One More Christmas at the Castle - Trisha Ashley

Title: One More Christmas at the Castle
Author: Trisha Ashley
Genre: Christmas
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook, ~14hrs
Date read: January, 2023

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.

But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...


Exactly as sweet and charming as I've come to expect of Trisha Ashley's books. "Twelve Days of Christmas" is still my favourite, but I think this might be a close second. I love reading about all the preparations Dido and Henry do for Christmas, even if Trisha Ashely always makes me so HUNGRY for good food!

I did think there were just a few too many coincidences, and the romance was a tad to swift.... but it's a Christmas story, so I'll allow it :-D

Mand uden ansigt - Dennis Jürgensen

Title: Mand uden ansigt (Man Without a Face)
Author: Dennis Jürgensen
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 336
Date read: January, 2023

Lasse Espersen is out on the tidal flats with one of his students when the fog suddenly comes rolling in, thick and relentless. They become separated, and although Lasse calls, he cannot locate the boy. It is as if the voice is coming from all directions. As the water begins to rise, panic rises. And then Lasse hears the boy screaming. He has found a body. A face stares up from the sandy bottom. And they are not alone in the fog.

This is the school teacher's explanation. A mysterious, faceless figure emerged from the white void and knocked him unconscious, and now the boy is gone. However, the police are not inclined to believe that explanation, because it is not the first time a child has disappeared from the small patch of Melum on the West coast of Jutland . The year before, a 6-year-old girl disappeared, and since the local police was unable to find either the girl or the perpetrator, experts are now being brought in from outside. The body was located in the border country, which makes it a matter for both Danish and German police. Detective Lykke Teit from Copenhagen is put on the task together with colleague Rudi Lehmann from Polizei Flensburg. A decision the local head of investigation is not thrilled about - until two more abused bodies turn up.


Dennis Jürgensen is one of those rare authors who can span genres with ease. This was my first foray into his crime novels, but it was every bit as readable as I've come to expect from him. The book was easily and quickly read, and I finished it in just a day.

In style it reminded me a lot of Sara Blædel's "Louise Rick" series. I really appreciate that the focus is on solving the crime, and not on the depravity or gore of the crime itself (I'm looking at you here, Chris Carter!)

Though the first in a series, the plot is nicely contained, but I'm looking forward to seeing Lykke and Rudi again in the sequel.