This book is so many things in one! It's an isolation mystery set on Christmas Eve about a train full of people who get snowbound - and then someone gets murdered! Luckily there is a former detective named Roz who will work the case and try to keep everyone safe.

It's more than just a murder mystery though. This 2023 Christmas book also addresses domestic violence and rape - so please go in prepared if those are triggers for you. It's kind of odd to put all those things in one book, but it works!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This really reminded me of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. The way it was written, how the majority of the story is told from the retired police officer's point of view, the setting, etc. I enjoyed the Christie novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. I know some readers have issues with sensitive topics, and this one has several mentions of rape and drug use, so readers use caution if these topics are tough for you. But overall, I think this story is about empowerment and recovery after trauma, and I really enjoyed the read.

The mystery kept me turning the pages, and Roz’s character development provided a diversion from just straight murder plot. I don’t know yet if I will buy this book for a high school library. I do appreciate the fact that it addresses a very difficult topic in a supportive way, a way that many people would benefit from reading, but my teenage readers who pick it up based on the cover or its place in a Christmas book display would typically be looking for a quick page-turning mystery read rather than a novel addressing rape and abuse. Worth the read, but also should be distributed with a heads-up about the content so the reader can go in with eyes open.

Although there were parts of this book I enjoyed, this book wasn’t really my cup of tea. I expected a cozy Christmas thriller and I was shocked I read about graphic assault sequences. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish with this novel, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks for this great opportunity, NetGalley!

3.5⭐️
my honest review, because it had caught me after halfway through. when the murder really happens, in which the time to suspect everyone on the railcar.

the title remind me of AC's stories—ofc, but i knew it would be great and different because of the-ultimate-christmas-train-vibe.

the issue was great!
love how the main character feels about rape, and her dedication for the previous job. it's literally dealing with trauma, grief, and trust.

p.s.
sorry 'bout my english y'all^^

As the title suggests, Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict is a modern take on Agatha Christie’s novel, Murder on the Orient Express…sorta. A group of passengers are on a train on Christmas Eve when the train derails. As they wait for help, a body is found in a sleeping compartment locked from the inside. Then another. It is frighteningly clear to the remaining passengers that there is a murderer among them who seems determined to pick them off one by one and help is still a long way away.

When I started this novel, I expected a nice Christmas cozy with all the trimmings but this is definitely not that. First, the only connection to Christmas is the time of year but it hardly factors into the story. Second, it was a long and sometimes draggy ride to the first murder which doesn’t occur until about a third of the way into the story. And there is nothing cozy here. This is a very dark tale with several references to rape, sexual, emotional and physical assaults as well as descriptions of a high risk pregnancy.

Having said that, although I can't say I enjoyed this book, I didn't hate it either. It is well-written and compelling. It kept me guessing right up to the ending which seemed an appropriate homage to the original story.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review

***spoiler and trigger warning***

To get this right out of the way, there are multiple graphic retellings of sexual assault in this book. If that is not your thing, I totally get it. It was pretty hard to read at points. There are effective moments of community among SA survivors in the story, but it was jarring in what I had expected to be a lighter Christmas puzzle.

To be honest, that really colored the rest of my experience of the book. It was hard to look out for anagrams and Kate Bush song titles while I was wading through multiple traumatic incidents. It seemed to diminish the pain of the victims. It's a shame, because I really enjoyed the puzzle elements of Benedict's last Christmas outing, The Christmas Murder Game. It can seem contradictory that these particular plot points bother me when I don't bat an eye at the actual murders in the books, but murders in books are often so over the top and ridiculous it's easier to keep it in the realm of fiction. SA, on the other hand, is so prevalent that including it as a plot point in a puzzle book seems in poor taste.

For full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review. With that being said, let's dig into Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict:

Despite reading this book in the summertime, this was a delightful wintry mystery! While I was woefully lacking in understanding some English Christmas customs (the song referenced, for example), it did not at all deter me from enjoying this book. It's very of the Agatha Christie spirit, which is exactly as it's intended to be. A death occurs on a train, and our investigator is on the case! The plot has the usual twists, turns, subtle hints, and surprising solution one would expect from a novel in the genre. I loved being able to get glimpses into the personal life of the investigator as well, through some flashbacks, phone calls, and inner thoughts. In the end, which I won't spoil, you are hoping for the investigator to do exactly as she does, or at least I was!

