I really enjoyed The Christmas Jigsaw Murders! It was a fun, easy book to listen to while I was getting ready for the holidays. The mystery kept me engaged, and the festive backdrop added just the right touch. The audio narration was well done too—it really brought the story to life and made it even more enjoyable. Perfect if you’re looking for a cozy mystery to get you in the holiday spirit!

Edie O’Sullivan is a puzzle setter and can't stand Christmas. On December 1st she finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep containing six jigsaw pieces showing parts of a crime scene. There is also a message to Edie saying: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ It’s signed, Rest In Pieces. Edie works with her nephew Sean (a Detective Inspector), much to his dismay, to help solve the mystery.

This was an enjoyable mystery for Christmas, and the narration was good. Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for a free copy of #TheChristmasJigsawMurders by Alexandra Benedict. All opinions are my own.

Diabolical! This was a wild read and I was totally here for it. Man, so many murders could be solved and more quickly if people just told the truth when asked or shared what they know...but that's just not human nature. Alexandra Benedict did a great job portraying that. This was my 1st book and I can't wait to read more!

#TheChristmasJigsawMurders
#NetGalley

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a mystery set at Christmas time. Edie O’Sullivan is a retired teacher, a puzzle setter, a loner and not a lover of Christmas. She has bad memories of previous Christmases, but there are others who continue to try and get her to celebrate. She raised her great-nephew, Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, who is a Detective Inspector. On 1st of December, she finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Inside, she finds six jigsaw pieces, that when fit together they show part of a crime scene. There is also a message to Edie saying: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ It’s signed, Rest In Pieces. Asking Sean to help her, they begin to follow the clues, but Edie is also trying to keep him safe. Eventually, Sean shuts Edie out, afraid that he is putting her in danger, but she has been keeping a secret from him. How many will die before Edie and Sean solve the mystery and find the killer?

I wasn't thrilled by Alexandra Benedict's last mystery, so wasn't sure what to expect this time out. What I got was an interesting story, with family ties, background stories, a redemption ARC and a well-plotted mystery. I enjoyed meeting Edie and hearing about her past. She had a lot of baggage that brought her to the point she was at relating to Christmas. I really wanted her to come around to the real reason for Christmas and to be able to celebrate once again. Sean is a wonderful character. Edie is his mom in his eyes, but it doesn't mean they have a wonderful relationship. There have been some missteps along the way and because she doesn't have a good relationship with his partner, there are some issues. The jigsaw pieces add a different feel to this mystery. I love how Edie goes about solving the mystery, but will she get there in time before something else happens. I was eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this one to see how it would all play out. I enjoyed this story, the characters and the puzzle elements. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sandra Duncan. Her performance was lovely, with good tone and pacing

This book is super dark for a Christmas mystery. I was hoping for a cozy holiday mystery but this is chilling. Partly, the narrator adds a super creepy vibe. I didn’t enjoy at all.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict is the ultimate holiday treat for anyone who loves their mysteries with a side of sinister fun and festive charm! Packed with clever puzzles, chilling twists, and just the right amount of cheeky holiday murder, this book is a gift you'll want to unwrap early-and read straight through to New Year's.
The story kicks off with Edie O'Sullivan, a reclusive puzzle-setter who's more "Bah, Humbug!" than Christmas cheer, determined to ignore the holiday season and the ghosts of her past. But when she discovers a mysterious gift on her doorstep—six jigsaw pieces depicting parts of a crime scene-she's drawn into a deadly game. With a chilling message daring her to solve the puzzle before more people die, Edie teams up with her nephew, Di Brand O'Sullivan, to face off against the shadowy, ruthless "Rest in Pieces" and stop a killer before Christmas turns into a nightmare.
As Edie delves deeper, she realizes this mystery is more personal than she ever imagined, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Can she piece together the clues before the killer's next move hits far too close to home?
What makes this book shine is how perfectly everything clicks into place-pun intended. The plot is masterfully crafted, with twists that had me gasping and a resolution so satisfying I wanted to stand up and applaud. Benedict has created a truly memorable heroine in Edie O'Sullivan. She's sharp, sarcastic, and full of heart- she and her friend Riga definitely need their own series or at least a cameo appearance in another book!
The puzzles are a quiz lover's dream, and the story's nods to the golden age of mysteries add a nostalgic touch that fans of Agatha Christie will adore. But it's the dark, festive atmosphere, rich cast of characters, and pitch-perfect writing that make this book a standout.
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a must-read for the holiday season. Don't miss this clever, cozy, and utterly gripping holiday mystery!

