Loved the idea of a Christmassy scavenger hunt for the bored and lonely in the village- less keen on the first thing found being a body!
There are some lovely characters in this book, all of whom the author manages to cast suspicion on, leaving the armchair detective in a quandary about who to trust other than Maddie, the stranger in the room!
I really needed a map of the pub to picture the hidden passages and sheer size of the property so I could track my suspects more efficiently!
A thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery for a cold dark evening read.

This is a great book, a locked room murder mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's amusing, and not too heavy - perfect for a cold winter's night.

This was a lovely cosy mystery set at Christmas time which I loved. The humour was very good and whilst the plot was a little predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed it

Cozyish Claustrophobic Christmas murder mystery. Liked the setting of the snowed in pub in the Dales, The characters felt authentic, although I didn't particularly warm to any of them which might have been why I struggled to get into the story a bit. Cover is great.

I absolutely adored this. It was an absolute joy to read! Once I started, I just didn’t want to stop. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Stranded in the Yorkshire Dales by car trouble and a blizzard, reporter Maddie takes shelter in the quaint village pub, where she's drawn into the annual Christmas Eve scavenger hunt....but a more deadly game is afoot!

It's up to her and handsome policeman Alex to piece together the clues and unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

This is my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed the setting, the cast of characters -- especially Constable Don's obsession with ghosts -- and the way the mystery unfolded. I was kept guessing the killer's identity until the very end.

The Christmas Eve Murders is a fun Christmassy cosy murder mystery book. Maddie ends up stuck in a small Yorkshire village pub after her car breaks down on the way home to Scotland. A scavenger hunt takes place and a murder occurs.
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read. Quite formulaic but not in a bad way. Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. But when the plot hit it hit. The story really took off and I enjoyed it! I love Christmas and the spin of making it into a thriller was great!

3.5

It’s 6pm on Christmas Eve and Maddie Marlowe has major car trouble in the middle of the isolated Yorkshire Dales. She has breakdown cover which is useless as there’s no phone signal. To add insult to injury, it’s snowing heavily. Fret not, help is at hand at The Merry Monarch pub. Hopefully it will be as much fun as the King it’s named after - Charles II, in case you are wondering! It all seems very safe as elderly resident Curtis reassures her. However, maybe it’s the eerie silence that puts Maddie on edge or perhaps something else. Trust your instincts, girl.

This is the very epitome of cosy at the start with warming fires, delicious food and some welcoming amusing locals but there are warning shots across the boughs as they’re totally cut off. Then of course, the shenanigans and ‘fun and games’ begin. The apparent calm is shattered by feuds, a scavenger hunt, ghostly rumours, less than ghostly nefarious deeds and ghastly not ghostly murder and mayhem.

The author creates an appropriate atmosphere to accompany the storytelling especially as it’s clearly claustrophobic because they’re trapped. It’s all done in the right tone often with witty banter from characters who are well portrayed. It feels somewhat surreal on occasions and of course, the ensuing drama contrasts and clashes with the festive season with less than festive cheer. There are shocks in store, trust vanishes out the window and it becomes oppressive.

It does become a bit predictable but that does fit with this type of murder mystery. There’s a lot of dialogue that is used to tell the story which is something I’m personally not keen on, hence the three star rating rather than four. On the plus side the tone of the comments is often good with everything from Yorkshire call a spade a shovel comments to sarcasm to laugh out loud.

If you like golden age style cosy crime novels then this fits the bill and I like the good note it ends on. It’s an easy read and would make a perfect companion on a cold winter evening in front of a warm fire, a glass or mug in the other hand!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was a fun, cozy mystery that was sort of in the vein of Agatha Christie. The characters were interesting and the setting felt immersive.

Ooh, this was such a good read. Who knew a good murder could be fun and jolly? Maddie breaks down and is led by an old man and his dog to a pub to call for the breakdown service and when that fails to get a room for the night. If only! The Christmas Eve scavenger hunt turns bloody and there is serious crime on going on amongst smouldering looks,, sarcastic comments and all out shouting matches. Everyone could have a reason to bump off the recently deceased and Maddie is the newbie to the situation trying to work out allegiances and keep herself alive. I had such a good time turning pages and rushing to the end to see it all unpicked.

I love a good locked room mystery and that combined with a Christmas Eve setting made this an enjoyable read. Maddie is on her way home to Scotland to spend Christmas with her family when her car breaks down on a snowy day outside of a small town in the Yorkshire Dales. When a stranger knocks on her window to help, she follows him to the local pub. She is stuck at the pub for the night with a group of locals who have an annual Christmas Eve scavenger hunt tradition.

As the game begins things quickly go awry and the mystery begins. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and cast of characters as Maddie tries to figure out what is going on and who the killer is. The book had a great combination of spookiness, mystery, and a fun group of characters. It was a quick an enjoyable read and would be a great book to curl up with on a winter evening.

Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC to review in exchange for my honest review.

Cosy festive crime with a great setting and lots of charm. This does everything you want from an example of the genre and adds in a few warm winter feels as well.

This novel is an addition to the ever-growing ‘cosy crime’ stable of books set in beautiful British locations. The setting is a public house in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, and the novel starts on a Christmas Eve when the worsening winter weather is threatening to cut off the roads into and out of the village. Journalist Maddie unexpectedly finds herself marooned in this bucolic setting and has to join the locals at the Merry Monarch: landlords Mickey and Sofia with son James, local policemen Alex and Don, the Kapoor family and also dog lover Curtis whose pet – perhaps a little predictably – responds to ‘Barkley’. But instead of engaging in warm and friendly Christmas games, the Merry Monarch patrons soon find themselves involved in a snowstorm, a power cut, old animosities that still rankle, and a breathtaking murder committed by one person among them …. Sympathetically written with good characterisation and setting, I enjoyed this seasonal novel and could imagine it bringing a lot of joy to readers wrapped up safely at home in more favourable conditions than the cast is experiencing. I wish to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun Christmas mystery. Characters were not particularly interesting and the writing kind of pedestrian, but the mystery and the closed in setting kept me involved

Maddie Marlowe should be en route to her parents in Edinburgh for Christmas. Yet on December 24, she’s stuck in a pub, the Merry Monarch, in the Yorkshire Dales, agreeing to participate in a scavenger hunt while she waits for her car to be fixed. The weather is wicked but it’s not the only thing that’s dangerous: within moments of the hunt beginning, someone is found murdered. The pub is locked, meaning someone inside the hostelry is responsible… but everyone knows everyone else but Maddie. The journalist must turn detective to help the actual police figure out who is the culprit. Because it may be the festive period but not everyone is going to make it to December 25 alive.

This is a cosy holiday mystery that perfectly balances festive charm with chilling suspense. Set in a small town during Christmas, the story follows a determined amateur sleuth as she uncovers the truth behind a shocking murder. Albright’s engaging characters and atmospheric setting make this a delightful read for mystery lovers looking for a touch of Christmas spirit.

A Christmas murder mystery?! The Christmas Eve Murders is the perfect book for fans of Agatha Christy.

Unexpectedly snowed in at a scavenger hunt at a pub in the Yorkshire Dales, Maddie Marlowe gets more than she bargained for when her car breaks down

Maddie is on her way to Edinburgh to spend Christmas with her parents. Due to a crash on the motorway she has to divert and ends up in a remote Yorkshire village where her car breaks down in a snowstorm. Her roadside assistance says they cannot get to her due to weather conditions so she takes refuge in the local pub. After hours there is a Scavenger hunt and she reluctantly takes part. the power goes and everyone is in the dark. A cracking read, well-written, strong characters.