Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife

by Martin Edwards

Six contestants. One chance at a new life. Who wouldn’t be tempted to cheat?

Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.

Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people's minds.

The game is set - but playing fair isn't on everyone's Christmas list.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, Holiday, Mystery Thriller

475 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2025

About the author

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for an easy read this isn't for you. I understand books are usually subjective but a pet peeve of mine is when books get undeserved bad reviews. Because this book is going to be a nocturnal emission ( Google it 🫶🏻) for most!


This isn't just a book, it's a work of art, it's an entire experience! You aren't just a reader, you're a participant. 


Also, if you find yourself finding this book "cliche" please try and remember it's literally supposed to be! For many of us this will be as close to a murder mystery weekend we can get. This author knows what they are doing though because even with all the needed cliche, there is strong originality! 


This isnt the book you take on a busy family beach day or a quick commute. This is the kind of book you block out a night, grab a notebook & pen, and get to work! After all, YOU have a case to solve! 


I love, love, LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE that the author included cluefinders at the end!! 


Making for a second read to be an entirely different experience!

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is so brilliant that I thought I would enjoy this book more than I actually did.

The premise was so promising. Six people from the book world and currently down on their luck are invited to play a mystery game at Christmas by the Midwinter Trust. The reward for the winner is high and the participants are keen but events soon show that the Trust is not in fact trustworthy. The reader is encouraged to play along and there are plenty of clues to tackle.

I think my problem with it was the way it was laid out as two parallel stories, one from the past and the other in the present. As the current day story gained speed I found myself irritated when it paused for the other story. Nevertheless it is certainly a clever tale, skilfully put together and far too complicated for me to solve. Which I did not mind at all. It was still fun to watch the experts do it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Ana Moniz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book with very high expectations. The description immediately grabbed me: six people, all with connections to the world of crime writing, are invited to play a mysterious game in a remote, snowbound Yorkshire village. They’re overseen by a shadowy organization called the Midwinter Trust, and the rules are clear: solve the fictional murder of a writer, play fair, and win a life-changing prize. Add in the promise of a looming snowstorm, secrets, and plenty of psychological tension, and I was convinced this was going to be one of the most memorable and entertaining mysteries I’d read this year.

And in many ways, the setup really is perfect. The game itself, the atmosphere of the village, the sense of being cut off from the outside world—all of that is wonderfully crafted. In the opening chapters, I thought I’d found exactly the kind of clever, layered mystery I love, the sort of story that makes you want to cancel plans just to keep reading.

But after that promising start, my excitement slowly fizzled out. The book is structured around two simultaneous investigations—one fictional, part of the game, and one “real.” The problem is that for the majority of the novel (honestly, right up until the final quarter), it’s never quite clear which one deserves our focus. Instead of building suspense, this constant back-and-forth just left me confused and disengaged.

The pacing was another issue. For a story with such a compelling premise, it felt frustratingly slow. Chapters dragged, tension rarely escalated, and instead of tightening as the mystery unfolded, the narrative seemed to wander. The supposed “real” crime, which should have been the most gripping element, is strangely muted and downplayed. It doesn’t land with the urgency or emotional impact you’d expect in a thriller, and that lack of intensity drained away much of the excitement I had hoped for.

I’ll admit that I nearly gave up several times. I lost track of the threads more than once and had to push myself to finish—something I very rarely experience with crime fiction, which is usually my favorite genre. It ended up taking me almost two months to work my way through, not because I wanted to savor it, but because I kept losing interest.

And yet, that’s what makes this such a disappointing read: I wanted to love it. I went in thinking it would be a top-tier, standout mystery, maybe even a new favorite. The concept is clever, the structure ambitious, and the potential absolutely undeniable. But the execution never lived up to the promise. For a crime novel, it didn’t thrill me. For a mystery, it didn’t grip me. Instead of feeling drawn deeper into the story, I felt held at arm’s length.

In the end, Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife was one of my biggest reading letdowns of the year. A brilliant idea buried under sluggish pacing and confusing storytelling. I admire the ambition behind it, and I know others may have more patience with the slow build than I did, but for me it was a frustrating and underwhelming experience.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed being given the clues so I could play along. I disliked the characters so didn't care about them. The book dragged a lot. It took me way to long to get through this book.

