Author: Alexandra Benedict
Published: November 6, 2025, by Simon & Schuster UK
Format: Kindle, 400 Pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Edie O'Sullivan #2
Blurb: When Edie O’Sullivan wins a two-day Christmas break in a hotel on a remote Scottish island, she’s looking forward to a picture-perfect Christmas full of winter walks, roaring fires, good books and even better whisky.
But when a guest dies under mysterious circumstances, Edie realises that there is a killer amongst them. As more guests begin to die, it's up to her to solve the strange riddles found in the victims’ Christmas crackers and stop the killing spree. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in the way of a devious and clever murderer.
My Opinion: I don’t quite know how it happened, but Alexandra Benedict’s Christmas mysteries have become part of my holiday routine. For the past two years, I’ve found myself reaching for them in December, almost as if they’ve become my own quirky tradition.
Now, let’s be honest: these books aren’t finely crafted. The prose can be clunky, with repetition and incomplete sentences that sometimes pull me out of the story. And yet, despite all that, I keep coming back. There’s something about the atmosphere -- the storm lashed Aster Castle Hotel on Holly Island in Scotland -- that feels tailor made for curling up with a blanket and a mug of cocoa.
This time around, the mystery itself had two threads that kept me guessing. One I managed to untangle early, but the other -- the identity of the killer -- caught me off guard. I’ll admit, it felt like the author bent the rules a little to pull off the surprise, but that’s part of the fun with these kinds of stories. You’re meant to be toyed with, even if you grumble about it afterward.
The book also includes interactive “games” woven into the reading experience. Personally, that element doesn’t appeal to me. I’d rather focus on the mystery itself without the extra distractions. Still, the core of the novel delivers what I want: a seasonal, atmospheric puzzle that fits perfectly with the mood of the year’s end.
Flawed as it is, The Christmas Cracker Killer manages to capture the spirit of the season. And maybe that’s why I’ll find myself picking up the next one when December rolls around again.
But when a guest dies under mysterious circumstances, Edie realises that there is a killer amongst them. As more guests begin to die, it's up to her to solve the strange riddles found in the victims’ Christmas crackers and stop the killing spree. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in the way of a devious and clever murderer.
My Opinion: I don’t quite know how it happened, but Alexandra Benedict’s Christmas mysteries have become part of my holiday routine. For the past two years, I’ve found myself reaching for them in December, almost as if they’ve become my own quirky tradition.
Now, let’s be honest: these books aren’t finely crafted. The prose can be clunky, with repetition and incomplete sentences that sometimes pull me out of the story. And yet, despite all that, I keep coming back. There’s something about the atmosphere -- the storm lashed Aster Castle Hotel on Holly Island in Scotland -- that feels tailor made for curling up with a blanket and a mug of cocoa.
This time around, the mystery itself had two threads that kept me guessing. One I managed to untangle early, but the other -- the identity of the killer -- caught me off guard. I’ll admit, it felt like the author bent the rules a little to pull off the surprise, but that’s part of the fun with these kinds of stories. You’re meant to be toyed with, even if you grumble about it afterward.
The book also includes interactive “games” woven into the reading experience. Personally, that element doesn’t appeal to me. I’d rather focus on the mystery itself without the extra distractions. Still, the core of the novel delivers what I want: a seasonal, atmospheric puzzle that fits perfectly with the mood of the year’s end.
Flawed as it is, The Christmas Cracker Killer manages to capture the spirit of the season. And maybe that’s why I’ll find myself picking up the next one when December rolls around again.
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