As someone who stays away from super scary and gruesome stories, this cozy mystery with a dash of holiday cheer was right up my alley! Having the cast snowed in at this sprawling, remote estate was such a perfect setting for this cozy mystery and I love how it heightened the tension, especially since there was no way out for our characters and the wintry weather made it impossible for them to have contact with the outside world.

I really enjoyed the integration of the interview transcripts - I love when mixed media is included, it’s such a fun detail. The bit of romance was also quite delightful and it balanced the heavier moments with lightness and hope.

If you’re looking for a mystery to dive into over the holidays, this is a fun story to pick up!

As an avid cozy mystery reader who also loves (well-written) holiday romances and Ally Carter, this was the perfect book for me. Because I've read Carter's spy books, I initially thought this was going to a spy thriller set at Christmas. Instead, it's a cozy mystery + romance set during Christmas at a manor in the English countryside. The two MCs are a cozy mystery author and a spy thriller (I think?) author, and we get POVs from both. It's an enemies-to-lovers trope, although I don't really know why they were enemies to begin with (because he calls her the wrong name?). There's a character who is probably based on Agatha Christie, but M.C. Beaton's cozies got me into the cozy mystery genre, so I imagined that the character was based on her. If you enjoy cozy holiday romance mysteries (and who doesn't?), this is a great choice.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! I loved this book! It gives Agatha Christie vibes but with a modern take. I loved how the mystery unfolded with some romance kicked in. Highly recommend!

This is a masterfully written mystery novel that takes place in the mansion of a world-renowned mystery writer during the days leading up to Christmas. It follows Maggie and Ethan as they try to solve a disappearance and attempted murders, all connected to fictional works they know and love.

I loved the relationship and backstory of Maggie and Ethan. I really enjoyed how fast-paced the novel was (I read almost all of the book (31% on) in one sitting. I could not put it down and the book kept me guessing.

I recommend this book to people who love authors as main characters and people who enjoy cozy mysteries, especially holiday ones.

I have been a fan of Ally Carter’s since I devoured her Gallagher Girls series and was excited to finally pick up one of her adult novels. Overall, I thought it was a spectacular book, and I can’t wait to read even more books by her.

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the ARC of the #Themostwonderfulcrimeoftheyear

This book, it took a while to get into, but it was not the book, it was me.. I enjoyed the relationship between Maggie and Ethan. This is the perfect cozy Christmas murder mystery for this holiday season!

Thank you once again Harper Collins, Killer Crime Club and NetGalley for this book

3.75⭐, 1🌶️


Who doesn’t always love a seasonal murder (?) mystery?!And adding on the dash of romance? Yes please! Now I wouldn't characterize this book as a romance - there was no open door spice and the characters kind of fall together more than fall in love together, if that makes any sense. I really enjoyed the mystery with Eleanor, ad while I didn't try to predict the ending, I wasn't like super blown away with the reveal (but that may just be a me problem?)

I think this could be a super fun book club December pick - mystery, excitement, a little love. I wasn't overwhelmed and impressed with this book but i wasn't super disappointed either.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A great cozy mystery for the most wonderful time of the year.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It's such a cute, cozy, romantic mystery with great humor. The plot will keep you wanting more and more. I loved how it played out like a game of clue and the ending was chef's kiss. I can't get over just how good this book was. It's a book I feel like reading again it's that good. If you can't read this right now add it to your tbr for November and December.

This was a very cozy mystery. I felt like the relationship of the two main felt a little rushed and I didn't totally love their chemistry or lack thereof. The mystery itself was very far fetched overall. It was a decent read but not my favorite.

This was such a fun book!

It takes place over a Christmas party, but isn’t overly Christmassy.
It’s got awesome murder mystery vibes.
The characters have good chemistry and even better banter!
This plot was really fun!

Thank you Avon Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I don’t think there is anything cooler to me than the authors I read as a tween and teen now writing adult books. It’s so cool to feel like I am growing up alongside their careers! Ally Carter has been a favorite of mine since I found an article about I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You in Seventeen Magazine. I was so pumped to continue to read her books as an adult.

I found this book to be straight up fun with a lot of heart and the perfect cozy holiday setting that isn’t cheesy. In fact, if your biggest gripe about holiday books or movies is that they are too Hallmark-y or cheesy, THIS is the book for you. It’s not cheesy at all. In fact, i found it to be quite beautiful while still being fun, light hearted, and fast paced. A cozy mystery mixed with a rom com. I loved it!

Synopsis:

“Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.”

What I Liked:

The Concept—I am not a thriller person but I love the movies Knives Out and The Onion. And I love Ally Carter and Christmas Rom Coms so I knew this would be a winner from me just from the synopsis. I found it so fun and fast paced!

