Thank you for the ARC! I enjoyed this book, loved the theme, description and cover, but found it too complex and too predictable at times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

Where to start with this book? First, the style of writing was enjoyable. The author successfully created a creepy vibe and introduced all of the characters/possible killers. The problem came with the initial reason for Lily to return to the house. If Lily's Aunt had only revealed her secrets right away rather than creating the stupid murder game, so many people would not have died. It made no sense. The reasoning behind all of the events just became more convoluted. Also, the constant references to not trust anyone made the killer obvious. I give this book 2/5 stars. Good writing style but a poorly developed plot.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the idea of the book, the idea of the anagrams, the clues, and the whole theme overall. I was sold on the Christmas + murder mystery trope. However, I think I had too high expectations from this book so I was a bit disappointed. There were parts that I honestly skimmed because it felt a little slow or because i wasn't able to connect to the characters, but it wasn't a "bad" book at all. I did guess the murder early on but I don't think that took away anything at all from the plot.

Overall, I think this could be fun for those who like to read this genre, but it just fell a little flat for me.

If you love books about family secrets, scavenger hunts,, and puzzles then this one is for you. When Lily and her family get summoned to Endgame her first instinct is to refuse the invitation but she is promised the secrets of her mothers death. While they’re she’s faced with more than she thought!

Who doesn’t love a mystery set during a snow storm at Christmas time? I’m a sucker when the characters are stuck in a setting too. And it’s on a British estate, with a huge maze! This is a wonderful book, full of secrets & so many things to unravel. The clues & rules that have been put into place are a delight & keep the characters stuck for 12 days. Our main character Lily is a good one to follow, her inner monologue is rich & troubled, I wanted very much for her to find resolution. Her relatives run the gamut, from awful to wonderful & you’ll enjoy picking apart what each of them are capable of.

This is definitely a good book for fans of Agatha Christie, yet it’s still modern. The author writes such creative sentences, I found myself stopping & taking note of them constantly. I highly recommend you read this during the holidays, if you like a little darkness with your Christmas.

Billed as a classic locked-room, snowed in, holiday mystery a la Agatha Christie or Lucy Foley, this book oversells. With similarities to last year's historical mystery Murder Most Festive, this modern cousin feels more soap opera than mystery canon. Filled with wild twists, unlikable characters, and too many secrets, there's simply nothing plausible about this story. There's too much going on and it's difficult to believe any of it could be true. I did finish the book, because despite its mediocre writing, I was dying to know what happened. But I have to say I would recommend other mysteries of this sub-genre instead...

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC and finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 6/10

✨BOOK REVIEW✨
The Christmas Murder Game
By Alexandra Benedict

I was so excited to see our first snow flying and all ready to cozy up with the first of my Christmas books! What better way to transition from Halloween to a Christmas then with a Christmas Murder????

The synopsis of this one had me pumped. And a game that I could play within the story!!! Yesss!

Sadly this all fell really flat for me with a predictable storyline, and characters that I could not connect with.

Fantastic idea for a story, but the end result just didn’t deliver for me.

Ahh, a Christmas mystery thriller to kick off the holiday season. I’ve been reading a lot of “game” type books lately and really had fun reading this one. I love dysfunctional families and this one really takes the cake. I am not a violent person but I would have punched Sara right in her dumb, smug face if I was a member of that family. I wanted to shake Lily at time for being so apathetic about things. Overall, a fun mystery that I enjoyed unraveling.

There is no genre better than the 'Christmas mystery'' genre.
That being said, this was a really fun traditional locked room style murder mystery.
Although it missed to hit the nail for me, it was still a good entertainer.

Lily has been invited back to Endgame, the rambling manor that had been her home before her mother committed suicide when she was a child. Her Aunt Liliana who had taken her in wants her to take part in the Christmas games, a family tradition since she was a child. This year, however, the game will last for the entire twelve days of Christmas and there is a special prize. Whoever wins wins Endgame.

Lily doesn’t want to go back to Endgame and she certainly doesn’t want to own it. But her aunt has promised her something much more important to her to entice her to return.- to learn what really happened the night her mother died.

When I saw The Christmas Murder by Alexandra Benedict on Netgalley, I had to request it. Reading Christmas cozy mysteries are my favourite Christmas tradition and I look forward every year to them. This book fits into that tradition nicely. It’s well-written with plenty of twists and turns. The game itself was interesting and the mystery kept me guessing throughout. My one criticism - there were a lot of characters, some of whom seemed to be there just to add suspects without really adding much to the story. But that aside, I really enjoyed The Christmas Murder and hope to see more by this author especially around future Christmases.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

An isolated family mansion at Christmas with family members snowed in and no escape. This sounds like an Agatha Christie novel and I went in with high expectations. Family members have gathered to hear the reading of the will, and all the cousins will be competing in an elaborate 12-day puzzle solving game to see who wins the ultimate prize, the family mansion.

This sounded like it should be just my type of book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. The author made the puzzles extra intriguing by working anagrams into solving them. It was clever, but this was not enough to make up for almost cartoonish bad characters, and not all that likeable good characters.

