If you’re in the mood for a festive murder mystery, The Christmas Eve Murders by Noelle Albright is the perfect choice! Set in the Merry Monarch, a cosy pub tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales, the story kicks off with its annual scavenger hunt for the quirky regulars. From the landlord Mickey and his family to the local policeman and his ghost-hunting deputy, this group is as colourful as it gets.

When Maddie Marlowe, a stranded journalist, turns up on their doorstep during a snowstorm, things start to heat up, despite the freezing weather outside. But the real chill comes when the power cuts out, and the hunt takes a sinister turn. As the body count rises, Maddie and the group are left trying to figure out which one of them is a killer.

With a classic locked-room mystery vibe, plenty of twists, and a touch of holiday cheer (and fear), this is a story that will keep you guessing until the very end. It’s an atmospheric and entertaining read that’s perfect for curling up with on a wintry night!

I could see where this story was going, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very fast-paced read that I ended up flying through, but it was also quite flat as a mystery. The characters were all quite one-dimensional so I didn’t really connect with any of them, making the murderous plot boring! The premise of the story and the mystery were quite engaging but ultimately it was a little predictable. So, whilst a quick and easy read, it's not something I necessarily enjoyed!

TW: death, murder, violence, sexism

Isolated, cut-off from the world due to a snow storm, and a cozy pub. Yes please!!
This book had great atmosphere and cozy winter vibes, even with a murderer on the loose. Reminiscent of a stormy Murder She Wrote episode and Agatha Christie novel, this was a great Christmas murder mystery.
The characters were lovable (some more than others), and the plot was well-thought out. I'd love to see Maddie in another cozy mystery!!
I give this one 4.25 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for this ARC!

For murder mystery fans who would like a little holiday festivities, The Christmas Eve Murders offers both for the price of one. In this cozy murder mystery, set in the Yorkshire Dales on Christmas Eve, our main character, Maddie, finds herself stranded along the snowy road when her car dies. Unable to make any phone calls in the cellular dead zone, Maddie has no other choice than to follow a seemingly friendly older gentleman and his Scottie dog through piles of snow to the nearest public building: the local pub. Despite the news that she will not be given roadside assistance until the morning, Maddie's spirits are slightly lifted by the cheery pub setting and promise of an annual Christmas Eve scavenger hunt that a variety of local characters come together to participate in. However, soon into the games, one of the players ends up dead. The deceased individual seems to have no shortage of enemies, so who could it have been? Maddie, a journalist, finds herself sleuthing alongside the local detective using her skills to interview and identify the likeliest person for this Christmas Eve Murder.

I wanted to enjoy this novel a lot more than I did. There were many elements that are usually home-runs for me. I love a murder mystery, a cozy pub, and a snowed-in element keeping everyone trapped. However, this novel didn't grip me and keep me turning the pages. The characters were likable enough, so I am left thinking that part of the issues I had with this novel were the "almost" elements. There was almost a romance between Maddie and the detective, but not really. There was almost a harrowing backstory with Maddie concerning a dead body, but it wasn't really that bad. There was almost a paranormal plot, but it was pretty obvious this wasn't a possibility and was never considered as much, meaning all the discussions about it felt like wasted space. Certain plot points were pretty obvious (i.e. Curtis in the basement) and some seemed to come out of nowhere. Overall this book was a 3 star rating for me and a bit of a disappointment.

After she breaks down in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, journalist Maddie Marlowe finds herself stranded on Christmas Eve, a snow storm preventing her from making it to Edinburgh for a family get together. She arrives at the Merry Monarch, the local village pub, just as it is about to undertake its annual Christmas scavenger hunt and finds herself coerced into participating. When there is a sudden power cut, the hunt turns deadly – one of the people in the pub is a killer. With the storm closing in and no way of leaving, Maddie and her new companions must find the murderer before there are more deaths.

The Christmas Eve Murders is the perfect Christmas read, reminiscent of old-school cosy crime mysteries. From the very start, we are immersed into the plot as we meet the array of villagers present at the Merry Monarch. It is apparent from the off that there are secrets a-plenty and that some of the characters are not as enamoured with each other as they would like everyone to believe – the perfect setting for a whodunit. Add in the approaching snow storm which has knocked out the power and you have a great locked room mystery!

This is a quick read, one that is easy to follow with an enjoyable, engaging plot and a few mysteries and red herrings thrown in along the way. Mixing humour with intrigue, this is the perfect read for the long winter nights.

I love a seasonal cosy murder-mystery, especially one with a festive theme! So on my Christmas break I settled down with The Christmas Eve Murders and let myself get lost in the world of Maddie and her treacherous journey home to Scotland from Manchester to see her parents for Christmas.

When her car breaks down in Yorkshire (where there is a lack of phone signal), the only place she can go is the Merry Monarch pub where she meets some local characters, some of whom are definitely not what they seem as... yes, there is murder.

Given the isolated snowy setting, we have a tight cast of characters to select the murderer from and while this wasn't the most high-drama cosy crime I've read, it kept me entertained and ticked the box in terms of delivering on an easy festive read with a crime twist.

A good old fashioned who done it, set in Yorkshire. Our suspects are snowed in on Christmas Eve and go on a traditional treasure hunt.

🔍❄️ If you love a classic whodunit with a festive twist, The Christmas Eve Murders by Noelle Albright is well worth a read! With all the hallmarks of golden-age crime—think a snowed-in house, a locked-room mystery, and a clever Agatha Christie-style reveal—it kept me turning the pages.

The pacing was spot-on, building tension without ever dragging, and the big reveal tied everything together nicely. While it didn’t quite hit five-star territory for me, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable mystery that’s perfect for curling up with on a chilly December evening.

