A Christmas Deliverance: A Novel

Dr. Crowe and his apprentice, Scuff, run a free clinic to service London’s poor population. Worried about a former patient, Ellie, Dr. Crowe starts investigating a connection between Ellie’s wealthy father and an unscrupulous businessman. Time is of the essence, as Crowe suspects Ellie is about to be forced into a marriage against her will. Crowe must find the evidence he needs to solve this mystery and save the woman he loves, but will he find what he needs in time?

Although part of the Monk series, this story primarily focuses on Dr. Crow, and Monk is only a side character. This was a good stand-alone novella. I thought that there was a bit too much of the main character wondering about the investigation; it did become a little redundant. I feel that there were missed opportunities for conversations that could have included that info instead. There wasn’t anything really Christmasy about this story, either. What really saved this for me was the characters. They were endearing and authentic. The ending was satisfying, and overall I enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to review this novella.