A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder vs The Talleyrand Maxim: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mystery
A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder
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A country Christmas in Victorian England takes a murderous turn in Agatha and Lefty Award winning author Dianne Freeman’s delightful mystery featuring Frances Hazelton, the former Countess of Harleigh, and her husband,…
The Talleyrand Maxim
“Linford Pratt, senior clerk to Eldrick & Pascoe, solicitors, of Barford, a young man who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook, with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy, had once during one of his periodical visit to the town Reference Library, lighted on a maxim of that other unscrupulous person, Prince Talleyrand, which”
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The “Talleyrand Maxim” holds that “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.” The adage has the character of guidance for life for an ambitious legal clerk, Linford Pratt. Unlike most people, he…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder.
- The Talleyrand Maxim has the widest readership — 180 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (180) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (13) |
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Reception
| A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1 | 180 |
| Editions | — | 115 |
| Want to read | — | 102 |
| Reading it now | — | 28 |
| Written reviews | — | 30 |
| Pages | 306 | 195 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9/5, A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Talleyrand Maxim (195 pages, ≈ 3 h 37 m); A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder (306 pages, ≈ 5 h 40 m).
Which is harder to read: A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder: Moderate; The Talleyrand Maxim: Challenging.