This mystery is better than most for people who like puzzles and literary games embedded in the story. The "stranded in a spooky mansion with murderers during a blizzard at Christmas" is an overdone trope, one of several in the book. The protagonist, Lily, is locked up with cousins she hasn't seen in years to play a 12 day (of Christmas) clue game to determine who inherits the manor house. Lily is a character model in mystery novels that make me gnash my teeth, remorse and grief are superseded by self-pity on nearly every page but it does leads you some interesting family dynamics and the heroine in peril theme.
This is not my preferred genre of mystery but it is a quick summer read with clever puzzles if you are intrigued by this. Recommended for readers who like cozies.

I thought I would give this one a try even though I don’t like holiday themed reads. I’m so glad I did! This was such a fun read! I Kept finding time to read because I wanted to know what happened. It’s impossible, I think, for the reader to solve the clues the characters get because we don’t have enough back story to be able to figure then out so your be disappointed if you’re expecting to solve the clues with the main characters. That being said- I didn’t need to be the one solving them. Much more fun to watch them do it and sit back and enjoy the read. Highly recommend!

This is such a clever, layered mystery!! The clues the characters solve within the overall mystery were too difficult for me, but so fun to puzzle over, plus there are two meta-puzzles within the novel itself. This would be a fantastic gift for any mystery lover.

Better in print than e-book so you can flip back and forth with the map, family tree and puzzles.

Note that there are a LOT of British references that I had to look up.

Whilst it feels strange to read this book out of season (especially when it is randomly hot for a change). However, it is a wonderful wintery locked room mystery which is a joy to read at any time. I enjoyed figuring out (or at least trying to!) the puzzles that form part of the plot. However, I did find that the characters were not as well defined as they could be, and the use of metaphor felt a bit overdone at times. Perhaps reading this in a few months when the snow starts would help to overlook these aspects!

I really liked how this book played out. I felt like every time I thought I figured out who the killer was, I was second guessing myself the whole time! It was everything I needed in a good murder mystery book, and I really liked how the story played into the 12 days of Christmas. That aspect made it feel like it really stood out from other books in the same genre!

WOW!!!! I cannot think of a mystery novel that kept me as on my toes as this one did. I appreciated the levels on levels on levels of the sonnets and the clues, the family dynamics, etc. I also loved how I did not trust a single person in the book and was incredibly stressed any time Lily told anyone ANYTHING- no matter how small. I do think that this distrust made it that I wasn’t shocked by the ending…kind of. The reveal of who was causing havoc in the house throughout the twelve days of Christmas did not necessarily shock me, the reveal regarding what happened years earlier did come as a surprise to me. It’s clear that Benedict loves mysteries due to how well written these clues were- also very clear from the several games within the book. This is the perfect Thanksgiving/Christmas break read. (A good break from family that will probably make you glad you have your family instead of the one in this book)

Christmas in July! Well for me anyway.

The Christmas Murder Game takes place in the Endgame House every year with one winner at the end of the 12 days. You get 12 clues for 12 days and each day ends with someone finding a key to a secret room in the house. This year whoever figures out where the secret room is and can open it gets to inherit the house. The cousins and kids if Aunt Lilian all want the house except Lily. She's there to find out who murdered her mother 21 years ago and she believes the house game holds the secret.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Pressed for this eARC.

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. I mostly had it figured out very early on in the book which I think prevented me from really envisioning the book play out. It reminded me a lot of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman--which I enjoyed quite a bit.


Read this if you love to play detective, are in the Christmas spirit, and love the 12 days of Christmas 🎶

i'm rating this a solid three stars because it's not bad, per se, but i cannot call it good either (i debated with myself about rating this two stars, but i think i'm leaning towards three more).

i didn't enjoy the characters. one was so unbearable that it really damaged the experience. she was written that way on purpose, but it just took me out to be frank (again, this one is a personal opinion because she's clearly written as a villain). but the main issue was that i didn't really like the other main characters either. lily was alright, but she was also too generic. there was very little character development as well - only lily gets any, and it felt pretty sudden, instead of done more through-out the book.

on the other hand, i did like the setting. i enjoyed the idea of the book taking place all during only one house, and i liked the actual clues in the book.

my other issue, however, was that it was very predictable in certain aspects. and i have one more but it's a spoiler. still, overall, once i got into this, i read it pretty quickly and i wanted to know what happened, i was really intrigued by it.

The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for—deeds to the house itself—but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.
This was a fun one that enjoyed.
#TheChristmasMurderGame#NetGalley

I enjoyed the premise of this book. Lily lost her mom when she was younger and left the Endgame House where she had lived. She only returned later in life due to her Aunt dying and promising if she were to play in the Christmas games, then she will finally determine what happened to her mother. The book was a bit predictable but it was still a fun read. I enjoyed the atmosphere and would love to read this again in the winter time. The characters could have been developed more but even with saying that, it was quick book to get through. I received this from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. I would recommend this book to my friends if they are looking for a different type of Christmas story.

