This is quite a slow build murder mystery which explores dealing with the aftermath of traumatic events throughout a lot of the secondary plots.
The characters seem well fleshed out to me and I did have trouble figuring out who the murderer was for much of the book, there were just too many people who had reasons that might have lead them to believe this was their best/only option.
The ending was interesting to read, I could empathise greatly with the main characters at this part but it was written in a way that soothed rather than triggered.
I really enjoyed this story and will now be hunting out the previous book especially as it was referenced in an aside in this one!

Very much in the vein of Murder on the Orient Express our story has a train journey where the train becomes stuck in the snow. Murders occur. There are many suspects on the train. This is a very interesting take on this classic mystery with even a locked room scenario. This story keeps up a great pace making you want to finish in one reading.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher Simon & Schuster UK) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this book and what a book this is. I love a locked room mystery, and this had more than one, all set on a train travelling to Scotland during a snow blizzard just before Christmas. I can honestly say that I never saw the reveal coming and was surprised which just goes to show how brilliant the authors writing is. This would be a fantastic way to while away a few hours over the long winter's nights, a real must read book.

Rating: 3.2/5

This is my second experience of Alexandra Benedict's work, having previously read her debut (which also had a seasonal setting), "The Christmas Murder Game". Although the two novels are very different, there are a number of elements that are common to both: Firstly, I would suggest that you are not misled into thinking that this book needs to be read around December time. While the events in the book do take place in the lead up to Christmas, this could equally well be read and enjoyed at any time of year. Like its predecessor, this also has its roots in the "Golden Age" of mystery fiction. In her previous book, Alexandra Benedict took her inspiration from Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". That same author once again provides the stimulus for this one, but on this occasion it has "Murder on the Orient Express" to thank. Another element that this shares with book one is that Alexandra Benedict sets the reader an additional quizzing challenge in addition to the usual "whodunnit" question. This seems set to become something of a trademark approach from the author and provides a unique variation on the established format of the genre, whilst still respecting its traditional values.

The action takes place on a sleeper train in the wilds of Scotland. When the train finds itself stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere it transpires that this is to be the least of the worries of the people on board. It seems that there is a killer on the train who is dispatching the passengers one by one. Fortunately there is a retired detective on board who can investigate the crimes! However, in this instance it is not Dame Agatha's Hercule Poirot, but Roz Parker.

On the whole this is an enjoyable and well-paced mystery, although the set-up did perhaps take longer than I would have liked ideally. The characterisation is sound and there are some fine examples of sharp, witty repartee. There are odd occasions when the phrasing seems a little strange stylistically, but this is usually a result of the reader's challenge being incorporated into the narrative. In addition to the awkwardness that comes from this deliberate supplementary puzzle element, the style does flip between being a genuine "Orient Express" inspired mystery, with some darkly disturbing themes, and something far cosier and more tongue-in-cheek. I suspect readers reactions to this approach may vary. On the one hand, this could be viewed more negatively as something that shows an uncertain direction on the part of the author. However, on the other hand this could be seen as a deliberate technique to lull the reader into a false sense of security and make the darker elements more impactful by throwing them into stark relief.

Overall, another enjoyable read from Alexandra Benedict and if she continues with the same timetable, I dare say I will be back for her third book this time next year!

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

I absolutely loved her book “The Christmas Murder Game” and it was one of my favourite books last year, so I confess I audibly squealed when I saw she had written a new one.

I know it’s obvious, but I love the nod to Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”. In fact, I compared her first book to Christie before, and she’s definitely done it again.

There’s a great cast of characters; enough to keep it interesting and keep you on your toes, but there’s not so many that you can’t focus on them. Our characters include our protagonist Roz, her daughter And daughter-in-law Heather and Ellie, and then quizzers Beck, Sam, Blake and Ayana, the influencer Meg and her boyfriend Grant, the lawyer Craig, Mary and her son Tony, Phil and Sally with their older children Aidan and Liv and then Ember, Beefy, Nick, Oli and Bella……I think I’ve got them all. I’ll be annoyed if I’ve missed one.

You usually have an inkling as to who the killer is in a murder mystery, maybe two or three, but you will have an idea. I had zero idea with this. Every time I thought I knew, it would change. It literally could have been any of them and that’s what kept me interested. And whilst it could have been anyone, there were a few characters for whom I just couldn’t imagine being the baddy.

I know I’ve said it repeatedly but it has got Agatha Christie written all over it. A stupendous murder mystery. Usually I would say I’d have preferred for the murder and investigation to be earlier on - whereas in this it doesn’t fully kick off until halfway - but it works. It gives us enough time to get absorbed into the characters’ lives and provides a basis for the red herrings a good murder mystery needs. As you would expect from the genre, it’s full of surprises, shocks and twists, some so expertly hidden you’ll never see it coming.

Like her previous book, there is a little quiz question at the start of the book, and if you do what she asks you to, you could possibly win a prize. I did complete this and let her know that I had the answer, but as I’ve had an advantage by receiving an early copy. I won’t enter the draw. But there’s nothing stopping you.

A murder mystery is not a good advert for a sleeper train, but I’ve always wanted to go on one, especially if beautiful Scotland was the destination.

Yes, it’s an entertainment piece, obviously, but it does cover some incredibly tough subjects (of which I won’t go into for fear of spoilers). It was so good I read it in one sitting, so desperate to find out who had done it.

If you want to know how to write a good murder mystery, you could do a lot worse than reading Alexandra’s work. She’s taken what Agatha Christie perfected and expanded it, sticking to classic genre regimes but bringing it into modern times. It’s a lovely combination of the old and the new and proves that a well written mystery book will appeal in every age.