I really wanted to love this one - the premise sounded like one I would really love - but it just didn’t do it for me. I felt like the story was so slow to get into and I just lost interest very quickly. I am leaving this feedback as required by Netgalley.

I can't believe I liked this. I skipped passed this book initially because the title and cover wasn't evoking anything I wanted to read. I noticed it was "highly requested" on netgalley and wondered if I should look again. I did, the synopsis was a total turn off... then I started seeing actual reviews and decided I'd give it a try.

First let me say I didn't think I could possibly read another book about a group of college friends that "did a bad thing" and now 10+ years later have reunited. I also didn't think I could get through another Knives Out/Agatha Christie/Clue wannabe NOR could stomach another book about a group of friends on vacation at a lodge in the snow that start dying.

This is literally every trope/genre/baseline plot in this book... and I liked it and eagerly kept reading.

I didn't see either resolution coming. Well I perhaps saw one but not the motive. I also found so many aspects and details to the story new and interesting which is probably why I didn't mind the familiar blah blahs. My only real complaint is the maniacal confession of one character (for the love of books PLEASE STOP LETTING AUTHORS WRITE THIS SHIT).

I can't summarize without spoilers and encourage you go in blind if you're up for a murder mystery that will be surprisingly psychological for you.

Thanks netgalley for my ALC.

Unputdownable! A fictional murder mystery game comes to life in this murderous thriller with shocking TWISTS, dramatic plots and believable characters, all set in a secluded estate on Christmas! Definitely a locked-in type of mystery thriller that any thriller lover will devour!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC!

Usually, the holidays are filled with sweet, gooey romcoms, but have to appreciate a good Christmas classic-themed murder thriller to keep us on our toes this season.
Years after a group of friends created the Masquerade Murder Society in college, they reunite for the first time since one of them disappeared. Returning for one last party themed around the "Twelve Days of Christmas," it feels like a game of Clue with character names like Lady Partridge and Lord Leapworth. Despite years apart, things quickly click back into place as the friends return to the game, but when one turns up dead...it's clear there's a murderer among them and this is now a game of survival.
This is a suspenseful murder mystery, great for those who want to celebrate the holiday season without turning to romance. However, with the large number of characters, it can be hard to follow at times. Narrator Ella Lynch brings the audiobook to life where you feel in the middle of the masquerade in the heart of Scotland.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is out now.

The Twelve Days of Murder was bloody brilliant!
Is a it wrong to say this was a delightful murder mystery set at Christmas time? I think I may have a new holiday tradition: reading this.
I'll admit being hooked from the start and also not figuring it out by the time it was finally revealed. Sure, I had my ideas but I never figured out the why.

I have a favorite character and maybe the author will graciously write us a novella about them because they were fascinating. And that epilogue *chefs kiss*

This was a fun mystery to kick off the holiday season. For fans of agatha christie and winter vibes!

This was a fun book with some vague Christmas references. I liked the overall storyline but there were parts that seemed to drag in and lose my interest. Loved some of the characters while other grated on me (likely intentional by the author).
I would definitely read another book from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this.

This was a super entertaining, well-narrated audiobook with an Agatha Christie locked room murder mystery vibe to it! I had a lot of fun listening, guessing who would be the next victim and trying to uncover the clues to discover whodunnit. Special shout out to the Masquerade Murder Society aspect of this one - I did some side acting gigs in college on a Murder Mystery Train and then here in Vegas for Christmas Murder Mystery dinner theatre, so I really enjoyed the dynamics of the actors and the characters they were portraying during these masquerades!

If you love...
Agatha Christie
Locked Room Mysteries
Cast of Characters & Dual Timelines
Cozy Holiday Whodunnits
Audio Narrators with Great Accents
Then I definitely recommend this one - it's perfect for a quick, entertaining holiday whodunnit to add to your reading this season!

Thank you to Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 stars

I loved the setting, the murder mystery dinner concept, the dual timelines, and the Agatha Christie vibes, but I struggled with this book for a few different reasons.

My biggest struggle with this book was the amount of characters along with the mystery dinner names to go with each of them. Since I listened to the audiobook, I had a very difficult time keeping track of them all. I wonder if the narrator changed her voice more for each character if I would have tracked this better? I also didn’t connect with any of them. So I had a hard time engaging with the story.

I love dual timelines in a book, but in this audio version, I usually couldn’t tell the timeline changed until it was too late.

Then some of the plot pieces felt a little repetitive and made the story drag on for me. It might have felt this way since I had a hard time connecting with the story.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This narrator was AMAZING! I was a little scared when I realized what a large cast of characters there were and only one narrator but this narrator hit it out of the park. She not only very much distinguished each characters voice but had the hard job of doing two voices for most of them since they were playacting for parts of the book into completely different characters and even MORE characters when we delved into the past and their masquerades of the past! I was blown away by the narration. The story itself was also very good, very Agatha Christie and perfect for the season. I always love a twist on And Then There Were None and this hit just perfect. Highly recommend.

Thank for this ARC audio copy and this is my honest review.

The audio was great and clear. I had a hard time follow at parts, but I do not think the audio caused that.

This had a very Clue vibe to it.
For the most part I was apply to remember who everyone was and follow their plot line.
It's nothing super deep.
It's a fun thriller read.
If that is your jam, this is perfect to read during your holiday days off!

3.25⭐️

<i> Eight friends created the exclusive Masquerade Murder Society while in college. The murders they solved were fictional—until their final masquerade, when one of the group disappeared. Twelve years later, the remaining members are invited to a reunion in the Scottish Highlands . . .

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.

