I really loved the premise of the book. It sound so interesting and i will definitely pick it up once it's out.
I enjoyed reading the rule of the games, having the invitations and other elements.
We still haven't met half of the characters and i'm already hooked

I really liked this sampler. martin Edwards' writing was as good as always and the premise set up was done well. I'll be sure to pick this up when it becomes available next year!

Martin Edwards is a new author, and I thank Aries for the extract of Miss Winter in the library with a knife.
Six down in their luck people that are related to crime writing are invited to a game in a remote spot in the North Pennines with a prize that will change their lives.
The storyline sounded really intriguing which I liked. This premise is mysterious and the characters that I did read sounded interesting. In what I read I found the storyline to be unique than other locked room mysteries I read. I can’t wait to find out more once it has been published. 4 stars from me.

I am aware of Martin Edwards via his work with the British Library Crime Classic and I knew he was a crime writing in his own right, but never red any of his titles, but when I saw this extract (with its intriguing title), I had to try it out.

And I am very intrigued from what I have read. Six people (all connected the crime writing) invited to the mysterious village of Midwinter to play a game: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer. There will be six member of staff to make sure everyone plays fair, but with a snow storm cutting the town off and the prize that people are willing to kill for, things might not stick the Golden Age rule of play fair...

Will keep my eyes and ears out for this title when it comes out in the latter half of 2025.

With thanks of the author, publishers Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC extract of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed what I read in this extract. The concept sounds like a fun one, and what I read was certainly enough to make we want to seek out the published work to see how it unfolds!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC extract of this book from Net Galley.

I enjoyed the opening pages of this book. It beautifully sets up a page-turner of a book.

Two people are out in a snowstorm, battling to see what is before them. They are looking for someone. But who? And why did this person go out in a snowstorm in the first place?

We are then introduced to two characters who are heading to the village of Midwinter as part of a Christmas murder mystery. As they are about to be snowed in due to a huge snowstorm the attendees are eager to get to town before the storm hits. From the first few pages the attendees look to be in for a killer Christmas.

Really looking forward to reading the full book when it comes out later in 2025.

This was an extract from NetGalley and was such a fun, quick read from the book. The concept seems engaging and definitely entertaining. A whodunnit, a whydunnit and a howdunnit is how it was put and I can’t wait for the full story!
Thank you NetGalley for the sampling.

Fantastic, can’t wait to read the whole story, this little sample certainly has me hooked.
The village of Midwinter is remote and the Midwinter Trust that oversees the village is running a Christmas Murder game, we are treating to hints and clues as to the game, the village and some of the guests who are to play the game, it seems they are all connected through crime writing, but by anything else?
Really looking forward to the book.

I love Martin Edwards' work and was intrigued to read this sample of his 2025 novel Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife. The extract was just enough to pique my interest and I very much look forward to reading the whole book when the time comes.

A sampler - so not reviewing in detail for the risk of giving anything away, but Martin Edwards has always been playful and clever in his writing - whether it's in the stories themselves or little twists/ easter eggs/ bonuses (the cluefinder from Hemlock Bay being an example).
This looks as if it's taking cozy crime to the next level of multi media innovation and looking forward to it very much!

More I need more. What I have read so far has completely got me hooked. I need to read the rest of this book. I need to know what happens next!!

An Exciting Prospect…
An extract of what will soon be a Christmas murder mystery with a difference where six people, all with links to the literary world of crime, have been invited to a play a game by the rather elusive Midwinter Trust in an idyllic Yorkshire village. The prize, they are told, will be potentially life changing. With six members of the Trust also in attendance and the village about to become cut off by a snow storm, what could possibly go wrong? This is a tremendously exciting prospect and will, no doubt, be both intriguing and entertaining, brimming with red herrings, clues and misdirection galore.

The extract for this book was wonderful and so unique in it's writing style that I was sad when I got to the end! I will definitely be reading the full version once it comes out!

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife - EXTRACT

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Six strangers, each connected to crime writing, are invited to participate in a murder mystery game. Their challenge: solve the fictional murder of a crime writer in a secluded English village. However, fiction turns into reality when a snowstorm traps them.

The book offers an interactive experience by incorporating a “Cluefinder” feature, allowing readers to review clues and potentially solve the murder themselves!

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
As a fan of Cluedo, Agatha Christie, and all things Christmas, I was excited to check out this advance copy extract.

Because of the format, I think the eBook would be the easiest way to read this - easier to flip back and forth to check the maybe-clues. But eBook + audiobook - that’s the sweet spot!!

I love that the book gives you the option to play along and solve the mystery or just sit back and enjoy the ride. The writing flows really well, and I connected with the characters right away. The multiple POVs add layers and insights, letting us see inside the minds of the six players, the Trust staff, and even snippets from the author’s own work.

I was intrigued, entertained, and definitely left wanting more.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
This is a fun, modern take on a classic murder mystery, and I’m absolutely picking up the full book when I can. If you love whodunits, this one is a must-read for Christmas!

Thanks to @Netgalley and
@headofzeus for access to this advanced readers copy exert