3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this one - it’s a perfect light read for the lead up to Christmas. A cosy murder mystery about a cantankerous older lady called Edie who used her crossword and puzzle-solving skills to try to unravel the motives and identity of a serial killer. Like all these types of books, the premise and plot line are absolutely preposterous, but if you can park your disbelief this is good fun (if murder can be described as fun?) and there are a few extra puzzles for the reader to solve along the way as a bonus.

What a fabulous story that I was thoroughly invested in. Not your typical Christmas book but the story has so many layers that blended together really well. I did get the overall Christmas is about family and love vibe but the mystery aspect was really intriguing. I absolutely adored aunt Eddie, such a wonderful character full of personality and humour. I will definitely be looking out for more of the authors books. Highly recommended. 5 stars from me.

OK so this is a clever and well thought out murder mystery with some hidden clues in there that tie in for puzzlers, *but* don't be deceived by the festive cover and colour scheme, it's actually pretty dark. I was expecting/hoping for something Christmassy but with Thursday Murder club levels of grimness or something cozy crime adjacent, but if it wasn't Christmas it would be a murder mystery with a dark and brooding cover, rather than an arty one. So not really a for me book, but I think it will appeal to a lot of people who like their crime a bit grimmer.

I had not intended to read two Alexandra Benedict Christmas books back to back. But I am a bear of very little brain at the moment and I got a little confused by the fact that there are two Christmas books out at the moment and that led to my committing to both. Fortunately for me, they are very different books.

There are those for whom Christmas just does not signal festive. Edie O’Sullivan feels this more every year. So she just doesn’t ‘do’ Christmas. No tree, no cards no decorations, thank you very much. Edie, the ultimate Christmas Grinch, will settle down with her beloved crosswords and jigsaws and forget Christmas exists. Well, that was the plan…

Now though, Edie has received a card with a cryptic message and 6 jigsaw pieces. The note suggests that there will be murders before Christmas Eve. This is a puzzle she knows she has to solve; not least because the note suggests its author knows Edie. Edie alerts the police, in the form of her Great Nephew, DI Sean Brand-O’Sullivan. Unlike Edie, he loves Christmas with a passion. Sean, though, is keen to keep Edie far away from the police investigation, lest Edie come to harm.

Edie, of course, has no intention of leaving well alone and so begins a deadly battle of the puzzlers.

Alexandra Benedict has created a set of puzzles to stretch the brain cells and married these with great characters and a plotline that is both devious and intriguing. As we readers try to solve the puzzles alongside Edie, we realise that she has an interesting backstory and just as fascinating is the relationship between Sean and his husband Liam, who are having struggles of their own.

Unveiling the killer is no easy task and although we are given many clues, and even some chapters from the killer’s perspective, what makes it so difficult to fathom is the lack of obvious motivation for these murders. Edie even ropes in her neighbour, Riga, the closest she has to a friend and a woman who gives as much as she gets and she and Edie make a good team.

I like this best of all the three Christmas books by Alexandra Benedict. Partly this is because this one has the ‘Golden Age’ feel to it, but overwhelmingly it is because Edie is such a great character with a truly caustic tongue and a fascinating past. As with her previous Christmas books, Alexandra Benedict has hidden puzzlesinthe text of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders These include hidden Fleetwood Mac song titles and Christmas anagrams.

Verdict: With a terrific protagonist and an immersive plot, this Christmas themed story is a real cracker.

Octogenarian Edie O’Sullivan may live on England’s Jurassic Coast, but it’s far from one foot in the grave she is.

Edie, our curmudgeonly crossword compiler, is sharp as a tack, though highly eccentric, with a punk past and a particular love of Vivienne Westwood. Edie will speak her mind whatever the occasion; filter what filter? Oh, and a heart of gold, but she will go to great lengths to avoid disclosing the fact! She also hates Christmas, and for good reason enough.

It’s the 19th of December when Edie finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene – blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. Included in the parcel is a message: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ It’s signed, Rest In Pieces.

Edie contacts her beloved great nephew, DI Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, but they both hold back critical information, fearing the danger involved and forever trying to protect the other.

