3.5/5

The first two thirds of this book just pulled me in...like the game of Clue, Agatha Christies "And Then There Were None" or Ellen Raskin's "The Westing Game".

But the length is considerably longer; leading to character building. Oddly enough, it didn't strike me as essential to the story. In fact it sometimes distracted from the mystery...and the fun of the mystery. I didn't particularly like the main character; as by the 2/3 point she was somewhat irritating...and I felt she was a bit stereotype-trope-y in the wrong way. (This stuff listed in spoilers at end of review- reading these will not really ruin the mystery part)

But the mystery and how it unfolded was fabulous, I loved all the side characters. The pacing could have just been faster, the book shortened and less main character drama...and my star rating would have gone up to 5 stars.

The map and games in the beginning were unnecessary. But the family tree was very useful. Some readers with love "games" that author instigates. But for me personally, I would have to re-read the story to play them truly without ruining the flow of the story. And I would have had to LOVE it to reread it. OR it would have needed to be shorter.

<spoiler>As mentioned above....
The main character got more irritating by the 2/3 point and the remainder of the book. She couldn't make decisions, she didn't know herself etc and so forth. Hadn't identified which type of people she wanted to be with. It seemed once the mystery was solved and people were "out of the way" so-to-speak...she magically found herself. Which was ridiculous. The mystery/characters had nothing to do with her decision making process related to being cis/bi/gay/hetero. Also she called her baby "Bean" CONSTANTLY. So much I wanted to bean her.

Also, I did state above that I felt the main character was a bit of a sterotype-trope. I think the goal was for her to identify and find herself etc. This was entirely separate, parallel storyline. And it never gained any momentum or genuine interest/intrigue/emotion. And I felt is hows those types of characters in a not-so-great light. Makes them look like ...well I can't find myself, so I'm gonna pregnant, then "find myself" ...while of course I was pregnant from someone else and I potentially screwed up their life. It never really said whether she used like donor sperm, but I don't see that as being an option. Because she had such poor self-idenification. I dislike these tropes of people finding themselves and using/abusing other people in the process. </spoiler>

Also - thanks to NetGalley for ARC of this book.

I was very excited to read this story! The premise is in the same vein as Inheritance Games, The Westing Game, Clue, and the sort. But this one takes place during Christmas! Yes! Give me a great holiday story that isn't romance! We have a main female character that is going back to her home estate, not to play the game, but to get answers. While the premise is there, the execution fell flat. There isn't any depth to the characters. They're all good characters, but the depth I would expect from a movie, not a full-length novel. The puzzles are all fun, but I found that the main character solved them really quickly without any struggle time and the reader is left just following along like the other characters, waiting for her to solve them. The reader is unable to solve them on their own along with the main character because the answers always involve some information that the reader isn't privy to until the character explains the answer. I think this story would make for a pretty entertaining movie, but not a novel.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable Christmastime mystery in which family members try to solve riddles at the annual family Christmas Games. The prize is ownership of the family home and our sleuth, Lily, has always done well at the Christmas Games. While she doesn't want to win the house, she does want to find out more about her mother's death.

This is a nice puzzler with a Christmas atmosphere. I didn't like many of the characters, though I liked this book well enough to pick up the upcoming Christmas mystery from this author.

This was a locked room mystery filled with twists and turns with a game that you had to win in order to achieve the goal. This was the first time I am reading a book written by this author.

Lily goes back to the Endgame mansion where many years ago, her mother, Mariana was reportedly committed suicide though Lily's aunt, Liliana through a crack of codes and poems tells it otherwise. The cousins of the Armitage family meet during the Christmas and their one goal is to win the game. In order to win the game, one must crack the secret meanings behind the poems and find the key. And whoever finds the key will become the owner of the Endgame Mansion.

I actually did like the plot and the premise of the story sounds promising and interesting. The clues and the meanings behind the poems written by the aunt sounds fascinating. The house itself is nestled in Yorkshire where there is severe snowstorm causing the others to be actually locked into the house. The writing was intriguing and interesting and I also do like the setting of the story. This book also a sort of Agatha Christie vibe in it as well. However, the lower rating is due to the fact that it was predictable which did spoilt the story in my opinion.

