This was a delightful modern story that felt very Agatha Christie. I loved it so much! A country manor and a cast of characters that included the peerage, a Dr, lawyer, and mystery writers. Yes, please.

3.5 stars ✨⭐️.

I thought this book was a cute read, and I liked reading the development of Maggie. The story overall was fast-paced and a pretty simple read. I would recommend this book for those who are interested in stories from Agatha Christie and other cozy mysteries. 

Personally, Ethan's past didn't make sense to me, and his backstory could've used some more work, along with his relationship with his family. Also, the ending (no spoilers) was fine at parts, but I felt like it could've used some more elaboration. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC e-book.

Christmas came early for this reviewer of Ally Carter’s new book, “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year!” This charming rom-com murder mystery set in a mansion in the UK during Christmas is a delight of a book and a fun locked room mystery to try and solve.

When rivals Ethan Wyatt and Maggie (not Marcie) Chase, best selling mystery authors, are invited to the home of their biggest fan, they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. All Maggie knows is that Christmas hates Maggie and she has survived a lot of awful Christmas seasons. This Christmas is shaping up to me another lonely holiday after having discovered her now ex-husband cheating with her best (and only) friend last Christmas, so it’s no surprise when Maggie agrees to spend Christmas in England with strangers on an English estate in a lovely old manor house (that is closer to a castle than a house). Unfortunately for Maggie, her biggest rival at her publishing house has also been invited on this trip of a lifetime. Worse than that, he’s like a walking male model with a charming personality and killer smile that only Maggie seems to see right through and who never seems to get her name right no matter how often she correct him. When their host disappears, the scene is set as these two enemies must put aside their differences and team up to try and find out who is trying to kill them, and why, before one of them ends up dead this Christmas! While a blizzard rages outside and the back story for the both the rivalry and Maggie’s dislike of the Christmas season unfolds, this romantic mystery takes a deeper dive into what it means to brave your fears.

This clever ode to Agatha Christie has all of my favorite things: a creepy castle, a crazy snow storm, a locked room mystery, a large cast of diverse characters who make great suspects, and enemies who know little about each other, but have to agree to set aside their differences if they are going to save themselves (and maybe each other) during the most wonderful time of the year. As a huge fan of cozy mysteries, I found this romantic mystery to be filled with lots of fun twists and turns, and also plenty of depth of character (and chemistry) for our heroes.

Ally Carter has always been a favorite author with my family, and I am happy to see that her writing has grown up with her target audience as she has progressed from books written for middle grade to YA to older YA and finally adult novels. I know I will be preordering copies of this one before it comes out on September 24, 2024 for the huge Ally Carter fans in my house. If you love Knives Out and classic Agatha Christie mysteries, this is one that you will definitely want to add to your book shelf too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Vogager publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was exactly what I needed, the perfect marriage of a mystery that brought readers along in solving it and an enemies to lovers romance. Described in the blurb as reminiscent of Knives Out, I felt similarly in reading this, with a sense of fun in the locked room mystery.

Maggie and Ethan, both authors for the same publishing house, are invited to legendary mystery writer Eleanor Ashley’s home in England over Christmas. Very quickly on Eleanor disappears and has seemingly left them some clues around her disappearance, in addition to the ones they work to suss out while locked in her mansion during a winter storm. Other characters join the pair, from distasteful and mysterious relatives to outlier friends or friends of relatives. I loved the dynamic between our two main characters, their unusual backstories (both individually and around their relationship) and their interactions and conversations were fun to follow. The mystery wasn’t easy to solve (in fact it seemed like multiple mysteries) and the other characters were believable enough in their motives and the red herrings thrown that I wasn’t quite sure if I was right in the suspect (I was - but it was so much fun solving the mystery, and so hard to be completely sure, that it doesn’t bother me).

Highly recommended for fans of mysteries that remind me of the classics, and fun reads in which the romance organically develops.

Knives Out meets Ally Carter. This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a very long time. My only complaint: not a fan of closed door romance. But the plot was amazing, and I loved all the characters so much. There were so many great twists throughout.

Synopsis:

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a hands-down five-star entrancing read that features Maggie Chase, an accredited mystery author, trying to survive in a world of liars and do her best to pretend her rival, Ethan Wyatt, will drop off the face of the Earth at any second. Both of them are talented mystery authors with complicated pasts, and they are presented with a vague invitation to spend their Christmas in the English countryside. However, upon arrival, the pair is quickly met with a real-life mystery that just so happens to require two sets of eyes to solve, much to Maggie’s dismay. It’s a Who-Dun-It mystery done Knives Out style with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It’s a perfect read for anyone interested in an adult romance with a slightly dark and humorous twist. 