Yet as the body count climbs, Edie knows that only she has the knowledge to put together the killer’s murderous puzzle. What is Edie keeping schtum over?

Will the killer be found before the bells for midnight mass ring out?

I’m wanting a few more festive reads this year, and I love a good whodunit, and this suited me well. After a relatively slow start, this whodunit was great craic, with the story having plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing - I was nowhere near suspecting the true culprit!

This Christmas cracker is a humour strewn, delightful page turner you'll want to solve in one sitting. I’m off to look into this author's other books now. 4⭐

As always, this is an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot - there are plenty of other reviews like that out there already if that's what you are looking for.

This is the first novel I've read by Alexandra Benedict, and I really enjoyed it.

The main character - Edie - is great, a clever (crossword compiler) yet grumpy 80-year old who speaks her mind (often saying entirely the wrong thing), has a punk past (loves Vivienne Westwood) and has a hidden heart of gold (she would do anything to avoid disclosing the fact!). There were also some well written supporting characters.

The action takes place around Dorset - a refreshing change from London-based crime novels. The premise of the plot was very intriguing and kept me guessing to the end. I felt an echo of Dickens at times (maybe the Christmas-time setting).

An enjoyable read, I'm hoping to catch up on Alexandra Benedict's back catalogue too.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

On 19th of December, renowned puzzle setter, loner and Christmas sceptic Edie O’Sullivan finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene – blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. Included in the parcel is a message: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ It’s signed, Rest In Pieces. This such a fun mystery for puzzle lovers and throw in the murder mystery part and you have the perfect holiday treat!

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. What a fun murder mystery set at Christmas time. Based around puzzles and crossword clues this story really did have me guessing till the end. I also adored the character of Edie an orange haired says what she thinks puzzle loving 80 year old. This is the perfect book for the season and the author even includes puzzles for the reader to figure out.

Edie O'Sullivan is a renowned puzzle setter. When she receives a parcel containing jigsaw pieces showing a crime scene, she realises she needs to solve the puzzle to stop the crime. With the help of her DI nephew Sean, Edie works to solve the additional clues given - can they find the answers in time?

I loved pensioner Edie, she was plain speaking and knew exactly what she liked! A clever story with interesting characters, the book was a winner for me. I also loved the added puzzles scattered throughout for the reader to solve (although these were sometimes tricky with Kindle formatting!).

I feel I’ve discovered my new favourite character – Edie the plain speaking, punk, octogenarian cruciverbalist. She’s a woman after my own heart spending her time setting crosswords and doing jigsaw puzzles with her cats and her wild herbalist neighbour for company. Her past starts to catch up with her when she receives some jigsaw pieces in the post which seem to be threatening the life of her beloved great-nephew.
Excellent mysteries to solve before the deadly deadline with perfect humour and hilarious verbal spats. Great stuff.

The central character of this story is Edie, a pensioner who writes crossword puzzles and also loves a jigsaw. So when jigsaw pieces are delivered to her containing clues that lead to murders she is hot on the heels of the killer. This is a great cosy crime novel, with a cast of eccentric characters you love or hate. A few twists towards the end I didn't see coming make for an enjoyable easy Christmas read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ok, I really enjoyed this one! This book starts off slow with the murderer taunting Edie, and continues to increase in tension as the murders continue. I loved the inclusion of puzzles in this, and I found it really added to the overall mystery. This is one of the first murder mysteries set at Christmas that I've read, and I really enjoyed it. While there wasn't a whole lot of Christmas due to the main character's aversion to it, I feel like it wasn't overdone. I also loved how personal this mystery became for the character, and it really added when the killer was revealed. That being said, I do think at some times, there were too many characters, and I found myself confusing them at times. I also didn't like the constant references to the main character's ex, it felt a tad bit overdone. I will say though that the differing POVs added make this a thoroughly enjoyable read!!

