Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings

Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Chronicles, Volume 3: 1812

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Helen Lloyd

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Number one New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens brings you the delights of a long-ago country-village Christmas, featuring a grandmother, her grandchildren, an artifact hunter, the lady who catches his eye, and three ancient coins that draw them all together in a Christmas treasure hunt.

Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, and her household again welcome her younger daughter’s children, Jamie, George, and Lottie, plus their cousins Melissa and Mandy, all of whom have insisted on spending the three weeks prior to Christmas at Therese’s house, Hartington Manor, in the village of Little Moseley.

The children are looking forward to the village’s traditional events, and this year, Therese has arranged a new distraction - the plum puddings she and her staff are making for the entire village. But while cleaning the coins donated as the puddings’ good-luck tokens, the children discover that three aren’t coins of the realm. When consulted, Reverend Colebatch summons a friend, an archaeological scholar from Oxford, who confirms the coins are Roman, raising the possibility of a Roman treasure buried somewhere near. Unfortunately, Professor Webster is facing a deadline and cannot assist in the search, but along with his niece Honor, he will stay in the village, writing, remaining available for consultation should the children and their helpers uncover more treasure.

It soon becomes clear that discovering the source of the coins - or even which villager donated them - isn’t a straightforward matter. Then the children come across a personable gentleman who knows a great deal about Roman antiquities. He introduces himself as Callum Harris, and they agree to allow him to help, and he gets their search back on track.

But while the manor five, assisted by the gentlemen from Fulsom Hall, scour the village for who had the coins and search the countryside for signs of excavation and Harris combs through the village’s country-house libraries, amassing evidence of a Roman compound somewhere near, the site from which the coins actually came remains a frustrating mystery.

Then Therese recognizes Harris, who is more than he’s pretending to be. She also notes the romance burgeoning between Harris and Honor Webster, and given the girl doesn’t know Harris’s full name, let alone his fraught relationship with her uncle, Therese steps in. But while she can engineer a successful resolution to one romance-of-the-season, as well as a reconciliation long overdue, another romance that strikes much closer to home is beyond her ability to manipulate.

Meanwhile, the search for the source of the coins goes on, but time is running out. Will Therese’s grandchildren and their Fulsom Hall helpers locate the Roman merchant’s villa Harris is sure lies near before they all must leave the village for Christmas with their families?

©2019 Stephanie Laurens (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Plum Puddings?

I enjoyed the book, but found the lack of research on the authors part to be distracting. Plum puddings do not have plums in them, they have raisins, currants, and candied fruits and peels. Not a plum in sight, so the bountiful crop of Damson plums were not used for the plum puddings.

Cute clean stories

There is a little romance, a little mystery and nothing steamy. I enjoyed hearing them and will finish so I can hear Melissa’s finale as well

I enjoyed the multi generational aspect.

I enjoyed the multi generational aspect centered around older Christmas traditions with a mystery to boot

Enjoyed it.

I really enjoy these books because they entertain without all the sex scenes and heavy drama. I like the main characters and the story lines. The narrator is perfect for the series in my opinion and I am glad I have one more book to go in the series.

Another wonderful book in the series!

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars for the story was that I found the bits about archeology somewhat dry. Some was necessary go accentuate and explain the importance of the find, but after repeated lectures in various chapters, I began to feel like it was a college lecture and I needed to start studying for my final exam!

This story is BORING!

I love Stephanie Laurens and she is an automatic buy for me. I’ve read all of her books. But THIS one was so boring I had to force myself to finish it. I kept telling myself “ Surely, it will get better soon!” We’ll, it didn’t. It was very thin on plot and character development and overly detailed in the minutiae of daily life.
This would have been a good short story, but as a full length novel it is an epic fail.

Pretty good

Nice story, and some interesting situations, but it moved a little slowly for my taste.

Wholesome, sweet, & traditional

Great Christmas story. The reader was fantastic and the story a sweet and timeless delight.

Absolutely delightful!

This was absolutely delightful! A great literary, accomplishment and laughter, Ramen, mystery, insight into human nature. Highly recommend!

Pleasantly surprised

This is a delightful series about an English grande dame, her precocious grandchildren, and a quaint little village in the country. There is always some mystery to be solved and lots of Christmas tradition, plus a little romance too. An enjoyable listen while sitting by a cozy fire .

Another great listen in the series

Really enjoyed the story and meeting the main characters again. Looking forward to another Stephanie Lauren’s story. If you like her books you’ll enjoy this one too.

thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book

This series of books would be fantastic as a heart warming Christmas film
excellent work done by all involved.

Archaeological catastrophe

Just dig up objects? Even if historically correct, shouldn't be used as they lost so much.

love this mini set

well I discovered these a week ago , book 3:under my belt
hope book 4 continues
and hope there will be a 5/6/7/8/9 they lovely xx

excellent read

as always a great story and well narrated, such easy listening will be starting the next in the series soon

Irritating repetition. Annoying anachronisms

Flimsy plot. Repetitive descriptions. Jarring out-of-place Americanisms. Narrator OK. (Does a gallant job in trying to make the words "ornery beast" sound plausible in the mouth of an untravelled Oxford educated Regency nobleman.) Alright as background noise.

A lovely series

Enjoyed an enhanting collection of stories about the coming together of a community, with endearing characters.