A funny Christmas murder mystery whodunnit with plenty of laughs thrown in. I know I definitely had several laugh out loud moments in this book. I haven’t read Happy Bloody Christmas which precedes this book but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of this book and shall now read that book.

Anna books her family a Christmas get away break after things didn’t go according to plan the previous year but could it be this year also doesn’t go to plan with Anna’s hope of a magical Christmas holiday possibly slipping away.

I really liked Anna she is funny, down to earth I feel there is an element to Anna everyone can relate to especially as a wife, bestie and mother of two children.

If a short enjoyable murder mystery Christmas themed read is what you are looking for I would recommend giving this book a try. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was the perfect blend of suspense and heart. The mystery hooked me from the very beginning with its clever twists and well-placed clues, keeping me second-guessing every character and motive. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story pulled the rug out from under me—in the best way.

Alongside the tension and intrigue, the romance was beautifully woven in. The chemistry between the leads was undeniable, sparking with banter and slow-burn intensity while still feeling organic against the darker backdrop of the plot. I loved how the romantic arc added warmth and vulnerability without ever taking away from the edge-of-your-seat suspense.

The writing is vivid and atmospheric, pulling me straight into the setting and heightening every moment of danger, every whisper of attraction. By the end, I was equally invested in solving the case and rooting for the couple to find their way to each other.

If you love a story that keeps you guessing while tugging at your heart, this book delivers it all: tension, twists, and tender romance. Absolutely unputdownable.

4.5 stars : I was absolutely thrilled when I saw my request to read this had been accepted after absolutely adoring the first book so thank you so much to NetGalley!! This was heartwarming, funny, unputdownable and just brilliant. Loved it!!

I was very excited to read this one as I loved "Happy Bloody Christmas" and it was a very fun read, although I think "Happy Bloody Christmas" was just a tad more exciting. We meet up with Anna, Oli, and the kids as they decide to go away for Christmas after the disaster of last Christmas. As they check into their lodging, they realize another group will be joining them and in similar fashion as last year, Anna and Oli stumble onto a body and the mystery begins! Things that worked: Anna's inner-monologue is hilarious. Oli originally wanted to solve the murder this year - it was not just lead by Anna. Oli and Anna show a wonderful example of a great marriage. You can tell they both really love each other and you rarely see that in books that are not romance. Also, it was fun that Jennie got to be involved via phone - she is a hoot! Things that could have been better: Less discussing the theories and more action. It feels like nothing happened for a lot of the book. I think what made it work is that Anna is just so darn funny that she can tell you about her grocery list and you would read it! I just would have liked more murder, more excitement, and maybe a few more twists. However, I did very much love the book and would suggest it to anyone who wants a hilarious cozy Christmas mystery. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

The sequel to one of the best christmas mysteries I've read for a long time. After the adventures of last year, Anna and Ollie and the kids plan to spend this Christmas in a secluded mansion to be waited on by housekeeper, Mrs Haddock. When eight more guests come knocking at Mrs Haddocks door, she realises the house has been double-booked for the holidays.

That evening, the snow starts to fall and body is discovered in the library. Anna and Ollie take it upon themselves to investigate.Would it be a christmas mystery without a snowstorm trapping everyone inside the house?

I really enjoyed "Happy Bloody Christmas" and was delighted to discover there was a sequel. The change of setting is a nice idea, bringing some sterotypical tropes into this comedic mystery novel. There are hidden passageways, hideyholes and treasure maps along with the mince pie obsessed PC Chops (tying in nicely with last years PC Bacon).

I think Jo Middletons sense of humour must be similiar to my own as I did find this very amusing and occassionally infuriating, which I believe was the authors intention, with the youngest who was a constant irritation. The new characters work well, with social media 'influencer' being my pick of the bunch. Anna's best friend Jenny also returns but via phone calls and messages.

You definitely don't need to have read 'Happy Bloody Christmas' to enjoy this, but for those of you that have, I'm pretty sure you'll like this sequel.

I would like to convey my thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the chance to review this novel. All opinions are my own.

Not Another Bloody Christmas is due to be released on 23rd October 2025.

After the runaway success of the hysterically funny Happy Bloody Christmas, it is not surprising that Jo Middleton’s follow-up suffers from a few growing pains. The opening feels too strained, too striving for the same magic that accompanied the first.

Fortunately it is the perfect book to read on a wet, windy autumn day, when there’s nothing on tv, or to stream, and even your iPad has died. Getting through the first few opening chapters with a weird set-up and some uncertain dialogue, since the protag has a habit of talking to her mother in law on Whats App as well as sundry other people in the middle of other chaos… well, it was a bit of a strain. Fortunately, once the body has arrived, it all flows beautifully into an investigation that strains the most convoluted of rabbit holes.

Not that Anna is investigating a murder, of course not. She’s just unravelling who these people are, that managed to double-book the mysterious house she booked online. The author captures the anxieties of relationships, parenting, modern technology, and Christmas, plus mothers-in-law, in a beautifully observed, pacy narrative.

I’m not sure Ms Middleton should go to the well for a third time, but I’d recommend anyone who enjoys a Christmas murder romp to give this one a go.

Was so excited to see this book on Netgalley.
I absolutely loved this first book and this was just as good!
I highly recommend this book.
Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review

I received a free copy of, Not Another Bloody Christmas, by Jo Middleton, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is the second book in The Happy Bloody Christmas series. Its Christmas time which should be a good time, but not when someone is murdered, and there is a murder to solve, a bloody murder that is. This was a nice festive murder mystery.