This the second book I have read from this author and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the idea of of the puzzle being the biggest clue for the murders. Look forward to more.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishers for a copy of “ The Christmas Jigsaw Murders “ for an honest review.
I was very pleasantly surprised on reading this book at how much I enjoyed it.
I always try and have some festive books to read over this season, and I love a good “whodunnit “ so I was drawn to this title.To be fair it wasn’t overly Christmassy, but a good read whenever..
I hadn’t realised that I’d read a couple of other similar books by Alexandra Benedict before, which I’d only given average scores for on reviewing.
For me this was a big improvement, I liked the storyline and the different characters , and the witty retorts from Edie , the octogenarian who wears Vivian Westwood .
I also liked the additional Dickens and Fleetwood Mac puzzle element to the book .

A very clever and fun murder mystery with a Christmas twist.

Things got off to a good start when the author announces that she’s left clues to the name of a well known song in jigsaw format throughout the book (A puzzle for me? I am IN!)…..AND that she’s hidden Fleetwood Mac songs and references throughout the book (just call me Stevie)…..AND if I needed more…. that there are references to Charles Dickens (squeeeeeee) throughout the book AND THEN THE OPENING LINE IS ‘No one was dead to begin with.’

CALL ME A TAXI, I AM DONE.

And things got better….I love it when a book is set locally to me, even more so when I’m not expecting it, so another big win straightaway for the South Dorset locations.

Curmudgeonly octogenarian Edie - our reluctant super sleuth and main character - grew on me throughout the novel. She is, by all accounts, a massive pain in the arse but by the end you can understand why.

The story is clever, the characters well thought out and the ending is pretty special - I didn’t see it coming, although the humour of the novel hides just how dark the murderer’s reasons are.

A great read, thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusteruk for my review copy.

Again Alexandra Benedict is another, must read at Christmas time. If you love, puzzles and murder mysteries, then this one’s for you. I would highly recommend this book, what a page turner. Fingers crossed there’ll be another book next year.

Edie is a pensioner and a cross word puzzle setter .
She’s a loner and loves jigsaws. Edie dislikes Christmas and there are strong reasons why this is the case .
On the run up to Christmas a parcel is left on her doorstep it’s a box containing jigsaw pieces depicting a crime scene and a message stating four people will be dead by Christmas Eve and it’s signed rest in pieces.
Edie embarks on trying to prevent the murders with. her nephew a Detective Inspector in the police force.
This story is cleverly written with more than a nod to A Christmas Carol with added murder mystery.
Excellently written , enjoyable, intriguing and I read it in one sitting .
A must read for Christmas mystery readers .
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK.

A Perfect Pensioner Puzzler Mystery

This was my first delve into the Christmas mystery novels by Alexandra Benedict and I can honestly say it did not disappoint.

I loved the lead character Edie, a creative puzzler, crossword setter and all round cantankerous pensioner.

Edie leads you through this modern murder mystery set in Dorset, trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle and solving clues along the way.

Alongside the murder mystery trail is a story of secrets, betrayal, loss, love and family.

This novel has a cast of wonderful characters, is witty and clever, but also a little dark in places. It is interwoven with fun anagram puzzles set by the author which was an extra treat!

This is a perfect read for any amateur sleuth and puzzle lover.

I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for my ARC.

This book is a cozy murder story that i really enjoyed and it has extra puzzles to tax your brain too!!
So, the story revolves around an eighty year old lady called Edie. Events that happened in her past have turned her into a recluse who doesn’t tolerate people now. She avoids the neighbours, dislikes her adopted son’s husband but she does have one friend who is her next door neighbour. She apparently went round to Edie’s house with food and alcohol when she moved in, as a ploy to make a friend and it worked!.
One morning she receives a strange package that was delivered by an anonymous stranger. Inside are some jigsaw pieces with parts of a murder scene but she doesn’t have all the pieces. She must guess where this is or who it is in order to save their life. She tells Sean, her detective inspector son, then the first victim appears. So it goes on…..
I failed miserably at finding the killer or even solving the puzzles and anagrams!! For reference, the answers are in the back of the book!!!. Yes, I cheated!!!.
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this arc copy via Netgalley.’
#Netgalley, #simonandschuster, #a.k.benedict.

