Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "alexandra-benedict"

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An entertaining festive murder mystery in the tradition of a classic cosy whodunnit.

Lily Armitage is dreading spending Christmas at the family home, having not returned there since her mother's death when she was a child. But she feels if she does not attend she will be letting down her aunt, whose dying wish was that she spend Christmas there with the rest of the family.

As per Christmas tradition, Aunt Liliana had prepared a festive game for the family, with a new sonnet for each of the twelve days of Christmas, clues to finding numerous keys that will unlock a greater prize. Following her death, the game is still set to take place - with the prize being the inheritance of Endgame House.

Yet there is a hidden component, known only to Lily. Her aunt has promised that the clues will also reveal the identity of the person responsible for the death of her mother. As the potential heirs attempt to decipher the cryptic clues, a far more sinister game is in play, one that threatens the lives of all the guests and to unmask a killer.

'The Christmas Murder Game' is a delightfully fiendish puzzle, complete with clues, riddles and red herrings galore, laced with twists and turns, and darkness and malice frothing beneath the surface, as is the case with all the best cosies - but also with a generous helping of brutality. Reminiscent of and taking inspiration from classic mysteries of the Golden Age - from its setting of the English manor house and the premise of a limited number of suspects trapped together and secluded from the outside world; complete with a modern edge, in a similar vein to the novels of Lucy Foley.

Told from the perspective of central character Lily, we also get glimpses of her struggles and her trauma, giving the story a human and emotional edge. We feel her isolation, not just within her location but also from everyone around her. She has been warned to trust no one, but her burdens become increasingly heavy to bear as memories continue to surface.

Often I was reminded of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', as characters become victim to the killer, the suspect list shrinking as the story progresses, the clues becoming more cryptic and seemingly leading to nowhere. As we remain trapped with the cast of characters in Endgame House, the novel hurtles into its final revelations, leaving a sense of satisfaction and hope for the future of the surviving characters.

Alexandra Benedict has previously released two supernatural thrillers as AK Benedict (both of which are waiting on my bookshelf), as well as having written 'Doctor Who' and 'Torchwood' audio dramas and 'Class' tie-in novel 'The Stone House'. I hope we will also be treated to more cosy-inspired and festive mysteries in the future.

Like a classic game of Cluedo for your Yuletide indulgence, 'The Christmas Murder Game' is a festive treat that will keep you hooked during the winter days and nights.



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Murder On The Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delightful Christmas mystery in the tradition of classic cosies with dark undertones.

Homeward bound for Christmas, a group of passengers board the sleeper train to the Scottish Highlands on Christmas Eve during a violent snowstorm.

During the journey, the train is derailed, stranding the passengers and crew without warmth and with only limited supplies.

But their dilemma takes an ever darker turn when one of their number is found dead in their cabin. A killer stalks amongst them and their murderous plot is not yet fulfilled.

'Murder on the Christmas Express' is the second Christmas mystery by Alexandra Benedict and her fourth crime novel. A thoroughly enjoyable mystery, spiced with the darkness of a psychological thriller, the plot hurtles onwards through multiple twists and revelations, seamlessly blending character development with exploration of heavy themes. Beneath the frothy festivities of a journey home for the holiday, with everyone a suspect and potential victim, there is a cultural and sociological depth, as well as dashes of romance and domestic peril to blend this festive cocktail.

At the centre of the story is no-nonsense ex-police detective Roz, travelling home just like everyone else, desperately wanting to get to her daughter who is suffering complications in labour. I immediately warmed to Roz; beneath her, at times, steely exterior, lies an emotional and morally-driven soul, struggling with her own trauma. Nevertheless, it is her presence as a skilled professional which drives the story, investigating the case while the police are yet to reach them. It would be great to see Roz feature in further mysteries in the future.

Taking inspiration from Agatha Christie's masterpiece 'Murder on the Orient Express', the story embodies the spirit of this earlier novel in multiple ways, including its dark undercurrents and exploration of the theme of justice. Other key themes in this deadly mix are the cultures of social media and celebrity, exploring how dark truths can lurk beneath the veneer of perceived perfection – making this a timely story on multiple levels. It never loses its fun, but also has something serious to say. To complete the Yuletide package, there are also quizzes, puzzles and challenges woven amongst the prose for lovers of games.