The setting of the book was not too small to tell a large, well-connected story. The pacing of the plot itself was great, and kept me hooked from page to page. I kept interrupting my partner's nap with my out-loud musings and reactions, and he was almost as invested as I was from my verbal summary of the story at each point I recounted it to him. While the inspector is, presumably, retired, there seems to be some hope for more stories to come from Benedict that involve the inspector, and I for one would love to get my hands on those in the future.

Another important thing about the book that I wish to highlight is the inclusivity in the characters. People simply are who they are, and, minus one small conversation (because the character inciting it is sort of rude in general), nobody bats an eyelash. It's wonderful to have people of all sorts in a story, so that readers can see themselves in the written works they consume, and this novel does that exceptionally well, along with everything else.

If you love Agatha Christie, murder mysteries in general, stories set on trains, or trying to figure out the final reveal _before_ it's revealed to you (and I'm almost certain that you won't, here), this book is definitely worth checking out!

Trigger warning: This book mentions sexual assault a lot during the last act of the book.

This was a fairly uneventful read, considering what it’s about. It felt kind of.. anti-climactic.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs throughout the book. I also found the characters likeable - with as much as we know about them. There were only two characters who I absolutely despised and the author did a great job at that!

I liked this book, but the only fairly exciting part was from the third act on. As the reader, you know about the murderer being onboard and it still took a long time for it to happen. But overall, it wasn’t a bad read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author, Alexandra Benedict, for providing this book for my honest review. I read Alexandra Benedict’s previous mystery and was excited to read this one as well. This book is a nod to Agatha Christie, but with perhaps a bit darker and heavier topics. There will be triggers for some readers, so please be aware to do research on trigger warnings. I didn’t mind the heavier topics but I also wouldn’t categorize this as a cozy mystery because of them. That all being said this is just as enjoyable overall as her previous book. If you enjoyed the built in puzzles in her previous book you will be delighted with all of the quizzes and anagrams throughout this one as well. I love that puzzles are included! It such a unique addition! I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you again for providing this book for my review.

I love this take on the Christie classic. I was absolutely thrilling. I couldn't stop reading it. So good. I loved it! It actually made me feel as if I was in Scotland it was so atmospheric and descriptive. Perfect book for a cool night.
I just reviewed Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict. #NetGalley
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Thank you Net Galley for providing this book and allowing me to read it in advance. I was unable to personally get into this book but that is the power of reading. There’s books for everyone. I know someone else will adore it!

Recently retired Met detective Roz Parker is traveling from London to the Scottish Highlands to visit her daughter, Heather, who is soon to give birth to Roz's first grandchild. Their mother-daughter relationship is fraught, and Roz is anxious to make up for past mistakes. Roz's fellow passengers on this sleeper train are memorable to say the least: two social media influencers whose relationship is on the rocks; a group of university students preparing for a quiz show; and a murderer, who narrates select chapters throughout. Then the train derails in a snowstorm and one of the passengers is found dead, inside her locked compartment. Benedict excels at depicting complex characters, building suspense, and adding satisfying twists at the reveal. With imbedded anagrams, quizzes, and a recipe for Christmas Tablet, this is a treat not to be missed.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train from London to the Highlands derails, along with the festive plans of its travelers. With the train buried in snow in the middle of nowhere, the passengers have only each other, and not all of them will reach their holiday celebrations. As a killer tries to pick passengers off one by one, former Met Detective Roz Parker can't resist one last investigation, but murder in a locked room is a formidable puzzle for even the most seasoned investigator. As accusations begin to fly, the group of travelers fractures and unexpected alliances form. Can Roz find the culprit before anyone else is lost?

