harcourt House when the daughter of a deceased friend comes to her w It’s that time of year again - time for a new Anne Perry Christmas mystery。 Perry’s Christmas novels feature secondary characters from her novels。 I’ve read some with characters from the WIlliam Monk series， but the main character of this book is Gracie Tillman from the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series。 Gracie used to be a main for the Pitts but is now married with three young children。 She temporarily goes back into service at Harcourt House when the daughter of a deceased friend comes to her with concerns over strange events going on where she works。Much of this story is downbeat which is unexpected for a Christmas novella。 Without spoiling anything， the Harcourts are not people I would want to deal with！ The book puts a spotlight on how people in service were treated during this time （England， 1900） and how saying or doing the wrong thing would result in being thrown out onto the streets without a character reference which was disastrous， especially for young women。 Gracie does a great job of doing what she can to figure out what is going on in the household and coming up with a way to try to help since she has a home to go back to and isn’t at the mercy of Gilbert and Julia Harcourt。 Thankfully， the overall sadness of the story shifts and the ending is hopeful and satisfying。 This isn’t my favorite of Perry’s holiday novellas， but I always appreciate how well-written Perry’s books are， and I enjoyed the chance to get to know Gracie better。I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Ballantine Books。 An advance copy was provided to me at no cost， but my review is voluntary and unbiased。 。。。more
Kat
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A Christmas Legacy is the 19th Christmas story book by the incomparable Anne Perry。 I absolutely love her Daniel Pitt and Elena Standish series， and I find myself looking forward to her Christmas stories now。 Last year's A Christmas Resolution was delightful， but this one really drew me in。 I now have the rest of the Christmas books on my TBR or listen-to piles。 Gracie Tellman was formerly a maid for Thomas and Charlotte Pitt， but now she is married with three young children and enjoys being a h A Christmas Legacy is the 19th Christmas story book by the incomparable Anne Perry。 I absolutely love her Daniel Pitt and Elena Standish series， and I find myself looking forward to her Christmas stories now。 Last year's A Christmas Resolution was delightful， but this one really drew me in。 I now have the rest of the Christmas books on my TBR or listen-to piles。 Gracie Tellman was formerly a maid for Thomas and Charlotte Pitt， but now she is married with three young children and enjoys being a housewife and mother。 She never thought she'd be a maid again， but then Millie Foster， the daughter of Gracie's deceased best friend， shows up at her home shortly before Christmas。 The household where she works seems to have food going missing from the kitchen。 Millie is terrified that she or the other servants will be accused of theft and fired without character references。 She knows from her mother that Gracie has helped solve crimes with her former employers， so she begs for help。 Gracie goes to Mr。 and Mrs。 Harcourt's home where Millie works， telling them she will be filling in for Millie who is sick and has a cold。 Things at first appear normal， though all the servants seem on edge。 Then Millie discovers that Mr。 Harcourt's elderly mother is basically confined to an upstairs bedroom。 She seems to be suffering from neglect。。。 But is her son and his wife helping her move on to the afterlife a bit faster？This was an absolutely perfect Christmas story！ Gracie was a wonderful heroine。 She was a loving spouse and mother， and she was also very caring about others。 She seemed to have picked up some investigative skills from the Pitts。 She also appeared to have some spunk！ When the Harcourts threatened to sack her， what did she care？ She wasn't getting paid， plus already had a home to go to！ The care Gracie showed to the elderly mother was just beautiful and touching。 The old woman needed care desperately， and Gracie did all she could while allowing the woman to keep her dignity。 The servants in the house were an interesting bunch， sometimes snippy and friendly at other times。 It was obvious they were all worried about losing their jobs。 I was especially fond of little Bessie and Archie， who would fare the worst if fired。 The neglect that the Harcourts showed mother was disgraceful and heartbreaking。 The abusive treatment of the elderly is about as despicable as one can get！ Fear not， though。。。。not all is gloom and doom。 The mystery was wonderful and the characters great。 However， this story had one of the best feel-good endings of all time！ I just adored the entire thing。 So many Anne Perry books to catch up on， and so little time！I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 I received no compensation for my review， and all thoughts and opinions expressed were entirely my own。 。。。more
Cheryl