EXCERPT: Ms O'Sullivan,
You are known for your cross words, but can you set your sights on a murderer? Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me. Make sure you do it properly, you never were a good cheater.
Yours,
Rest In Pieces

ABOUT 'THE CHRISTMAS JIGSAW MURDERS': HIS CHRISTMAS, A KILLER TAKES FAMILY GAMES TO A MURDEROUS NEW LEVEL.

On 1st of December, renowned puzzle setter, loner and Christmas sceptic Edie O'Sullivan finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box with a question mark on the lid, and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene – blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. On the back of the pieces is a message: ‘His death takes place on the solstice, unless you can put together the pieces,’ along with a clue to the location of more pieces.

When the police say there isn’t anything to investigate, Edie teams up with her Christmas-loving nephew, DI Sean Brand-O'Sullivan, to solve the clues, find the jigsaw pieces and prevent the murder. Each set of jigsaw pieces leads to the next, but the more Edie finds, the more she discovers that the mystery is far more connected to her past than it first appeared, and to a Christmas mystery she’s being trying to forget for a very long time.

Only by fitting all the pieces together will Edie find the peace and goodwill she’s secretly always been looking for.

MY THOUGHTS: The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is an entertaining Christmas murder-mystery that has the added bonus of challenges for the reader to complete. There are anagrams of Charles Dickens' novel and Christmas story titles scattered throughout. Also, the titles of sixteen Fleetwood Mac songs and, at the beginning of each chapter, a jigsaw piece containing a letter or character which, when rearranged, gives the title of a well-known Christmas song and its singer. Now, I didn't set out to do the challenges (It's a time thing for me) and I completely ignored the anagram challenge; the jigsaw pieces showed up on my ARC but minus the letters/characters; but I did find most of the Fleetwood Mac songs. To be honest, they kind of jumped out at me even though I wasn't consciously looking for them. The answers to the challenge (except for the jigsaw pieces which are a competition) are in the back of the book, along with a recipe for Riga's Christmas Livener (which I think would knock me off my feet!), and Edie's Dorset Apple Cake which I am definitely going try.

I really liked Edie's character, even though she is reclusive, really doesn't like people, and a Christmas Grinch. There's a story behind why she is the way she is which is slowly revealed throughout the narrative. Her nephew, DI Sean Brand-O'Sullivan is the direct opposite of Edie - he loves Christmas with a passion - and is married to Liam, whom Edie doesn't like - well, doesn't like any more than anyone else, and as she doesn't like anyone except Sean, this causes a few problems! She does kind of like Riga, one of her neighbours who is eighty-nine and tends to put Edie in her place when required.

The puzzle Edie is trying to solve is . . . puzzling. With only the enigmatic letter and a few pieces of a jigsaw, Edie doesn't have much to go on. But with each new murder comes another letter - the second warning her NOT to involve the police - and a few more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

I have to say that I admire the way Edie's mind works. It's cool and logical, but sometimes she can't see the wood for the trees. There's a particular aspect of one of the clues she receives that appears to threaten her great-nephew Sean, and this upsets her greatly - enough for her to stop passing on the information she receives, and to take Riga into her confidence. Riga is wonderful, smart and sassy, she sees things not immediately obvious to Edie, and doesn't let Edie get away with her bad behaviour.

This is a well written Christmas cracker of a mystery that had me flipping the pages furiously. I would love to read another story featuring these characters. It is full of humor and intrigue. Even the recipe for Edie's Dorset Apple Cake had me chuckling while reading the instructions.

If you have a puzzler - jigsaw, crossword, or whatever - in your family/circle of friends, this will make a great pressie to pop under the tree.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheChristmasJigsawMurders #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Alexandra Benedict has been a composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and lecturer in crime fiction, and is now an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts. As AK Benedict, she writes high-concept novels, speculative short stories and scripts.
She lives on the south coast of England with her fiancé, writer Guy Adams, their daughter, and their dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford. She writes in a room filled with teapots and the severed head of a ventriloquist’s dummy.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.