A thrill-ride of a novel, ‘Murder on the Christmas Express’ is a hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking thriller in the style of a classic mystery with a modern edge.



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The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Yuletide puzzle of vengeance.

Several days before Christmas, crossword setter and puzzle connoisseur Edie O’Sullivan is delivered a package containing several jigsaw puzzle pieces.

These clues begin to form a picture of a crime scene, one that threatens the life of Edie’s closest family and promises that four people will die by midnight on Christmas Eve.

Edie is determined to solve the puzzle and save the victims’ lives before the clock winds down to Christmas Day, a mission that may reveal far more than a killer’s identity as Edie is forced to confront her own past.

‘The Christmas Jigsaw Murders’ is the third festive mystery by Alexandra Benedict, a standalone mystery thriller following a game set by a fiendish killer with intent to murder a group of people in a grisly countdown to Christmas. With neither the killer nor victims’ identities known, the stakes are high for Edie and her nephew/adopted son Sean, a DI with the local police, to uncover the truth behind the killer’s devious scheme. From the opening chapter, Benedict hooks us with an insight into the killer’s own conflicting feelings, not relenting on that grip as we hurtle through the pages and a bonanza of clues, red herrings, action and emotional drama.

Edie is a fabulous character – quirky and eccentric, at times crotchety and snarky, perhaps even occasionally intolerable to those around her, but nevertheless possessing a good, if battle-scarred, heart and a restless intellect. She has suffered an immeasurable amount of heartbreak and trauma, which largely contributes to her attitude towards the Christmas season and approach to family, friends and neighbours, and in living her own life somewhat as a recluse. Her friendship with her neighbour, Riga, is both charming and hilarious, while her relationships with Sean and his husband, Liam, provide both entertainment and emotional moments. Edie is also holding desperately to her past, having still not processed the breakdown of her relationship with her ex, Sky, nor the trauma related to the loss of most of her family in Christmases past. Edie’s character arc holds centre-stage with the murder mystery, ultimately dovetailing as the puzzle becomes evermore personal and fraught with danger.

There was something of the spirit of ‘A Christmas Carol’ woven into the plot, in the notions of past, present and future converging on Christmas Eve, and the potential for closure and redemption, while the twisted logic of horror thrillers such as ‘Saw’ or ‘Seven’ flavours the narrative, topped off with classic murder mystery and the modern edge of police procedural. Beneath the festive fun and entertainment of following the clues, Benedict has woven a dark ribbon through the prose in the impact of the expanding web of trauma on human life, while demonstrating a social awareness and subtle social commentary. It’s a perfect representation of the true heart of the season – the ever-raging war between light and dark – in a cosy mix of the classic and modern that is fast becoming Benedict’s seasonal signature, as she presents another delicious delight.



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Death Comes at Christmas by Marie O'Regan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A festive selection box of murder and mystery.

'Death Comes at Christmas' is a anthology of eighteen short stories, all written by crime and thriller authors, edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. From stories in the style of Golden Age classics to gritty modern thrillers, set in the snowy English countryside to the heat of Bombay, India, we are treated to a delightfully gripping mix of brutal crimes and complex puzzles, with flourishes of comedy, romance and creepy chills, all with a sprinkling of seasonal fun.

My personal favourites were:
'Christmas Yet to Come' by Helen Fields, for its strong characters and devious plotting [a legacy sequel to Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'];
'The Red Angel' by Russ Thomas, for its gothic isolation and chilling atmosphere;
'The Midnight Mass Murderer' by Alexandra Benedict, for its twisty plot, deranged killer, and returning characters [a sequel to Benedict's own 'The Christmas Jigsaw Murders'];
'A Deadly Gift' by Angela Clarke, for its classic locked-room mystery complete with festive trimmings.

Overall, this is a collection of well-written, thrilling tales, many in the tradition of much-loved and classic Christmas tales and mysteries, and a fantastic showcase of writers from the world of modern crime fiction, each tale an enjoyable slice of Yuletide magic. Highly recommended reading for these cold nights as we count down to Christmas.



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