I have a definite fondness for stories about stories, where the characters have some level of awareness they exist within a story (or within many stories as the case may be). I also enjoy mysteries of the cozy variety. This book scratches both literary itches in quite a delightful way. I would love to see more of Isabella and Holmes, but at the same time I am quite content with the story I have available to me. ( )

I liked the idea behind this story – characters from one genre interacting with those from another. The details were, on the whole, well worked out but I felt there were some inconsistencies, however I was carried along well enough by the story to be able to shrug aside any problems and nor am I familiar enough with the real Sherlock Holmes stories to be able to nit-pick any differences. ( )

The story revolves around a 16th century young woman living for 400 years in Christmas who has tired of her environment and people and the pages she is characterized. The only way she is able to take time out of her life is to 'live' a new 'genre'. She chooses mystery because she feels her life lacks adventure and passion. To prepare for her vacation in mystery she must learn to think in mystery terms. Therefore she is sent to train with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for a some time and learns how to play her part in a mystery. She then is sent into a story book of mystery and finds she enjoys the adventure, however, the mystery goes awry and she seeks Sherlock Holmes to help solve the mystery outside the mystery.
Frankly, I enjoyed the book, although it was a little hard at first to figure out where I was, but once I understood that we were talking about characters in different types of genre and the possibility of their lives living forever because they are part of a published book, it was easier to follow. I think now that I understand the book’s direction more, I shall read it again. Thanks for sharing this fantasy with us Sophie Weeks! ( )

Isabella, who stars in a French Christmas carol, lives in a land of all things Christmas: every song, story, poem, and legend about this holiday coexists in one place. However, after several centuries she's grown tired of her monotonous existence and decides to vacation in the land of Mystery, where she meets the famous Sherlock Holmes. There are some strange philosophical issues raised here, but suffice it to say that these characters know they are characters but they remain fairly autonomous nonetheless. Many writers talking about how their characters often will do things they don't expect, and this sort of takes that to the next level. Sherlock's presence is slightly gratuitous, but it remains a very fun story, especially delightful to anyone who's ever dabbled in writing fiction. ( )

Story synopsis: Isabella has lived in Christmas for more than four hundred years, baking wonderful confections and interacting with Christmas dignitaries from Santa to the Christ Child, and she’s bored. What she’d like is to take a vacation in the genre of Mystery; but to do that, she must be trained. Her training is taken on by none other than Sherlock Holms and John Watson. Isabella takes on her own mystery and is nearly killed as a consequence. Issues of trust are the basis for the solving of the mystery and catching the murder.
Review: What a lovely novella to read! The characterizations give the reader a good look at what makes the characters behave as they do. The setting is crisp; although a bit like Jasper Fforde’s work, it does not weigh the reader down with monsters, materials, and machines that may or may not move the story forward. Sherlock Holms has very nearly the same ‘voice’ as he does in Author Conan Doyle’s works, although Watson’s is a bit shakier. The plot is well worked and the outcome is logical if not expected. ( )