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Anne Perry is an author whose books I buy without reading the synopsis。 Her books are that good。 This book reminds the reader of how hard it was to be in service during the late 1800s early 1900s。 The servants had a roof over their head， food in their mouth and a pittance as a salary at the wim of their employer。 If the employer couldn't find his watch （which he had sent out to be repaired and forgotten） he could fire his man servant without references for stealing。 Gracie Tellman finds Millie a Anne Perry is an author whose books I buy without reading the synopsis。 Her books are that good。 This book reminds the reader of how hard it was to be in service during the late 1800s early 1900s。 The servants had a roof over their head， food in their mouth and a pittance as a salary at the wim of their employer。 If the employer couldn't find his watch （which he had sent out to be repaired and forgotten） he could fire his man servant without references for stealing。 Gracie Tellman finds Millie at her door reporting that she is afraid she is going to lose her job。 Gracie decides she will replace Millie at her job explaining that she has a cold and will return when she feels better。 It is not long before Gracie finds there is something definitely wrong in this and it is up to Gracie to find out what it is。I really liked this book and even cried a little at the end。 。。。more
Kim
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I always enjoy reading easy Christmas stories。 This one was easy， but left me wondering as I read。 Without giving away too much， I think this series needs to be read in order。 My questions about Gracie and why she spends the holidays with the Harcourts seems strange to me。 Possibly this would be explained in some earlier books。 It was an enjoyable story， reminiscent of an ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ household。 The characters are all quite unique， with individual personalities that add well to the stor I always enjoy reading easy Christmas stories。 This one was easy， but left me wondering as I read。 Without giving away too much， I think this series needs to be read in order。 My questions about Gracie and why she spends the holidays with the Harcourts seems strange to me。 Possibly this would be explained in some earlier books。 It was an enjoyable story， reminiscent of an ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ household。 The characters are all quite unique， with individual personalities that add well to the story。 Some are lovable others not so much！ I think I will look into the other books so that I can get a better understanding of Gracie and her family。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my review。 。。。more
Shawna
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This was my first novel by author Anne Perry and it was an enjoyable read。 The main protagonist Gracie， is the former maid of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt， characters in previous stories by Ms。 Perry。 There were mentions of Gracie's time with the Pitts， but I wasn't confused having not read any of those stories （and I look forward to reading them in the future）。 This novel is set after Gracie leaves the service of the Pitts and is now a wife and mother。 When a friend of Gracie's comes to ask her he This was my first novel by author Anne Perry and it was an enjoyable read。 The main protagonist Gracie， is the former maid of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt， characters in previous stories by Ms。 Perry。 There were mentions of Gracie's time with the Pitts， but I wasn't confused having not read any of those stories （and I look forward to reading them in the future）。 This novel is set after Gracie leaves the service of the Pitts and is now a wife and mother。 When a friend of Gracie's comes to ask her help solving a mystery at the home of her employer， Gracie takes the young woman's place for a few days to do some investigating under the ruse of the young woman being ill and not wanting to lose her position。 At the household， Gracie finds a loving group of servants who are loyal to their difficult employers， Mr。 and Mrs。 Harcourt， but also seem to be living in fear of losing their positions。 Gracie soon discovers what is really happening in the house and does her best to right the situation。 I will say that I pretty much knew how the story was going to go because the largest spoiler was in the publisher's synopsis so that was a bit disappointing。 It would have made a greater impact has that little detail been left to the discovery of the reader。 The setting was in Victorian London， but the entire novel takes place in the Harcourt Home and even though it was Christmas time this book has very little Christmas joy in it。 The ending was satisfying if not predictable。 Thank you to NetGalley， Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Publishing， and Anne Perry for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Scilla
