I enjoyed this solid country house whodunit murder mystery. Almost half of the story is devoted to setting the stage for the puzzle presented to Chief Superintendent Alleyne when he comes on the scene. The body of the murder victim is missing until the closing chapters of the story.

The English country house is full of the usual eccentrics who regularly appear in these mystery stories. In this one, there's a contingent of convicted murderers who have served their sentences and been released from prison. For local colour atmosphere, beside the old house situated next to the moors, there's a neighbouring prison.

With the assistance of the local police Inspector Alleyne undertakes his investigation, and is belatedly joined by his trusty sidekick Inspector Fox. The identity of the killer is revealed in the very last chapter, at which point this reader learned he had been taken in by the author's masterful misdirection.

A good, but sometimes uneven, read. ( )

With Alleyn in New Zealand on an extradition case over Christmas, Troy is staying with a client as she paints his picture.

There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be disliked by the staff, it's not long before people are worried. Alleyn returns earlier than expected and soon gets involved.

Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up. ( )

With Alleyn in New Zealand on an extradition case over Christmas, Troy is staying with a client as she paints his picture.

There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be disliked by the staff, it's not long before people are worried. Alleyn returns earlier than expected and soon gets involved.

Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up. ( )

2019 reread via my Dad's Kindle:
Even though I have read this book before, I was completely surprised by the ending! Much more satisfying than the previous book in the series ("When in Rome"). ( )

A rather eccentric manor owner has commissioned Troy Alleyn (Agatha Troy) to paint his portrait. She agrees to remain over Christmas and so is part of the Christmas house party which includes the owner’s fiancé, and several old friends as well as the neighbors and their children. More interesting, however, are the manor’s staff – each has committed and been incarcerated for a single murder; the idea being that murderer provoked in a single moment of passion won’t reoffend and is therefore safe.

That’s before one of the staff goes missing soon after dressing up as a druid in tinsel for the holiday party. Fingers are pointed and Troy’s well known husband Detective Roderick Alleyn agrees to come to the manor to solve the case.
Even with the presence of a neighborhood gift party sponsored by the mansion, this is basically treated as a closed room murder. But who is the murderer? And where is the body?

Enjoyable cozy detective; great for a Christmas read. ( )