If you are into locked room mystery with an Agatha Christie vibe, then this book is one for you--worth three stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A delicious Christmas mystery set in a spooky isolated old house with a group of estranged cousins will certainly get us all in the mood for the holiday season. The Christmas Murder Game brings together the cousins of the Armitage family to play a game to see who will inherit the old mansion. Every day from Christmas day to the 6th of January, a clue will be revealed. The six cousins who are in the running to inherit must decipher the clues and be the first one to find one of 12 keys hidden around the house. Only one of these keys will unlock a secret door, and the cousin holding the lucky key will be the winner.

The cousins are: Lily, whose mother Mariana died in the house's outdoor maze when Lily was a child (suicide or murder?); Sara and Gray, who are the children of Mariana's sister Liliana, who took in Lily after the death of her mother; and siblings Ronnie, Tom and Rachel, whose parents were killed in a car accident when they were young. Aunt Liliana has recently died under possibly mysterious circumstances, but before her death she devised the Christmas inheritance game for the next generation. The six cousins are summoned to Endgame House to play the game, and the housekeeper/cook, Mrs. Castle, will be left with them. They must surrender their cell phones and the Wi-Fi is disabled to keep anyone from possibly cheating during the challenges (which is odd since all the challenges refer to the house or family history, so it's unclear how the Internet could help). When a snowstorm traps everyone in the house, blocks the roads with downed trees, and knocks out the single landline at the house, the participants are well and truly trapped. Of course, then the bodies start to pile up . . .

I enjoyed the story and the setting, but the main character, Lily, was a bit of a letdown. She really doesn't like the house, since she was living there when her mother died, and since the death occurred in the maze, she really, REALLY doesn't like the maze. We know this because at least once on every page, she tells us. Lily is a costume designer/dressmaker, and when she's not whining on about the maze, she's going on about her amazing corsets that she wears every day (despite being pregnant and starting to show) or rubbing her "tummy." She's always tired, or upset, and claims to have no interest in inheriting the house, although she races to solve every clue first so that everyone will know how clever she is. Annoying character aside, the story would make an interesting and atmospheric film!

anagrams, country-house, mystery, snow-season, contemporary, closed-circle-mystery, secrets, treasure-hunt, greed, family-drama, friction, murder, inheritance, riddles****

Who will be the next to die?
The plan is good, but there is just something missing in the execution and some of the characters seemed to lack depth. The word games were just my thing, however! The publisher's blurb is a fine hook.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you

I was so excited for this book. The description had me hooked....

I'm not sure what I just read. Flat characters. Boring dialog and filler. Unbelievable happenings. This book was one big convoluted mess. I wish I had one positive thing to say, but unfortunately I don't.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

What a perfectly cozy Holiday thriller!

This follows Lilly, a quiet but kind designer that winds up getting wrapped up in family drama when her Aunt dies and her last letter requests Lilly to join a 12 days of Christmas game to win the family mansion.

Lilly's mother committed suicide in the maze behind this huge house when Lilly was very young. However, as the game begins and Lilly unravels anagrams in the clues, she realizes there is a lot more to learn about her mother and family... especially, when the other cousins begin to be murdered one by one.

This really gave me great fall and winter/holiday vibes. The perfect read to snuggle up with a blanket and some hot cocoa!

Out October 4, 2022!

Content warnings for violence, death, murder, some gore.

The Christmas Murder Game

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Family members solving riddles to see who inherits the family house?! What could go wrong!

Ok first of all, I loved that the author put additional games in the text for readers to look for. Anyone looking for a word puzzle will love it.

This one was a little slow when it started but once a few murders happened I got more into it. The twist wasn’t crazy surprising but still a satisfying ending.

If you’re looking for a Christmas setting this isn’t a romance, find this when it comes out in October! Thanks to @netgalley for this eARC.

This was a quick, fun read.
I loved the puzzles and clues for the reader to figure out.

