4.5 ⭐

I had so much fun reading this book, I always love a good murder mystery. I really enjoyed Maggie & Ethan's story and how everything played out.

Like the description says, it did feel a bit like "Knives Out", but it also felt original and separate from that universe.

If you are thinking of reading this book, I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the author & publisher for the arc!

This book was so cute! I loved the rival to lovers trope and the MMC was just delicious. This was a good mix of romance with "who dunnit" vibes. I really enjoyed reading this book and it had me laughing until the end.

Well, this is a delight. Warm, romantic, genuinely thrilling and blessed with a romance you can root for, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a stellar example of a cozy romantic mystery.

Cozy mystery writer Maggie Chase hasn’t been having the best time of it when she encounters bad boy of the thriller world, Ethan Wyatt, at their publisher’s Christmas party. Christmas has long been a bad-luck holiday for her, and with both her parents gone and her best friend having run off with her ex-husband, is it any wonder she prefers huddling home alone during the holidays, writing books about cats that can solve crimes by smelling poison?

Ethan and Maggie share a past that’s integral to the general plot and won’t be spoiled in this review, but suffice to say they do NOT get along. Maggie thinks Ethan is a spoiled bad boy, Ethan thinks Maggie is a stuffed shirt, and he loves annoying her. Yet when they’re thrown together by an unexpected all-expenses paid trip to meet Eleanor Ashley, doyenne of the mystery world, there’s no doubting the sparks flying between them.

As Ethan and Maggie converge on Eleanor’s home, bickering all the way, they’re confronted by a real-life chiller. They and the rest of the party are cut off from the outside world by a snowstorm, and then Eleanor simply disappears. Now Ethan and Maggie have a real-life mystery to figure out and a houseload of suspects to sift through, all while trying to ignore their attraction to one another. And there’s only three more days left until Christmas. Is it murder? True love? Or just an entertainment Eleanor has planned for the weekend?

A damn fine mystery, a great romance, good character portraits, a wicked sense of humor – there’s nothing this book doesn’t do well. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year keeps you hopping when it comes to the suspect list, it invests you in Maggie and Ethan (especially poor Maggie, who really has suffered a lot). I can’t tell you a lot about Ethan due to his mysterious shared background with Maggie, but I can tell you that they are fun together.

I seriously, deeply enjoyed Maggie in this book. Her slow acceptance of love, her realistic reactions, her relatable background – all excellent. While Ethan might come off as initially too bratty for some, uncovering his layers is a wonderful experience.

This a novel that’s wise about the writing world, knows a good caper, and isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty – among other things. It’s funny, scary and trenchant, and was a knockout punch of a book for me. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is the best romantic mystery I’ve read all year, and is the best book I’ve read in 2024 so far.

I enjoyed this one way more than I expected, and I already had high expectations!
I loved the premise of this book: the holiday spirit (or lack thereof, in some cases), the adored author, the mysterious and annoying author, and the locked-room disappearance.

I also enjoyed the different characters that move through this book. I could see it all in my mind just like a movie. I hope they make it into a movie someday. It would be awesome.

The only thing I didn’t like was the constant use of the word “sweetheart” and the permanent attitude of protecting Maggie because she is so broken. It felt like an old concept or romance which honestly felt too cheesy and false.

But honestly that was the only thing I didn’t like.
I loved everything else, and I didn’t want to stop reading.
I was so sorry when it ended because I did not want to say goodbye to these characters. I hope Ally Carter writes a sequel!

4 stars!!

Ally Carter always hits no matter the genre. Her Gallagher Girls series had me hooked through middle and high school and if this book is any indication her newer adult novels are going to have me hooked throughout my life. This book was FUN. I read a lot of mystery mostly because I have to for my job, but I'm really a romance girlie so I love that the two are combined here! And throw in a wintery, holiday setting we've got it all.

