A layered reading experience that gives the reader more of a participation feel with the formatting of the chapters. It takes you more into the story with the history of the location, the players in the mystery and the unravelling clues. Sadly for me, the ending lets this clever construction down somewhat, and overall this left me feeling more deflated than excited. However, I applaud the author for trying something different, as the way it was pieced together means that it will stand out in a crowded genre.

The name of the Midwinter mystery was inventive, and the addition of the explanation of the clues at the end was a nice touch.

I loved this story! I think Martin Edwards must have had a lot of fun in writing it. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of classic crime, and puts it to great use in this story. The setting is an extreme winter version of the classic isolated mystery, whilst the weather and the rules at Midwinter resort, provide the isolation that would otherwise be difficult to achieve in a modern environment.
Without giving spoilers, there are little Easter eggs throughout the plot. Some are more obvious, and explained; others are more subtle. Even the final plot twist is a massive homage to a famous murder mystery. Some of the twists and revelations are quite predictable, but this almost adds to the fun, as the reader is proved right in their guesses! An ideal Christmas present for anyone who is a fan of classic and Golden era crime.

Instead of a locked room mystery we have a locked village mystery, six people connected to the world of publishing are brought together at Christmas to play a murder mystery game, all six are down on their luck and with nobody to miss them if anything should happen, sure enough people start turning up dead, but why these victims and are their deaths in any way connected to a death in the village a few years earlier? The story itself is fine but I didn’t care which characters died, at no point did I find myself hoping that any particular character would survive.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the mystery within the mystery element. There were interesting characters in with an interesting plot. I enjoyed trying trying to figure out the mystery and was keen to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

I enjoyed this - a odd assortment of down on their luck people invited to solve a mystery, who then find themselves in a real murder mystery!

Lots of clues and red herrings, a range of likeable and less likeable characters and plenty of dead bodies - a mix of Cluedo and Agatha Christie is a good description I suppose. I liked the way the author used different ways to give us info about the cast of characters, their motivation and what was going on- journal entries, dialogue etc.

Lots of fun! Haven't read anything by Martin Edwards before, but I will in future!

I will be honest this is good. This is the first time I have hears of the author but the plot and story of this is very intriguing and mind blowing.

I did not get to solve it but it was still entertaining. I believe this would go well with an audiobook as if it would look like a real detective thingy that there is a recorded sounds that the detectives can play and hear over and over again.

Simply brilliant! What a clever construction; a cosy murder mystery but the reader takes part too. I was engrossed from start to finish and totally foxed. Genius. It’s a simple story where guests have the opportunity to change their life. They’re all a bit down on their luck and the backstories are engaging and illuminating. This is rather like playing Cluedo and reading and Agatha Christie at the same time and I loved it. More please from Martin Edward’s and my thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir an early review copy.

such a fun read! I loved reading this novel and neeeeeed more!!! immediately!! the plot, the chaacters, the suspense, the writing, everything was spot on

A fun festive whodunnit. An odd assortment of people have been invited to a big old house in the remote village of Midwinter, appropriate as they get snowed in. Between chapters there’s Bonus Puzzle Content with clues as to people who may have reason to dislike another person in the group. Confusing at times, but that’s the point of a whodunnit! For Agatha Christie fans and anyone who loves a cosy murder mystery.

Martin Edwards, Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife, Aria & Aries, September 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife - how could any player of Cluedo resist? And then, when it becomes clear that Martin Edwards has produced a pure example of a Golden Age detective story, the result is unquestionable. It must be read. With murder mystery game within murder mystery, this novel is an amalgam of engaging storytelling, clear plotting, a blend of subtle and sharp characterisation, and a feast for the reader-investigator. One story line is the game devised by the hosts, the Midwinter Trust; the other is what happens to the six guests; their hosts, the four Midwinter Trust members; and the two staff members, a chef, and a chauffeur. The guests have a great deal resting upon their success at solving the mystery as each has suffered a severe decline in their career, prospects and hope for the future.

The reader-investigator has two mysteries to unravel – the game, and the events that occur over the freezing Christmas at Midwinter Village. The guests must solve the puzzles they are given. The reader also has an option to do so as they are provided in Bonus Puzzle Content throughout the book. Puzzles and written material provide plenty of clues. The clues to the mystery in which guests, staff and Trust members become embroiled are, as with any skilled Golden Age mystery, scattered throughout the text. At the end of the book these are presented politely to the reader – politely in that even with my poor showing in deduction I did not feel too foolish.

Martin Edwards has devised a compelling argument for the beauty of Golden Age detection. There are no confected twists, no harrowing forensic detail, no gratuitous violence and very little blood indeed, and yet, this cannot be called a ‘cosy mystery’. Some characters may be charmless, but each has a story, the one they tell, and the one that is hidden, that make them interesting. The journal entries with which some impart their observations and feelings, are at times engagingly honest, at others engagingly not. The surrounds are fiercely cold enough to have an impact on them and infuse the enclosed location with even more discomfort. Descriptions of the Christmas music and meals do nothing to diffuse this. Indeed, they add to the feeling that everyone at Midwinter Village must have a desperate reason to be there. And one of them does.