When they arrive each is assigned a new identity themed around the "Twelve Days of Christmas"—they become Lady Partridge or Mr. Gold; Lord Leapworth or Doctor Swan. The game begins, and it feels just like old times. Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging—dead—from a pear tree.

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. </i>

This was an entertaining enough read to finish, but I struggled a bit to keep track of the characters and the action along the way. Everything and everyone seemed to blend together a bit, making it harder to follow and hold my interest as much as I’d hoped- but on the plus side, it made the ending reveal a complete surprise.

Ella Lynch did a good job narrating the audiobook. I do think, however, this is a book that might have been easier to follow with a visual read than audio.

Thank you Andreina Cordani, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

A cozy murder mystery is exactly what I’ve been in the mood for so when I saw this on my Netgalley shelf, I was thrilled!!
A group of college friends start a Murder Masquerade society where they get together for murder mystery dinner games. In their last gathering, one of the friends goes missing and is never found. Several years later, they decide to reunite for one last game. When someone turns up murdered, it becomes apparent that maybe the game isn’t all just pretend.
I was really intrigued by the plot of this story! I loveeee the idea of a suspenseful “whodunit” holiday book and this was just that! For some reason, I had a little trouble getting invested in the audio book. There were a lot of characters and on top of that, they were all playing different parts. It was hard to keep up with who was who. I think I would have preferred reading this in a physical format. Good story, especially perfect for this time of year!

A fun little Christmas mystery!

Twelve years after a colossally failed murder masquerade party ends with one of the guests mysteriously disappears, they once again meet for a special Christmas murder masquerade party. However, things take turn for the worse when one of the guests are murdered, and they are being picked off one by one…

All in all, I’d say this was a fun little Christmas mystery, but not one that feels very memorable. The Christmas vibes were immaculate though and certainly a fun and interesting read. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and those looking for a casual but thrilling read.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and the author Andreina Cordani for allowing me to listen to an Audio Arc of this novel.

The Twelve Days of Murder is a twist on the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None. Over a decade ago, eight friends at university had a murder mystery club that they called the Masquerade Murder Society. Everything was always fictional - until their final Christmas Masquerade. One of the members disappeared and the case was never solved.

Flashforward to today and the remaining members of the group receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade at an isolated estate in Scotland. As you'd expect, this retelling has lots of unlikeable characters that start dropping one by one. The twist on the classic that made this more fun for me was that there is actual crime happening in the context of a murder mystery of fake crimes. It blurred the lines and definitely created some believability when the characters were clueless or befuddled.

I found a bit of this novel boring, but that's probably because I've read a few too many And Then There Were None retellings. The end had some fun, juicy twists that made up a bit for every character being so despicable. If you like a holiday novel and a Christie retelling, I think this one has a lot to offer!

The Twelve Days of Murder
Andreina Cordani
Eight friends, all university students, created a club/group that solved murders. The members were mostly from wealthy families. Charley was different; she was from a blue-collar family. She was never part of the inner circle; the other members of the group treated her rudely. The Masquerade Murder Society’s purpose was to solve horrific, dramatic, but fictitious murders. However, twelve years ago one of the members, Karl, disappeared from a locked room; he was never seen again. The group disbanded, however twelve years later, Karl’s sister invites the members to an isolated hunting lodge in Scotland, for another Christmas Masquerade party. Each member has a secret, something that could destroy or boost their careers. Charley was always on the fringes of the group, but she believes that by joining the group for one final weekend could further her career.
The theme of this party is the Twelve Days of Christmas. When the members arrive in Scotland, they are appointed a part such as: Lady Partridge, Lord Leapworth or Dr. Swan. The following morning Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree. This is no longer pretend; Lady Partridge is dead.
The group is trapped by the weather with no cell service, and the roads are blocked; they are also trapped by their secrets. They are role playing more than one character in the murder mystery but also in life. They all have secrets which they fear will come to light. People are dying. Being on the fringe of the group allows Charley to see things objectively. Can she solve the murder before her time is up? To survive until Christmas the group must examine their past as well as their present. What really happened twelve years ago?
The plot of this tale is unique. The author has used two timelines. One member of the group is obviously a murderer. This murder mystery will keep the reader guessing. Author Andreina Cordani has provided plenty of twists and turns. Each member of the group is suspect.

Calling all dark academia + cozy mystery + drama club girlies!
While I loved the concept and usually enjoy multiple timelines, this one felt a little too convoluted and drug on for a bit too long. I would've been happier if it was edited down by about 100 pages. It was also a little too "cozy" of me. Ultimately, I prefer more thrilling thrillers.
My biggest complaint is petty- but the title trips me up every time I talk about this book. I always say "The Twelves Murders of Christmas". IT WAS RIGHT THERE!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio of The Twelve Days of Murder.

The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani was a real surprise for me. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one, and ultimately, I enjoyed it. I had a hard time in the beginning as there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but I thought Cordani did a good job of giving each character a very defined, differentiated personality. There is a LOT going on in this book, but that made it a good time, and as all of the secrets of the past get revealed, it's easy to get hooked.

The Twelve Days of Murder by Cordani did not interest me. I tried to get into it on two different occasions, but I am quitting.

I enjoyed this Locked Room, wintery murder mystery audiobook. It gives And Then There Were None vibes, which is a book I absolutely love. I kept trying to figure out the whodunnit and I ended up being wrong so many times. The story goes back and forth between the past and present, and it's good for the storyline.

I enjoyed the narrator! She gave everyone a different accent, and did both male and female voices really well. I would absolutely listen to another audiobook narrated by Ella Lynch.

Total recommend!