[thtgrl_wanda_knows_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I didn’t solve the mystery 😔
I am still working on trying to figure out what happened 🤣

I enjoyed the mystery puzzle and it had my continuing to guess. It’s a great holiday spooky read.

If you haven’t gotten it, you should!!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Release Date: September 11, 2025

I had a great time with this book. Did I solve the mystery?...No. I had an idea of who it was, but then I changed my mind and got totally sidetracked. I loved the puzzle elements to it, they gave the story more depth and interest. I will most definitely be buying a physical copy of this when it is released.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it. The story felt convoluted, which made it hard to want to pick up and read. My experience seems to be an outlier.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press through Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mystery, She Read]

NEED

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas time - Six people who are all alone, all failures in their business and personal lives, all in some way connected to crime, are invited by the Midwinter Trust in the Pennines to solve a fictional murder mystery. But why would they be minutely screened before invited and to what end. Will the prize be worth it. What is the mystery that the Trust seem to be hiding. But it is too late for them all when the first death occurs and they are all snowbound.
An entertaining and interesting well-written modern mystery, with its cast of distrustful characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Judy Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife is a fun and challenging book that has you particpating in the solving of the crime.

The title can't help but remind you of the game Clue or putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

I had to grab a pen and note the clues as I went and I kept changing my guess as I went along.

Six contestants will try and solve the murder of a fictional crime writer right along with you.

Miss Winter in the LIbrary with a Knife was such an intriguing read but sad to say I didn't guess.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a read I wont soon forget and one I will highly recommend.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

(Spoilers for the ending)

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Martin Edwards is really well-known in the mystery/crime-writing world so I feel bad saying this but I just wasn’t super impressed with this mystery.

The premise is that six people are invited to this remote village over the winter holidays to solve a mystery and win a prize. All six have dealings with the publishing world, specifically mystery writing (a writer, a publicist, a true crime podcaster, etc) so they all think they each have a chance at winning. And then one of them is killed.

The problem with this book is the way the whole mystery is set up. These six people theoretically should be really good at solving mysteries, or at least coming up with creative ways to solve them, but we hardly spend any time with them! We get a little bit of them at the end trying to work out together who the killer is, but the majority of the book is spent with the people running the mystery game. And I didn’t really like any of those characters. If the summary of the book focuses on the six solving a fake mystery turned real one, then we should be following them for most of the book.

Given why the killer actually did kill the victims makes involving the mystery runners make sense, but the whole thing with there being actual spies (MI5, CIA) and being spy-related felt both like it came out of nowhere and was also an easy fix for the ending. It was nice having a cluefinder in the back of the book and seeing what parts the author actually intended to be clues. But since almost none of them read like they might be important in the moment you’re reading them felt like we were potentially being purposely misled the entire time. Especially since one of the clues was the listing of cities that were associated with British spy headquarters in WW2. I feel like the majority of readers wouldn’t make that connection so it just makes the spy reveal again feel like it came out of nowhere.

Personally, I would have liked the story the summary hinted at with following the six invitees along as they worked together to figure everything out. As it was, we barely got to know them at all, and then we close the book with just a super brief “here’s where they went after” epilogue. The book just kind of dragged, which is sad.

[Ashton V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As a big fan of Clue this book immediately stuck out with me. The plot was fun and very interesting. Bringing six contestants to one location to solve the murder of a fictional crime writer was such a great set up. Add in the remote snowbound location that really sets the stage.

The mystery is obviously the best part. Throughout the whole book I tried to solve it right alongside the characters. The mystery and puzzles were excellent and the secrets kept me constantly guessing what came next. What is so good about this book is that it's set up for you to play the game right alongside the competitors. It's almost like you are part of the game! You get the rules, clues, and puzzles so the story is very interactive. I loved this since I'm a big fan of games and puzzles! Again I thought this was a fun murder mystery and would recommend if you love a good mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy!

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

n Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife, the author Martin Edwards invites readers to play along to solve the mystery game provided to our six guests by the Midwinter Trust, but when people end up dead, you’ll have two mysteries to solve.

