I was honored to be selected as an e-ARC reader for The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I am a sucker for a holiday rom-com, so the minute I read the description and read it was about rivals locked in a mystery, I knew I had to read it. Ally Carter does NOT disappoint. I read this book in one day (only stopping when I had to since I am on vacation). The writing and banter was smart, the flashbacks gave us perfect backstories where needed, the police interviews mixed throughout brought humor to the story, and the dual POV was done right - we only started getting the male POV at Chapter 35 at a pivotal scene from the past. The mystery was twisty and turny and kept me on the edge of my seat and seeing it through the eyes of a mystery writer added to the intrigue. The romance was behind closed doors, but the burn was still there. I think this will be on the favorite holidays books for 2024 and cannot wait to re-read it and make my friends experience it!

A fun little fever dream.

Maggie and her writing nemesis, Ethan, are both asked to spend the holidays at a secret location by an anonymous person. They’re both mystery/thriller writers for the same publisher. All they know is their biggest fan has asked them to spend the holidays at a mansion.

It’s third person, predominantly single POV, with then/now timelines and a few chapters in his perspective. Short chapters, and quick writing.

The pair have to navigate this chaotic house. They’re snowed in, there’s a missing person and attacks on the writers. It’s a whodunnit that kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was an adorably fun cozy mystery. I'm a sucker for a book involving authors and this one takes you on a journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Ally Carter for an ARC of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I am obsessed with this book! It was the perfect mystery, rom-com, holiday book that needs to touch all mystery lovers eyes this season. I loved the Knives Out aspect and the enemies to lovers. I felt the “wanna make out” was a little overdone, but otherwise I loved the enemies to lovers aspect and the journey that Marcie/Maggie and Ethan went on (and also would love to see this turned into a movie to see who would play Ethan). I loved how Maggie grew in her character and Ethan’s many new expressions lol! It was definitely the most wonderful crime of the year.

Maggie and Ethan are on a plane to England for Christmas and their host, Eleanor Ashley, at her exclusive twenty thousand acre English estate. But wait - Maggie and Ethan hate each other. Maggie is a cozy mystery writer and Ethan is a big shot thriller writer. Ethan can’t get her name right and Maggie doesn’t leave her house much, especially for cryptic invitations but she made an exception this time. Once they arrive and meet their host, the weather takes a quick turn - the bridge goes out and they lost cell reception. Oh and also, Eleanor Ashley is also missing. She’s completely vanished from a locked room. Maggie wonders if this is a test or if Eleanor is actually in danger. Maggie doesn’t know who she can trust especially in this situation. Odd stuff starts going on and Maggie and Ethan start finding clues and they must work together to solve what happened to Eleanor Ashley without killing each other first.

So stinking cute!! I absolutely adore this book! Such a cute cozy romcom/ mystery. I fell in love with Maggie when she mentioned her purse book and napkin cheese! Ethan was also prefect easygoing golden retriever MMC, but with layers. I throughly enjoyed all the characters throughout this story. The plot was nice and engaging and not too obvious of a crime that you solve it right off the bat.

Thank you to Netgally for providing this ARC.

I received an ARC and flew through this book once I started it. It was so fun and such an easy read.
I loved the mystery aspect and that the main characters both were writers in the mystery/thriller genre. The romance was cute and added to the fun of the story. Overall just a great read. Definitely add this one to your want to read shelf if you haven’t already!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year. This book was everything I wanted it to be. The rival to lovers, the banter, the mystery. I read this in one sitting. Once I started, I couldn’t stop until it was over and I’m so happy that I did.

Ally Carter does it again! I loved the Blonde Identity so I had to pick this one up. It made me laugh out loud in so many places from the first chapter. Definitely read this book you’ll love the romance and adventure.

Will this review have spoilers? Perhaps!!




“You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it’s gaslighting women into thinking they’re the problem”


This book has everything to take me right out of a book slump: major twists and suspense, well developed characters, a bit of humor, and romance!! Need I say more?

Ugh, this book was so great. I loved Ethan and Maggie together. I highlighted many of Ethan’s lines, like…

“I could always pick you out of a lineup”

“There’s no way no universe no reality in which you aren’t the brightest star in the whole damn sky”


“This is the moment where you trust yourself”

And also the whole backstory to him calling her Marcie absolutely slayed me. The chapter from his point of view when he described it as their first inside joke. Ugh, my poor little heart.

