⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 Stars
Happy publication to Andreina Cordani and The Twelve Days of Murder! Thank you to Andreina Cordani, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Tuesday, November 7, 2023 was the pub date for The Twelve Days of Murder. The narrator🎙️for this audiobook 🎧 is Ella Lynch. 📅

12 ladies dancing 💃, 11 lords 👑 a leaping, 10 drummers 🥁 drumming, 9 pipers 🪈 piping, 8 maids a-milking 🥛, 7 swans 🦢 a-swimming, 6 geese 🪿 a-laying, 5 gold rings 💍, 4 calling birds 🐦, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves 🕊️, and a partridge in a pear 🍐tree.

All of these are clues in the most epic murder mystery game created by the Masquerade Murder Society. The society was created by a group of university friends that have been acting the part and solving the crime for twelve years.

The last time they gathered, one of their members went missing and was later discovered dead. So, most members are entering the game with hesitation and unease. They notice that something is afoot almost immediately. As day by day goes by, the game becomes all too real. And on the twelfth day of Christmas, only one member is brave enough to leave the house in search of help and safety. Only the smartest and most fit will survive.

I was so excited about this book because of its creative and original concept. A thriller with a bonus murder mystery theme is right up my alley (especially with a dash of holiday thrown in)! But, it took me a while to get hooked. The story wasn’t fast paced enough for me. However, what I enjoyed most was the real life whodunnit…the author kept me guessing and completely surprised me in the end. I would have never put all the pieces of the puzzle 🧩 together on my own. A kudos is definitely deserved! 👏

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 368 / Genre: Murder Mystery / Narrator: Ella Lynch

Charley is a struggling actress who just broke up with her condescending boyfriend but doesn’t have enough money to move out and away from him when she gets an invitation for a college reunion in Scotland over Christmas. And although this group of friends was more like a group of frenemies, they were all part of an exclusive club called the Masquerade Murder Society, which put on elaborate murder mystery parties. Here is her last chance to participate in one last party. This one is centered around the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” featuring characters such as Lady Partridge, Lord Leapworth, and Doctor Swan. But the fun soon turns to horror when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree. The rest of the guests must figure out who the killer is before they become the next victim.

I quite enjoyed this Agatha Christie-esque locked-room Christmas-themed murder mystery. It was a nice change of pace as I make my way through my list of Christmas-themed books.

Thank you @NetGalley and @dreamscape_media for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Ella Lynch did a wonderful job narrating.

This was a solid, classic murder mystery with a Christmas setting. The characters were well drawn, and the plot moved along quickly. I recommend it to fans of Agatha Christie style mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This felt like a wild blend of Clue and And Then There Were None, and I loved how much the story truly commits to the Christmas theme.

The structure follows the Christie pick ‘em off one by one trope, and it’s a well-rendered spin on that theme. I loved that the murders tied to the Christmas carol hinted at in the title.

Atmospherically the book is excellent, leaning on both isolated manor house vibes as well as Christmasy stuff that hits both festive and creepy notes.

It’s a clever set up for this style of mystery: A college murder mystery reenactment group reunites at an isolated location years later to play one last game, hoping to solve the mystery of a disappearance of one of the own in the final game they played years ago. When someone starts picking off members of the group, the mystery only gets more complex.

I didn’t love the solve for this (which is the only reason this was a four and not a five star book for me). From a logical standpoint it works fine and it certainly doesn’t ruin the story, but it uses a rationale that I always think of as a bit of a cheat, and there was a really obvious alternative solve possible with the story that would have been far better.

Still, that doesn’t ruin the fun of reading the book, which is a delightful, well-paced holiday thrill ride.

Book: Twelve Days of Murder
Author: Andreiana Cordani
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction, Crime/Mystery, Thriller
Places Featured: Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Review Score: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Review: The Masquerade Murder Society is a group of eight college friends who periodically get together for mystery weekends…until one ends badly. Twelve years later, those friends are getting back together at an isolated retreat in the Scottish Highlands for another mystery weekend and a chance to figure out what really happened way back when. This book had an interesting premise (a locked room mystery with a Christmas theme!), but was a bit convoluted with too many characters and stories to keep track of–and without enough depth for me to care about the characters or even the mystery itself. (I did listen to it as an audiobook, so it might be one that’s better to be read rather than listened to.)

*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. The book was released on 07 November 2023.

I was really hoping this book would be a page turner but, while I very much enjoyed the idea of a Murder Masquerade Society and a "locked room" Christmas mystery, this book left me wanting. It was by no means DNF material, but it was too slow moving and disjointed for me to say that I loved it.

Eight friends, one who seems to be on the fringes (Charley), real murders slowly eliminating one of the group at a time. Everyone assuming they know who's behind the killings and then a kind of left-field, scratch your head twist and finish. I just didn't love it.