Review:

Here’s the deal: I’ve always been an Ally Carter fan, so I hope I don’t sound too biased when I say that when I read her books, time seems to stop, and the only thing I can seem to focus on are the characters on the page. I have always loved mystery and romance novels, and this book blends the genres perfectly. The characters themselves are relatable primarily because of the endless witty banter and the struggles they face in each chapter. The growth Maggie goes through in this story is refreshing and inspiring to read. Unraveling Ethan’s persona and its many facets is absolutely hilarious. The many clues dropped along the way feel much like firecrackers waiting to go off, and even though you know it will happen, each time one comes up, it’s a thrill. The chapters are a good length, and the pace of the book is perfect. This book is one of very few I can say that has a gripping introduction and satisfying conclusion. AND DUEL CHARACTER POVS!! It’s a rare gem and an absolute joy to read. I am very grateful to Ally Carter, her publishing team, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Put aside that Ally Carter is an instant buy for me, and this was still a super fun read. I read it in one day and couldn't put it down. It has enemies to friends, he falls first and harder, and the all amazing “who did this to you?” line. This mystery rom com has something for everyone. I can't recommend it enough!

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣…𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩.”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Maggie writes cozy mysteries and Ethan writes thrillers, making them rivals in the industry. They’re both invited to legendary author Eleanor Ashley’s home for Christmas along with her family & friends, but just days before Christmas Eleanor vanishes. Trapped in a mansion where everyone has a motive, Maggie & Ethan have to work together to find Eleanor while trying to stay alive themselves.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:

Rivals to lovers, attempted murder, snowed in & CHRISTMAS all in one book?! Part mystery & part romance, this book is seriously so.much.fun!

"𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣."
"𝙏𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?"
"𝙏𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

Maggie & Ethan are everything you want in rivals (enemies?) to lovers. Maggie lashes out & Ethan flirts - honestly it was giving me major Castle vibes! All I could think about every time Maggie gave Ethan a tongue lashing was “𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶!” because seriously Ethan was so far gone for Maggie.

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙣𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙨𝙠𝙮…”

I absolutely LOVED how everything in this story is unraveled, from Maggie & Ethan’s history to the mystery surrounding Eleanor’s disappearance. & the action seriously never stopped! I found myself on the edge of my seat, so much so that I binged this one in a day.

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗜’𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗶𝗻.”

Maggie & Ethan were such a fun dynamic. There’s banter & teasing but also so much swoon & tenderness. I loved how their relationship unfolded as more about Ethan’s true persona is revealed & how a slight misunderstanding led Maggie to believe they were enemies this entire time.

“𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧…” 𝙃𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙.”
“𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧?” “𝙈𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪?”
“𝙃𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙖𝙣…”𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚. 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙.’”

This book is witty and fun but will have you in your feels. There’s romance and swoon but also angst and thrills. There’s goosebumps and chills, but also such aching tenderness. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
▶Knives Out but make it a holiday rom-com
▶Mystery thriller with romance
▶She’s a cozy mystery writer
▶He’s former Secret Service turned author
▶I’m protecting you so I have to sleep on your bed
▶Let’s kiss so they don’t see us
▶Lots of leaning against doorframes
▶Touch her & die
▶“Stop being mean to me or Im going to fall in love with you!” vibes

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Tenía años que no leía a Carter.



Así estaba quedando mi reseña a la mitad del libro:
Maggie es escritora de misterios, no le gustan las multitudes, la invitan a una fiesta navideña de una celebre escritora a otro país y acepta a regañadientes porque tiene meses que no sale de su casa.
En las navidades le pasa cosas malas y cuando sus padres murieron cuando tenia 18 años dejó de gustale y festejar. Justo cuando murieron conoció a Emily (aka la rata traicionera 2) y Colin (la rata traicionera 1) y se volvieron mejores amigas, el su novio y posteriormente su esposo.
Hace un año que se divorció porque la rata traicionera 1 y la rata traicionera 2 tuvieron una aventura, se quedaron con la casa y con todo su dinero por lo que todavía no se ha recuperado.
No me gustó que desde el principio encontrara a Ethan atractivo si el era un tarado con ella.

Ethan es escritor, mujeriego, siempre llama a Maggie por otro nombre a pesar de que sí sabe como se llama, es carismatico y el tipo que se hace amigo de todos. A él también lo invitaron a la fiesta misteriosa.
Me cayó mal con su comentario: "No me sorprende que la hayan dejado" quería golpearlo.