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I loved this Christmas story starring Gracie Tellman， the former maid for Charlotte Pitt， who is married to Bow Street Inspector Samuel Tellman。 She is just finishing making a Christmas cake when Millie Foster， the daughter of a woman she had helped years before， comes to the door。 Millie was working in a home with a lot of tension。 Food seems to be disappearing， and the staff is all frightened。 Something is bad， and she doesn't know what。 Gracie agrees to take Millie's place for a few days to s I loved this Christmas story starring Gracie Tellman， the former maid for Charlotte Pitt， who is married to Bow Street Inspector Samuel Tellman。 She is just finishing making a Christmas cake when Millie Foster， the daughter of a woman she had helped years before， comes to the door。 Millie was working in a home with a lot of tension。 Food seems to be disappearing， and the staff is all frightened。 Something is bad， and she doesn't know what。 Gracie agrees to take Millie's place for a few days to see if she can figure out what is happening while Millie stays in Gracie's home to help take care of her three children， promising to be home before Christmas。Gracie soon realizes than the mother of the man of the house is in an attic bedroom， slowly starving to death and not properly taken care of。 Her son and his wife are waiting for her death so they will have more money！ The staff have been stealing food to take to her， and soon Gracie goes to her to bathe her， make the bed up clean， and talk to her。 One day the old woman's lawyer comes， and Gracie is asked to witness some changes to the will。 The story has a great ending！ 。。。more
Connie
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tI just love reading books by this author！ Her characterization is always good; and the people in her books are an interesting bunch。 The gentleness of the main characters， and how kindly they treat each other is so pleasant in a world where the characters made up by other authors do way too much cursing and often fall into bed with people they barely know。 I also love how real her characters become--I feel as I'd really like to meet most of them。Anne also gives the reader a really good sense of tI just love reading books by this author！ Her characterization is always good; and the people in her books are an interesting bunch。 The gentleness of the main characters， and how kindly they treat each other is so pleasant in a world where the characters made up by other authors do way too much cursing and often fall into bed with people they barely know。 I also love how real her characters become--I feel as I'd really like to meet most of them。Anne also gives the reader a really good sense of mood through her writing and the settings are perfect。 I can picture them in my mind。 By the end of the book everything is neatly wrapped up even though you may not have thought when picking up the book that would ever be possible。I am a HUGE fan of this author。 。。。more
Kathryn E Hagen
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It's Christmas time and Gracie Tellman， the former maid at the Pitt household， is back！ Millie， a friend who is in service， asks her to investigate the mysterious goings-on at the house where she works。 Gracie has the idea of looking into the matter herself。 The plan？ Gracie will say that Millie is ill and that she， Gracie， will be taking her place for a few days。 Samuel Tellman， police inspector at the Bow Street Station， suggests that Gracie get a reference letter from Lady Charlotte Pitt to e It's Christmas time and Gracie Tellman， the former maid at the Pitt household， is back！ Millie， a friend who is in service， asks her to investigate the mysterious goings-on at the house where she works。 Gracie has the idea of looking into the matter herself。 The plan？ Gracie will say that Millie is ill and that she， Gracie， will be taking her place for a few days。 Samuel Tellman， police inspector at the Bow Street Station， suggests that Gracie get a reference letter from Lady Charlotte Pitt to ease her way into the other household。 Gracie soon verifies for herself that something strange is indeed happening。 A maid is caught with a fancy dessert on a tray。 The lady of the house accuses her of stealing food。 Knowing this to be unlikely， Gracie has somewhere to start looking。 But is the "something" illegal？ Immoral？ Is Gracie in danger by investigating？ She sees that the other house staff members are worried they'll be let go if they talk about the situationAnne Perry has written another mystery that kept me turning the pages and scratching my head about what could be bothering Millie and the others。 Although this book could be a standalone， it would be more fun to start at the beginning of the Thomas Pitt series and meet Gracie as a young girl in their household。 I highly recommend this book and all the books in the Thomas Pitt， Daniel Pitt， William Monk， and Elena Standish series。 。。。more
Nancy Lepri
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I have reviewed this novel for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their site the evening prior to the release date。"A Christmas Legacy" by Anne PerryBallantine BooksNovember 9， 202110-059315939XHistorical Holiday FictionGracie Tellman， happily married and the mother of three young children， is shocked when Millie Foster， the daughter of her deceased best friend， shows up at her house。 It is closing in on the Christmas holidays， and Millie is gravely distressed。 She states that I have reviewed this novel for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their site the evening prior to the release date。"