I will say that if you're wanting to read a holiday themed mystery though, this book will definitely fit the bill! Just because I didn't love it, doesn't mean you won't.

Right away the title and synopsis grabbed my attention. It had a lot of my buzzwords and I knew I had to pick it up. I mean, who doesn't want to follow a group called the Masquerade Murder Society as their murder mystery Christmas retreat becomes a little too real. This was such a clever holiday themed, snowed-in, locked door murder mystery. It was giving lots of Agatha Christie's [book:And Then There Were None|16299] vibes. I didn't want to put it down from the moment I started. There was plot twist upon plot twist and every character is suspicious in one way or another. As the reader, you're kept guessing as to who could have committed the murders and it took me a long time to solidify my opinion as to who was involved. I will definitely be recommending this book to people who want a Christmassy murder mystery to liven up their December TBR's.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audio arc of this book!

I listed to the book while driving to Michigan one weekend. I highly recommend it because it kept my attention the whole time. I thought I knew what was going to happen next but I was wrong every time. There were several times I could have stopped but I didn’t want to stop listening.

✨ About the Book ✨

Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at The Masquerade Murder Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, and brilliantly staged, but they were always fictional—until their final Christmas Masquerade, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.Now our young, privileged cast of old university friends are summoned to the depths of Scotland for a Christmas-themed masquerade party. But all are hiding something deep below the surface that could make or break their careers. Charley is a struggling actress who has always been on the periphery of this high-flying group, but has decided to reunite with her frenemies on the promise of career help if she joins the old cast for one last weekend.It quickly becomes clear that in this game the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. Will Charley’s discerning eye and outsider status allow her to uncover the truth, or will she, too, fall prey to the murderer among them?If the group hopes to win the game and survive until Christmas morning, they will need to face the truth about their history together and who they have become—and what really happened on that fateful night twelve years before.

Author: Andreina Cordani
Release Date: November 7, 2023 by Pegasus Crime
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Christmas Thriller
Pages: 384 pages, Hardcover
Star Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5


📚 How I See it 📚

I read this book in November and it was the perfect first cozy holiday mystery thriller of the season. I devoured this book. The writing was clever and I loved how the author dropped seemingly unimportant clues throughout the story for readers to pick up on. I enjoyed playing the detective and trying to solve this mystery as I read along. The characters were interesting and well constructed but it was a lot to keep track of all of them. I had to keep notes while reading to make sure I wasn’t confusing them. Nonetheless, I enjoyed getting to know all of them and tried to guess their dark secret until the very end. This book was a super fun and cozy winter read that had me hooked until the very end.

What I Liked:

🩵 Christmas cozy atmosphere with murder mystery theme🩵 Frenemies🩵 Whodunnit, Locked room mystery🩵 Had me guessing until the very end

What I Didn’t Like:

💔 The number of characters can be confusing - I had to keep notes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own thoughts

Murders based on the Christmas song. I did not really like the storyline. The reason behind the murders of some of the victims was a little trivial.

This book was a fun, drama-filled, festive, locked room murder mystery, and I enjoyed basically every second of it!

Twelve years ago, the fictional final murder mystery put on by the Masquerade Murder Society ended with the all too real disappearance of their founder and lead. Now, the seven remaining masquerades are reuniting for one more Christmas themed mystery, seemingly designed to pull out all of the secrets they’ve kept buried for the last decade.

I absolutely loved all of the drama and gossip of this book! It felt like getting all the juicy tea from your best friend, while simultaneously trying to solve a good, classic murder mystery. I really liked the depth of all the characters and working to try to learn all of their secrets. They may be slight caricatures, but with all the lies and the drama, I was pretty well hooked. The flashbacks to that night twelve years previously really helped build some tension and suspicion in a great way.

I also thought the narrator, Ella Lynch, did an awesome job in the audiobook. She was able to capture all of the characters’ personalities, including their murder masquerade personas, so well - it helped to keep all of the characters straight while listening. There was also a wide variety of accents that I thought she did very well.

I would definitely recommend The Twelve Days of Murder if you’re in the mood for a festive mystery!

I love a good Christmas mystery! I enjoyed the story and how they related it to folklore and songs. I also loved the back and forth of learning what happened 12 years ago to present. I loved how it built up through the story too as each persons past was revealed. I thought I knew the ending and got about 25% right!! A great Christmas mystery book, 4 stars!

The mystery equivalent of a gingerbread labyrinth—deliciously intricate and impossible to resist.

Book Information

“The Twelve Days of Murder” by Andreina Cordani is a 384-page mystery published on November 7, 2023. The audio version, performed by Ella Lynch, spans 9 hours and 51 minutes. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.

Summary

Twelve years ago, a close-knit group of friends led The Masquerade Murder Society, solving fictional mysteries until one of them vanished during their final Christmas Masquerade. Now, these privileged university pals gather in Scotland for a Christmas-themed masquerade party, each harboring career-defining secrets.

