This was a DNF for me unfortunately. I could not get into the story and the narrator just didn't work for me.

Who doesn’t love a good jigsaw puzzle? I’m a huge fan, but solving this one is more important than most because it could prevent a murder! When a retired spinster finds an envelope of puzzle pieces on her door, she enlists the help of her police officer nephew to solve it. Along with many twists and turns, she must solve it to keep lives she lives safe. It was suspenseful and shocking - the perfect Christmas mystery in my opinion!

This was pretty good. I enjoyed the narrator. The story was fun for the season but not necessarily anything I would reread year after year.

This was such a fun Christmas mystery! I struggled at times to keep track of the puzzle piece aspect of the story, but I’m also not a big puzzler, so I think that played a part. But I really enjoyed the mystery aspect and didn’t guess the end! I also loved the narration, it captured the spirit of Christmas and Edie at the same time and enjoyed being immersed in it!

I love a spunky main character and Edie was definitely a fun lady. This kept me intrigued and had me trying to play detective (guess who didn’t guess the ending!) The relationship between her and Sean was interesting and I liked their interactions throughout. There were strong side characters who helped to advance the plot. While this wasn’t as Christmasy as I’d like, I found it to be an enjoyable holiday read.

I understand that Edie is supposed to be a loner hard to like character, but it made it so hard to get invested in this story. I didn’t care to hear about her and thought she made terrible decisions.

Unfortunately not for me.

Thank you to Alexandra Benedict, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an ALC of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The main character, Edie, and was a mean curmudgeon and was rude to everyone around her. Usually I am here for a character arc, but she didn't have any redeeming qualities to me - especially when her secret is revealed. The puzzles were hard to follow and a reach to put the clues together, The reader couldn't have fitted the pieces together on their own because we didn't have all the necessary information until the very end of the book which was a bit frustrating. I found myself drifting in and out of paying attention to the book. It wasn't super captivating.

The narrator was ok Her voice fit the main character well but occasionally it was hard to differentiate between characters when they having conversations.

A few of the chapters cut off right in the middle and jumped to the next chapter. This caused some confusion while listening and I had to rewind to figure out if I had accidentally hit next or if the chapter really cut off.

Usually I like puzzle books, but I personally didn't enjoy this one. Although it wasn't for me, it may be better suited for another reader/listener.

2.5/5 stars, rounded down.

I read another Christmas mystery by this author and didn't really like it, but I gave her another try because I usually love the combination. This story was based on a grumpy old woman named Edie who tries to solve a murder mystery using her puzzle expertise. Unfortunately, she was so unlikeable that it was difficult to stay with her, and her detective skills were not great. Her nephew Sean is a policeman and seems to be the only thing she cares about, and he wasn't that likable either. The narrator did a good job portraying the characters but couldn't make them likable. I probably wouldn't have been able to finish if I only tried the print. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

This was a DNF at 25%. I just couldn't get into the story and didn't care about the characters. Just not for me.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benesict is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. This story follows Edie as she finds a present on her doorstep. Inside she find jigsaw pieces that make a crime scene. Soon a body is found holding a jigsaw piece so Edie works with her nephew Sean to solve the murder. I really like Edie as a main character. She's a refreshing change from the usual mid twenties heroine. This was a pretty fun Christmas themed mystery overall and I'd recommend giving it a try if you're looking for a murder mystery this holiday season. The audiobook narration when done really well. The narrator really brought the characters to life.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Octogenarian sleuth that could be the sister to Scrooge. Edie is an 80-year-old retired teacher who creates crossword puzzles for a national newspaper. The author did a great job of character creation. You truly get to know who the characters are and what their personalities are like. It was fun having the main sleuth be an older woman and her friend, a 90-year-old herbalist. The mystery was really well developed and was intriguing to puzzle out. I found the book a good read and the narrator did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life and making the puzzle even more intriguing. I enjoyed the book and found it a good read and it is really more of a 3.5-star book. It didn't quite get to a four star because I was frustrated that Edie, the main character was in essence obstructing justice by keeping the clues the killer kept giving her to herself and not sharing with the police. The book had a happily ever.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Alexandra Benedict’s The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a delightful holiday mystery that combines the charm of a cozy Christmas setting with the intrigue of a classic whodunit. Narrated by the talented Sandra Duncan, this audiobook offers a festive yet thrilling experience that will keep listeners engaged.