But beyond the romance (which I loved obviously!) the true triumph of this book for me was how details were woven throughout. We are following the disappearance of Eleanor Ashley, so I was trying to note every detail, but even doing so, I was in awe of the way the details were woven together in this book.

For example, the callback to the story of the missing girl coming later on at the end of the book was a total surprise. I didn’t find Dobson being the criminal to be too surprising, but how details came back into focus just at the right time was unexpected and really exciting for me as a reader.

Honestly though, if you enjoy romance and a thriller/ suspense novel, you should give this a read! The writing is so well done and the story keeps you interested, waiting to see how each piece will fall into place.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I received an E-ARC for reviewing.

Ethan and Maggie are both writers and have a complicated relationship. Still, they get invited on a secret getaway to England. They must deal with each other during the holidays and solve the mystery of what happened to mystery author Eleanor Ashley.
I enjoyed Maggie and Ethan's banter and loved the idea of mystery and thriller authors trying to solve a real-life mystery. The way they both looked at the clues and bounced back and forth between ideas was amusing and allowed us readers to understand how mystery writers think.
The side characters were also interesting, and they kept you on your toes. You try to figure out their motives for being there throughout the book.
The one thing I would critique is that one character was initially called Freddy Banes but, in later chapters, was referred to as Teddy. I may have missed something along the way, where the name change was purposeful.

Overall, I thought the book was excellent and recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery!

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was so happy when Ally Carter came out with her debut adult The Blonde Identity so I was even more thrilled to see her come out with a locked room-esque holiday novel as her second book. This was romantic, funny and fast-paced with a great mystery. I loved her play on classic mysteries while also keeping it fun and fresh. The romance that blooms was absolutely swoony, but also very real. I appreciated that the characters had flaws, but communicated about them together. This was the perfect mix of cozy mystery and romantic comedy for me. Keep 'em coming Ally! Definitely recommend reading during any season!

I had so much fun reading this mystery, which had everything, from a locked door mystery, poisoning, motives, laughs, romance and much more. Maggie Chase really loathes Ethan Wyatt; they are both mystery writers but in different genres. They constantly bump into each other at events because they are part of the same publishing house. Maggie and Ethan were given a mysterious invite to spend Christmas at an unknown destination. Maggie’s agent Deborah feels that this trip could change Maggie's career. Maggie then finds out that Ethan has also been invited and then is when the adventure starts. The first surprise is that Maggie and Evan have been invited by Eleanor Ashley, a famous mystery writer call the Duchess of Death to her home for Christmas. The next morning Eleanor goes missing last heard from the night before in her study. Maggie is Eleanor’s number one fan and realizes that this might be a game for them to solve and that Eleanor has left clues for them to find but then it becomes deadly when someone is poisoned, and Maggie gets shot at. We have a little romance, suspense but no dead bodies. Have a few laughs, enjoy a light mystery with some great twists. I highly recommend adding this to your reading list.

What a fun whodunnit!!! What drew me to this was the marketing as a Knives Out rom com but it was even better than I anticipated.

"You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it's gaslighting women into thinking they're the problem."

The characters: Maggie feels so real and relatable. My sister and I call each other "Murph" (like Murphy's law) because anything that can go wrong will go wrong and Maggie is absolutely a Murph. Being a Murph as a woman also comes with the territory of making yourself as small as possible, apologizing for things you have no business apologizing for, thinking you're never "____" enough, and that you're destined for disappointment. Seeing Maggie become so much more than her self-reflections and develop into a much more comfortable and confident FMC was all consuming. It's hard not to root for her every step of the way or be frustrated by her self doubts. I think we've all been there at some point. Now, Ethan! Helloooooo dream man. The perfect complimentary companion to Maggie. They bring out the best in each other. The reveal of when he caught feelings and why he called her Marcie had me clutching my chest over his pining. His backstory, his mask of survival, his instincts, I adored him. Then there's Eleanor - all I could picture while reading her was a mix between Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher and Julia McKenzie's Miss Marple. And of course the cast of suspect characters fit the bill perfectly.

The story: Spot on with the Knives Out marketing but the real fun is that this played out like a game of Clue! Every step of the way I'd have moments where I'd say "It's Cece in the greenhouse with the candlestick!" - or something of that nature. The writing is light and fun, the pacing is fast, the banter is good and witty, and the plot/story are entertaining.

