3⭐️
Happy Bloody Christmas is a cosy Christmassy murder mystery. It follows the Christmas Eve of Anna and her family after hosting a party the night before and waking up to a dead body in their larder. I’m not convinced this book is for me, unfortunately. I found that I wanted to like it more than I did in the end.

I think the main thing which affected my enjoyment with this book was the humour. Whilst a few times I did audibly laugh, I found that most of the humour simply didn’t land for me. Whilst I did like Anna as a character and connected to her pretty well, I felt most other characters outside of her main family unit were pretty distant. It was nice to read Anna’s interactions with Oli and the children though. I felt I couldn’t try and make guesses as to who I thought did it as I didn’t know the characters well enough.

I think a different audience would appreciate this book better, as can be seen by most other reviews. Thus fans of cozy murder mysteries and/or mothers would probably quite enjoy this read.

Amateur Detective work at its most bonkers and absurd.

It’s Christmas Eve. Anna and Oli are hosting Christmas dinner for his parents tomorrow. Last night they hosted their annual Christmas Eve Eve party for a small selection of friends, family and acquaintances that provided the opportunity or everyone to enter the season in good cheer. Well, almost everyone! With a raging hangover and a dead body in her larder, Anna has to pull herself together pretty quickly if she is going to woo the disapproving Mother-in-Law. However, when a bungling police officer demonstrates his incompetence, best friend Jennie decides they need to establish who from this small intimate circle of guests has the killer’s instinct. With a fuzzy head, no sleuthing skills, but armed with a sense of adventure, can Anna, Jennie, and Oli narrow down the suspects to crack the case?

Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton will certainly make the Christmas season interesting. So many of the characters are highly relatable. I almost daren’t say it, but in the opening scenes, I could have been a third person in the conversations between Anna and Jennie as they downplayed certain events, gave priority to things of little consequence, and reasoned about why they themselves shouldn’t be on a murder board. Does that make me a bad human? The conversations between the besties and those between Anna and her family that includes her husband Oli, 15-year-old son, Ben, and prepubescent daughter, Lily, are realistic with a natural flow, accurately depicting their years. The inner thoughts about the mother-in-law are not uncommon to any woman who just doesn’t make the cut for someone’s perfect, darling, son. And who can forget the nosey, elderly neighbour who gives themselves an air of importance by joining every committee going?

Key characters aside, the writing style is easy. There are no big words to trip you up, no convoluted twists and turns that have you in a knot that has you going, ‘Huh, what the….?’ at the end of the book. Rather it is a book with simple people, written for simple people that wouldn’t mind being a ‘have a go’ hero for the day. The book has a gentle pace that starts and finishes on Christmas Eve mid-morning and finishes on Christmas Eve evening making it feel like you are exploring and watching the mystery unfold in real time. Although there are red herrings and plot twists, the level of sleuthing does not rival the likes of Agatha Christie. With a relatively small cast, provided you are paying a little attention, the clues that are also as common as the marzipan fruits in this story are solvable.

I really enjoyed watching more and more people get sucked into the investigation, and the visual images Middleton was able to help conjure in my head. I found there to be such hilarity in scenes of photographing ‘evidence,’ shoplifting, raiding gardens, wheedling one’s way into someone’s home, talking moon cups, and more, all for the sake of the greater good. The fact that it happens during the season of goodwill, when there are so many other stresses going on just adds to the laughable mayhem.

This book is a gossip’s dream. If ever you need justification for the amount of drama you share, Happy Bloody Christmas is it. I wanted to write a balanced review, so having raved about the good points, it’s only fair that I consider the negatives. Thinking, thinking, thinking… the fact is, there are none. The book is perfectly pitched at readers that do not have to be too logical, or too attentive, or too niche. Readers don’t have to be too involved; they can choose to get involved or simply enjoy the frolics for what they are. The structure is easy to follow, the spelling and grammar has been checked and double-checked and the story reaches a satisfying conclusion with everything neatly sewn up, so you are not left filling in the blanks. The language is tame making it suitable for older teens and above. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a cozy mystery, you won’t be disappointed. Now if Middleton could just hurry along and release another book that would be the icing on the cake.

Anna does not plan to find her boss's body in her pantry the day after her Christmas party. The police ruin evidence and are disinterested in finding his killer so it is up to Anna, despite her in-laws arriving the following day...... Absolutely brilliant reading with many laugh out loud moments, highly recommended for wet day reading , you won't be able to put it down until you discover the killer.

I started reading Happy Bloody Christmas having read a number of very enthusiastic reviews and was dismayed that my initial reaction didn't match up with them. At the beginning it read like a very cringy sit com and I nearly gave up but I am so glad I persevered.
Jo Middleton is obviously a very talented writer with great insight into people and what makes them tick, and also what the reader will find highly amusing. This is a warm, very cleverly done Christmas novel with an amusing, likeable and relateable family trying to solve a murder before the overbearing mother in law arrives on Christmas morning.

