A New York Christmas

A Christmas gift story about a wealthy family in New York City in 1904.

This tasty story has Jemima Pitt, daughter of Thomas Pitt, head of Britain's Special Branch,  accompanying her acquaintance Delphinia Cardew across the Atlantic to New York. Phinnie is to be married to Brent Albright, an heir to his family's wealth.

There is a question as to a person not invited to the wedding and when Jemima tries to learn more, she comes across the body of a woman who had been murdered. Jemima is accused of the crime.

We see what a brave person Jemima is, in that, the daughter of a famous police investigator, she decides to find the killer and is assisted by a kindly New York Police Officer, Patrick Flannery.

There is a feel of a Charles Dickens tale here as there are many family connections between the Albright's and the Cardew family. Jemima looks into the deceased woman's past and learns of the woman's kindness and her true relationship with the family. As in one of Dickens's stories, a poor woman had an honorable goal in mind and wealthy individuals misinterpreted it.

I enjoyed the story and the look at New York City life in the 1904 time. It was also interesting to see the wealthy aristocracy of the Albrights and compared it to the Gillingham family of Downton Abbey.

Jemima is a brave person who is gutsy and determined. I would enjoy seeing how she developed during her life in America.