Fun and easy read, perfect for Christmas and anyone who likes cosy crime. Festive solution to anyone shopping for Richard Osman fans.

Read this with interest after listening to The Christmas Murder Game and found this different and a very pleasant and well constructed read. I enjoyed the previous novel by the author but felt that this was a real progression in plot and character building with a good twist.

The main protagonist is 80 year old Edie, hating Christmas due to events from the past and loving only her beloved crosswords and jigsaws. Can she solve a puzzle based on both and save someone close to her before it is too late?

Enjoyable read and good plot twist at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders centres around Edie O'Sullivan, a renowned puzzle setter, who receives a note and a jigsaw puzzle to solve in order to prevent multiple murders. The plot takes place throughout the month of December in the run up to Christmas.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly Edie's character who was extremely blunt but had a very unique way of thinking which was fascinating to follow along with. The chapters from the killer's perspective really helped build the tension and were quite creepy to read. I loved the seaside setting of Weymouth and thought it added to the festive atmosphere. There were some absolutely incredible plot twists which I didn't see coming!

My only complaint is that I found at times the plot moved slightly too slowly for my liking. I loved the ending however I think it took a bit too long to get there and there were some details which became irrelevant to the ending which we spend a long time focussing on.

Overall I would recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, Christmassy murder mystery and I'm already looking forward to rereading this next Christmas!

3.5 stars for me!

I really enjoyed this. It was an easy, fun read and I think a great cozy Christmas thriller/mystery book! I loved the extra puzzles in the book (although I am not very good at puzzles myself lol) but I think that this is a great extra and also makes this the perfect book to gift for any family/friends who are booklovers!

Edie is 80 years old and she receives a parcel full of jigsaw pieces. She must figure out the puzzle to stop the murders happening in the days leading up to Christmas. Edie was a great character to follow and see her grow throughout the plot. This book really reminded me of the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman, so if you are a fan of those I think you would also enjoy this!

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You’ve got to love a festive, puzzle-based (with a dash of murder mystery thrown in) book title, right? The Christmas Jigsaw Murders had me hooked instantly from the title and, luckily the story was just as good! It kept me entertained, guessing all the way through and satisfied at its conclusion – like any good jigsaw puzzle.

Not many books start with games, but The Christmas Jigsaw Murders lives up to its puzzle theme with author Alexandra Benedict setting challenges for us, the readers, such as spot the Fleetwood Mac song titles throughout and see if you can work out the Charles Dickens anagrams too. This perfectly set the scene for what’s to come in the story…

Set on the English coast, in Weymouth, eighty-year-old Edie O’Sullivan has the fantastic job of creating crosswords for a newspaper. She lives with her three cats (Peggoty, Fezziwig and Mr Bumble), laments her ex-lover, Sky and regularly has boozy catch ups with her rather fabulous neighbour and friend, Riga.

Her adopted son (also nephew), Sean is a DI in the police and when Edie receives some sinister jigsaw pieces in the post, from the perfectly named, Rest In Pieces, they need to join forces to solve a puzzle with potentially fatal consequences.

On the one hand, Edie is in her element. She loves putting her puzzling mind to work – but on the other, people will literally die if she isn’t quick enough to solve the clues. And just who, exactly, is sending her the jigsaw pieces? They know a lot about Edie’s life and definitely have a grudge against her – but why? Are Edie’s years of being too cantankerous coming back to haunt her?

Edie is a classic Christmas novel character. Alexandra Benedict shares her love of Charles Dickens at the beginning of the book, so it’s no surprise to see the similarities between Edie’s story arc and that of Scrooge. But with a far more fabulous wardrobe – Edie wears vintage Vivienne Westwood and I do love her for that.

Ending with the answers to the puzzles set at the beginning and one or two recipes to get us in the Christmas spirit, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders really was a cosy, fun little read! I laughed out loud quite a few times at Edie and Riga’s dry take on things.

The book also had a strong emotional hit as it captured the mixed feelings people can have about this time of year, while layering on the sentimentality that, let’s face it, if you have Christmas in the book title, has to be there. The ending got me welling up and reaching for the mulled wine and mince pies – always a great sign!

