Thank you Netgalley & Avon Publishing for an eARC 🥰

Hey book lovers!
I just wrapped up Ally Carter's THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR, and I'm still absorbed 😍🔥
This holiday rom-com/mystery mashup is like sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace - warm, fuzzy, and utterly addictive.

Meet Maggie and Ethan, two writers who've been butting heads for years. They're like oil and water, complete opposites who can't resist taking potshots at each other. But when they're invited to the English manor of their writing idol, Eleanor Ashley, they reluctantly put aside their differences.
That's when things take a wild turn. Eleanor vanishes, leaving behind a trail of clues, cryptic messages, and enough red herrings to keep you guessing till the very end. Maggie and Ethan must join forces to unravel the mystery, navigating:
🔥Steamy tension and witty banter
🔥Twists, turns, and secret chambers galore
🔥Poisonings, gunshots, and suspenseful moments

As they work together, Maggie and Ethan confront their past, their insecurities, and their undeniable attraction. It's a slow-burn romance that'll leave you rooting for them.
What makes this book truly special is Ally Carter's tongue-in-cheek humor. She playfully pokes fun at romance and mystery tropes, winking at readers with:
🎄Over-the-top scenarios (hello, one bed!)
🎄Winking nods to famous mysteries
🎄Sassy dialogue that'll make you LOL

THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR is the perfect holiday treat:
☺️Cozy, feel-good vibes
☺️Witty, engaging writing
☺️A celebration of women's empowerment and storytelling
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Grab a cuppa, snuggle up, and indulge in this delightful holiday read!
Happy reading, friends!♥️

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is THE most fun book I've read in a while! A twisty romance/mystery/thriller set on a huge old English estate in the middle of a snowstorm with no escape, it delivers on all fronts.

Rival NY mystery authors Maggie and Ethan receive mysterious invitations to England for Christmas, and the next thing they know, they’re whisked away on a private jet to a massive northern English estate. Where they meet their idol, famous mystery author Eleanor Ashley. And a bunch of selfish jerks who happen to be her family. But then Eleanor disappears, and it’s clear to Maggie and Ethan that something weird’s going on…

They pull together to figure it out, now realizing maybe Eleanor brought them for this reason. Can they trust each other? Is there a killer among them? Are they really enemies?

LOVED the characters, Ethan in particular once we learn what’s under his charming exterior. The author did a tremendous job filling in their backstories and what shaped them. Loved how they put everything together and how they slowly opened up to each other. Loved the twists and turns of the mystery AND their relationship.

LOVED the premise and the story, which felt like Clue mixed with Knives Out and combined my favorite genres into one. The pace was perfect, I never got bored and just wanted to know what would happen next.

Themes and Tropes: Romantic suspense, enemies/rivals to lovers, forced proximity/trapped, whodunit mystery, author characters

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This was a 4.5 for me. I loved this book. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and the romance was perfect! Ethan was perfection in a MMC. This is a wonderful holiday read and a must for mystery book lovers! I really can’t say anything negative about this book. It’s fun, engaging, and lovely.

If I could give this book 1,000 stars, I absolutely would.

I knew from the moment I read the dedication that I was going to fall in love with this book:

“If anyone has ever tried to gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem, congratulations! This book is for you.”

Reading this feels like sitting by a warm fire, drinking hot cocoa with extra marshmallows. It feels like coming home, kicking off uncomfortable shoes, and slipping into sweatpants. It honestly feels like a warm hug.

I laughed, I cried, and I was perched on the edge of my seat. The banter, the emotional connections, the mystery and the oddball set of characters. Everything was perfect.

In the very beginning, you can already tell there is a dynamic history between Maggie and Ethan, and that their humor is going to be composed of banter and bickering. But with the way they feed off of each other, you can start to get a sense of an underlying connection.

And what a connection they share. The eventual support and care Ethan shows for Maggie is admirable. The way he champions for her always, encourages her, and honestly just wants to see her shine, is beautiful. Everyone deserves that kind of love and support. And the growth Maggie shows by learning to trust not only herself, but eventually Ethan? It is just an all around heartwarming novel.

Aside from, you know, the fact that it is a locked door murder/disappearance mystery. But it’s still Christmasy and cozy; even when our main characters are being hunted down.

I recommend this book with all of my heart and soul to anyone and everyone. But if you want particulars, this book has:
❤️ Cozy Murder Mystery
🔥 Rivals to Lovers
❤️ Christmasy Vibes
🔥 Forced Proximity
❤️ Golden Retriever/Who did this to you MMC
🔥 Quippy & Relatable FMC
❤️ Wordsmithing MMC
🔥 Feminist Moments
❤️ Regaining Confidence

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read anything by this author before but oh I loved this book!! It was perfectly written and kept the twists and turns coming. My only complaint would be, I didn't want it to end!