The story centers around Edie O’Sullivan, an octogenarian crossword setter and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast who despises Christmas due to past tragedies. Her quiet life is upended when she receives a mysterious gift-wrapped package containing an incomplete jigsaw puzzle and a note warning that four people will die by Christmas Eve if she doesn’t solve the puzzle. As bodies start to appear, each with a piece of the jigsaw, Edie teams up with her son, Detective Inspector Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, and her glamorous neighbor, Riga Novack, to unravel the mystery.

Sandra Duncan’s narration is a highlight of this audiobook. Her expressive voice and impeccable pacing bring the characters to life, particularly capturing Edie’s sharp wit and Riga’s eccentric charm.

Benedict’s writing is clever and engaging, with a knack for creating vivid, memorable characters. The dialogue is sharp and often humorous, adding a lighthearted touch to the darker elements of the plot.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders explores themes of family, redemption, and the enduring impact of past traumas. It also delves into the idea of community and the unexpected ways people come together in times of crisis.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a thoroughly enjoyable holiday mystery that combines the warmth of Christmas with the excitement of a murder investigation. Alexandra Benedict has crafted a story that is both heartwarming and suspenseful, making it a perfect listen for the holiday season. Sandra Duncan’s excellent narration further elevates the audiobook, ensuring that it will be a hit with fans of cozy mysteries and festive thrillers alike.

Edie O’Sullivan is a curmudgeon, who doesn’t like the holidays, or people, or even her own family. She is a retired teacher in her 80s who spends her days doing jigsaw puzzles and creating crosswords for the London times. But someone is out to ruin her already dreary holidays. Evil shenanigans are afoot when Edie receives a package of puzzle pieces with a note to solve the mystery or else. She gets the neighbor, and her nephew involved, and the story progresses. This is no Angela Lansbury. This is not a cozy festive read, but rather a slog through various parts of Edie’s history, and the stories of those around her. It is terribly slow, and I find myself not wanting to start out on the story again after I turn it off each night. I need something more fun and uplifting for Christmas. Or something with more blood and guts. Let’s save Ebeneezer for the TV as the story is told better there.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict was fun but also difficult to pay attention to.

Thank You to Alexandra Benedict, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In The Christmas Jigsaw Murders we follow octogenarian crossword puzzle setter, Edie O'Sullivan, who on December 1st finds a hand-delivered Christmas gift on her doorstep. Upon opening it, Edie is intrigued: a jigsaw box containing 6-puzzle pieces. Once she's pieced them together they reveal a portion of a crime scene, with blood splattered across black and white tiles and the outline of body.

How odd. What could this mean?

The Sender knew Edie might need a little help, so included the following message: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ Signed, Rest In Pieces. Edie's great-nephew, Sean, who she raised as her son after his parents were tragically killed, happens to be a Detective. She contacts him about her special gift and they intend to work together to figure it out.

Shortly thereafter, a local man is found close to death with a puzzle piece gripped in his hand. This pushes Sean over the edge. Edie could be in real danger and he expects her to shut down her little investigation into Rest in Pieces right away. Octogenarians aren't so easily controlled, however. Anyone with elderly parents knows that...

As bodies continue to drop, Edie realizes she is this key to this all. Only her knowledge can solve it. Going against Sean's wishes, Edie digs in deeper with the hopes of uncovering the identity of Rest in Pieces before anyone else can be killed.

I really enjoyed this detailed Adult Mystery. It's probably my 2nd-fave out of the 3-books that I have read thus far from this author. I liked the incorporation of the jigsaw puzzle pieces as clues left by the murderer. I also grew quite attached to Edie. She's a bit of a curmudgeon, which I can get behind, and has quite the Scrooge character arc within this story. While this wasn't as Christmas-focused as I was expecting, it was still just enough to get my spirits up as we soar into the holiday season.

