“She'd adored Christie as a teenager, but once she'd become a cop there'd been more than enough murder.”

Anagrams and games and complicated and intricate plot twists, a murder that maybe could have been predictable but at the end … was not.
This book was so good!!’ I remember reading another Christmas vibes mystery book from this author and now I can successfully say that they are my thing!! I had so much fun reading this book and trying to work out the clues left from the characters, while helping detective Roz working out the crime happening, inspired by Murder on the Orient Express. We have chapters from the killer’s pov (which I loved) and some heavy heavy topics dealt with in this story that are quite triggering. But at the end of the day, it was a really engaging, thrilling and interesting mystery book, perfect for the fall/winter season!

“Love, though, quickly had its hand round your throat and wouldn't stop squeezing until one of you called time.”

A Christmas tale, Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict begins on Christmas Eve with people boarding a London train bound for the Scottish highlands. Initially delayed, the various characters are introduced as the train sets off, only to have carriages removed due to the snowstorm. As the seventeen strangers and three staff wait for the line to be cleared, a dead body is discovered. Roz Parker is a retired Met detective on the way to visit her pregnant daughter and interviews the passengers until help can arrive. A content warning as this cosy crime tale has descriptive scenes that may distress some readers. A benign and tension-lacking murder mystery of festive plans gone awry, that is a disappointing two stars read rating. With thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

I had expected this to be more like Agatha Christie , maybe it was the title that misled me. This is a deliciously darker creature indeed and much the better for that. Clever twists and turns but with much more bite.Delightful for the Christmas season.

Know that this is a bit darker than the Agatha Christie style mystery you're probably expecting but that's not a bad thing. Roz Parker is heading to her daughter when the train she's on derails- and someone's killed. Murdered, And then there's more death. This moves back and forth in time a bit to explain who and why (no spoilers) and it's clever. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary copy of this novel. Former Met Detective Rosalind (Roz) Parker boards a sleeper train to get to her soon-to-give-birth daughter, just before Christmas. But tragedy strikes in the train with multiple murders and a train derailment. It is up to former detective Roz to catch a killer. But with a stowaway discovered in the train, a man from her past also on the train, and triggers from her past, will Roz be able to find who murdered not 1, not 2, but 3 people?

I was expecting a cozy mystery similar to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. I felt the characters were not fully developed. Snippets of information was revealed here and there, but was very confusing at times. There are major trigger warnings such as sexual assault, domestic abuse, gaslighting, and traumatic birth. This was definitely not a cozy mystery. I did enjoy that there were some surprises towards the end and had no idea of the outcome of the novel.

Don’t be fooled by Murder on the Christmas Express’s cozy cover – Alexandra Benedict
has created a darkly disturbing Christmas mystery perfect for fans of Ashley Winstead or
Ruth Ware. Clearly paying homage to classic golden age mysteries like those of Agatha
Christie, Murder on the Christmas Express shows how quickly people’s civilized veneers
can devolve when trapped in precarious situations.

I love loved Alexandra Benedicts 'The Christmas murder game' so when I got a change to read murder on the Orient Express I was beyond excited!
This lived up to my expectations, I loved it a and was the perfect mystery book for the Christmas season.
Absolutely recommend
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book

Former Met officer Roz Parker has booked the sleeper train needing to get to her daughter, who is prematurely giving birth. Along the way are seventeen other passengers, who all seem to be hiding something. When one of their number is found dead after the train derails in the Highlands, Roz must determine if it's an accident or murder. And if its murder, will it be the only one?

There are definitely Agatha Christie vibes with this one, but it is uniquely Alexandra Benedict. The Christmas theme, games, but also the twist and turns of the plot itself. The reader can see the inspiration, and then see where Benedict makes it her own. I loved it. However, I found it to be a slow-paced storyline. While we are introduced to the murder in the first chapter, the reader is taken back to before the event and everything that lead up to it. The first 25-30 percent of the beginning is setting up the characters. The instant feeling of dislike, annoyance, and even outright hatred really made it difficult for me to care for some of them, and I believe that is why the pace is slow. I just really didn’t want to know the whys, just that it had happened.

I have read that many think Benedict tried to add too much diversity and current issues into the story, and they felt it was convoluted. Here is the thing. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN REALITY! Life is convoluted, people are finding identities, changing them, and changing them again. Criminals thought to have gotten away with it are finding that their victims are speaking up. While this may seem too late to some people, to them I say, it is clear that you are the problem and not the solution. Be better!