This was such a fantastic book, full of thrills and mystery. The writing was brilliant, I suspected most of the characters as the murderer. The big reveal at the end I didn’t see coming. The story was great and kept me hooked from the start. This was such a great mystery, full of twists and turns with puzzles thrown in for good measure.

this was a really fun, quick christmas themed mystery. Edie was an enjoyable character to follow, and i liked the addition of puzzles. the mystery itself wasn’t super compelling but following Edie put the puzzle pieces into place made it more fun. it’s more on the cozy mystery side but some of the themes do get a bit heavy.

Fantastic for a festive mystery read, I really enjoyed The Christmas Jigsaw Murders. Despite protagonist Edie's dislike of the season, and despite the subject matter, there still manages to be a fun Christmassy feel to the book. There's puzzles to solve throughout and a couple of seasonal recipes as a bonus at the end.

Alexandra Benedict has created a great character in cantankerous Christmasphobe Edie. She'd probably be a nightmare to know in real life but is perfect in fiction with her bluntness, determination and fierce loyalty. When you realise why she hates Christmas, she becomes an even more sympathetic character. Her relationship with nephew and police officer Sean is warm but complex and I loved her bond with best friend Riga.

The story had a chilling edge, with brutal murders and chapters from the POV of the killer. The mystery is well plotted and it was fun to try to solve the puzzles along with Edie and Sean. I did not work out whodunit and the ending was a good surprise, both the culprit and their reasons for targeting Edie. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a modern Christmas murder mystery. Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.

I love a good Christmas mystery novel so was very excited about this one and I'm so pleased to say that I very much enjoyed it! I think this may be my new favourite by this author! I love the way jigsaw puzzles were used throughout this book and how Edie, a crossword setter, was working out the puzzle. Her relationship with her nephew, a detective, was fascinating. She's not an easy person to like but at the same time I couldn't help but root for her to sort her life out and to mend some broken relationships. The mystery at the heart of the novel was so good. There were lots of secrets and seemingly random things happening so it was hard to work out how it all was going to link together. There are a lot of reveals through the book and each one sets you off on a different path. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it!

A gorgeous Christmas treat of a book for all you puzzle lovers and crime fiction fans out there! Crossword setter Edie is a bit of a recluse, living in a quiet life with only her beloved adopted nephew Sean and her eccentric neighbour in her life, She pushes everyone else away in a bid not to get hurt emotionally.
This all comes to a head when she is sent some puzzle pieces with a cryptic note to hint that only Edie has the power to stop a series of murders taking place. There's a strong indication that Sean is destined to be one of the victims.
Edie uses her crossword setting skills, her jigsaw prowess and lateral thinking skills to try and get to the bottom of what is going on, but can she get there in time to save Sean?

I havent read anything by Alexandra Benedict before but was immediately taken in by her humorous writing style and easy read. I liked the way that she hid extra puzzles for the reader to find as well, including anagrams of various Dickens books. Embarrassingly, i didnt spot a single one, or the Fleetwood Mac references, I was too busy trying to solve the murders (which I failed to do as well!)

A great twist on the classic murder mystery, well worth a read!

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict immerses readers in a chilling holiday mystery that combines the warmth of Christmas with the suspense of a thrilling conundrum. Renowned crossword setter Edie O’Sullivan, a self-professed Christmas hater, receives a cryptic package of puzzle pieces illustrating a gruesome crime scene. Teaming up with her nephew, DI Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, they race against time to decipher the clues as bodies start to pile up. Benedict weaves a compelling narrative, expertly juxtaposing festive cheer with ominous threats, creating a unique and engaging read for mystery enthusiasts. The well-developed characters, particularly Edie and Sean, add depth to the story, and the clever use of puzzles as a central theme makes The Christmas Jigsaw Murders an engaging festive mystery that develops with intricate precision.

THE CHRISTMAS JIGSAW MURDERS was my first book by Alexandra Benedict, and one I really enjoyed.
I like seasonal mood-reading around this time of year, but I also don’t want those Christmas-y vibes to get too saccharine, you know? Benedict balances the holiday theme of the story well—the story is happening in the lead up to Christmas, so there’s little mentions here and there, but Edie, the protagonist is very much not a Christmas lover, so it’s quite muted and sceptical—a very nice counterbalance to all the Christmas cozies on my TBR.