Although this book is a Christmas book, don’t be fooled by the title. This book would be appropriate to read anytime of the year. I loved the maps, word searches, and riddles throughout the book. The characters got a bit annoying to me and I can’t say as I really liked any of them all that much. If you like mysteries, especially Agatha Christie, then this book is for you as it reminds me a lot of many of her books. An enjoyable read!

Reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (a.k.a. Ten Little Indians) and the movie Clue, I found myself comparing The Christmas Murder Game to both. There were even parts that reminded me a bit of The Shining by Stephen King. However, this didn't detract from the storyline in my humble opinion.

All through the book I thought the killer was one person and potentially another, but then, I started second guessing myself. I began thinking it one of two other characters for no real logical reason other than I thought it was too predictable to have one or both of my original suspects be the murderer. With that being said, there were enough twists and turns to keep my interest. It was well thought out and well written.

I enjoyed reading The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandre Benedict and like how the author tied up all the loose ends. I'd love for the author to write a sequel. Four out of five stars.

“Endgame House is even darker than she remembers”
“Ready or not, here she comes”
“Good afternoon … And welcome back to Endgame House”
You genuinely have no idea how good this book is !!!
Mystery, thriller, secrets, clues, rhymes and murders all around the house for a Christmas that you will never forget !!!
Only Lily can see what’s hiding behind those anagrams but can she trust her own cousin when it comes to get to the bottom of what happened to her mother??
It’s not just about the inheritance for her … but for them ???
This book had me hooked from the very first pages, down to the very end.
I couldn’t stop reading it, trying to catch hidden words behind each left clue !!!!
Reading it felt like a rush of adrenaline!!!
I was literally hanging by the author’s next decision and Lily’s next action.
I believe that, when I finally got to the second half of the book, I had a bit of an idea about who was behind it all, but I had no idea about the reasons behind it.
Nor did I have any idea about the background story with Lily’s mom, her aunt and her uncle.
For a plot this complicated, the author made it very easy to get through and follow.
I’m very glad I had the chance to read this book and I cannot wait for it to be out !!!
“Keys give you freedom, Lily … But they also protect you. Keep you safe”
“Fear and excitement are twins, they live on opposite sides of the same door. It’s up to you to which room to live in”

I loved the concept of this book and fans of CLUE will instantly love it. There is a lot of nostalgia in the story. It’s a Christmas themed mystery, obviously, but it’s also perfect for Halloween because of the nods to the movie CLUE.
The mystery itself was pretty obvious but I was still along for the ride. Overall I had fun reading this.

The premise of this is what instantly attracted me to it. Isolated group of people and one of them is the murderer is one of my favorite tropes! This was full of fun games and mystery and twists that made it easy to read in one sitting. I loved it! There are a few clunky of confusing passages which will hopefully be ironed out in the final copy. Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC.

The Christmas Murder Game was a fun wild ride. I absolutely detested Sarah and didn’t fully connect with the other characters but it was still a fun quick read about a Christmas game with huge stakes that turns deadly.

A chilling and mysterious festive read full of intrigue and complicated relationships. Highly recommend to readers with a love for the movie Knives Out

Thank you for the ARC! So I love the initial concept. Reunited family and murder and clues sounds great. I struggled with the full execution. There were so many details that showed up but never played out. The latter half of the book was more enjoyable. It felt the main character was a bit inconsistent. I appreciated what the author strove to create but I personably struggled with it.

I loved this. I finished it in one day and I couldn't put it down. Was it terribly cliche? Absolutely. But I think that was part of the charm. This is a murder mystery inspired by every country house mystery that came before it, so it feels incredibly familiar. While the murderer becomes obviously fairly early, it still leaves question to be answered later on in the novel. It's no masterpiece, but it was entertaining. It also features a bisexual main character, as well as three different sapphic couples, which is always a plus for me. I definitely recommend it for people who love Knives Out and Clue.

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict is Clue meets Knives Out set in England at Christmas. It’s a delightfully fun puzzling mystery that I immensely enjoyed!t
I loved the fact that the novel starts with a map of the house, which I thought was so neat. This novel is also full of games, clues & puzzles.
The main character is able to solve these games & riddles in a Sherlockian like fashion. Her intelligence along with the author’s for anagrams, sonnets & clues far exceed mine. I’m absolutely mystified at the cleverness to incorporate & write the games, including all the brilliant details along with a lovely mystery story is incredible. The author is so committed to the games that they even included some for the reader to play throughout & had their acknowledgement names interwoven in a word search. That is just next level to me & deserves appreciation.
I was able to solve parts of the whodunnit but that in no way deterred me from having a grand time whilst reading it!
It also reminded me of a bit like an adult, bit more sinister version of The Inheritance Games with the grand house & relatives leaving the family of trail of clues to solve! This was a fun & well done 4 star read for me!

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict is out October 4, 2022!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review:

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains murder, death of a parent, violence, gore & biphobia.

I will post to my social media closer to release date & add links once I do!