Add this one to your holiday reading list if you’re after a bit of murder to spice up your Christmas! 🎄📚

I had so much fun with this one! I'm a sucker for books that take place during a specific time period, so I really enjoyed reading this in the days leading up to Christmas. The main character was likeable and the setting cozy. There was even the barest hint of romance, though I feel like I may have been reading too much into it. Can't wait to read more from Albright!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book was not written well. I feel like the writing just really took away from the story. The characters were also just not likeable and I didn't really care for anyone.

I didn't click with this book but I hope others love it.

Maddie Marlow, a young reporter for the Trafford Times in Manchester, gets stranded in an isolated North Yorkshire village after her car breaks down as she is travelling to her parents in Scotland. She takes shelter in the village pub, the Merry Monarch, where she has to stay overnight as the snow closed the roads and she can’t get anyone out to fix her car. The Merry Monarch doesn’t live up to its name with the landlord at loggerheads with his son and there are rumours of ghosts and secret passages adding to Maddie’s unease. During the course of the evenings traditional scavenger hunt there is a power cut and when the lights return one of the competitors is found murdered. With all the signs that it was premeditated with meticulous planning and execution.

This is a fast paced, fun cosy murder mystery. The setting is within a snow bound pub and the reasons for why some of the characters were there that night felt a bit contrived. Also, the layout of the building and the presence of a number of secret passageways was a little confusing. The characterisation of the two police officers was weak and at times a bit farcical.

Overall though, there is a good level of intrigue and mystery in this quick to read book.

A solid if lightweight whodunit, The Christmas Eve Murders succeeds largely thanks to its cosy charm and likeable characters, even if the actual mystery is too light to be of much real note. An enjoyable time nonetheless.

3-

Maddie gets stranded in a pub in the Yorkshire Dales while on her way home to her family in Edinburgh, when her car breaks down. Because of heavy snowfall a group of people get stuck in the pub, and then during the the annual Christmas Eve scavenger hunt, the lights suddenly go out, a bloodcurdling scream is heard.. And well, you can guess the rest.

I did get caught up in the mystery and the setting, which is why this barely makes a 3 for me, but the solution to the murder was a bit anti-climactic and obvious. No real twists or red herrings. Honestly, this book being described as "hilarious" in the blurb is the biggest twist to me.. I don't want to be mean, but I saw zero humour in it.

There was a lot of telling of what happened and a lot of internal monologue which made the pacing very slow. For instance early on, when Maddie's car breaks down, someone knocks on the car window. We are treated to an entire page of inner monologue before she responds to the knock. I also didn't feel like I got to know any of the characters, so I wasn't invested and didn't care about them. I admit I did something I rarely do: I started skimming (not the entire book, but parts here and there).

So yes, I'll give it an okay +, but this book did not find its right audience with me, though I am a big fan of both Osman and Christie. It's back to Thursday Murder Club for me.

Thank yo Net Galley and Quercus Books for this ARC. The blurb for this book was much more exciting than the book itself. The author used all the great country house murder mystery troupes but it was just bland.

Locked in a Yorkshire pub on Christmas Eve having been stranded in the snow when her car breaks down the last thing Maddie expects is to become involved in a murder. With a great cast of characters and numerous red herrings this book is the perfect Christmas crime read . It had me guessing to the end and I look forward to more from this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Taking a detour due to a crash on the M6, a young journalist finds herself stranded in a remote Yorkshire village on a snowy Christmas Eve. Joining in with a scavenger hunt in the local pub she becomes embroiled in a series of murders.
This is short and simple book which ticks a lot of boxes for a festive read. Judged against other cosy crime novels it falls short for me but for a evening in front of the fire it's fine.

In this locked-room style murder mystery with a festive twist, we meet Maddie as her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve and she finds herself needing to book a room for the night in a local pub. Shortly after joining the locals in their annual Christmas scavenger hunt, things take a dark twist when the lights go out and a body is discovered…

This was a fun take on a traditional locked-room murder, and the plot was engaging. While there were a few events that stretch credibility a little, it was nicely paced and had some good red herrings to keep the reader guessing along the way.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Stranded in the Yorkshire Dales on Christmas Eve due to a broken down car and heavy snowfall, Maddie finds herself stuck for the night, taking refuge in a local pub called the Merry Monarch. Once at the pub, she is persuaded into joining in with the annual scavenger hunt, but things take a shocking turn when the power goes out and one of the pub’s patrons winds up dead. So the party turns into a murder investigation, with a killer possibly still among them.

This is a fun cosy mystery, not overly festive apart from taking place on Christmas Eve. The characters are (mostly) likeable and believable, but all work as possible suspects so you don’t know who to trust. Being a bit of a locked room mystery, it’s appropriately claustrophobic, with a fairly slow start which builds the tension and ramps up as the story unfolds.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy reading this book as much as I expected. The beginning – although slow - was very promising, especially as it was supposed to involve a treasure hunt. But in the end the things just did not line up for me. The treasure hunt was stopped once the murder was committed, the police officer (conveniently on situ) was too involved to be allowed to be part of the case, which he started to conduct in the most annoying and unprofessional way, and in the end the killer revealed themselves instead of the reader being told who they were.

Book review:
Thanks to @quercusbooks and @netgalley for a proof copy of The Christmas Eve Murders which was published in my birthday. Billed as a modern day cosy crime novel aka in the style of Agatha Christie it’s a good way to pass a couple of hours. I mean should you just follow a random stranger to a local pub on Christmas Eve and get involved in their obviously dubious traditional scavenger hunt - if you read as many crime novels as me, then it’s a definite no as you’re bound to witness something brutal but clearly no one told that to Maddie and that freezing to death in her car would be a preferable option!!! It’s also only 99p for the kindle edition at the moment.