Well this was simply bloody brilliant! I literally giggled the whole way through! So much of it reminded me of conversations I have with my mum about our husbands (the constant having to think of what’s for tea etc) that it felt very close to home! Obviously finding a dead Santa hasn’t happened to either of us (I’ll say yet because you can never say never!) but what a fun read. Anna and Jennie made me think of me and my bestie, Mel, and what either of us would say if the other rang us up with the news (pretty much what Jennie said)! Honestly, this was so much fun and silly at the same time, perfect Christmas book without it being a typical sickly sweet Christmas read!

Frantic, festive - and funny!

Christmas Eve is a hectic time for everyone but for those hosting the festive meal - and especially with the in-laws arriving - even frantic doesn't begin to cover it. Throw in a booming hangover, a 'to-do' list growing by the minute and Anna has more than enough on her plate. It can't get any worse - can it? Well, when you throw in a dead body in the larder, it definitely can ...

I'm going to be very careful not to give anything away here, but I think there's a lesson for all of us in this one. After all, it's only one day - but oh, the pressure we put upon ourselves! Anna is no different; coping with children and Christmas enters a whole new level with a thudding hangover and the laughs come thick and fast. Very funny, but those used to solving mysteries in their reading will be able to pick out all the wrong things to do - which only increased the giggles. As long as you don't take life too seriously, this is a warm and witty read. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this novel via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Anna’s Christmas is not as she’d anticipated, quite different from previous years. After their annual Christmas party, hungover Anna goes downstairs the following morning to find a dead body in her larder…. From here a dark humored whodunnit 🥸 will have you laughing out loud very early on.

Not your average Christmas romance, but a definite should read this Christmas 🎄

I just loved this book so much it was so good that once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. It made me want to be friends with Anna and Jennie and spend Christmas with them. This book was an absolute hoot to read and a marvellous whodunnit, it had marvellous characters in it as well. I was just sorry when it finished as it was so good.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a marvellous whodunnit with a good bit of humour too and marvellous characters as well as an excellent story.

I would like to thank Avon and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Happy Bloody Christmas is just brilliant, and I'm sad that I have finished it! Anna is preparing to welcome her in-laws for Christmas, and feeling the pressure of living up to her mother-in-laws standards. That would be bad enough, but stumbling into the pantry with a hangover, Anna is in for a shock - her sleazy boss Colin has been stabbed!

With the hapless police officers more interested in their Christmas party than investigating, Anna and best friend Jennie take on themselves to investigate. Whilst juggling Christmas Eve preparations, nosy neighbours and a party of suspects, Anna and Jennie attempt to get to the truth, with a whole load of revelations along the way.

What was unexpected was the sub-story running alongside, featuring Anna and her perceived expectations of Christmas with her family. Pretty much the worst has already happened in their house, so who cares if the cats eat the smoked salmon starter?! This side of the story was really heartwarming, especially the support from Anna's husband Oli and children Ben and Lily (who was scarily similar to my own daughter!)

Please please bring Anna and Jennie back for more escapades, and can I join their gang too?!

Happy Bloody Christmas was a wonderfully entertaining read. From the first page I was chuckling and the book kept up this jovial tone, despite the murder!

Anna is a relatable character who wakes up on Christmas Eve and discovers the body of her boss (dressed as Father Christmas) in her prised walk-in pantry. When the police are more interested in festive food, she takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery. With help from her family and best friend, Anna follows the evidence to discover who committed the murder at her Christmas party.

Everyone seemed to have motive and opportunity which made the book a great read and kept me guessing right to the end.

A great mixture of humour, mystery, and general Christmas-time stress!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel. All opinions are my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton is a festive murder mystery with a difference. A true Christmas cracker of a read.

Anna wakes up Christmas Eve morning after their annual party with the worst hangover, a dead santa in her larder and what's worse is her in laws are coming to stay for Christmas. When the police arrive it's obvious that they are more interested in getting back to the station for their Christmas pies than solving the murder. So Anna and friend Jennie are left to solve the murder themselves. They get their murder boards out and work through their suspect list. Will they find our who stabbed Santa with a knife from Anna's sabatier set (you can't buy individual replacements you know)

This was the funniest festive book that I didn't know I needed to read. It's a brilliantly plotted whodunit, completely bonkers at times and told in a light, quirky and engaging way. Jo Middleton is an author I haven't read before but I'm looking to reading more from her soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I love a Christmas read and adding the element of mystery was a perfect mixture for me. Overall it was funny and compelling!

If you're a fan of Motherland and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, then Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton should be on your must-read list! This clever and engaging Christmas murder mystery mixes humour with suspense, making it the perfect holiday read.

