I loved the previous book of this author, and this is so good too! I love a good Christmas mystery. The characters were interesting and the idea itself super captivating!

🧩 W H O D U N I T W E D N E S D A Y review 🧩 featuring “The Christmas Jigsaw Murders” by Alexandra Benedict!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤.5/5

On December 1st, crossword puzzle creator extraordinaire Edie O’Sullivan receives a PUZZLING gift on her door step: a jigsaw puzzle box that contains 6 puzzle pieces. When the pieces are assembled it looks just like the scene of a crime. Inside the box is also a clue to the next location of more pieces and also contains a note that says:

✍️ Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me - Rest in Pieces

Edie reaches out to her nephew Detective Inspector Sean Brand-O’Sullivan to help her decipher the clues. As bodies start to pile up, the more puzzle pieces they find … and soon Edie realizes that SHE is the only one that can figure this all out.

🔎 Festive, murdery and full of twists and turns, this book puts a witty and fun twist on a holiday cozy mystery!

Thank you kindly to @a.k.benedict @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for my #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!

I LOVE the puzzles of Alexandra's novels and such perfect Christmas mysterys/suspense. They do take me a bit longer to read but that's because I'm so engaged in trying to solve the clues myself!

This is my second book by this author, and it did not disappoint! I loved everything about this one and the mystery was excellent! Never a dull moment!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.

It's December 1st, and eighty year old crossword setter Edie O’Sullivan is gifted a box of puzzle pieces on her doorstep from a mysterious individual known only as “Rest in Pieces,”. When she starts putting these pieces together, it shows her a blood splattered a crime scene. RIP has sent Edie her own Christmas puzzle, solve the jigsaw and possibly save individuals from being murdered. Despite her son being the DI for the police, Edie withholds some of the pieces to prevent him from finding out that he is a possible target.

I went into this book thinking is was going to be a new festive favourite, however it unfortunately felt flat for me. I didn't connect to the characters, the pacing was off and I just didn’t feel the intensity and seriousness of the mystery because I didn’t know who any of the murdered characters were. I will say, there was a bit of drama towards the end which I enjoyed but I also felt like the ending was too rushed and we didn’t get a satisfying conclusion.

At the time of reading this book I did feel a little lumpy and I want to acknowledge that it may have hindered my reading experience and my overall enjoyment. I read 'Murder On The Christmas Express' last year and had a good time with it, and I'm sad to have not enjoyed this one as much.

Great Festive read which I really enjoyed! I have now gifted this to other friends for their Christmas Reads

Overall this was a good mystery with 1075 of twists and turns up to the very end. However, there seemed to be a lot of side stories that didn't do much for the plot. Al of could have been left out and the book still would have felt full

Edie O’Sullivan is an aging Christmas crank with two real loves in her life: her nephew, Sean, and puzzles. As a crossword puzzle setter, words are her life. But when a package arrives on her doorstep on December 1st with a threatening letter and several puzzle pieces, she’s not sure what to say or do. She consults her nephew, who’s a detective, to figure out what the murderous message could mean. Edie will have to put aside her reclusive, recalcitrant nature and confront past mistakes in order to keep the bodies from piling up.

As someone who frequently works jigsaw puzzles and crosswords, I really enjoyed all the references to puzzles and games throughout this book. The author even includes a couple of hidden challenges for readers to enjoy. I appreciated the way Edie’s character developed, acknowledging her past mistakes, confronting her shame, and learning to accept the love of those who care about her.

The mystery itself was very well done. Lots of seemingly unconnected pieces came together in innovative and unexpected ways. Relationships between characters were multilayered and authentic. A well-written mystery that I’ll be sharing with my puzzle-lovers group and reading club!

A great holiday read! I first read Alexandra Benedict last Christmas and enjoyed her well-plotted mystery. When I saw this was coming out in the US, I knew I had to read it. Edie is a puzzle fiend and creates crossword puzzles while her adopted son works for the police. When a murder happens nearby and she receives a package with jigsaw pieces in the mail, she gets involved in trying to stop the next one. Lots of twists and turns with a dash of Christmas! Highly recommend for those looking for a great British Christmas mystery read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author the arc!

