The party is at Benedict Grame’s house, who is presented as a devotee of all things Christmas, including dressing up as Father Christmas to put presents under the tree for his guests. The narrative then retreats to the day before where we are introduced to a country house party. Father Christmas is dead underneath the Christmas tree… Despite it being a Christmas card scene, set on Christmas Eve we know something bad is about to happen. Over the years I have read books which have started with prefaces, introductions and forewords but I think this is the first which has started with a ‘Preview,’ and its’ cinematic connotations are followed through in the camera shot-like descriptions of the setting. ‘No one could have foretold how it was going to end.
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