I did read through to the end because I wanted to see who did it, but ultimately did not find the solution all that satisfying. I am giving it 3*s because it did keep me reading to the end.

I loved this. It was a lot of fun and the perfect palate cleanser that I needed. It was like The Shining x Agatha Christie and that is such a fun combo. I loved all the riddles alongside the plot. The descriptions of everything from, food, to the house, to Lily’s outfits were so visual. I could see this place in my mind. Definitely the perfect Christmas read if you want a little festivity but also murder.

Wow..
Loved this book! This story had me hooked. Really enjoyed this author. I can't wait to read more from Alexandra Benedict. I loved the mystery and suspense of the story. Definitely won't be able to put this down once you start it.

Lily must return to Endgame House, where her mother died when she was a child. The house will go to whoever can win the game of clues between Lily and her cousins. They will play over the twelve days of Christmas.

I loved the games and clues in this book. It was all really well plotted and planned out. I did figure out the twist pretty early on, but it was still a very enjoyable journey.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict is a mystery novel. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Lily Armitage really didn't want to spend Christmas at Endgame House, the old family home.  She hasn't been their since her mom died 21 years ago, but the letter she received from her Aunt Liliana has promised her answers to the secrets in her family, and to her mothers death.

According to her aunt, the annual Christmas Game will provide, within it's riddles, the clues she needs to win the deeds to the estate, and more importantly to Lily, the clues should identify her mother's murderer.  

Isabelle Stirling, a family friend and lawyer warns Lily that not everyone will be playing fair, so she'll have to be on her toes.  After starting the games, Isabelle will depart.

The guests include Lily's cousins, Sara and Gray who are Aunt Liliana's children, and Ronnie (with his wife Philippa), Tom, and Rachel (with her wife Holly), who are Uncle Edward's children.  Mrs. Castle, the housekeeper will be looking after everyone, including the house, while the game proceeds.

So, the game is to solve 12 poems which will lead to the location of 12 keys, and then finally they must locate the hidden room that the key will open.  The prize -- the deed to the estate.

A scavenger hunt that turns deadly.


My Opinions:
This book is about family, about love, about lies and deceit and greed.  

Although somewhat predictable, as I had guessed the perpetrator early on, the book was still entertaining, and the characters were great.  I loved Lily, and I thought Mrs. Castle was a hoot!  Sara was over-the-top nasty.

The game itself was entertaining, and the idea of one clue given on each of the 12 days of Christmas was good (although I think it's been done before....just can't remember where).  I admit to trying my hand at the anagrams as we went along - and I also admit to not being very good at it.

Overall, I felt it was a good mystery novel, and worth reading!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this book. Christmas has arrived. The Armitage family has gathered one more time to settle who inherits Endgame, the estate home. Lilliana, the recently deceased matriarch, set forth a 12 Days of Christmas themed puzzle game to determine who inherits.

Lily is returning to her childhood home for the first time since her mother's death when she was a child. She is there at her aunt's behest only. There are so many memories and hints that things were not as she always believed. Things get tense when one of them turns up dead. Can Lily solve the riddles and figure out what is going on?

A well done locked room style mystery with intrigue, family drama, and thoughtful puzzles. The characters are engrossing. Very well paced. A fun holiday read.

The Christmas Murder Game is a most unique holiday book. Not cozy by any means, this book offers the reader a chance to be interactive with the clues, riddles and anagrams. While the overall theme may seem familiar- houseguests snowed in and being murdered one by one- there is a freshness to the tale. The characters have some surprises in store for us.
The writing is well crafted and appealing. The author makes the most of the sinister atmosphere without becoming horrific. It is a Christmas tale, after all.
The mystery was solid but not totally unexpected.
Lily is warned at the beginning of the story to trust no one. Wise advice to readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC of The Christmas Murder Game.

For some people, traveling to spend the holidays with family can feel like a dangerous task. But in The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict, a woman finds that someone is so desperate to inherit the family estate that they’ll stop at nothing—not even murder—to get their way.

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

4.25
The story follows Lily, who has to return to Endgame House, the place her mother died years ago. She and her cousins stay in the house for the twelve days of Christmas to fight for the title deeds.
I really enjoyed reading this book, especially with all the games that not only the cousins but also the readers had to solve. There were some minor plot twists that really managed to shock me. Unfortunately, the major plot twist was no surprise to me.

This book was so much fun and I read it in one sitting! If you’re looking for a cozy mystery, this is NOT it though. Full of murder and deceit, this locked-room mystery is a nod to Agatha Christie’s 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦.

What makes it different is the inclusion of games for the reader! Two games are listed in the beginning to work on (if you want) while reading and the acknowledgements include a word search.

The story itself is packed with riddles for the estranged cousins to solve in order to find twelve keys, one on each of the twelve days of Christmas. The amount of thought that went into the clues alone made the read so much more fun.

Grief, acceptance, and suicide are some of the tough topics many of the characters work through during their twelve day lock-in. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt the last few days of the game were more rushed than the first few. I wanted more which is a good thing! I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie and, more recently, Alice Feeney’s 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳.

I received an advanced copy and all thoughts are my own.