This is a delicious mystery, with characters who have stayed with me long after I finished the book. This is a puzzlers dream, plenty of crossword hints and so many anagrams. All of this and Christmas too. What’s not to love.

I really loved this. I loved Edie she was spunky and bright. I really got engaged with the characters and could see them come alive. At times I couldn’t read this alone as it was chilling! I am a wuss though. The story was engaging, thrilling and captivating. I slowed down my pace and I am a voracious reader to keep enjoying this book.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Excellent choice of book.

A gripping story of old sins leading to present trouble 4 out of 5 stars.

A jigsaw. A body. An octogenarian crossword compiler, a young police detective. Turns out these are the elements of a fantastic murder mystery, set (of course) with Christmas as the backdrop. Told from three perspectives, the killer, the puzzler, and the police. This is not the first book by the author that I've read but it was by far the best.

Likable main characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end made this an enjoyable book to read. The tension build slowly as the bodies piled up. As the puzzle pieces began to fit together I found myself unable to stop reading, desperate to know who the killer was. I fell for a couple of cleverly designed red herrings but ultimately failed to guess the killer.

If you enjoy clever murder mysteries, and cantankerous old dears who rub everyone the wrong way, then this is the book for you.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Guess who’s ready for chiristmas! I loved how the book got to the punch straight away. I really appreciate that. I love any book that has a game involved since i was gamer in my childhood and still play today! It gets me involved and very invested

This would be a great stocking filler for anyone that likes whodunnits and puzzles. There are three puzzles set: find literary references, look for Fleetwood Mac tracks and a (very long) anagram which gives a topical answer.
I really enjoyed the book. Eddie is an octogenarian cruciverbalist with a mysterious back story which develops over the course of the book. She has to solve puzzles linked to jigsaw pieces that are either sent to her or appear in the hands of the murder victims. The chapters are short and because an anagram letter is given at the start of every chapter, I felt drawn to ‘just another chapter’. Halfway through, I had three suspects but by the end, I got a surprise. I wonder what clues I missed in identifying the murderer. When the murderer is mentioned, the author uses non-binary pronouns. It took me a while to get used to reading it as referring to one person not several. A sign of my age no doubt! I will look out the other books by this author. I wasn’t aware that she publishes a Christmas book each year. I look forward to catching up on the previous ones and looking out for the new ones. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a prepublication ebook.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a brilliant devised and written mystery novel that I sat and read in my spare time for three days just to finish as I had to know who the killer was. Edie was a great main character and the author has successfully written a character that while likeable is equally unlikable in their behaviours at times. This is a strangely difficult balance for a lot of writers but AB has masterfully written a mystery novel with an elderly woman main character that feels incredibly real to the reader.

I am not a crossword solver, well yes I can solve normal ones to a point, but the cryptic ones go right over my head! As such I am in awe of how the author has weaved crossword solving and jigsaws with the appropriate word play throughout the pages of this book, on top of adding her own puzzles throughout (and a recipe which the baker in me appreciated ;))

AB has given us a juicy mystery full of the twists, turns and red herrings that make the genre so compelling, a cast of characters that feel very real and tangible in their interaction and motivations. Even the killers felt very appropriate. Highly recommend for those who enjoy a mystery novel that keeps your guessing until the end.