Assigned new identities based on the "Twelve Days of Christmas," they immerse themselves in the game, reminiscent of their past. However, the festive atmosphere shatters the next morning when one friend is discovered dead. The game takes a dark turn as it becomes evident that the murder is real, exposing long-buried secrets. They must unravel the mystery of their shared history and the events from twelve years prior if anyone hopes to survive until Christmas morning.

My Thoughts

"The Twelve Days of Murder" by Andreina Cordani is a fantastic read that grabbed my attention from the start. Cordani keeps you guessing about who the murderer is, every character is a suspect, and my detective skills were on overdrive trying to untangle the web of secrets. The writing is clever, with lots of details and red herrings to keep you hooked.

The story is told from different characters' perspectives and in two timelines. Set against a snowy Scottish backdrop and incorporating a locked room mystery, the story's setting adds a layer of intrigue to the already compelling plot. I really liked how Cordani used the 12 Days of Christmas song and included creepy Christmas traditions from around the world. The mystery unfolds at a good pace. It’s like a suspenseful advent calendar—you never know which day will reveal the next shocking clue!

The characters are a bit unlikeable but fit well into the story. At first, it seemed like a lot to keep track of with so many characters, each playing a unique role in the mystery game and flashbacks including more played roles, but as the story progresses, it all comes together. The ending has a surprising twist that few will see coming although all the clues are there to figure it out.

The audiobook, narrated by Ella Lynch, does a good job handling the eight characters. However, it may have been more effective to have more than one narrator, maybe a male and a female, which would make the book easier to follow.

Recommendation

"The Twelve Days of Murder" is a gripping mystery with a clever plot, intriguing characters, and unique Christmas-themed twists. Cordani's storytelling keeps you engaged, making it a great pick for mystery lovers. It’s the eggnog of mysteries—rich, addictive, and leaves you wanting more with every sip (or page).

Rating

4 Krampus Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really love a good mystery and once that takes place on Christmas Eve was a slam dunk for me! I would love to see this adapted!

12 years after a failed murder masquerade party ends with one of the "Masquerade Murder Society" mysteriously disappearing, they once again meet for a special Christmas murder masquerade party.
Things turn ugly when one of the guests is murdered…they are being picked off one by one...
This was a fun cozy Christmas murder mystery, but not one that felt very memorable.
I enjoyed the Christmas
A vibes
This is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and felt similar to a game of Clue with the character names.
This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas themed locked room murder mystery, where the game becomes all too real! The characters were developed fairly well and had lots of secrets and lies to uncover along the way. The snowy setting in Scotland was idyllic. The mansion and the staging of the murder mystery game were over the top. I can't imagine anyone spending that much money on a game but would absolutely want to participate given the opportunity! The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job, but it was sometimes difficult to keep track of all the characters while listening. If I were to read it again, I would probably choose the book rather than the audio.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Format: audiobook, Genre: Mystery/Thriller

This was a fun Christmas murder mystery. Eight “friends” from Uni reunite to play one last game of Murder Masquerade, a form of a murder dinner party. They’re all given rolls to play focused around the Twelve Days of Christmas. They’re expected to stay in character for two days to solve the pretend murder. Little did they know they’d be stranded with no Wi-Fi or connection to the outside world, and forced to become real detectives as each one of them is picked off one-by-one.

The story was well written and thought out. I loved watching Charlie’s character development through the story. She went from being so timid and mousy to having so much strength and will to survive. She was determined to uncover the truth behind the weekend and murders. Ella Lynch, @narrator.ella, was FANTASTIC! Her voice was smooth and even. She’s very easy to listen to and a master with her character changes and inflections. Her speed and pacing were great. It allowed for easy listening at 1x, which is my preference, but for those of you that enjoy faster reading speeds, 1.25x-1.5x was also easy listening. I strongly recommend this audiobook! It was excellent in both is written and narrated forms!

Thank you @NetGalley, @andreinacordani, and #DreamscapeMedia for the opportunity to listen to this free audiobook for an honest review!

#TheTwelveDaysofMurder #AndreinaCordani #ChritmasMurder #mystery #thriller #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #TheMidNOCBookClub

Loved the narration with this one. The story was interesting too. It was weird and definitely fit the season,

4.25 stars

This was an enjoyable locked-room thriller/mystery. For me, it’s pretty much what I love about this genre- a group of (largely) privileged people are stranded somewhere, bad things start to happen, and answers to the who/why/how questions are reasonably unexpected. I always enjoyed the holiday setting/backdrop. Some parts were a bit cheesy, and in hindsight, I maybe should have been able to put together a couple of the clues more quickly, but all in all, I really liked it.

Couldn't get into the novel

Was looking forward to this whodunnit novel, but couldn't connect with the characters or story.

*** Thank you to NetGalley, Andreina Cordani, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***