Como ven Ethan me caí mal, no entendía que le veía Maggie, pero luego en la segunda mitad empezó a tener povs, todo cambio y se dieron muchas explicaciones de su comportamiento. En cuanto al romance la segunda parte es la mejor. No contaré más porqué ya dí muchos spoilers.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book gave Hallmark meets only murders in the building vibes. I really enjoyed the dynamic of our two lovelies. I loved reading through their feelings about each other and just overall had a good time.

Maggie Chase hates Christmas. Every bad thing that happened to her has happened over Christmas, and this year is no exception. It's the first Christmas since she caught her (now ex) husband having an affair with her best, and only, friend. Rather than spending the holiday alone writing her next cozy mystery novel, she accepts an invitation from a reclusive fan for an all-expense paid trip to the English countryside. The only problem? Her literary nemesis, Ethan Wyatt, a high-octane thriller writer, was also invited for the holidays. When Maggie discovers that the reclusive fan is none other than her favorite author and critically acclaimed mystery novelist Eleanor Ashley, she's willing to set aside her disdain for Ethan. Not that it would matter since a brutal snowstorm has them sequestered at Eleanor's estate. They're joined by Eleanor's closest family and friends. But on their first night, Eleanor disappears from a locked room without a trace, leaving Maggie trapped with someone who may or may not have tried to kill Eleanor. Maggie is forced to work with Ethan to solve the mystery of what happened to Eleanor.

As soon as I read the dedication page of this book, I knew I was going to love it. It was such a fun read - I binged it in a single sitting. The banter between Maggie and Ethan was great and reminded me of Kat and Hale from Carter's Heist Society books. I loved Maggie's emotional journey of learning to trust herself and her judgment again after years of her ex-husband gaslighting her (he is the smallest man who ever lived). I also enjoyed the Agatha Christie and Knives Out vibes. Overall, it was a little cheesy at times but a fun, enjoyable read nonetheless. It's great for someone looking for a holiday romantic suspense novel.

A few tropes include forced proximity, only one bed, who did this to you, he falls first, and touch her and die. There sort of is a rivals-to-lovers setup, but it's more like she hates him and views him as a rival and he enjoys teasing her.

My biggest gripe with the book is there were a couple of instances where Ethan infantilized Maggie. It wasn't as prominent as in The Blonde Identity, which I appreciated, but it didn't fit Ethan's character or his dynamic with Maggie. Maggie's ex-husband belittled and gaslit her for years to the point where she stopped trusting herself. But Maggie is smart, perceptive, and talented. For the most part, he was great at getting her to see this. I loved that Ethan admired her for having these qualities and how he was never intimidated by her success (as opposed to her egotistically fragile ex). Because of that, the moments when he infantilized her retracted from this and didn't fit his character. They were small moments--he referred to her as "young lady," told her "good girl," and a couple of other similar instances. These moments made it seem like Ethan viewed her as less capable, even though he spent a big chunk of the book trying to get her to trust and believe in herself (no one knows Eleanor Ashley's mind as a writer better than Maggie, equipping her to be the best person to solve the case). Men who infantilize women tend to be the same men who gaslight women. Both are mechanisms of tearing a woman down. While these were more isolated instances and less prominent than The Blonde Identity, they were unnecessary and contradictory Ethan's character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for giving me an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was cozy, cute, thrilling and a little spicy 😉. I completely loved this book. It was the perfect combination of holiday cheer and who done it! A five star festive read!

The book starts off great. There is a lot of banter between the two main characters and a clearly painted picture of Christmas/holiday season. The main female character felt instantly sympathetic and relatable once we saw her perspective. The short chapters made the book fly by. However, much of the woman's narration felt juvenile. I would not expect a grown woman and divorcée to go weak at the sight of a sliver of a man's ab.

Maggie Chase is a cozy mystery writer. She refers to Ethan Wyatt as the leather jacket guy. He writes action thrillers and always seems to be the life of the party. Maggie has a way of blending into the background. When both are summoned to spend Christmas on an estate in England they have no idea what is about to happen to change their world.

When their hostess disappears from a locked room Maggie and Ethan join forces to try and find her with the hope that she is still alive and one of her guests didn't do her in. At first Maggie has nothing but disdain for Ethan, but as the mystery unfolds she finds more and more that she truly never knew who Ethan really is. Yet much to her dismay there is an attraction that draws her to him throughout their time together.