The Midwest Trust has invited six down on their luck people who all have hands in the world of crime writing. Midwinter is a remote settlement in England and was a former mining village in the North Pennines. Now privately owned by the Midwinter Trust, it is advertised as a retreat.

The story begins with the perspective of Harry Crystal, a published author of thirty-two mysteries whose titles are a play on best-selling mystery novels. Harry was dropped by his agent, and you’d be luck to find his novels at a secondhand shop. The six guests don’t know each other, but all are familiar. In Harry’s case, he blames the Influencer for helping to end his career. The guests find themselves cut off from civilization when a winter storm bears down on them.

The author has set up the book so that readers can attempt to solve the murder puzzle as well or simply skip those chapters and continue reading. I got very close to piecing things together but confess I was distracted a bit by the actual murders taking place and figuring out the Trust’s motives for this whole elaborate game.

The story was a nod to murder-mystery games like Clue and literary fiction in the crime thriller genre. We are given multiple points of views but I confess Harry’s was my favorite. It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed myself and would recommend for a book club, particularly those who love mysteries. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife is not your typical thriller. It is not one that you will sit down and fly through, while knowing who did it the whole time. Instead, this mystery novel is a genius work of writing with mysterious characters, and layered secrets all set in the icy, stormed in setting of Midwinter Retreat.

The novel has the fun option of being able to play along to try and solve the mystery yourself, complete with a clue finder in the back. While I personally did not take this route just due to time's sake, I loved looking at the cluefinder at the end to confirm any suspicious I had while reading.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Winter in the Library With a Knife by Martin Edwards

Thank You NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book was very different from any usual mystery novels I have read! The reader has the chance to solve this mystery themselves. Question is...will you be able to figure it out? Six people are given the chance to participate in a fictional murder mystery. Each participant has come kind of tie to the world of crime novels, podcasts, and agents. The game is to take place at Midwinter Trust, a remote village located in Yorkshire. But here, everyone is cut off from the rest of the world – the 6 contestants, and the 6 staff members. Also, all the contestants have had a bit of bad luck in their careers, and it seems none of them have any close family still alive. As the game begins, everything seems innocent enough, but five years ago a tragedy happened at Midwinter Trust – someone died! Nove, again, bodies begin to drop one...by....one! Could this be related to the game, the past, or something unrelated? Who will survive this deadly and dangerous game? Find out October 7, 2025!!!

[Silvia RoMa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't just a book, it's a whole new experience. It's like playing Clue, you get all the elements and then you become a participant trying to solve the mystery. I think this will be very cool, played with friends, looking at all the clues while listening to the book and trying to solve the mystery first.

This felt like a murder mystery experience rather than just a book, the mystery is very well crafted and it grips you from the start. It might seem a bit chliche but that's the intention.

The novel feels like a classic Agatha Christie mystery and it's really fun to play along and try to figure out what's really going on.

If you are looking for a fun mystery game, this is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus Audiobooks for an ALC of this novel, all opinions are my own.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC.

This was a super fun, fast-paced mystery. It had a lot of clichès but I think it was done really well. I liked the progression of the mystery and the way the reader could actually solve all the mysteries just by finding and following the clues. It was a fun experience. I found some clues and didn't find some but the Cluefinder cleared up a lot of things and I really appreciate the fact that it was included. I loved the settings and the characters were nice enough and believable. Some of the actual plot twists were a bit over the top but the clues pointed to it so who am I to judge. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a murder mystery to solve.

[Rayo Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ murder mystery? I know I do — which is why I was so excited to dive into this one. But honestly, it fell short for me.

It was hard to get into. There was so much focus on Midwinter rather than the actual game. The contestants didn’t have enough mistrust or suspicion toward each other, the games themselves were confusing, and by the time the deaths started, I was already lost.

Overall, this one just didn’t work for me: too much information, not enough mystery.

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such fun with this, but ultimately, it ended up dropping lower and lower in rating as the book progressed.

This obviously has "Clue" vibes, from the title, to the part of solving the mystery yourself. Clue is my favourite family-style board game, so I felt like giving this a shot. I actually didn't participate in trying to solve the puzzles and such, and by now I can say that I didn't really miss out on anything by not being the detective myself. The clue finder in the back also was too weak to really convince me that the evidence was in front of me all along.

