This was STUNNING, INCREDIBLE, A MASTERPIECE!!! I was swooning while reading, because the content is so vividly DICKENS! Yes, the mashup of characters and real life acquaintances, and the setting, but also stylistically: The deft use of dialogue to further exposition; the tongue-in-cheek asides in the prose; the critical and the nostalgic descriptions of his haunts in London. But I am getting ahead of myself. This was a WONDERFUL book! If you like mysteries, Dickens the detective is biased but self-aware, and humble enough to rethink his hypotheses when presented with new clues, the story twists and turns like a good mystery should! And if you like classics, this book adopts the voice of the greats, it's superb!

The book addresses all of the major themes Dickens himself tackled in his writing, like the outrageous, volatile relationship between reputation and economic standing; or the importance of charity, kinship, and providing opportunities for anyone, of any class, to educate and better themselves; OR the emphasis that virtue and orthodoxy are not intrinsically linked, good people come from all varied walks of life!

While not supernatural, this book hits all the major acts of A Christmas Carol, too. There is the macabre opening, and investigation into the past of all major players, a focus on the present and what's at stake for everyone, a sad glimpse into the future if matters remain as they are, and a joyous Christmas conclusion where the lead's reputation is restored and he invests heavily in the happiness of his fellow men! Win win win win WIN!!! I love that this book IS A Christmas Carol without being a cheesy copy. It captured the spirit! And on occasion, pulled quotes from the master himself, doing this cute chicken-and-the-egg thing, where Dickens is living the words we know he will later write into his opus, which Heather Redmond will recreate into Dickens living the words and writing the - you get the idea.

The cozy details were so immersive, I loved all of the little period-accurate details! Unlike a lot of cozy mystery drivel out there, which rely solely on tea and cakes, THIS book pulled from history when setting a cozy scene. The hot potato vendor had me in stitches, I had no idea that was a thing! XD I loved every rich detail, and coupled with the descriptions of Dickens' own idiosyncracies - like his wanderlust, or his snackyness - I felt transported. I sank into this book, as if it were a hug from an old friend.

I loved the diversity in this book, too, and how Dickens wasn't classist, judging people by their actions towards their fellow citizens and not their birth. But fair warning, because it can be jarring if you're not expecting it: Even though he has respect for these people, the book is still written in period voice, and Dickens uses a lot of dated phrases to describe atypical people, be they neuro-divergent, or someone with dwarfism, or LGBTQA, or of Indigenous descent... There are even some unflattering descriptions of "the fairer sex" and how their comforts are to offer a hot meal at the end of the day and rooms full of laughing children. But anything said was said with the naivety of the time period, not malevolently. If you go looking to be insulted by the verbiage of this book, you will be. But if you respect that it's just being accurate for historical fiction, there's nothing cruel or judgmental intended in this book. The age old "The opinions of this character do not represent those of the author" warning label XD.

Long story short: READ THIS BOOK! It's fun, it's inviting, it's the perfect love letter to Dickens. What are you waiting for?!