I don’t typically love a locked room mystery, but this was very entertaining. I loved the UK setting at Christmastime - one of my favorite settings to be honest.

I really liked Maggie and Ethan - the rivals to lovers was *chef’s kiss*. Great banter and chemistry.

As someone who loved Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series, I’m thrilled she’s writing adult novels now. This was a fun, cozy mystery with her quintessential high stakes flair and charming “he falls first” male lead. I’d love a sequel of Maggie and Ethan solving more crimes but I’d take just another adult novel from Ally. TLDR: More, please!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ally Carter for an advanced copy of this novel!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year follows rival authors Maggie and Ethan as they are invited on a mysterious trip to a UK mansion for Christmas. Upon arrival, they discover that the mansion belongs to iconic mystery writer, Eleanor Ashley. At the manor, they're introduced to an enigmatic ensemble cast including a Duke and Duchess, a Lawyer, a Doctor, and various other genre staples. That night, Eleanor disappears, leaving Maggie and Ethan to solve the mystery of her disappearance, while surrounded by potential murderers. Together they bicker, follow clues, and begin to fall for each other in the midst of uncertain danger.

This novel was a fun, clever read that has a very classic mystery-novel feel to it. The setting was described thoroughly, ensuring the reader felt as though they were in the mansion, climbing through the secret passages alongside Maggie and Ethan. The ensemble cast was great. Each character was distinct, amusing, and had clear reasons for being there, successfully disguising all motives. Maggie's traits as a mystery writer and as Eleanor's biggest fan was crucial to solving the plot, and her backstory also led to a compelling and sympathetic read. The mystery filled the majority of the story, but we still had full backstories for each character, leading to a fleshed out plot

The only place where this book did fall a bit flat was the romance. At the start, Maggie hates Ethan emphatically. However, she starts to be interested in him before they've had almost any time to bond or flush out these previous issues. I do love where the book ends up with the two of them (no spoilers!), but the pacing did not quite feel aligned with their overall narratives and backstories.

In all, this book is a great mystery, and my favorite recent novel by Ally Carter. I would love to see if she has anything else upcoming in the mystery genre. This book fit perfectly in the genre, keeping the reader on their toes alongside the characters. 4/5.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a book I NEED to reread to figure out clues I was missing my first read through!

Maggie and Ethan are two authors working for the same publishing company. Both receive and accept an invitation to their "biggest fan's home" for the holiday season. Landing overseas, they quickly discover they are spending time at Maggie's favorite author, Eleanor's, home with Eleanor's assorted family and townspeople. Fast forward to the next morning when Eleanor is missing and snow has kept everyone locked indoors. This may be just what the author ordered inviting both writers to her home- solving the mystery of where she disappeared...or who killed her.

I ADORED this book and found that there were times when I just could not put it down because I needed to know the next clue that either Maggie or Ethan would discover. The quirky cast of characters had me second guessing myself during the book, with myself ultimately not guessing the different plot twists. The Most Wonderful Crime is the perfect binge read book as you settle yourself down for a day of reading nearby the fireplace or outside in a tropical location.

Ally Carter's adult books seem to follow a trend of having women who hate their male love interests and male love interests who are unbelievably obsessed with the female protagonist for reasons that completely confound me. This does irk me a little bit, but the mystery element always makes up for what I find to be a slightly awkward relationship dynamic. I loved how meta of a take this book is on the mystery genre, and I had a really fun time following along as Maggie and Ethan tried to figure out what happened to Eleanor Ashley and what all of her guests were hiding.

4.25 stars

I had so much fun reading this book!! It truly just brought me so much joy. I loved how complex Maggie was. I think the author did such a great job showing how deep gaslighting can affect someone even years after the relationship ends. Colin or Emily if I ever meet you on the streets, I'm throwing hands :) AND ETHAN!!! My mans!!! He was HOT, funny, thoughtful, protective, witty, and down so bad for Maggie. I loved how they had met, and he fell right away but she didn't remember. And he spent alllll those years loving her from far away. I didn't even mind the slight miscommunication they had. The actual murder mystery plot and disappearance part of the story was actually so good! I really couldn't figure out who had done it. There were so many pieces that needing to be put together and when they did at the end it was a chef's kiss moment! I would have liked to know more about Ethan and Maggie as authors, I think that would have added a lot to their story for me. I loved small connection that they both had with Eleanor Ashley books. The whole book was truly giving Knives Out vibes but better.

This is perfect for people who love romance, murder mystery, Clue, who did this?, rival authors, "Lets be in love together"!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
0 / 🌶

✨ He falls first
✨ Pining MMC
✨ "Rivals" to lovers
✨ Locked room mystery

This was a truly entertaining read! Delightfully witty, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year made me laugh out loud throughout and has some of the best banter I've read.

