West with the Moon Book

Sometimes I confuse myself as I am capable of intense dislike as well as great admiration for an author's work. Is it my mood when I read? I would not like to think so. I believe I have awarded just one star to a few books by Marsh and kind of gave up on the idea that I could like her Alleyn books.
Since a goodreads pal of mine recently reviewed one of her books favorably I looked for some at my library and carried out a couple of them. They are pristine paperbacks from Felony & Mayhem Press.
So...I went with this Christmas theme first and was very happy with the book. For the first hundred pages it is Alleyn's wife, the artist, who is featured. She is doing a portrait for a successful man at his country house overlooking a prison. Several graduates from this prison are employed at the house. [funny enough in itself, right?]

Of course this sets up quite an interesting scene for the drama about to be played out. If you are reading this, John, I want you to know I did laugh out loud more than once. And there was ample tension as Father Christmas, in Celtic costume to mix things up a bit, goes missing after the procession to bring the children in for a holiday party.

What a parcel of extreme characters in this drama! I have read Marsh before, and I know I did not like her emphasis on staging, but she was a theater director - so why should I be so grumpy about it?

There were a couple of expressions I was not familiar with - "keeping obbo" Anybody? I'm just an old lady and not embarrassed to say I don't want to guess at the meaning. Thanks!
edit: Never mind. I found definition that perhaps indicates I am not THAT old! It goes back to observation balloons used in World War I and adopted as police slang for surveillance work.