Thank you so much Avon (Avon and Harper Voyager) for the eARC - every time you guys approve me for a request I know it's going to be a good one! Thank you Ally Carter. for letting me read your words, you have a new fan!

(Will update with social posts shortly)

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be real honest. The cover and title got me here. I am not normally a cozy mystery fan. This book, however, may have changed my mind.
It was such a fast-paced, fun, silly, goofy time.
The romance was adorable, but it didn't overshadow the mystery. I also love books about authors, and we got so many characters in this book that were.
This is such a great holiday read, I highly recommend you check it out!

Do you love Christmas cozies? Enemies to lovers? The movie Clue? If you answered yes, you’re going to enjoy this book. Support your local library by placing a hold today or pre-order from your favorite bookstore!

Rival authors Maggie and Ethan are in for the surprise of a lifetime when they accept an invite to spend Christmas with their biggest fan. Upon arrival, they discover that their host is none other than The Duchess of Death, best-selling author Eleanor Ashley. During a snow storm, Eleanor goes missing leaving Maggie & Ethan to find her while her family searches for her will. Did Eleanor go missing as part of a game it is something more sinister afoot? You’ll have fun following the clues to find out!

Thank you NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for an arc of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year; all opinions are my own.

So much fun! A holiday whodunnit on a remote English estate with a very generous helping of romance DURING CHRISTMAS! This was my cup of tea.
Mystery writers and rivals, Maggie and Ethan, are invited to an English estate for Christmas by their biggest fan. Maggie is not excited about sharing the trip with Ethan. She hates him, thinks of ways to kill him while she's lying in bed at night ("so, you're saying that you think of me in bed?"). Ethan is a quirky guy who couldn't be more thrilled to have this time with Maggie. He loves getting under her skin.
Their biggest fan turns out to be a prolific and famous mystery writer, herself. We're also introduced to a duke, a duchess, a lawyer, a doctor, a butler, a nephew, a long-lost niece, an inspector, and more. The game is afoot when the elderly writer goes missing,

Shots are fired, poison is discovered, and love is kindled. Can Maggie find out who has it our for her idol? Can she trust her arch nemesis? So much fun and intrigue, I couldn't put it down.

If you're looking for a fast-paced and fun holiday read, add this one to your TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly LOVED it!

I’ve trusted Ally Carter since the Gallagher girl series and she didn’t disappoint. I loved everything about this book, the murder mystery aspect, the romance, everything. The romance my god, it’s very obvious from the beginning that Ethan is in love with Maggie and has been for A WHILE. Maggie, girl open your eyes, that man loves you. The characters were great, I loved going along the ride to find out what happened. It was such a good quick read, I want to pick it up again in the fall and read it with the fall vibes in the air. Thank you NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for the arc.

A little mystery. A little Christmas. A little romance. I plowed through this book and enjoyed every minute of it. Get cozy, settle in, and enjoy!


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Thank you Avon Books for the advanced copy!

While I liked some parts, majority of this is a no for me.

First - the romance was not believable at all. "I love you" after 2 days, and they barely even spoke in the 5 years beforehand??? Major insta-love on the MMC's part also. I just couldn't get into it.

Second - the twist of who the murderer is was so confusing because it came out of NOWHERE! I don't even know how the FMC knew all those details because I swear they were never mentioned to us (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

So overall, an easy and mindless winter read but not one I would recommend. Sad to say that because I've been looking forward to this for a while and I love her books.

There's no way, no universe, no reality in which you aren't the brightest star in the whole damn sky…
~
I know I say it all the time, but I have truly never met an Ally Carter book I didn’t love, and this one was no exception. An ode to Agatha Christie with a Christmas backdrop at a manor in England? What more could one ask for? I couldn’t put it down. Ethan and Maggie were a blast as our main characters. Maggie, aside from being so utterly relatable, was cunning and witty and so much more than she even realizes. Ethan is hilarious, I love his backstory and how he sees Maggie, and how he finally gets her to realize it as they follow their instincts to survive this locked…estate game. And Eleanor Ashley? Don’t even get me started, I adore the woman and we hardly even see her! Our cast of characters was rule of thumb in the best way, and the red herrings thrown in throughout were so plausible at times that they had me second-guessing myself. I absolutely loved the way that some of Ms. Ashley’s 99 novels were sprinkled in as clues for her biggest fan, and it just made my heart happy. This was just so well planned out and executed and it is truly a fun, makes you think kind of book that I cannot recommend enough.