A Christmas Legacy" by Anne PerryBallantine BooksNovember 9， 202110-059315939XHistorical Holiday FictionGracie Tellman， happily married and the mother of three young children， is shocked when Millie Foster， the daughter of her deceased best friend， shows up at her house。 It is closing in on the Christmas holidays， and Millie is gravely distressed。 She states that in the household where she is employed things are turning up missing， and Millie is afraid of being accused of theft， though she has never stolen anything。Her bosses， Mr。 and Mrs。 Harcourt， are treacherous employers who treat their help like lowly slaves。 Millie realizes they could quickly throw her and the other nine employees—a couple who are mere children—out in the cold with no references or place to go。 At this time of the year， and with the current economic conditions in Victorian England， it would be almost impossible to attain another position。The only one who can help Millie is Gracie， for Gracie once had been a former maid herself。 Though Gracie's employers were kind and generous， she knew the job。 The holidays are quickly approaching， and Gracie is needed at home， yet she decides to take Millie's place， and she tells the Harcourts Millie is ill， and she is there to cover for her until she regains her strength。Gracie no sooner enters the property and can sense the tension， even between the other servants。 Everything is strait-laced and prim and proper， for they all address each other in a formal manner。 There appears to be no camaraderie or friendliness among the help， though Gracie realizes they are frightened for their positions。 They are bound together as if family， for they have no one else。Although things seem to be running appropriately， the owners are churlish and aloof。 When Gracie learns the master's mother is secreted to a bedroom hidden in the attic， Gracie takes pity on the older woman。 Shocked to see she is frail and looks half-starved， Gracie determines she will care for her。One day Gracie is in Mrs。 Harcourt's closet hanging up her gown when she overhears the Harcourts arguing in the adjoining bedroom。 They are discussing their now dire financial straits and considering which of their staff they should terminate。 It also seems they are anxious for Mr。 Harcourt's mother to die， which they believe would get them access to her assets and get them out of their current situation。 Gracie is astounded by what she hears but remains silent， fearful of being spotted and accused of eavesdropping。In the short time Gracie has been working in the household， she feels contempt for the Harcourts and empathy for the servants she has come to know。 But what can she do？Gracie decides to befriend Mr。 Harcourt's mother by bringing her treats until one day she notices the woman lying in bed in filthy sheets and a soiled gown。 Shame and embarrassment have her seething for the way this grand lady is being treated。 She changes the bedding and bathes the woman giving her a clean nightgown to wear and a way to regain some sense of dignity。 While attending to her， Gracie talks about her children， getting a weak smile out of the woman， making her feel better。 However， she is still distraught by the neglect this woman is facing。The distinct differences between the classes of that time period are shocking and downright sad。 The contempt of the homeowners toward not only their staff but their own flesh can make one's blood curl。 What is also heartbreaking is how everyone refers to the family's matriarch as the "old lady" and not Mrs。 Harcourt or "mother。" How insensitive some people can be， especially when it comes to money and status。 This novel contains facts of a long-ago era in Victorian England。 Still， there also is the mystery surrounding the seclusion of a frail and helpless family member while conveying heartbreak， fear， and the yearning for a better life of the household help。 Will good win out over the evil taking place in this domicile， or will it continue to prevail？ 。。。more
Lizanne Johnson
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Gracie Tellman was formerly a maid in Sir Thomas and Charlotte Pitt’s home。 She loved helping solve crimes。 Now she’s a wife and mother of three with her own mystery to solve。 Her curiosity， empathy， and bravery work together to a very satisfying conclusion。 I’d love to read more of Gracie Tellman！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review。
Lori Corbett
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A Christmas Legacy was a short but interesting Christmas read with a little bit of mystery and a satisfying ending。 This Christmas book is part of a series by Anne Perry。 It is not necessary to read the series to enjoy this Christmas offering as I have not read any of the books in the series。 Thank you， NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group， for access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own。
Cindy Lacey