That, and the fact the mystery is by far the bigger element than the seasonal setting, means you really could pick up THE CHRISTMAS JIGSAW MURDERS at any time of year.

The mystery was engaging. By the end, I had a couple of suspects in mind but I still hadn’t wound up with the completely correct solution. Edie is a great protagonist—prickly and vulnerable in turns, a brilliant modern-day Scrooge or Grinch. The supporting characters were really lovable, particularly high-drama 90-year-old Riva, and long-suffering detective and great-nephew, Sean.

I’ve got a paperback of MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS on my shelf and, if I don’t get to it by the end of the month, that and THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME will definetly end up on my winter TBR for 2024.

Arc review

So I always struggle with books where I dislike the MC, and right from the start I knew I didn’t like Edie - but I don’t think we’re supposed to like her. She’s obnoxious and arrogant and downright rude and unpleasant to most everyone she meets, sure she has some trauma but that’s no excuse. But by the end she seems to have accepted some of the magic of Christmas into her heart 😂.
This book gave me Christmas murder mystery with a garnish of a Christmas carol.

This is a really clever murder mystery and I loved the use of the puzzles to keep us and the characters guessing.
Edie is a wonderful main character - sharp-witted and acerbic, she hides behind a veneer of sliminess to protect herself from all the losses she’s been through.
It felt like this story unveiled itself a little at a time as each jigsaw piece was revealed - a real masterpiece in intrigue.

Edie O'Sullivan is a crossword setter who loves jigsaw puzzles. When she receives jigsaw pieces with a threatening note she realises that they are connected to a murder victim also discovered with a jigsaw piece. It becomes a race against time to uncover who is behind the mystery.

I absolutely loved this mystery with the perfect festive setting.

If you have read anything by Alexandra Benedict before you may be familiar with the kind of puzzles that she includes within her books. I love this about Alexandra's books because it is so much fun (even if I never get any of the anagrams!) and really makes them stand out.

The story is told from the perspective of both Edie and her nephew DI Sean O'Sullivan which was perfect because you really get to see their relationship from both sides and how it affects the investigation. Edie is such a fantastic character and I loved how stubborn she was.

This is exactly the kind of mystery that I enjoy - a unique hook that draws you in and has you unable to put it down until the very last page.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Alexandra Benedict is so clever in her books' and for the last couple of years I've keenly awaited her new title for Christmas. I really enjoyed this one and thought it was very cleverly done, intertwined with extra riddles for the readers. I enjoyed the main protagonist being an older lady - it gave me Marple vibes. Big fan of this and look forward to her 2024 title! It took all my self control to not read this until November!

So much fun! I love a good cosy murder mystery amd this one was great. I loved the characters. They were so interesting, feisty and sometimes infuriating. I'm not a puzzler but really enjoyed all the hidden extras. The whole puzzle theme throughout the book was great. I loved seeing how quick some people's brains work and how they come to conclusions when faced with something really cryptic.
A perfect festive treat for someone.

Perfect read for the run up to Christmas. A fantastic mystery and always good when you don’t see the twist coming.

This was a really well executed work of complete misdirection and hiding clues so well that you only remember reading them when the whole thing is laid out for you to revel in the bad persons genius .... or not!
The author has written this book in such a way that it very quickly became addictive reading, wanting the next pieces of the jigsaw and yet also not as that would mean another body .... it really was a conundrum!
I love the characters, Edie especially and the journey of self discovery she goes on alongside the main story!
This really is a great piece of Festive Fiction, it has a lot of heart and traditions mixed in with the murders.
I've really enjoyed this authors previous works and thoroughly enjoyed this one too, lets hope for another next year now!

Heinous Puzzler..
A macabre and threatening gift of a jigsaw puzzle sparks a dark and mysterious tale of intrigue and murder in this Christmas puzzle to savour and a whodunnit with a difference. Can Edie, with bodies mounting and the time ticking, solve this heinous puzzler and stop a determined and blatantly evil killer? With a well drawn and entertaining cast, an enjoyable plot and a well imagined setting, this is a compelling mystery for the festive season.