Love a great puzzle, with nostalgic vibes of Clue is a fun element. I always enjoy a good mystery.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the setting of this book, being snowed in and isolated at Christmas and how that added to the mystery. I enjoyed the story being told through different perspectives via diaries and other sources in the bonus content.

The characters were interesting, I was intrigued by their backstories and I liked that I was constantly questioning who to trust.

I also really appreciated the cluefinder at the end and getting to see how everything was hinted at throughout the book and what clues I picked up on or missed!

This was my first book by this author and I’ll definitely be going back to read more of his other work.

Six 'has-beens' are invited to Midwinter to solve a murder mystery.. Shortly after arrival they find themselves snowed in. There is little to do except focus on the puzzles in hand, until a body is found and the real mystery begins. Motives abound in this 'locked room' but the clues to help you find the murderer are cleverly buried in the text, if you look carefully enough. I personally found the ending a little strange (but I could have missed a clue!) hence 4 stars not 5

Six people who have an involvement with crime writing are invited to the isolated village of Midwinter for Christmas celebrations. These celebrations include a murder mystery party, with clues given to the guests each day until Christmas Day when one of them will win by correctly solving the mystery. The guests are greeted by members of staff, some people are known to each other, others are not. There is the inevitable snowstorm and so the village is cut off completely. The game begins with the first clues given, but then one of the guests is found dead. This book intrigued me, as the reader is given the choice to play along with the guests, or simply read the story. I was trying to solve the puzzles myself and I liked the extras too, podcasts and extracts from diaries, and lists. I must say I did not discover whodunnit, but thoroughly enjoyed the journey to the end of the game.
Thank you for my advanced copy.

This closed in, modern whodunnit is perfect, if you want something that gives the feeling of reading Agatha Christie's books. I especially enjoyed that I could solve the mystery besides the characters in the books. It was a humbling experience, but honestly I was too excited about the book to sit down and actually solve it.

Who doesn’t love a festive whodunnit?! Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards is a fun festive read.

It harks back to the Golden Age of Crime and centres in Midwinter village where a population of six welcoming six guests to playing a residential ‘whodunnit’ game over the Festive Christmas Period. Everything to play for!

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards is a fun festive read.

It’s a brilliant homage to the Golden Age of Crime. It centres on a remote village Midwinter village in the North Pennines with a population of six welcoming six guests to playing a residential ‘whodunnit’ game over the Festive Christmas Period. There’s a huge prize, so everything to play for.

The story moves along at great pace and unfolds from multiple points of view. The weather is extreme and the village is cut of by snow, thus creating a ‘locked in’ feel adds to the atmosphere and sense of peril.

I loved the way the book was structured with The Players in the Game, Rules of the Game, Bonus Puzzle Content. I particularly loved the addition of the Clue Finder at the back of the book, something that was common in Golden Age crime books of the 1930s. It was great to look at it at the end and see things I should I have picked up on!

I haven’t read books by Martin Edwards before, but based on this compelling book I will most definitely seek out his other books.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Aria & Aries, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love that this book was exactly the kind of mystery I didn’t know I needed—clever, playful, and full of atmosphere. From the moment I opened it, I felt like I was being invited into a classic murder mystery weekend, complete with a remote village, eccentric guests, and an ominous sense that someone wasn’t playing fair. I especially loved how the story unfolded through different formats like podcasts, diary entries, and reading lists—it made me feel like a detective piecing everything together myself. The “Cluefinder” was a brilliant touch; it was fun trying to guess the killer before the big reveal. It had that nostalgic Agatha Christie vibe but with a modern, meta twist that made the whole experience feel fresh and immersive. It kept me thinking long after I turned the last page.

A great “who dunit? Christmas, snow, and murders but not your usual mystery. Well written, good characters and plenty of clues for those of you who can work things out. Me? I had no idea who did it until the reveal at the end.
My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC

Well this book was different to things I have read recently and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t solve the mystery, no where close but this is fine. The book is set in a village called Midwinter. The four people who run the Trust decide to hold a murder mystery weekend over the Christmas break and invite people to attend. There is a prize for the winnder of the competition. These 6 people are completely vetted and do seem to have a lot in common from the writing/publishing world. As they arrive the village is completely snowbound and they may have to stay longer than envisaged. As they all get to know each other the questions start being asked and not necessarily answered and are sometimes vague. The beginning does not run smoothly as the 6 are all vying for the prize and do not trust one another. Strange and worrying things start to happen and there is friction in the Trust. As the 6 start to play the game they begin to wonder how it will end. Then something happens and it almost goes from bad to worse for the 6. I will not write anymore so as not to spoil the story but it was intriguing and a must read. As I said above I did not solve the mystery but the ride to the end of the book was worth it