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This is a seasonal treat， catching up with some of the secondary characters from the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Victorian era Mysteries。 Gracie， their former housemaid， is now grown up and married， with 3 children。 In the days leading up to Christmas， a young girl （Millie） who is about the same age she was when she entered service， comes to the door asking for help。 The house she works in has things going missing， food from the homeowners’ table， and everyone is afraid that they will be accused a This is a seasonal treat， catching up with some of the secondary characters from the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Victorian era Mysteries。 Gracie， their former housemaid， is now grown up and married， with 3 children。 In the days leading up to Christmas， a young girl （Millie） who is about the same age she was when she entered service， comes to the door asking for help。 The house she works in has things going missing， food from the homeowners’ table， and everyone is afraid that they will be accused and dismissed from service。 Gracie knows the girl from a case of Thomas and Charlotte。 She agrees to go to the house as a replacement servant for Millie who is “sick with a cold”。 She will attempt to find out what is going on。 Gracie has the advantage that she is not afraid of being dismissed as she has a home and family to go to。What she finds is a house with two homeowners and ten servants。 The servants are mostly tense and some outright hostile。 Gracie does some discreet snooping and finds out that there is another person in the house that nobody talks about。 The missing food is taken to her by a young housemaid who feels pity for her。 Gracie overhears a conversation revealing that money is short and they hope to see a resolution soon。 They also discuss which servants they can dismiss without affecting their own comfort and social status。 When she discovers that the hidden person is the parent of one of the homeowners who is seriously neglected， she does her best to offer some comfort。 When the old woman dies in her sleep， Gracie and the servants band together to ensure that nothing is removed that might allow the homeowners to accuse them of theft。 The lawyers summon them to the reading of the will， and it is discovered that the old lady was not so powerless after all。 Everyone gets what is coming to them and Gracie gets to go home for Christmas with her family。 。。。more
Stacy
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This book was good once I got into it maybe 30 pages or so。 I thought it might be a cute Christmas mystery but it was sad。 Elder neglect a mystery at a fancy house and servants feeling stuck about helping。 It was mysterious for a small bit， then just sad。 But the old lady prevails in the end and helps those who help her。
Jo Dervan
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A Christmas LegacyI held off reading this book because I was not ready for a holiday book。 This book， set in late Victorian London， has little to do with Christmas。 Gracie Tellman had been in service to the Pitt family before she married a police official。 So when Millie， the daughter of an old friend， came to ask for help， Gracie agreed to do so。 Millie was one of several servants to a family in London。 Large amounts of food started disappearing from the kitchen and Millie feared she would be u A Christmas LegacyI held off reading this book because I was not ready for a holiday book。 This book， set in late Victorian London， has little to do with Christmas。 Gracie Tellman had been in service to the Pitt family before she married a police official。 So when Millie， the daughter of an old friend， came to ask for help， Gracie agreed to do so。 Millie was one of several servants to a family in London。 Large amounts of food started disappearing from the kitchen and Millie feared she would be under suspicion and sacked。 So Gracie agreed to leave her family， change places with Millie for a short time and find out what was going on。Soon Gracie discovered an elderly woman living upstairs in squalor。 Gracie helped the elderly woman， the mother of the household head， by cleaning her， changing the linens and providing warmer blankets。 When the old woman died a few days later， everyone was in for a surprise。The author is known for her research about everyday life in the Victorian era。 She fills her books with many details and the reader learns many new things。I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dorothy Schwab
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Anne Perry’s annual holiday offering， A Christmas Legacy， is certainly a special gift for readers and fans of period dramas set in 1900， London。 From Anne Perry’s Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Series comes now married， former maid Gracie Tellman with her own story。Millie Foster， housemaid at the Harcourt estate， reports to her friend Gracie Tellman that cakes， pudding， and chicken are going missing; none of the staff says a word， because all are afraid someone will be ‘sacked’; and right before Chri Anne Perry’s annual holiday offering， A Christmas Legacy， is certainly a special gift for readers and fans of period dramas set in 1900， London。 From Anne Perry’s Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Series comes now married， former maid Gracie Tellman with her own story。Millie Foster， housemaid at the Harcourt estate， reports to her friend Gracie Tellman that cakes， pudding， and chicken are going missing; none of the staff says a word， because all are afraid someone will be ‘sacked’; and right before Christmas！ Gracie， now married to an Inspector， trades places with Millie to discover what’s happening。 As the mystery unfolds readers are treated to the now familiar pecking order of the “downstairs” staff due to six seasons of Downton Abbey！ Anne Perry slowly builds suspicion and casts doubt on the Harcourts and the servants; between conversations with butler， Mr。 Denning and housekeeper， Mrs。 Jenkins， along with love secrets shared between Mrs。 Harcourt’s lady’s maid， Nora and Walter， Mr。 Harcourt’s valet。 Perhaps most endearing is bright， red headed Archie， the footman， that Gracie encourages to learn to read so he can “go anywhere…， anywhere real， or not real。” Readers learn along with Gracie that facing challenges and struggles brings people together。 At the end of A Christmas Legacy there is great “satisfaction in realizing that kindness is noticed。” 。。。more