The Banter—Ally always knows how to bring the banter. It was what drew me to her books from a young age!

The Balance Between Festive Fun and Heart—I loved that this book felt a lot more grounded in reality than The Blonde Identity, especially when it came to the relationship. It was still light and fun but the characters really did need to go on a journey together.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Romance Felt Underdeveloped—The romance was definitely the B plot which is fine, I just wanted a little bit more especially since these characters had quite a bit of history together.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 45

Content Warnings:

emotional abuse, gaslighting, infidelity, divorce, mention of pregnancy

This book was so cute and fun! I had a hard time putting it down. Love a whodunit, rom-com done right. Big fan of Ally and excited to discuss this for December book club!

Pick this up if you love:
- Knives Out
- Agatha Christie style mysteries
- Locked room mysteries
- Enemies to lovers romance

I'm so glad I picked this one up! It was really unique. I did have a couple issues with it. The idea that the two main characters would go to a stranger's house for Christmas in another country was far-fetched to me. And the epilogue made me 🙄 But, letting those two things go, it was a really fun, fast paced mystery! Definitely put it on your holiday reading list!

Absolute perfection! This is the book to take with you on your winter holiday so you can curl up beside a fire with it and get lost in the absolute fun of a good mystery with a healthy dose of banter and romance. Perfect

3.5 stars rounded down.

A fun and easy reading cozy mystery/romance.

Crime writer Maggie Chase and her nemesis Ethan Wyatt, who writes rufty tufty thrillers, are whisked away to the English estate of famed author Eleanor Ashley (think Agatha Christie) for a surprise Christmas break. But when Eleanor disappears and one of the other guests is poisoned, Maggie has to put her knowledge of Eleanor’s novels and Golden Age murder methods to work.

Maggie is still reeling from a broken marriage to a ruthless gaslighter and has to learn to trust her smarts and her instincts. Ethan has to persuade her that she doesn’t hate him and that she can trust him (though I’d add that it would help if he’d stop calling her “sweetheart” and “baby” - eww, she’s a grown woman not a teenager). The romance sizzles nicely and there’s a fair bit of dry comedy as well to keep it light and frothy.

It’s a classic Agatha Christie set-up with giant old mansion in the middle of nowhere that gets cut off by a storm - no power, no phones, no Internet. There’s a houseful of guests all of whom have secrets and motives which are gradually revealed. We even have the gathering in the library where Maggie takes us through the whole twisty and neatly tied-up plot and unmasks the killer.

Perfect for reading in the garden in a heatwave, though it would probably work equally well as reading in the house on a rainy day.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This book was SO good! The kind of book that you can’t put down because you need to know what happens next but also the kind of book that you don’t ever want to end! The mystery was fantastic. The romance was sweet. The banter was fun. Ethan Wyatt is probably one of my top 5 favorite MMCs. All the stars! Go read this book, you can thank me later.

This book combined 3 of my favorite tropes/themes - cozy mystery, emenies-to-lovers and Christmas. This would be a really fun read for the holidays and loved the banter and storyline. Might have to read it again for the holiday season! And love the cover art for the book!

What. A. Fun. Read!!!!
Yes, 4 exclamation points!
Full of fun, wit, twists and turns, short chapters, and FUN characters! It was truly a "can't put it down" sort of book with very little, if any, objectionable content!
This is one that I am going to be recommending to all of my friends this season!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a well-executed romantic mystery. Hybrid genres rarely work for me, but Carter developed a satisfying mystery and a swoon-worthy romance. It was perfectly balanced. The pacing was great. It was an amazing holiday read. Perfect for readers who don't like holiday books. I loved this.

The Romance
Can we talk about Ethan for a second? OMG, what a top-tier love interest. I love the "he falls first" trope and his pining. He was so protective of Maggie. Be still my heart. The romance was emotional and sweet. The banter was chef's kiss!

The Mystery
It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a true locked-room mystery as much as I did with this story. The mystery was fun and fast-paced, and there was edge-of-my-seat action. I hope this becomes a series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved! Okay I wasnt sure how I would feel about this but holy moly I loved it! It was so bingable! The storyline qas done so well and I really enjoyed it

Ally Carter is an icon for the generation. She continues to find inventive ways to capture readers across decades, and I absolutely love that I've had the ability to witness her writing from childhood to now. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year delivers the most perfect balance of intrigue, mystery, with subtle notes of romance between two people who (think they) completely hate each other, all wrapped up in a Christmas bow. This book was witty, fun, and hilarious!