Christmas vibes galore, locked whodunit mystery, and a pining MMC? Yes, please.

Between the mystery and the romance, I was hooked. I read this one until I fell asleep and then as soon as I woke up I dove back in.

There were only a few things about this one that I wasn't a huge fan of:
🔍 This is a closed door romance
🔍 The MMC's ideas of "filthy" things he'd like to do to the FMC is like what an extremely sheltered 12 year old boy might think is filthy???
🔍 No closure on the situation with the ex-husband and ex-BFF
🔍 No closure on being picked for the book club or what her life with Ethan looks like?? I needed a better epilogue, honestly
🔍 Who is Do Not Resuscitate?!?!? (This one is driving me nuts, truly)

This was such a joy to read! In terms of cozy mysteries, this is perfectly cheesy while also having an intriguing mystery. I loved the banter, the plot, the entire premise - everything seemed to be exceptionally well thought out Perhaps there was too much repetition at points, but really I just enjoyed reading this start to finish which makes it great. The setting was well done, and the Christmas aspect was fun and holiday-filled without being too over the top to read at other times of the year. Highly recommended for a happy, fun type of murder mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I absolutely love cozy, comedic mysteries, so reading one about my favorite holiday felt like a no-brainer!

‘The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year’ is a hilarious locked door mystery following Maggie and Ethan, two famous mystery writers who have been invited to spend the holiday abroad. They are shocked when they end up at the mansion of a legendary mystery writer, set to spend Christmas with her and her family. However, when this 81-year-old woman disappears without a trace one night, Maggie and Ethan believe there’s a murderer in her family — and if there’s a perfect person to solve ‘the most wonderful crime of the year,’ then it’s these two mystery writers who are stuck spending the holiday with this successful woman’s next of kin.

For a while, I had trouble understanding why everyone was so nonchalant about there potentially being an unidentified murderer walking around the mansion; they were all enjoying lunches together and hanging out in the library. With that being said, you do have to suspend your belief in reality a bit to truly enjoy this one, including the whirlwind enemies-to-lovers romance that takes place over a matter of days.

Once I did let the cozy mystery carry me away, I enjoyed reading about comical, stereotypical characters that you would see in a Clue-like setting: the arrogant playboy, an introvert, a cop, a lawyer, a long-lost niece, duke and duchess, a nanny, a prolific writer, a butler, and a doctor.

The one-liners coming from everyone were absolutely hilarious! I laughed out loud so many times. This book truly read like a movie to me, and I can easily envision all of the characters playing well on screen.

While this is a feel good rom-com, there are also some fun nods to classic mysteries — and I did not anticipate that big twist at the end…

CONTENT WARNING: The main character discusses losing both of her parents as part of her backstory.

A perfect cozy, seasonal, mystery with a romance subplot. A classic clue style whodunnit with plenty of twists, turns, and mistletoe kisses.

When famed mystery author Eleanor Ashley disappears out of a locked room in her own home, can fellow mystery author, and long time admirer, Maggie follow the clues to solve the case with the aide of her irritatingly charismatic coworker? Or will they get lost in the labyrinth of clues left behind?

Coming off of a relatively fresh, devastating divorce writer Maggie is in a tough spot emotionally, so when she is invited by her anonymous biggest fan to a Christmas gathering in England Maggie takes the opportunity for what it is. A chance to do something just for herself and rediscover who she is and who she wants to be. When her coworker, and her personal enemy, Ethan also happens to be invited to the same event they inevitably are thrust together in close quarters. Especially, when Eleanor goes missing and they realize the only people they can truly trust is each other. Using their skills as writers, and Maggie’s deep love of Eleanor’s books, they work together to solve the greatest mystery of their lives: what happened to Eleanor Ashley?

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Avon and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ally Carter knows how to write a FUN BOOK!! From my teenage obsession with the Gallagher Girls to last year's Blonde Identity and now to The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, she is full of HITS!!

As described, this book is very Knives Out/Willy Wonka coded- a classic locked door mystery. You've got all the characters you could need: a missing celebrated author a la an Agatha Christie, three nieces/nephews clearly looking for the money they think they deserve, three unconnected mystery writers with a keen eye for clues, a no-nonsense butler, a local inept inspector, and 99 books full of clues and mysteries that may or may not lead to finding the missing author, Eleanor.

Without getting into any specifics to ruin the mystery of it all, our story hinges on mystery writer and Eleanor's number one fan, Maggie, and her ability to figure it all out in time. Luckily, she's helped out by nemesis author and ultimate cool guy Ethan, who happens to be really good at protecting Maggie (maybe due to a past career? who's to say?). The dynamic and the banter between these two is absolutely delightful and there were so many times I wanted to shake Maggie and tell her "girl you plan and write and solve mysteries for a living, figure out what's right in front of you!!!!" These two have had tough lives, and weirdly this is not either of their worst Christmases, which is saying something for two people constantly fighting for their lives!!