I was worried that this might be too Christmassy, seeing as Christmas is the second genre listed to describe this book. Fortunately it wasn't overly Christmassy, this can be read any time of year, obviously Christmas songs, wreaths and such are mentioned, but you won't be bombarded into a Christmas overload.

What I found a pity is the way the story unfolded. You can't really solve the main mystery yourself until very late into the plot, because too few clues are being given. And when there was some sort of revelation, I found it boring. I was never dumbstruck or awed, which is what I'm looking for in a mystery/thriller. The true purpose of the Midwinter Trust was also so out of left field, it was laughable, no reader can predict that and come up with logical conclusions, simply because there was no buildup to it.

If you follow my reviews, you might know that I hate villains who take their time to present a monologue when they are just supposed to get to the chase. Well, this one has that, such a shame. The way the "who" of the whodunit was disposed of in the most cartoonish way was also laughable. This is of course a type of satire of the genre, but it could have been executed more artfully.

My copy was 400 pages, and to have read this in two days, says a lot about how invested I was in this book, but it wasn't especially good. My rating went from about 4.5 stars in the first 1/3rd, to three stars by the end. Somehow, it being an homage to a lot of mystery stories, and being a sort of parody at the same time, I just wish it was more original, I know, kind of a contrary thing to comment on.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

'Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife' by Martin Edwards is a mystery within a mystery. The book asks the reader to take part in solving the mystery, as the characters, a group of guests who participate in a mystery-solving game, find themselves face-to-face with a real case. The book also provides a clue guide in the end, which was a nice touch.

Other than that, the book can be read despite the mystery-solving game as an interesting case with many twists and interesting characters. The POVs were well handled, and the pace of the story was enjoyable. The writing was, moreover, light and funny at times.

The start, however, was a bit bumpy, as there was too much information being introduced and the action part was minimal. But after the first murder, things got more suspenseful and thrilling.

Finally, the audiobook was well produced and the narrators did a good job with their performances.

[marita lazarus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting concept in murder mysteries.... The reader actually participates in solving mini clues. (I didn't, but I had fun reading how the clues were solved). The book tries to be tricky but any reader of Ms. Christie in particular can figure it out.

So what's going on in a remote village, cast of from the rest of the world? No wifi, no tv, no cell phone....

6 people who run the midwinter trust village. 6 down on their luck, world turned upside down guests. What's the connection.

We have the murder game. We have an event that occurred 5 years before and of which a blogger was doing a true crime podcast. We have real murders.... What's up?

I'm happy to say I did figure out who the real murderer was around 60% of the book, including how and if they had any help, and WHY? This did not detract me from enjoying the book. I will say at the end, they threw a curve ball with all the reasons behind the village etc etc. I stayed up late finishing this book.

There are many different reviews... but give it a try and participate in the whodunnit and whatdunnit and whydunnit... It will keep you guessing.

[Courtney Buell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for sending me an ARC of this novel.

If you like cozy mysteries, this book has everything you want. A secluded setting, competition, plot twists etc. the bonus is, the reader can participate by finding clues throughout the story and compare them to the clue finder at the end to see if you found them all!

My only critique is that the story is very slow to get going. It really doesn’t start picking up speed until around 50%.

[The Cookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0/5

"Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife" is a fine example of a murder mystery in the "Golden Age" tradition that leans towards the cosy end of the scale. Set in a remote North Yorkshire location in the depths of winter and cut off from the outside world by the inclement weather, this contains all of those classic ingredients that you would expect from the genre. Add to the mix the restricted cast of the members of the Midwinter Trust and the six contestants they have vetted and invited to take part in a whodunnit competition, et voilà! The scene is complete and events can begin to unfold.