Well Bah Humbug, this one was not for me. There are many reasons I didn’t connect with this story … but most of all, I just plain didn’t like it.

The characters were dull and completely unlikeable (and very underdeveloped) and the mystery itself was confusing. I really don’t see how the MC got the results she did from the very vague clues that were given on the puzzle pieces. It was a bit of a reach.

And we really don’t find out anything about the real reason the crimes were committed until the killer is revealed. Where’s the fun, cleverness or intrigue in that?

Overall, it was just a hard book to swallow … and the only thing Christmassy about it was depressing memories of holiday’s past and the promise of a murder on Christmas future. Blech.

Sadly this one wasn't for me! I was greatly intrigued by the killer's POV, but could not get past some issues with the main characters.

Still, very grateful for the early arc from Netgalley and the publisher; the summary sounded fantastic!

I loved the two previous Christmas murder mysteries that this author wrote. Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. All of the characters read like they were in their 80s like the main character, even though they were younger. I had to keep reminding myself of that. Also, while there were things that I liked about each character, overall I just did not like them enough to care what happened to them. I would not have been disappointed if they were all dead at the end. I did not guess who the murderer was, but I also think that's because you are really not introduced to them until the end.

I'm sure this book will be loved by others.

I love a spunky main character and Edie was definitely a fun lady. This kept me intrigued and had me trying to play detective (guess who didn’t guess the ending!) The relationship between her and Sean was interesting and I liked their interactions throughout. There were strong side characters who helped to advance the plot. While this wasn’t as Christmasy as I’d like, I found it to be an enjoyable holiday read.

This is the second book in the series that I have tried, and honestly, I struggled with it. The main character receives a jigsaw puzzle and a threat that people will die if she doesn't complete it by Christmas Eve.

The main character was a cranky curmudgeon, so if you love those types of characters, this book is for you. I also felt it veered between a cozy mystery and a classic mystery, which confused me.

I love the covers and concepts of these books but I think I have to accept that they are just not for me.

This is delightfully clever and festive mystery that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Benedict masterfully blends cozy Christmas charm with an intricate, twisty plot, delivering a tale full of suspense, humor, and heartwarming moments. The well-drawn characters, atmospheric setting, and cleverly interwoven puzzles make this book an irresistible treat for mystery lovers and holiday enthusiasts alike. A perfect read for curling up by the fire with a cup of cocoa!

Puzzle and murders! What a nice combination. This was a very good book that gives a lot of christmas feeling. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book so much. I truly hope there will be more to this and it becomes a series. All of the characters were awesome and had such fun quirks and ways of fitting in to the story. I did not initially guess who the killer was either which I love. The puzzles and easter eggs throughout were also so fun to find. As someone who relates a lot to Edie with her love of puzzles and desire to be left alone I adored this story. The puzzle was a great feature and the ending was heart warming and very Christmas Carolesque (which is one of my favorite Christmas stories!) I definitely recommend this for all of the thriller/mystery/cozy mystery fans out there!

When a mysterious gift-wrapped package shows up on Edie's doorstep less than a week before December 25th, she doesn’t quite know what to think. Inside the package is a small, incomplete jigsaw puzzle depicting blood-spattered black and white tiles and the crime scene outline of a body. The accompanying note warns her that if she can’t figure out what this signifies, four people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve and it will be all her fault.With puzzle pieces continuing to arrive on her doorstep, Edie must use all the resources available to her to figure out what’s going on, even when some of those resources irritatingly exhort her to climb well out of her comfort zone. Alexandra Benedict weaves a terrific fair play murder mystery around the themes of connection, atonement and the deadliness of assumptions.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC!

If you enjoy cozy mystery with extra puzzle aspects this is for you! Beginning is kind of slow & overall kind of confusing but it’s still a fun go round.
Not for me but might be for you!
Thank you NetGalley for the chance at this cozy read.

I read another Christmas mystery by this author and didn't really like it, but I gave her another try because I usually love the combination. This story was based on a grumpy old woman named Edie who tries to solve a murder mystery using her puzzle expertise. Unfortunately, she was so unlikeable that it was difficult to stay with her, and her detective skills were not great. Her nephew Sean is a policeman and seems to be the only thing she cares about, and he wasn't that likable either. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.