Miss Marley: A Christmas ghost story - a prequel to A Christmas Carol

A Christmas ghost story - a prequel to A Christmas Carol

By: Vanessa Lafaye, Rebecca Mascull

Narrated by: Josie Dunn

'Exquisite' Veronica Henry

*****

Before A Christmas Carol there was… Miss Marley.

Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’ and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price.

And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart…

A spellbinding, Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope – a perfect prequel to A Christmas Carol.

*****

Praise for Miss Marley:

‘A spellbinding Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope’ Mail on Sunday

‘Redemptive… a fitting legacy for a writer who is so sadly missed’ Red

‘Evocative’ Heat

‘Delightful’ Sunday Mirror

‘A reminder of the power of kindness and love’ Stylist

A ‘gem of a tale’ Sunday Express

‘A beautifully written Dickensian tale’ Candis

‘Captivating … A beautiful and tender fable’ Daily Express

‘Fantastic’ Good Housekeeping

‘Ghosts, goodwill and hope on every page’ My Weekly

‘Lafaye masterfully brings the setting of 19th-Century London to life’ Woman

‘Love, disappointment, kindness and greed all play their parts in this delightful companion piece to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol’ Woman & Home

‘A seasonal tale of kindness and goodwill that captures the atmosphere of Dickens’ Yours

‘Exquisite’ Veronica Henry

‘A beautiful, warm, rich hug of a story and bittersweet reminder to embrace life and enrich others as you go’ Liz Fenwick

Kindness and goodwill?

Cathy Johnson
I found this to be a pretty depressing story and had very little to do with kindness and goodwill, it was the opposite, really. A lesson in how NOT to be. I love that time period and it was a well written story but too sad for me.

Perfect Christmas read

I really liked this book, it was a great story and perfect to listen to before the holidays. I definitely will add it to my Christmas collection and listen to it every year. If I had one minor complaint, I would have loved it to be longer and go in to more details about Marley and his sister's early life, their parents (and uncle) and the situation that brought them to their downfall. And also (*possible spoiler alert*) much more towards the end of the book about the people Marley affected and the paths their lives took. But overall I highly recommend this book for Christmas. It is a perfect companion to A Christmas Carol, and I really enjoyed it. Also the performance was flawless, and the narrators voice was perfect for the story.

Great story, perfect length

Really enjoyed it. Was looking for something Christmas themed that wasn’t cheesy. This fit the bill perfectly. Nicely narrated and solid story. Will enjoy it again this time next year.