The story centres on Anna Johnson, who wakes up the morning after her Christmas party with a pounding hangover, struggling to recall foggy memories of amaretto shots and an intense game of Twister where she was determined to show she could still do a crab. As if the pressure of creating a festive tablescape for her judgmental mother-in-law's imminent arrival wasn't enough, Anna's day takes a wild turn when she discovers a dead Father Christmas in her brand-new walk-in larder.

Things go from bad to worse when the police officers on the scene are more interested in returning to the station so as not to miss out on the Christmas party turkey & cranberry pies than solving the crime. Their incompetence peaks when they destroy key evidence, trampling through the crime scene, and spilling pasta shells all over the dead body. It soon becomes evident that if this murder is to be solved, Anna will have to take charge.

What ensues is a chaotic yet hilarious adventure as Anna tries to balance holiday preparations with unravelling an unexpected murder, all while trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive for her family.

Anna is an incredibly relatable character, dealing with endless to-do lists, family pressures, and the quest for the perfect Christmas.

The story masterfully combines the dark humour and domestic mayhem of Motherland with the gripping mystery that fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will love.

Anna wakes up on Christmas Eve not feeling her best after her party the night before but knows she needs to prepare for her (nightmare) in-laws who are arriving the next day. So when she finds Father Christmas murdered in her pantry it throws a real spanner in the works. Will she find out what happened and manage to save the family Christmas?

I was really drawn to the title and premise of this one as it sounded like it would be a lot of fun. After reading I can confirm that it certainly was! I really enjoyed the author’s lighthearted, humorous writing style and even though this was a murder mystery I had a smile on my face. The story flowed well and I really enjoyed getting involved in the investigation; it all came together well.

All the characters are great, as they are witty, funny and I felt I really got to know them. I loved the rapport between Anna and friend Jennie and their easy banter. I would love to read more of their antics in a second book! This is a perfect book for those looking to read a festive cosy murder mystery filled with plenty of black humour. I will be recommending! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

It took me some time to get into this book. In fact, I nearly didn't finish reading it after the first chapter as I found the humour didn't quite work for me. However, after a break, I continue reading and gradually began to enjoy the story. The lead character, Anna wakes up after a pre-Christmas drinks party at her home to find her boss, Colin, dead in the walk in larder. He has been stabbed. The police officers arrive and Anna is so unimpressed by them that she decides she must solve the murder herself with her husband's help, preferably before her mother-in-law arrives for Christmas day. The story is full of dark humour (for example, one police officer spills pasta onto the crime scene) which is sometimes amusing and sometimes just jars. The police are just a bit to cartoon comic-like and the situation just a bit too unbelievable, even for cosy crime fiction. Add to this the fact that the murderer seemed obvious to me from very early on and I can't say this would be in my top ten Christmas crime stories. I did eventually enjoy reading it and I think those who like a lot of dark humour mixed in with their cosy crime will love it.

A comedic festive story that made me.laugh in places - won't live long in the memory but is.am entertaining read.

One word.

AMAZING!!

When I first started reading i thought oh no christmas in September but actually it was so good. Althought based at christmas it wasnt heavy christmas so you could read it anytime of the year. The plot, character and story was absolutely amazing! This was a first for me reading this author but it definitely will not be the last. I have been recommending this to everyone I know who reads amazing 😍

What's the worst that could happen when you wake up with a hangover on Christmas Eve? Could it be finding Father Christmas dead in your pantry? Happy Bloody Christmas is a fun, entertaining who-dunnit with some madcap scenarios and giggles thrown in for good measure. Thank you to netgalley, author and publisher for an arc.

What a bloody brilliant story. I read this in one sitting and absolutely roared with laughter throughout. Yes, it’s a little predictable but don’t let that take away from the absolute hilarity that this truly is.
The absurdity of the whole situation, coupled with the inner thoughts of a millennial mum (speaking my language) you have got yourself a gut buster of a narrative.
Nice quick easy read, and strangely enough, rather cosy and festive 😂

What a wonderfully funny book. The sheer absurdity of the situation, set against the banality of preparing for a family Christmas with the in laws, is what makes the novel so entertaining. There are some really classic, laugh out loud, hilarious comments and moments. Although murder is clearly not a feel good theme the love and closeness of Anna, Oli and Ben is very uplifting. So, too, is Anna’s relationship with her best friend, Jennie, and with her brother his partner. In some ways, a classic whodunnit, but in others so much more. The writer has a way with words and uses them effectively. When Anna finds a body in her pantry her first thoughts are to salvage their Christmas celebrations and protect her family from unpleasantness. However, faced with the apparent incompetence of the police officers, she quickly decides to investigate and solve the crime herself, enlisting the help of husband, Oli, son, Ben and friend, Jennie. Some difficult moments follow as the team try to eliminate suspects. A refreshingly different Christmas story, which I definitely recommend.