Author, Martin Edwards, is clearly an aficionado of the mystery writing genre. This comes through not only in his structuring of the story, but also in the form of references that he drops into the narrative at various points. Should they wish to, readers are invited to join in with the clue hunting and try to solve the mystery more quickly than the characters in the book. This challenge is reminiscent of the puzzles that Alexandra Benedict incorporates into her mystery novels. However, whereas Alexandra Benedict tasks the reader with something that is clearly an aside to the the normal process of reading a murder mystery, Martin Edwards is only really inviting readers to do something that the majority of them would do in any case i.e. try to work out whodunnit and why. So, essentially, I view this aspect as a bit of marketing spin to try to make the reader think there is some original and unusual element that they wouldn't find in other novels. Nonetheless, this is really an observation on my part rather than an actual criticism.

In terms of the execution of the mystery, it is well handled. As the author notes in the "Cluefinder" section at the end of the book, mysteries from the "Golden Age" are effectively a game between the author and the reader and it was important to play fair. That is to say, all of the pertinent clues need to be discoverable and, whilst red herrings are allowed, producing rabbits out of hats is not. Martin Edwards does indeed play fair with his audience and the clues are there to be found - and if you need further evidence of that being the case, then you will find them listed in the aforementioned "Cluefinder" section, once you have finished the book - but not before then, as that would be cheating!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Rebecca Holliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this clever and absorbing pastiche on Golden Age mysteries with a touch of the game Clue(do)! The plotting is tight and the pacing is great. The chapters use the journals of two different characters, various documents concerning the Midwinter Trust, the Rules of the Game that all the characters have arrived to play, the narrative script of the game that creates a story-within-a-story, and even some mysterious text messages. The only first-person chapters are from the point of view of Harry, a washed-up cozy mystery writer whose books all bear titles that play on the titles of famous Golden Age mysteries. Harry, like the other contestants, is aiming for the prize of becoming a member of the mysterious Midwinter Trust. It isn't long into the story that real deaths begin to occur amongst the game contestants and the staff of the Trust. The twists and turns of the book keep the tension high as the contestants try to decipher various clues about the game script mystery as well as the real-life one. Although I did guess some aspects of the solution to the real-life crimes, there were some surprises as well when the final truth was revealed, and the journey to the solution was great fun.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, this was not for me and I made a dim-bulb mistake, I thought it was by Martin Walker, not Martin Edwards. Lol. I’ve previously read Edwards and wasn’t a fan, and this book has all the same problems as the one I didn’t enjoy before.

The introduction of the story lasts for almost 50% of the book, which is strange because the plot is so milquetoast that there’s not a lot to explain. There’s also a ton of unnecessary exposition that has nothing to do with the plot. This was also a bugaboo of mine in the previous book I read. I didn’t care about the main mystery, which also has a ludicrous ending, but the mini mystery inside the mystery was so terrible and the reasoning for it so unbelievable that I cannot recommend this one at all.

[Isobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

If you give me a title like that, and tell me its about a murder mystery game set in a snowy, remote cabin in the woods, of course I'm going to read it! The marketing of this book was fantastic, and had me excited to read this. The idea of having the six 'famous' characters locked away together solving a complex puzzle in the hopes of winning a high prize, sounded intriguing and so promising. However, I just found that this book fell flat compared to my expectations.

I will start by saying that I did enjoy how the author broke the fourth wall in a way and encourages readers to play along by locating the hidden clues which can later be cross-referenced in the "cluefinder" at the end. This could have been such a great, fun inclusion to the book, but I felt it got overshadowed by the issues I had with the writing overall.

Perhaps my main issue was with the conflicting timelines and mysteries which ran alongside each other throughout the book. I started off believing that we should mainly focus on the murder mystery game the characters are playing, but I felt the clues given to us and characters felt lacklustre and there was no real intrigue pulling us into that storyline. The author including Bernadette's clues was interesting, and if done in a different way, could have been enjoyable, but I found it cluttered up what was already a confusing plot and broke up the pace of the story in an awkward way. Then, of course, 'real life' gets more complicated for the characters and it feels as if the reader's should shift their attention to what is happening at Midwinter instead of the game. Yet, the actual deaths, the investigations, the characters reactions etc all felt muted. I did not find myself gripped by either plot line and instead found the entire plot line to be flat-lining for at least the first three quarters of the book. The usual build-up of suspense, mystery and tension which you usually find in books of this genre felt missing and there was no noticeable inciting event as everything felt so flat. Even at the end, Harry suddenly gets a miraculous breakthrough and it feels like the author is leading us up to an intense, scary final scene which we were crying out for after struggling through the slow, repetitive unfolding of the rest of the book. But, I just ended up feeling like the finale was rushed and too convenient that it didn't feel realistic or captivating.

