12 Days at Bleakly Manor

12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep is the first book in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas. Clare Chapman lost everything nine months ago. She is surprised when she receives an invitation to spend twelve days Bleakly Manor. If Clare lasts the full duration, she will receive a sum of 500 pounds. When Clare arrives at the manor, she finds she was not the only person to receive the unusual invitation and promised something in return. Ben Lane was arrested on his way to marry Clare for a crime he did not commit. He was promised his freedom if he stays through the twelfth day of Christmas. Their anonymous host has decided that only one of the guests will win their promised prize. Which guest will last the full twelve days and what is the person willing to do to win?

12 Days at Bleakly Manor is a well-crafted and entertaining novel. It is short, but it is packed full of action and intrigue. The mystery was delightful (see if you can figure out the culprit in this one) and the characters interesting. I like the Christian beliefs expressed in the story (compassion, prayer, faith, forgiveness, second chances, God is in control, trust, and hope). The Christian theme is light but the point is gotten across. My rating for 12 Days at Bleakly Manor is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The author combined Bleak House by Charles Dickens with And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie in 12 Days at Bleakly Manor. I appreciated the colorful, unique characters (especially the lady with the mice) that Ms. Griep created. I am looking forward to the next installment in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas in A Tale of Two Hearts.

This book is filled with well developed and very strange characters. I love the two main ones, Clara and Ben. As we get to know them as well as the rest of the assorted house guests at Bleakly Manor a mystery starts to present itself.

Clara and Ben are the only two that know each other before arriving at the manor. It was interesting to see how their past affects their stay at the manor. Their interaction with each of the other house guests was very interesting. At times I wanted to tell some of them to just shut up.

This was a fun book to read and I’m looking forward to seeing what else the author comes up with for this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

This was a book like no other I’ve read recently! Finally a book, though short, that I felt I didn’t want to put down!