Theft of the Magi by Miranda Atchley

I liked this Christmas novella that took me to 1922 New York. Fiona, a young Irish immigrant, is the heroine. She has recently opened her own detecting services. A string of thefts occur in her apartment building and Fiona is on the case.

Atchley immerses us into the culture and society of the 1920s era. Fiona's building contains residents from a number of ethnic backgrounds. On the serious side, we see some had deep prejudicial feelings, especially toward a young Russian woman. On the positive side, we experience some of the ethnic practices of celebrating the holiday. We get some insight into Hanukkah celebration and Russian nesting dolls too.

This short mystery has some good lessons on character. It was a financially difficult time for many. It was touching to see how Fiona and Max, her guy, were willing to give up something valuable to be able to give to others. We also see the restoration forgiveness produces and how it heals relationships. And even Fiona has to deal with a bit of prejudice in solving the mystery

This is a fun novella with good moral lessons, enlightening relationship interactions between people of differing cultures, a budding romance for Fiona, and an interesting historical exploration of the celebration of Christmas a century ago.

While this novella reads rather well on its own, you can read my reviews of the previous novels in the series: Deadly Pearls, Murder at the Picture Show.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Miranda Atchley is a history enthusiast with a passions for books and times gone by. She has written several novels, one of which was a finalist for an indie writing award. When not writing at her home in Arkansas's Ouachita Mountains, she loves getting lost in a good book, spending time with her dogs, watching period dramas, and learning about her favorite period in time, the 1920s. You can follow her blog at http://mirandaatchley.blogspot.com.

Endless Stories Publishing, 165 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novella from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)