I loved the premise and title of the book. It reminded me of Knives Out, so if you enjoyed that movie, you should enjoy this book.

Who wouldn't love a locked room thriller in the English Country side with family members pitted against each other?

The Christmas Murder Game was a fun read. The twists and turns... oh my! I love the concept of the author adding puzzles for the reader to solve (I'm not that smart); it really adds another layer to the story.

This was a one day read for me; I started and finished it after work because I couldn't put it down. Who needs supper when you're in the middle of a gripping locked room-style mystery set in an English country manor over the Christmas holiday? Not me!

It's one of those books where you wish you could slow down and enjoy it but you're so hooked and engrossed in the story that you can't help but fly through it!

After the matriarch of the family dies, Lily Armitage and her cousins return to the Endgame house to play one final game. The prize? The house itself and all it's contents. But doubts and distrust is around every corner and is the prize worth dying for?

This is not a cozy mystery. It is basically a locked room mystery where the only ones that could be guilty are locked on a property together, knowing if you leave you lose. They keep playing games for keys even when members of the family start dying.
I found the premise of this book interesting and liked the clues of the different games played. I did have a hard time connecting to Lily or her fellow family members.

4stars for goodreads
I received this book free from netgalley and am providing a fair and honest review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict is a delightful murder mystery that would make the perfect holiday read! The story revolves around Lily, who is returning to her family estate for a game with high stakes. Her favorite puzzle-loving aunt, who has recently passed, has announced that all of the heirs will compete in a scavenger hunt. The prize: the family estate and inheritance. But what will Lily do when people start dying?

Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Snow is falling. Because of course it is. Nothing about this is going to be easy.
Lily presses her forehead against the cold window, her duvet wrapped around her. It’s four in the morning and she can’t sleep. Streetlights shower gold rings onto Catford High Street. Snowflakes dance down from the sky. Two blokes stumble along the middle of the road, arms around each other, shouting, “It’s Christmas!” A fox runs away from them, eyes glinting.
At one time, lying awake on Christmas Eve would have been down to excitement. But Lily doesn’t believe in Santa anymore. She hasn’t believed in anyone since Mum passed. And today she has to go back to the place where her mum died."

Overall, The Christmas Murder Game is a lovely murder mystery novel that will appeal to fans of Knives Out or Agatha Christie. One highlight of this book are the great clues and hints, including special clues that the author wrote specifically for the murder to solve. I did take off 1 star, because I wasn't smart enough to figure out any of the clues before the main characters did. Maybe I'm just bad at puzzles? Others might have more luck than I did. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of mysteries in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in October!

I really truly wanted to love this book. I love books about games and set with a Christmas backdrop? I couldn’t be more excited. But the writing style is not it. There is a metaphor/simile on almost every page and it really took me out of the story. I found myself rolling my eyes every time I would come across one because I could tell the author was trying to be clever and it just doesn’t work when you overuse it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the e-arc.

I really wanted to like this book, the idea/premise sounded super interesting; but it just fell very flat for me. None of the characters were fleshed out and the story was very predictable yet beyond complicated. Since most of the twists and surprises were revealed early on there was not anticipation for what was going to happen next as you read through the story. I did consider DNF'ing this book, but I pushed through and did complete it.

Overall this is a 2 star read for me, I think the premise was great, but the execution was severely lacking.

I do enjoy mysteries where the characters are forced to stay in one place. I did like Lily and rooted for her and was interested enough to continue to the end. I did figure out whodunnit.

I wanted to like this one so much! I love books about games and families but unfortunately this one did not work for me. It was a 2 star read for me. It was predictable but complicated all at the same time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a bit of an odd book for me. A mystery and family reunion nightmare together.
I think I expected more of a thriller from it but it wasn’t bad.

I was really excited to get this book from Netgalley and i was let down. The premise was interesting, one last Christmas game to get the answers to her mother’s murder, but the multiple metaphors per sentence never brought me fully into the book and I kept disengaging from the plot.

I'm really becoming a sucker for the variety of Christmas themed books this year, this is a definite second round purchase for most collections