I didn't much care for the characters either. It was presented to us as if Harry should be the main character, but then other POV's were thrown in and I think with all the clues from the murder mystery (especially about all the secret santa etc) it became too confused and we lost track of threads due to having too much information being thrown together. Unfortunately, all of the characters began to feel like they had simply been put their to progress the plot and didn't have any real depth or layers to them. We, of course, hear about their struggles in life and some semblance of personality, but none of them stand out or draw you in. I lost interest in all of them, even Harry, and found that this also meant I lost interest in what was happening to them.

The setting in this book could have been fantastic; it's giving creepy barn in the woods from the iconic horror movies. Yet, it felt like we were stuck somewhere between eeriness and luxury and never really settled on which was the impression reader's should take. At some times, it feels like we could really have built a terrifying atmosphere by highlighting the remoteness, the snow, the dark etc, but it was mention too briefly and offhandedly that it made no real remark on the reader's experience of the setting.

I'm sorry to say that this book was disappointing. I rated this 2.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 3. Thank you to Netgalley and Martin Edwards for the ARC.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book by the title and cover and as I’d been wanting to give Martin Edwards another try – I didn’t really get on with Mortmain Hall – I decided to read it. I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed this one!

Harry Crystal, who narrates part of the story, is the author of thirty-two mystery novels. When online influencer Carys Neville describes his books as ‘dozy crime’ and accuses him of being an Agatha Christie copycat, Harry finds himself dropped by his publisher. Receiving an invitation from the Midwinter Trust inviting him to spend Christmas in the village of Midwinter and participate in a murder mystery game with a cash prize for the winner, Harry decides to accept. After all, he doesn’t have much else to do and winning something would help him to feel less of a failure.

Midwinter, considered one of the most remote settlements in England, is a tiny former mining village in the North Pennines. Privately owned by the Midwinter Trust, it’s advertised as a place to retreat from the outside world. Harry arrives during a period of heavy snow to find that the village really has been completely cut off from the rest of the world, with no phone or internet access. To his dismay, Carys Neville is one of the other contestants, along with four other people, all of whom are involved in some way with publishing or crime writing. Winning the prize isn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped!

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife is the title of the mystery put together by Trust director Bernadette for the six guests to solve. Clues and evidence relating to this fictional mystery are given in separate chapters titled Bonus Puzzle Content. The reader can try to solve this mystery for themselves, as well as a ‘real’ mystery which begins to unfold involving the guests, staff and Trust members. However, this structure didn’t work quite as well as I expected; the mystery-within-a-mystery feels undeveloped and is referred to less and less often as the book goes on so that when the solution was eventually revealed, I didn’t really care – and it seemed that the players didn’t either.

The Midwinter storyline was much more compelling than the Miss Winter one. I loved the setting and Edwards does a great job of conveying how remote and isolated the village is, beginning with the atmospheric drive from the station across deserted snowy moorland. Although I felt that some of the characters could have been stronger, I enjoyed the sections written from the perspectives of Harry Crystal and another of the guests, the publicist Poppy de Lisle. It’s not clear who can and can’t be believed, what the true motives of the Trust are or why these particular six guests have been invited to Midwinter, so there’s a lot to unravel.

Edwards is clearly a big fan of Golden Age mysteries (he’s the editor of the British Library Crime Classics series) and the influence of Christie and other authors is obvious here. He also includes a Cluefinder – a device sometimes used in GA mysteries – at the end of the book, listing all the clues that appeared throughout the story with references to the chapter they are found in. Unfortunately, I hadn’t spotted many of those!

I didn’t love everything about this book, then, but I did find it very entertaining and was surprised by some of the plot twists towards the end. It would be a perfect book to read during a winter snowstorm.

[Georgina Reads_Eats_Explores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted copy of this wonderfully wintry mystery — my first Martin Edwards and most certainly not my last.