I am obsessed with Ethan - he is the perfect MMC. He's strong, supportive, talented af and gives our girl what she needs when she needs it. He's so understanding of what she's gone through and ready to help her believe in herself again and regain her confidence. And I felt for Maggie - her traumas are many and she's really struggling to work through them all to see what's right in front of her and to trust herself and others again. Also, two mystery/thriller writers solving the greatest mystery of all - the disappearance of THE mystery writing legend - sooo twisty and fun. And who better to solve the mystery than them? The banter is fantastic and the chemistry is obvious from the start even when Maggie thinks they hate each other. I love a good enemies/rivals to lovers and was certainly not disappointed here. And who wouldn't want to read a love story taking place during a locked-room mystery where you really can't trust anyone. The tension!!

5 stars, highly recommend. It's a quick, fun, twisty read that will have you hooked within the first few chapters. Thank you Ally Carter for continuing to bless us with engaging mysteries with lots of chemistry and romance!

Big thanks to Avon for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It's never too early for a Christmas mystery, so go check this one out!!

4.5/5 stars

This was such a fun story! The perfect mix of rom-com and cozy mystery with a holiday setting. Honestly the only reason it took so long for me to read was because of life circumstances, otherwise I would have flown through this pretty quickly! Ally Carter always manages to hook me with her writing, and I’m really enjoying her stepping into adult romance. Add this to your Christmas-y books to read this season!

TW: parent death, cheating, attempted murder, panic attacks

As someone who stays away from super scary and gruesome stories, this cozy mystery with a dash of holiday cheer was right up my alley! Having the cast snowed in at this sprawling, remote estate was such a perfect setting for this cozy mystery and I love how it heightened the tension, especially since there was no way out for our characters and the wintry weather made it impossible for them to have contact with the outside world.

I really enjoyed the integration of the interview transcripts - I love when mixed media is included, it’s such a fun detail. The bit of romance was also quite delightful and it balanced the heavier moments with lightness and hope.

If you’re looking for a mystery to dive into over the holidays, this is a fun story to pick up!

As an avid cozy mystery reader who also loves (well-written) holiday romances and Ally Carter, this was the perfect book for me. Because I've read Carter's spy books, I initially thought this was going to a spy thriller set at Christmas. Instead, it's a cozy mystery + romance set during Christmas at a manor in the English countryside. The two MCs are a cozy mystery author and a spy thriller (I think?) author, and we get POVs from both. It's an enemies-to-lovers trope, although I don't really know why they were enemies to begin with (because he calls her the wrong name?). There's a character who is probably based on Agatha Christie, but M.C. Beaton's cozies got me into the cozy mystery genre, so I imagined that the character was based on her. If you enjoy cozy holiday romance mysteries (and who doesn't?), this is a great choice.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! I loved this book! It gives Agatha Christie vibes but with a modern take. I loved how the mystery unfolded with some romance kicked in. Highly recommend!

This is a masterfully written mystery novel that takes place in the mansion of a world-renowned mystery writer during the days leading up to Christmas. It follows Maggie and Ethan as they try to solve a disappearance and attempted murders, all connected to fictional works they know and love.

I loved the relationship and backstory of Maggie and Ethan. I really enjoyed how fast-paced the novel was (I read almost all of the book (31% on) in one sitting. I could not put it down and the book kept me guessing.

I recommend this book to people who love authors as main characters and people who enjoy cozy mysteries, especially holiday ones.

I have been a fan of Ally Carter’s since I devoured her Gallagher Girls series and was excited to finally pick up one of her adult novels. Overall, I thought it was a spectacular book, and I can’t wait to read even more books by her.

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the ARC of the #Themostwonderfulcrimeoftheyear

This book, it took a while to get into, but it was not the book, it was me.. I enjoyed the relationship between Maggie and Ethan. This is the perfect cozy Christmas murder mystery for this holiday season!

Thank you once again Harper Collins, Killer Crime Club and NetGalley for this book

3.75⭐, 1🌶️


Who doesn’t always love a seasonal murder (?) mystery?!And adding on the dash of romance? Yes please! Now I wouldn't characterize this book as a romance - there was no open door spice and the characters kind of fall together more than fall in love together, if that makes any sense. I really enjoyed the mystery with Eleanor, ad while I didn't try to predict the ending, I wasn't like super blown away with the reveal (but that may just be a me problem?)

