Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m reviewing D.L. Finn’s latest holiday release – Miracles and Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection – book 2. Denise’s short stories book has some wonderful heartfelt stories of the season, and always a magical touch of the paranormal woven in – mostly angels.
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Blurb:
Miracles saturate the sweet-scented Christmas season—a reminder we aren’t alone.
Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection brings eight stories from past holidays. Rita buys train tickets for her and Morris’s 30th anniversary in the novelette, “The Christmas Train Mystery.”She’s convinced this trip will bring her and Morris closer—if he can find the time. A murder mystery excursion will change Rita’s life in more ways than one, but will she go with her workaholic husband or by herself? In the first short story, “Christmas Rescue,” Opal trusts the wrong man and loses her mother in the same year, leaving her feeling lost. On a mission to get candles for the dinner table, she makes an unexpected find. “Is There a Santa?” goes back to the 1920s, where a widower is desperate to hold on to his farm and children. He doesn’t want charity, just a bit of luck or a miracle. In the final stories, you’ll meet an eleven-year-old who’s home alone, a family living in the aftermath of war, a girl who gets some shocking news, a widow with a warning from beyond, and a woman trapped on an elevator with Santa. Hope underlies these stories; it endures even in the direst of circumstances. Whether help comes from a ghost, Santa, or an angel, miracles are just within reach.
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My 5 Star Review:
D.L. Finn has put out another Christmas selection of short stories, sure to keep us engaged with a hint of mystery in her seasonal stories with messages about life, family, good deeds, hope, and the occasional ghost of the past visiting. All these stories are sure to touch on our heart strings, with some also bringing a tender tear to my eyes. Finn’s stories all encompass some kind of hardship or incident, enlightened with sparks of hope threaded through. There are eight stories in this, perfect-for-the-season-book, and I’ll share a few here that stood out for me:
In the first story, The Christmas Train Mystery, poor Rita gets a rude awakening about her marriage and makes some drastic decisions about carrying on with a loveless marriage. As she embarks on her long awaited mystery train tour, Rita learns a lot more about her cunning husband and his diabolical plan for her. But she also gets a heads up from her dead aunt, who turns out to be her guardian angel.
In Christmas Rescue, a heartwarming story about Opal preparing for Christmas Eve, Opal realizes she needs a last minute dash to the grocery story – in a snowstorm, but as the universe makes things happen for reasons, Opal discovers a stranded Chocolate Lab who needs rescuing.
She’s Home Alone, young Debbie is getting ready for Christmas as she awaits her mom to arrive home from work. There’s a terrible winter storm going on and someone may be lurking outside with ill intentions. Debbie’s mom taught her well how to deal with suspicious strangers, and when the police eventually show up, it’s like the miracle of Christmas takes place in Debbie’s home and life.
Another engaging story was Elevator Santa. Imagine meeting someone in the elevator that gets stuck. That’s Mindy’s story, as she was stuck in that elevator with Santa! But Mindy didn’t know it was really Santa, but wanted to believe it was as he helped keep her fear and anxiety at bay. Mindy couldn’t decide if he was a working Santa or quite possibly – really Santa. And that’s what makes this heartfelt story so magical. Santa reminded Mindy of all the goodness in her life, and the happiness that was coming for her. After Mindy is rescued and questions herself about whether or not what took place with Santa was real or not, she realizes angels come in various forms.
I thorughly enjoyed this book and savored every story. If you’re looking to read something seasonal that leaves you with a warm and heartfelt tingle, this book is for you.
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