Kacey/Kris
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As a huge fan of Anne Perry I was chopping at the bit to read her newest Christmas book。 I have to say that this is the best one yet。 With the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series done it was nice to hear their names again in the story。 It brought back a sense of comfort and familiarity。 What a wonderful story for Christmas。 One where we should relearn to put other first in love。 Highly recommended！
Kimberly
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This was a great， cozy fast paced little mystery。 I haven't read anything by Anne Perry until now and I will continue to pick up more of her books！The mystery was fun and the characters are all charming。 I really loved Charlie and Gracie and would love more stories with them！Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This was a great， cozy fast paced little mystery。 I haven't read anything by Anne Perry until now and I will continue to pick up more of her books！The mystery was fun and the characters are all charming。 I really loved Charlie and Gracie and would love more stories with them！Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan Feaster
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I am a long-time fan of Anne Perry’s work， particularly of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels。 In this latest offering， A Christmas Legacy， Thomas and Charlotte’s former maid Gracie takes center stage。 Gracie， now married and with children of her ow， goes back into service to help a friend。 The fact that this takes place just two weeks before Christmas adds a sense of urgency to solving the crime。Perry is a master of the Victorian era and transports the reader back to another time and place。 G I am a long-time fan of Anne Perry’s work， particularly of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels。 In this latest offering， A Christmas Legacy， Thomas and Charlotte’s former maid Gracie takes center stage。 Gracie， now married and with children of her ow， goes back into service to help a friend。 The fact that this takes place just two weeks before Christmas adds a sense of urgency to solving the crime。Perry is a master of the Victorian era and transports the reader back to another time and place。 Gracie and her daughter Charlie are delightful characters， and this is a most pleasant read。A Christmas Legacy is scheduled for release November 2， 2021， just in time for the holiday season。Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with a copy。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more
Val
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My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Publishing， as well as to NetGalley， for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Christmas Legacy！This is the first book I've read by Anne Perry and I absolutely loved it！ It tells the story of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's former maid， Gracie， as she does her level best to solve the mystery of why things are going missing from the kitchen in the household where her friend's daughter， Millie， is employed。 How better to do that t My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Publishing， as well as to NetGalley， for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Christmas Legacy！This is the first book I've read by Anne Perry and I absolutely loved it！ It tells the story of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's former maid， Gracie， as she does her level best to solve the mystery of why things are going missing from the kitchen in the household where her friend's daughter， Millie， is employed。 How better to do that than to take on Millie’s job， herself， claiming Millie is sick and needs a few days to recuperate。I fell in love with nearly every character in A Christmas Legacy but especially with Gracie and her "very almost six" year old daughter， Charlie！Quite the satisfying ending， too！！ Now if you'll excuse me， I'm off to choose the next Anne Perry book I want to read。😉 。。。more
Sharon