I think this could be a super fun book club December pick - mystery, excitement, a little love. I wasn't overwhelmed and impressed with this book but i wasn't super disappointed either.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A great cozy mystery for the most wonderful time of the year.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It's such a cute, cozy, romantic mystery with great humor. The plot will keep you wanting more and more. I loved how it played out like a game of clue and the ending was chef's kiss. I can't get over just how good this book was. It's a book I feel like reading again it's that good. If you can't read this right now add it to your tbr for November and December.

This was a very cozy mystery. I felt like the relationship of the two main felt a little rushed and I didn't totally love their chemistry or lack thereof. The mystery itself was very far fetched overall. It was a decent read but not my favorite.

This was such a fun book!

It takes place over a Christmas party, but isn’t overly Christmassy.
It’s got awesome murder mystery vibes.
The characters have good chemistry and even better banter!
This plot was really fun!

Thank you Avon Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I don’t think there is anything cooler to me than the authors I read as a tween and teen now writing adult books. It’s so cool to feel like I am growing up alongside their careers! Ally Carter has been a favorite of mine since I found an article about I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You in Seventeen Magazine. I was so pumped to continue to read her books as an adult.

I found this book to be straight up fun with a lot of heart and the perfect cozy holiday setting that isn’t cheesy. In fact, if your biggest gripe about holiday books or movies is that they are too Hallmark-y or cheesy, THIS is the book for you. It’s not cheesy at all. In fact, i found it to be quite beautiful while still being fun, light hearted, and fast paced. A cozy mystery mixed with a rom com. I loved it!

Synopsis:

“Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.”

What I Liked:

The Concept—I am not a thriller person but I love the movies Knives Out and The Onion. And I love Ally Carter and Christmas Rom Coms so I knew this would be a winner from me just from the synopsis. I found it so fun and fast paced!

The Banter—Ally always knows how to bring the banter. It was what drew me to her books from a young age!

The Balance Between Festive Fun and Heart—I loved that this book felt a lot more grounded in reality than The Blonde Identity, especially when it came to the relationship. It was still light and fun but the characters really did need to go on a journey together.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Romance Felt Underdeveloped—The romance was definitely the B plot which is fine, I just wanted a little bit more especially since these characters had quite a bit of history together.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 45

Content Warnings:

emotional abuse, gaslighting, infidelity, divorce, mention of pregnancy

This book was so cute and fun! I had a hard time putting it down. Love a whodunit, rom-com done right. Big fan of Ally and excited to discuss this for December book club!

Pick this up if you love:
- Knives Out
- Agatha Christie style mysteries
- Locked room mysteries
- Enemies to lovers romance

I'm so glad I picked this one up! It was really unique. I did have a couple issues with it. The idea that the two main characters would go to a stranger's house for Christmas in another country was far-fetched to me. And the epilogue made me 🙄 But, letting those two things go, it was a really fun, fast paced mystery! Definitely put it on your holiday reading list!

Absolute perfection! This is the book to take with you on your winter holiday so you can curl up beside a fire with it and get lost in the absolute fun of a good mystery with a healthy dose of banter and romance. Perfect

3.5 stars rounded down.

A fun and easy reading cozy mystery/romance.

Crime writer Maggie Chase and her nemesis Ethan Wyatt, who writes rufty tufty thrillers, are whisked away to the English estate of famed author Eleanor Ashley (think Agatha Christie) for a surprise Christmas break. But when Eleanor disappears and one of the other guests is poisoned, Maggie has to put her knowledge of Eleanor’s novels and Golden Age murder methods to work.

Maggie is still reeling from a broken marriage to a ruthless gaslighter and has to learn to trust her smarts and her instincts. Ethan has to persuade her that she doesn’t hate him and that she can trust him (though I’d add that it would help if he’d stop calling her “sweetheart” and “baby” - eww, she’s a grown woman not a teenager). The romance sizzles nicely and there’s a fair bit of dry comedy as well to keep it light and frothy.

It’s a classic Agatha Christie set-up with giant old mansion in the middle of nowhere that gets cut off by a storm - no power, no phones, no Internet. There’s a houseful of guests all of whom have secrets and motives which are gradually revealed. We even have the gathering in the library where Maggie takes us through the whole twisty and neatly tied-up plot and unmasks the killer.

Perfect for reading in the garden in a heatwave, though it would probably work equally well as reading in the house on a rainy day.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the digital review copy.