I truly enjoyed this story from author Ally Carter! I loved the back and forth between Maggie and Ethan. I loved how he was able to help Maggie find out who she truly is. I enjoyed how each of their stories was told through past recollections and how they were able to open up to each other and find safety in being vulnerable. The "who-done-it" was kind of obvious to me, but not the why, so that was surprising. There were a lot of red-herrings along the way to get to the final reveal which made for some exciting moments. I enjoyed the romance between Maggie and Ethan as well. There was a bit of sexual tension, but nothing graphic which made this reader happy. I think I have pretty much read everything that Ally Carter has written and have enjoyed all of her works. This one did not disappoint!

I think if the author wanted to rename this book, it could be: "It Happened in the Elevator."

A locked-room mystery about an eighty-one-year-old crime queen’s mysterious disappearance in the middle of a blizzard from her own study without leaving a trace, pointing to some perpetrator who has been threatening her life for a long time, meets an enemies-to-lovers and rival authors' mystery: yes, sign me up!

I already rounded up my four and a half stars to give it a full five. It's an entertaining, trapped-in-a-mansion scenario where everyone has a motive to be the killer—a perfect crime of the year!

Yes, Christmas came early for me as soon as I started reading this book! The twisty murder mystery is smart and riveting. The characterization reminds you of the movie “Clue”! Maggie (not Marcie) and Ethan’s chemistry hits the roof, making you hyperventilate, even though it takes place in the freezing wintertime in England! Ethan reminded me of the mischievous, playful, flirty Richard Castle, including his relationship with his dad! (Who can resist reading a book when the hero is as charming as Nathan Fillion?) Maggie’s traumatic past is heartbreaking. Her self-deprecation and suspicions about people’s motives are understandable, but her wounds make her one of the best crime writers.

I loved the recurring themes in the book. Especially when I found out the reason why Ethan keeps calling Maggie by the wrong name, I made a loud “awww” sound, forgetting I was reading this book in a cafe. Everyone gathered around me to ask what I was reading, was it really good, and I told them it was not good, it was perfect!

I also adored the Tucson chapter. It made my eyes blurry!

The only thing I didn’t like, which made me cut half a star, were the repetitive lines like Maggie telling everyone she and Ethan hate each other and Ethan repeatedly saying he has to protect her as if he’s a superhero from MCU movies, stuck with a cheesy line the worst screenwriters put on paper, dooming the entire movie to flop at the box office.

Instead of those lines, I loved how the romance bloomed between Ethan and Maggie. They are afraid of coming clean about their feelings, hiding behind harsh banter (from Maggie’s side) and flirty teasing (from Ethan’s coping mechanism). I loved how they teamed up to solve the mystery of the missing author and the perpetrator who threatens Maggie's life, leading to a satisfying resolution.

I hope the authors bring these two characters back to crack another mystery! So far, I’ve had an amazing time! I highly recommend you go in blind and jump into this book if you’re a die-hard fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and, of course, an intelligently written locked-room mystery with riveting pacing. Luckily, this book blends thriller and romance in a smart style that guarantees so much fun!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this highly enjoyable Christmas romance mystery’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What could have been a fun Christmas mystery set at an English country house was totally overwhelmed by a insipid romance that beggared belief.

What could be better than an enemies to lovers, attempted murder, snowed in + CHRISTMAS?!? Maggie is an author whose life drastically changed a year ago and she has been dealing with the effects of that every since. Ethan is a hot shot(literally) author who appears to be a charming persona and nothing more. They both get invited to a mysterious person's house for Christmas and the host goes missing. Maggie and Ethan must work together to try to find out who might be attempting to murder the host before someone gets killed!

This book was a BLAST to read! Thank you Harper Voyager/Avon for this ARC!
For fans of romance and mystery this book has it all! The tension and chemistry between Maggie and Ethan is off the charts despite Maggie's best efforts. The supporting cast of characters amplifies the suspense in a wonderful way!

I loved this book and highly recommend!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars

This was a super duper fun read! It hit all the right notes of rom-com + murder/mystery with the added bonus of the holiday stuff! I had a blast reading this and can easily see myself revisiting this story and awesome characters during the holiday season.

I really can’t wait to get my needy greedy paws on a physical copy!

I liked the change of pace this book gave me compared to the usual Christmas books I have read. It had a good writing style, and the setting had a slightly spooky vibe. I think this will be a fun book for a group of writers to read during the holidays. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The prose is easy and accessible, the set up feels dynamic, and it feels like a 3-4 star read for the target audience, 5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.