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When Millie approaches Gracie shortly before Christmas， she is distraught。 The household where she works has a rash of thefts from the kitchen。 Millie knows she will be blamed and sacked and cast out on the street with no references。 Gracie， a former maid in the Pitts household， knows she can help out Millie。 So she goes to work at Millie's job， while Millie cares for Gracie's children。 Things seem fairly normal in that household， even if the elderly lady upstairs never comes down for meals and When Millie approaches Gracie shortly before Christmas， she is distraught。 The household where she works has a rash of thefts from the kitchen。 Millie knows she will be blamed and sacked and cast out on the street with no references。 Gracie， a former maid in the Pitts household， knows she can help out Millie。 So she goes to work at Millie's job， while Millie cares for Gracie's children。 Things seem fairly normal in that household， even if the elderly lady upstairs never comes down for meals and none of the maid seem to be taking food to her on a regular basis。 Gracie becomes aware that several of the maids are creeping up the stairs with small amounts of food， and Gracie realizes this is where the missing food is going。 Granny， suffering from neglect， needs help。 How can Gracie help out？ And how can she help the people relying on her？ A Christmas novella， done only as Anne Perry can。 I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher， in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Bonnie DeMoss
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I reviewed this book for Historical Novels Review， the magazine of the Historical Novel Society。 Per their policy， I cannot post my review until it is posted on their website November 1st。 I will come back and update it then。
Marty Tool
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Quick read and a bit of a mystery for Gracie as she helps a friend that she has known for a long time。 The characters have been featured in the Pitt series， but it works well as a standalone。 Enjoyable story as Gracie joins a household staff to help them against their employers with a constant threat of being fired and turned out on to street in winter。 She finds the mystery and helps to solve the staff problems without the fear of being fired as she has her own family to go home to， but the sta Quick read and a bit of a mystery for Gracie as she helps a friend that she has known for a long time。 The characters have been featured in the Pitt series， but it works well as a standalone。 Enjoyable story as Gracie joins a household staff to help them against their employers with a constant threat of being fired and turned out on to street in winter。 She finds the mystery and helps to solve the staff problems without the fear of being fired as she has her own family to go home to， but the staff is a family of itself and Gracie doesn't want to rock that balance either。 Very satisfying ending。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this Christmas read。 。。。more
Louise Pledge
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I've been reading Anne Perry for years， so it was really good to revisit characters in the Thomas Pitt series！ I probably enjoyed this more than any of Ms Perry's other Christmas selections， as I believe I own them all。 Gracie， the former house girl of the Pitts is now grown up with three children of her own when an acquaintance， a young teen now serving， herself as a maid， comes to her for help。 There is some kind of mystery at the home in which she works， and she is frightened。 Gracie agrees t I've been reading Anne Perry for years， so it was really good to revisit characters in the Thomas Pitt series！ I probably enjoyed this more than any of Ms Perry's other Christmas selections， as I believe I own them all。 Gracie， the former house girl of the Pitts is now grown up with three children of her own when an acquaintance， a young teen now serving， herself as a maid， comes to her for help。 There is some kind of mystery at the home in which she works， and she is frightened。 Gracie agrees to step in and take her place for a few days to see what she could find out。 As plots go， it wasn't the most original in the world， but it held my interest right from the beginning！ 。。。more
Pamela Priest
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Another excellent book from Anne Perry。 I love reading these 'side' stories giving us more insight into characters from the main books。 The story involves Gracie， who used to be a house maid for the Pitts， but left to get married and have a family。 This book had me intrigued right from the start， then as I read on， it made me really mad （I wish I could say why， but I don't want to spoil the book）， and then it made me jump for joy at the end （Karma will come back to bite you， and I wish I could s Another excellent book from Anne Perry。 I love reading these 'side' stories giving us more insight into characters from the main books。 The story involves Gracie， who used to be a house maid for the Pitts， but left to get married and have a family。 This book had me intrigued right from the start， then as I read on， it made me really mad （I wish I could say why， but I don't want to spoil the book）， and then it made me jump for joy at the end （Karma will come back to bite you， and I wish I could say more here）。 Definitely read this book， even if you're not a big Christmas book fan。 This one will not disappoint on many levels。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Christmas Legacy
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Christmas Legacy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Christmas Legacy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0