The Christmas Mystery

Having heard so many great things about Sophie's World, I thought I'd ease myself into Gaardner's work with A Christmas Mystery. However, this tactic almost backfired as in the more miserable moments of trawling through this trite and tedious tale I considered never purchasing any of his books again!

I do feel slightly churlish and something of a scrooge being so unforgiving about a book that seeks to reinvigorate the Christmas story with passion, wonder and joy, but the sad truth is that it is as hollow and repetitive as baubles on a Christmas tree.

This is a mystery in the loosest sense of the word, lacking in any suspense or tension. The characters are one-dimensional, capable only of repeating the same lines again and again (and again!); the story is equally repetitive, conveying just as little. The whole package resembles an empty box wrapped in pretty paper - arousing hope and excitement but leaving you with a hollow feeling of disappointment.

I am not even sure if it would work as a children's story, to be read as an advent book, since the vague efforts Gaardner makes to link the tale in with ancient geography and religion are likely to confuse.

The story is redeemed only by the few aphorisms of real wisdom which make rare appearances in the otherwise rattly text - and of course the insistence that the true message of Christmas is peace. Even a Grich like me cannot argue with that.