I read Happy Bloody Christmas last year and loved it so there was no way was I going to pass on an opportunity to read this ahead of its October release date.

It feels so familiar being back with Anna and her family. I think she's brilliant and I couldn't read it without laughing out loud. She's seriously unlucky when it comes to Christmas and trying to organise something the good kind of exciting as opposed to the excitement of dead bodies popping up. It seems 'Christmas murder mystery' really is her trope and her sidekick Jennie just adds to the fun; although we only get her from a distance this time. We get double the comedy with those two and Santa paws was just a little extra to twitter at!!

The unexpected guests at Whispering pines bring disharmony to Anna's celeb but it's great how her and Oli switch into sleuth mode with Ben assisting. Definitely room for a family PI business and I can't wait to see what happens next Christmas 😂🤣

Such a light-hearted, fun, cosy mystery. I didn't put it down as I was enjoying myself too much.

I think this would come under the heading ‘cosy murder’, which is a bit of strange title, but this book definitely fits the description. Anna and her family head off for Christmas in a hotel in the middle of nowhere. She thinks she has got the place to herself until six more adults and two children arrive. On the first evening one of them dies and it is thought that he has had a heart attack until Anna starts to investigate and decides he has been poisoned with cyanide. Unfortunately there has been a bad snowstorm during the night and the snow is backed up against the house meaning nobody can enter of leave. This book keeps you guessing until the very end as a murder mystery should. It is full of humour and would be a great book to read in winter next to a roaring fire! I would definitely recommend it. The characters are interesting and there are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book and if you read the authors previously books I highly recommend this one

I laughed at the characters names in this book as reminds me of names I hear in waitrose

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Another great Christmas mystery!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Not Another Bloody Christmas (all thoughts are my own), and despite reading it in August, I felt myself getting into the Christmas spirit.

The location was fantastic and really set the scene with Christmas and snow sprinkled in. I loved the characters and their quirks, and it was great to see Anna and her family back.

This year, Anna is doing things differently. She’s hoping that by whisking the family away to a luxurious house over Christmas, she’ll escape the memories of last year. However, fate has other plans when she uncovers a body in the library.

A great murder mystery where everyone has a motive, and it had me guessing who did it right until the end.

Somehow, this book combines murder and comedy and still manages to be a cosy read. A great one to snuggle up with on a winter’s evening, and can easily be read as a standalone.

After enjoying the first book in what appears to be a series, I was hopeful that this second book would not just cover the same ground and give the reader nothing new to latch onto. Fortunately, this couple of complete amateurs with a friend available via telephone, find fresh ways to bring all the clues together to solve the murder mystery. At times the writing is quite funny, despite the serious subject. Perhaps they should consider the murders at a different time of the year, but that may change the necessity for the titles in this series. I particularly liked the way the writer provides a wide range of characters and gradually you get to know them all. It's impossible to know whodunnit at an early stage, but the clues that are drip fed give you hope that you might be able to guess in the right direction. Suffice to say, this was a most enjoyable story and I'm looking forward to the third in the series.

I absolutely loved the first book, so I’m not surprised to say I also loved this one.

Anna just always feels so real, and her humour is so dry but hilarious. I just kept giggling at her the whole way through.

I don’t have a huge amount to say, but I do hope we get more in this series!

Anna's family have no luck over Christmas, last year, a body in the Pantry. This year a body in the library. Over to a modern day, middle aged, Miss Marple, a.k.a, Anna to solve the crime. Brilliantly written, very very funny. I read it in a day because I simply could not put it down.

This is a Christmas Cozy Mystery, and this is the second book in the Happy Bloody Christmas series, and I have not read the first book in this series before picking up this book. I found this book fun to read, and I loved the characters. There is a ton of Christmas stuff in this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

I absolutely adored the first in this series. I laughed out loud so often while reading that I had to stop reading it at night because I kept waking my husband up! This second book was also enjoyable, but a lot of it tracked very closely with the elements of the first one - and where they were surprising and laugh-out-loud funny when they were new, they were a little bit less so in the reboot. I still enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, and would definitely read more in the series because I love the family dynamic and snarky sense of dark humor, but this one didn't quite hit it out of the park the way the first one did for me...

I just loved it! I absolutely loved the prequel (A Bloody Christmas) but I enjoyed this even more. Anna wants nothing more than a calm family Christmas, after finding a dead body in her house last year. But all her plans go out of the window when a double booking at their remote hotel location means a whole load of guests to have to share Christmas with.

When one of the guests in found dead, Anna and family must put their thinking caps on and get to the truth, especially as they are snowed in with all the suspects!

What's really great is that Anna is just a normal mum, and does and thinks all the normal mum things (like not giving her kids books of poetry for Christmas). It not only gives the book a humorous touch, but also the 'it's not just me' feeling.

Not Another Bloody Christmas is a brilliant read, at any time of year!

I absolutely loved the first book Happy Bloody Christmas. This one however just didn't pack the same punch.

I found it lacking of so much of what the first book offered, which was disappointing. I was so excited to get this book and I found it underwhelming and unoriginal.

I enjoyed parts and found myself sniggering every now and again. It's such a shame because Happy Bloody Christmas was a 5 star read for me.

Not Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton is a witty, cozy, and thoroughly entertaining festive mystery. I loved the humor, the quirky characters, and the clever twists that kept the story engaging from start to finish. It was the perfect mix of holiday charm and murder mystery. I truly enjoyed it and gave it five stars.