Don't let the cosy cover draw you in for a comforting read in front of the fire. In a surprisingly dark Christmas read, we meet Roz, on her way to Scotland for the birth of her first child. We spend a good chunk of the book getting to meet all of the characters in a very GA murder-on-the-train read, however it did feel like it wasn't enough. I felt that there has been a little too much focus on the side story of Roz's life and that it didn't really add anything necessary to the plot. Don't get me wrong, this read was still enjoyable, I just never would include it in a Christmas time format. Please check warnings on this one - it is incredibly heavy and does have some vivid SA themes.

3.5 Stars rounded down: Murder on the Christmas Express is a locked room mystery with shades of Murder on the Orient Express. It is December 23rd and everyone is trying to get home for Christmas. Roz Parker is a recently retired Detective and is heading home to the Scottish Highlands for the birth of her granddaughter. There is a winter storm blowing and many trains have been canceled. Roz's train is still running, but with a tree on the tracks, a derailment and now a couple of murders, it seems unlikely she will make it. Can Roz help solve the murders so they can get back on their way once the tree is removed.

Murder on the Christmas Express was originally published a year ago, but is being reissued by Poison Pen Publishing. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I had hoped. It is not a simple murder mystery, but has a lot of heavy issues within it's pages. It seemed like it was trying to do too much. There are several characters including a group of University students vying for a quiz team, a couple of social influencers, a somewhat dysfunctional family, a mother and son, a stowaway, a prosecutor and the train staff. Most of the characters are unlikable and by the time the book was finished, I had had enough of many of them. Roz has a lot of issues in her life. With her daughter going into premature labor, her new grandchild in trouble and flashbacks to her own trauma, I was surprised she was able to solve the case. This book deals with rape, domestic abuse, bullying and more, which I was not expecting at all. It does not have graphic descriptions, though. I did keep reading trying to figure out who the killer was and when the the third death occurred, I had no idea of the culprit. There are a lot of suspects and motives come out along the way, but the final reveal surprised me. Overall, this was an interesting mystery, but is is a lot heavier than you would think from the blurb. If rape and/or abuse triggers you, I suggest you steer clear of this one.

Snow for Christmas is not lovely when it is a blizzard and transportation grinds to a halt just as people are rushing to join family for the holiday. Recently retired detective, Roz, has just made it onto one of the last trains heading to Scotland. She is anxious to be with her pregnant daughter who has gone into early labor. Joining her on this sleeper train are 2 social media darlings, a professor and his family, a set of college quiz kids, and a few others. The snow continues, a tree comes down and the train is stranded. Oh, and someone has just been murdered. Shades of The Orient Express! Roz may have one last case to solve.
This isn't a cozy Christmas mystery. It deals with issues of abuse, abuse survivors and social media overload.
This is a review of an eGalley provided by NetGalley.

As a huge fan of both Christmas and trains, I had to read this book! It has lots of Christie vibes and references Murder on the Orient Express. This follows a similar format but the "investigator" has some pressing personal issues that add to the tension in the story. It was a bit darker than I expected it to be but it's not tagged as a cozy mystery so that's not surprising. You'll be guessing who-dun-it to the very end, if you're like me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Murder on the Christmas Express was fun “locked room” mystery, reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express. Who is killing those aboard? Only time will tell….

I didn't realise, when I started this book, that I'd read another one by the same author. As soon as I read about the end quiz, the anagrams and the hidden songs, then I knew that I'd read another.
The book does appear to be a traditional or classic mystery, but it deals with quite a few quite confronting issues. They are all linked, in one way or another to the murder and we learn more about our detective character's life as well as the story unfolds.
I've always liked the idea of taking the night sleeper train up to Scotland from London. I'm not sure that I'd want to go on this particular journey with its murder, accidents and terrible weather. Even so, there's something just really appealing about an overnight train journey like this.
I didn't completely solve this one before the end, although I had got quite a bit of it figured out. This is definitely a puzzle-type mystery and with its hidden puzzles and fun, in more than one way.
I really enjoyed Murder on the Christmas Express and I'd love to read any more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Christmas in July #3 🌲

This tried very hard to be Murder on the Orient Express. Between the Scottishisms, birth subplot, and glaring red herrings, the meat of the story was lost. As an aside, I am very much what the far right would call "woke," but even I cringed at the tossed in bits of diversity in a nearly all white cast.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.