Six down-on-their-luck people, all with connections to the world of crime writing, are invited to a remote hamlet in the North Pennines by the secretive Midwinter Trust. Their task? To solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in return for a life-changing prize. It sounds like the ultimate game of Cluedo, but when a snowstorm cuts the village off and the tension ratchets higher, the line between game and reality starts to blur. Everyone is being watched, but not everyone is playing fair.

I adored how Edwards weaves the reader directly into the puzzle. I found myself flicking back, scanning pages for clues, convinced I might beat the contestants to the solution. Spoiler: I didn’t. The clever layering of mysteries, the nods to Golden Age crime fiction, the deliciously locked-room setup — it’s all so atmospheric. What begins as a cosy Christmas crime story quickly deepens into a locked-room whodunnit and then veers into something darker and sharper, like a blade glinting in candlelight.

This is a book that wears its love of the genre on its sleeve. You can feel Edwards’ delight in every trope, puzzle, and twist — the way he teases out tension, the sly winks to fellow crime fans, the sense that you are playing alongside the author himself. It’s enormous fun, and also chilling in all the right places. The more you read, the more you question who the Midwinter Trust really are, and just how far each guest will go to win.

I can see this being a huge hit for anyone who likes to play detective while they read. The bonus puzzles sprinkled throughout are fiendish and brilliant, and I can guarantee you’ll want a physical copy so you can flip back and forth to trace your theories. It’s the kind of story that begs to be read with the lights low, a storm raging outside, and a steaming mug of mulled wine or hot chocolate in hand.

Atmospheric. Twisty. Enormous fun. A Christmas murder mystery that makes you feel like you’re right there in the village of Midwinter, watching the snow fall and wondering which guest you can trust — if any.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a great believer that the worst sin an author can commit is being boring. Confusing is a close second. I am very sad to say I found this book to be both.

I was very excited for this. Six contestants, all involved in the world of crime novels, playing a murder mystery game. If it was just that, it would have been interesting, but when mysterious events start happening around Midwinter, what follows are abrupt shifts between the game and real life.

The novel is told through a mixture of journal entries, real conversations, and excerpts about the history of the town. Oftentimes, there is no warning when characters stop talking about the game and start talking about the real history of the town. Because of the narrative style as well, we get to see different characters having the same exact conversations over and over again, just with separate groups.

This is not a book about a mystery; this two books put together. One is about joining along as people try to figure out a mystery, trying to solve the clues at the same time as they do. The other is a regular detective story, with the characters trying to figure out what exactly is going on with the town. Some of the characters have more information than others, which results in very cryptic conversations between two people who know what they are talking about but keep censoring themselves as to not tip off the reader.

All of this is not to mention the ending. I am always eager to find out whether my theories are correct, and this was not the case here. I am not sad about it though, since it was literally impossible to solve either part, since we simply did not have enough information.

I very rarely give out 1-star ratings. I usually try to find positive things in every story and understand that, even if a book was not to my liking, there are others that will probably enjoy it. Unfortunately, this is not the case in this review, since I was a mixture of bored and confused throughout the whole thing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Martin Edwards, and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

[Liisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife” by Martin Edwards ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an extract from an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A whodunit, howdunit, and whydunit wrapped in classic mystery tropes – a snowbound village, a locked ice house, cryptic clues, and characters hiding secrets. I mean, who could resist?

The extract I received was just 35 pages, so while it’s hard to form a full picture, there’s definitely intrigue. The story flicks between character introductions, the game’s premise, a true crime podcast, village history, and even a reading list – all within a short space. It felt a little disjointed, almost like too much packed in at once. However, I suspect the full novel will allow for a smoother, more immersive experience.

Six crime-adjacent contestants are invited by the mysterious Midwinter Trust to solve the murder of a fictional writer in a remote Yorkshire village. With snowstorms closing in and staff from the Trust watching their every move, things inevitably take a darker turn. When the prize is life-changing, who wouldn’t be tempted to break the rules?

I can see this working well as an audiobook – the layers of narrative seem like they’d lend themselves to being read aloud. That said, the extract alone wasn’t enough to compel me to purchase the book, but I’d happily borrow it from the library when it’s released.

If you love classic crime setups with a modern twist, this might be one to keep an eye on!

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