I absolutely was so delighted to read this and hope Ally keeps cranking out her adult mystery, romantic suspense books because I am having so so much fun with them!!! Thank you so much to Ally Carter and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

The Most Wonderful Crime of The Year starts us off with Maggie Chase, a mystery author who is sent on a Christmas “work trip” or so she thinks with none other than her work nemesis Ethan Wyatt. She’s surprised to find out that behind this mystery trip is her favorite mystery author of all time, Eleanor Ashley whom she abruptly disappears at the beginning of their stay in her manor in the UK. She soon finds out it’s all in Eleanor Ashley fashion and that nothing is just because…because there’s always a motive behind everything.

Maggie has to learn to work alongside Ethan while uncovering clues that will lead them to Eleanors whereabouts. On top of working on finding clues they are also caught in the middle of the family drama that’s happening right before their eyes. They both have to learn to put their differences aside in order to solve this great mystery while also having to watch their back from whoever is out there or..inside the same house?

From the very beginning we get a glimpse into Maggie’s life and what’s she’s been through as she’s navigating what this trip will mean to her already crumbling apart life. Christmases have never been good in Maggie’s life because something bad always happens so will this one be any different or will this be the beginning of something new?

The Most Wonderful Crime Of The Year by Ally Carter is a cozy mystery with a sprinkle of romance that will keep you in your toes second guessing yourself till the very end. Whodunnit all around and I absolutely adored the banter between Maggie and Ethan! Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the e-book and the opportunity!

THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR by Ally Carter is a Christmas book, sure, but what it really is is a pitch perfect tribute to the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie.

I am a huge, huge Agatha Christie fan. As a kid I read stacks of her books from the library every summer. I firmly believe that she did not have a mental breakdown when she disappeared after finding out her husband was cheating on her, but that, she was just nope-ing out of the narrative. And so I loved this book, which is an absolute delight.

Ethan and Maggie are two successful (and nemesis) mystery authors, invited on a mysterious trio to England over Christmas. Only to find themselves as the mansion estate of Eleanor Ashley herself. The writers have to team up to solve the mystery of her disappearance, and figure out who is trying to harm them as they go.

I correctly guessed the culprit, knowing the red herring and misdirects of the genre as I do, but it was still a delight to get to the big reveal, find out what clues I hadn't connected.

THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR comes out September 24th (next week!) and I know it is too early and still far too warm to be talking about Christmassy books, but if you like mysteries, Agatha Christie, and/or hilarious banter, you should definitely add this one to your list.

Maggie Chase, a successful cozy mystery writer, has had some rough times around the Christmas season. She endured the loss of both her parents and her husband leaving her for her best friend. As Christmas approached, her publisher advised that her presence was required at a party in England, hosted by a fan. When she arrived, she discovered that the host was none other than Eleanor Ashley, the renowned mystery author, and her idol. The guest list included rival writer Ethan Wyatt, another author, and some relatives gathered for the holidays at Eleanor's grand mansion. Stranded by a snowstorm, eight-one-year-old Eleanor mysteriously disappears. Maggie assumes this is all a clever game. But when a guest is poisoned, things get serious. Together with Ethan, whom she detests but needs to trust, Maggie tries to figure out what happened to Eleanor. And could Ethan's charms also be softening Maggie's heart? 

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is not your typical locked-room mystery. Author Ally Carter has added a nice blend of romance into the mix creating a highly enjoyable blend of genres. The who-done-it was well crafted, complemented by the enemies-to-lovers dynamic. This book is a delightful and fast-paced read that will get you in the holiday spirit. 

4.5 stars.

If you love the movie Knives Out or enjoy any kind of murder mystery game like Clue, then this book is for you!!

Ally Carters writing is very quick paced and the next minute you realize you’re already halfway through the book and can’t put it down. Our main characters, Maggie and Ethan, are invited to a Christmas party over seas in London and turns out it’s hosted by Maggie’s all time favorite murder mystery author, Eleanor Ashley (I would simply perish). But there’s weird tension amongst the other family members also attending and then one night Eleanor goes missing.

There’s angry pointed fingers, handful of clues, secret passage ways, multiple attempts of murder and romance on the side, who wouldn’t love that? The tension and banter between Maggie and Ethan had me giggling and blushing so much and yelling “just kiss already!!” at my kindle.

There’s a lot of details and backstory between both main characters, but I wish we had a bit more time to read and understand their past. Some parts felt like it was casually tossed in for plot and not fully flushed out. But besides that, I absolutely enjoyed this one!! This could easily be a book read during Halloween and Christmas!

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review!