As with Benedict’s The Christmas Murder Game, there were additional games for the reader to find throughout the story. And, again, I didn’t participate in them as I read. At the end I ignored the answers and, hopefully, will find the time to re-read and try them myself. I find this, also, as uniquely Benedict as I know of no other author who offers such a thing. Though, Ellery Queen does stop the Ellery Queen mysteries before revealing the solutions, in order to give the reader time to make their own conclusions. So, there is that connection.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

This book has a fantastic premise of a murder on a train during the holidays. I did appreciate the nods to Agatha Christie and the festive but claustrophobic atmosphere. The story felt a bit slow and the action really didn't get going until the second half. Unfortunately, because this is a shorter story, I had a hard time getting invested before the story wrapped up. Overall, this has some fun parts and elements and I did enjoy the ending but the pacing felt hard for me. Thanks to Alexandra Benedict, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The title of this book reminded me of Agatha Cristie novels! I was not disappointed! It was a wonderful mystery read. Good character development, good pace! I couldn't put it down!

I was hoping for a Christie version of events and that is not fair to this author. Maybe it was the title
Which drew me in.

Journeying in very bad weather to Scotland, the train is forced to stop and with a bunch of very mixed characters the story was certainly varied, till it went wrong and then murder happened not just once or twice but thrice. At least two murders one death by causes suspected not confirmed.

The enforced occupation in a small area of a dozen people is not easy. The not so nice characteristics begin to appear - the sniping, the off hand remarks, and even the most tolerant can get irritated.

The story unravels very slowly, the endings I never saw but human nature at its best and worst amply displayed.

A good read for anytime of the year - again I would say title misleading.

"All aboard, but beware! Passengers who sleep on this train may never wake up.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train from London to the Highlands derails, along with the festive plans of its travelers. With the train buried in snow in the middle of nowhere, the passengers have only each other, and not all of them will reach their holiday celebrations.

As a killer tries to pick passengers off one by one, former Met Detective Roz Parker can't resist one last investigation, but murder in a locked room is a formidable puzzle for even the most seasoned investigator. As accusations begin to fly, the group of travelers fractures and unexpected alliances form. Can Roz find the culprit before anyone else is lost?"

This, right here, this is the book I've picked as my first read for this holiday season.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of "Murder on the Christmas Train" in exchange for my honest review.

I truly thought that this was going to be a cozy mystery set on a train, sort of like a locked room mystery where they have to solve something that happens. This was not the case.

With the warm looking cover and the promise of a mystery the reader would not suspect that the story should come with a trigger warning due to the content: domestic abuse, assault - in great detail.

There are too many characters to keep track of and a lot going on. The start of the book talks about anagrams but it's too complicated to find if the reader is not familiar with anagrams or any of the references that they are supposed to be looking through the book for.

All-in-all it was a confusing and difficult read, should not be marketed as a Christmas story.

When I received the email telling me I was approved for this book, I was so excited because I loved Alexandra Benedict’s last book. Unfortunately this book fell short for me. It seemed like too much was trying to happen and a lot became lost in the end. I felt overwhelmed with all the heavy issues while it was trying to be a cozy. I really wanted to love this book, but fell short for me. I will still read more from Alexandra Benedict. Thank you Alexandra Benedict, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this early digital copy.

Five stars! This book is reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express...a limited number of suspects and three victims. Characters are well developed and behave in believable ways. The suspense built up to the surprising ending. An enjoyable read.

This book is so many things in one! It's an isolation mystery set on Christmas Eve about a train full of people who get snowbound - and then someone gets murdered! Luckily there is a former detective named Roz who will work the case and try to keep everyone safe.

It's more than just a murder mystery though. This 2023 Christmas book also addresses domestic violence and rape - so please go in prepared if those are triggers for you. It's kind of odd to put all those things in one book, but it works!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This really reminded me of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. The way it was written, how the majority of the story is told from the retired police officer's point of view, the setting, etc. I enjoyed the Christie novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. I know some readers have issues with sensitive topics, and this one has several mentions of rape and drug use, so readers use caution if these topics are tough for you. But overall, I think this story is about empowerment and recovery after trauma, and I really enjoyed the read.

The mystery kept me turning the pages, and Roz’s character development provided a diversion from just straight murder plot. I don’t know yet if I will buy this book for a high school library. I do appreciate the fact that it addresses a very difficult topic in a supportive way, a way that many people would benefit from reading, but my teenage readers who pick it up based on the cover or its place in a Christmas book display would typically be looking for a quick page-turning mystery read rather than a novel addressing rape and abuse. Worth the read, but also should be distributed with a heads-up about the content so the reader can go in with eyes open.

Although there were parts of this book I enjoyed, this book wasn’t really my cup of tea. I expected a cozy Christmas thriller and I was shocked I read about graphic assault sequences. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish with this novel, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks for this great opportunity, NetGalley!

3.5⭐️
my honest review, because it had caught me after halfway through. when the murder really happens, in which the time to suspect everyone on the railcar.

the title remind me of AC's stories—ofc, but i knew it would be great and different because of the-ultimate-christmas-train-vibe.

the issue was great!
love how the main character feels about rape, and her dedication for the previous job. it's literally dealing with trauma, grief, and trust.

p.s.
sorry 'bout my english y'all^^