The Christmas Night Murder

A Christine Bennett Mystery

By: Lee Harris

Narrated by: Susan O’Malley

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

It's a snowy Christmas at St. Stephen's Convent, where a cheerful party awaits an old friend and former confessor, Father Hudson McCormick. But he never reaches his destination.

Christine Bennett, a former St. Stephen's nun, arrives to investigate the disappearance. But the nuns are mum until an old scandal involving the priest and a St. Stephen's novice rears its ugly head. Has Father McCormick, unable to face the scene of his sins, gone underground? Or has someone taken belated revenge, ensuring that the truth will never be known?

©1994 Lee Harris (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Newly Wed and on the Trail of a Murderer

Christine Bennett, four months married to NYC Detective, Jack and about to celebrate Christmas with her old friends at the convent of St. Stephens, where she had been a nun for fifteen years, and once again Christine finds herself faced with a mystery. She and her friends had been looking forward to a reunion with Father Hudson McCormick, who was returning for a visit after years away . . . but he never showed . . . and Sister Joseph who knew the priest well is devastated. Plus, she’s holding something back, a secret from long ago. When Father McCormick is still missing after a few days and the police refuse to help, Sister Joseph enlists Christine’s help, and tells her the sad tale from seven years earlier. This is another excellent mystery, that I did not figure out. This series is an absolute favorite of mine!

Boring

This is slow and kinda boring. Might be better if the narrator gave the characters personality with her voice. At least it was free as I wouldn’t pay for this one.

Raykara

Fantastic story with twists and turns. Romance, mystery, murder, and best is insight convent life.

Missing priest

A very enjoyable mystery good characters a well written plot and very well read by the narrator

Not a bad mystery, but wanted more Christmas

This is Christine Bennett mystery # 5, which naturally I’ve never heard of, so why not pick up a random one for Christmas.

In all seriousness though, this actually does a great job of filling you in on needed information while not being an info dump. Nor does it feel like you’re lacking for not reading the others. I was pleasantly surprised.

This series started in the nineties, and in today’s world would probably be marketed under ‘cozy’, which just seems to mean it lacks the “on screen” violence of most modern mystery/thrillers. The deaths are for the most part less gruesome or in this case, completely unknown until the very end, as the person is missing.

It’s written well, and has a simple style that added to my enjoyability. It being included for free on audible also certainly helped, as I may not have picked it up otherwise being in the middle of a series and all, although I do like the cover a lot.

Christine “Chris” Bennett almost became a nun, now she’s an amateur sleuth instead. Her husband is an NYPD officer, and tries to help, but she does the connecting of dots all on her own. So when one of her favorite priests goes missing on Christmas, she’s pulled back into a blend of her old and new worlds.

Personally a 4/5*. Liked it, but was kind of light on the Christmas.

my christine bennett

looking for other christine bennett books now! kept me interested the whole "read".

Read the series, now listening

I read the series starting many years ago. Never listened as I had a distinct voice for Chris.
Now as I’m listening I find that the narrator has done a great job in capturing Chris’s calm voice.
Very enjoyable.

Very Good

My first read by this author. Excellent characters, building of clues, and engagement on all levels.
Looking forward to another of work by Lee Harris.

Great mystery

A cozy Christmas mystery full of twists and turns. Enjoyed the narrator voice. Would read another by this author.

Could not finish

Wanted to like this book, and stuck with it longer than I should have. Not much having to do with Christmas. Narration was monotone.
Gave up after 9 chapters.