I do want to mention that I feel like some Readers may expect this to be a Cozy Mystery, maybe due to the inclusion of Christmas in the title, or just the basic synopsis, but it's really not. This is a straight Adult Mystery with some heavier topics explored throughout. I feel like a couple of Benedict's earlier books could have fallen victim to this quandary. Readers going in expecting one thing, getting another and not being happy about it. That's the only reason why I am mentioning that.

I enjoy Benedict's mysteries. They intrigue me and I enjoy that the MCs are often dealing with some pretty significant real life things in addition to the mystery elements. While her characters may be hard for some to understand, or get behind, I always end up rooting for them. Edie is someone I would want to be close to in real life. She's a grump and so am I. I find that endearing. I can relate.

I'm hoping Benedict has a few more Christmas Mysteries in store for us. I would definitely be picking them up. Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audiobook was fantastically narrated and I absolutely recommend that format for this one!

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict was such a fun read. Great plot points and character development.

I love octogenarians solving murders, so when Edie is mailed pieces of a jigsaw puzzle depicting murders with instructions that say that at least 4 murders will occur by Christmas Eve unless Edie can put all the pieces of an incomplete puzzle to save the victims, I knew this book was for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audiobook.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, English villages are dangerous places. Lots of people seem to get murdered and then the police seem to be unable to solve the multiple deaths without the sleuthing of elderly residents. Now it may be that, as Edie O’Sullivan states, people tend to look past older women so they have a better chance of finding out information, and if that is the case, then she joins that esteemed list of female amateur detectives.

In this book though, the murderer wants Edie to be involved. On Christmas she receives puzzle pieces showing a violent crime scene. In the corner of one of the pieces, she sees something that makes her think the victim might be her nephew, Detective Inspector Sean O’Sullivan-Brand. And since he is her last living relative, she knows that she needs to help find who is sending these pieces.

Edie is a prickly, tough broad (I think she would be ok with that description) but Benedict writes her in such a way that the reader feels sympathy for her; her life has not been easy. Benedict also creates a number of miscues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The narration by Sandra Duncan is excellent, she creates a wonderful sense of the characters. I always feel like the first book in a series can feel a little clunky since the author has to get so much information in there but I would definitely read more stories with Edie.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a holiday-themed mystery featuring Edie O'Sullivan, an 80-year-old puzzle maker who receives a cryptic jigsaw that threatens deadly consequences if unsolved. She teams up with her nephew, Detective Sean Brand-O'Sullivan, to track down the killer.

While the premise is intriguing, the book’s slow pacing and gradual unfolding mystery might not be for everyone. Some readers struggled to connect with the characters, especially Edie, though her relationship with Sean adds depth to the story. The family drama can feel repetitive at times, and the suspense around the murders could have been more intense. However, the ending ties everything together nicely and offers a satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoy slower-paced, character-driven mysteries like The Thursday Murder Club, this book might be a good fit. The audiobook, narrated by Sandra Duncan, adds an extra layer of enjoyment. Overall, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is a cozy yet slightly melancholic mystery with a dash of redemption, ideal for the holiday season.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Pub Date: 10/8
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Man, I was super stoked for this murder mystery - Christmas Edition... it just didn't hit that mark for me. On December first, a grumpy old woman, Edie, receives a puzzle box claiming to commit murders until she figures it out signed "Rest in Pieces". Edie works alongside her nephew, a DI to track down the killer.
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The Christmas Jigsaw Murders gives off some serious Thursday Murder Club vibes, except this is more of a lone woman for the most part. This is a super low burn, which made this book feel extra-long (spoiler it's really not that long of a read). I didn't really feel a serious connection with any of the characters, but I definitely think that there was some pretty good character development for some of them.
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I wish this was a bit more suspenseful when it came to the murders and the ending, maybe less about the family drama that almost felt repetitive. I did like the ending though, the story is brought full circle and there and I loved where Benedit decided to go with it.
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I listened to this one via audiobook, this was narrated by Sandra Duncan, she did a great job, and I can honestly say that if i did not have the audiobook I would not have finished this book.
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Overall, this wasn't really the book for me, but if you are a fan of The Thursday Murder Club then you may enjoy this one! Check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Alexanra Benedict and Dreamscape Media in exchange for my honest review.