I loved this audiobook so much. I will admit that I devoured it in one day. I thought it was perfect for the season because it was a cozy mystery. It did start a little slow but once it built into a very enthralling story. The ending was so perfect. I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Dreamscape Media

Nice cozy mystery for wintertime reading. It starts off slow, but the characters are very entertaining and the story gets really great by the end.

Another satisfying Christmas mystery with depths and twists and red herrings from Alexandria Benedict. This time Edie, am octogenarian crossword setter is sent some jigsaw puzzle pieces and is challenged to solve the puzzle before Christmas. Reluctantly dredging up memories of the past, Edie stumbles along until suddenly the pieces start to slide into place. A fine mystery and I am hoping not the author's last.

This book sounded like a fun, light mystery & I was super excited about it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite. There were a lot of characters & I found myself struggling to remember who was who & all their relationships. When the big reveal came at the end it was pretty anticlimactic because I was pretty confused at what was even really going on.⁠
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It didn’t feel very festive either so it didn’t really scratch my itch for a Christmas Mystery.

This was a DNF for me unfortunately. I could not get into the story and the narrator just didn't work for me.

Who doesn’t love a good jigsaw puzzle? I’m a huge fan, but solving this one is more important than most because it could prevent a murder! When a retired spinster finds an envelope of puzzle pieces on her door, she enlists the help of her police officer nephew to solve it. Along with many twists and turns, she must solve it to keep lives she lives safe. It was suspenseful and shocking - the perfect Christmas mystery in my opinion!

This was pretty good. I enjoyed the narrator. The story was fun for the season but not necessarily anything I would reread year after year.

This was such a fun Christmas mystery! I struggled at times to keep track of the puzzle piece aspect of the story, but I’m also not a big puzzler, so I think that played a part. But I really enjoyed the mystery aspect and didn’t guess the end! I also loved the narration, it captured the spirit of Christmas and Edie at the same time and enjoyed being immersed in it!

I love a spunky main character and Edie was definitely a fun lady. This kept me intrigued and had me trying to play detective (guess who didn’t guess the ending!) The relationship between her and Sean was interesting and I liked their interactions throughout. There were strong side characters who helped to advance the plot. While this wasn’t as Christmasy as I’d like, I found it to be an enjoyable holiday read.

I understand that Edie is supposed to be a loner hard to like character, but it made it so hard to get invested in this story. I didn’t care to hear about her and thought she made terrible decisions.

Unfortunately not for me.

Thank you to Alexandra Benedict, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an ALC of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The main character, Edie, and was a mean curmudgeon and was rude to everyone around her. Usually I am here for a character arc, but she didn't have any redeeming qualities to me - especially when her secret is revealed. The puzzles were hard to follow and a reach to put the clues together, The reader couldn't have fitted the pieces together on their own because we didn't have all the necessary information until the very end of the book which was a bit frustrating. I found myself drifting in and out of paying attention to the book. It wasn't super captivating.

The narrator was ok Her voice fit the main character well but occasionally it was hard to differentiate between characters when they having conversations.

A few of the chapters cut off right in the middle and jumped to the next chapter. This caused some confusion while listening and I had to rewind to figure out if I had accidentally hit next or if the chapter really cut off.

Usually I like puzzle books, but I personally didn't enjoy this one. Although it wasn't for me, it may be better suited for another reader/listener.

2.5/5 stars, rounded down.

I read another Christmas mystery by this author and didn't really like it, but I gave her another try because I usually love the combination. This story was based on a grumpy old woman named Edie who tries to solve a murder mystery using her puzzle expertise. Unfortunately, she was so unlikeable that it was difficult to stay with her, and her detective skills were not great. Her nephew Sean is a policeman and seems to be the only thing she cares about, and he wasn't that likable either. The narrator did a good job portraying the characters but couldn't make them likable. I probably wouldn't have been able to finish if I only tried the print. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

This was a DNF at 25%. I just couldn't get into the story and didn't care about the characters. Just not for me.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benesict is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. This story follows Edie as she finds a present on her doorstep. Inside she find jigsaw pieces that make a crime scene. Soon a body is found holding a jigsaw piece so Edie works with her nephew Sean to solve the murder. I really like Edie as a main character. She's a refreshing change from the usual mid twenties heroine. This was a pretty fun Christmas themed mystery overall and I'd recommend giving it a try if you're looking for a murder mystery this holiday season. The audiobook narration when done really well. The narrator really brought the characters to life.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.