With Blogmas 2024 officially underway, I wanted to have my book recommendations out quickly. I know that this is a very busy time of the year for many of us, and it is nice to have something to read if you can find the time. And I have to say, publishers are really helping me out here.
Christmas mysteries have really taken off in the last few years. I don’t mean cosy mysteries set at Christmas (though you will find many of those). Authors are writing novellas/novels to fit into their series oftentimes, and they can usually be read as a standalone. I’m finding that these are a great alternative to your standard romance novels that dominate holiday books if that is not your thing. These are the best Christmas mystery books if you are looking for some festive feeling in your murder mysteries!
The Best Christmas Mystery Books
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, Ally Carter
The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.
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.
Why You Should Read This…
I downloaded this audiobook the day it came out, and it did not disappoint. And I fully admit, I am predisposed to love anything about Christmas but it certainly does not overwhelm the story.
The Knives-Out description is very accurate, in a great way. I loved that Carter continually built up the “fabric” of the mystery and slowly wove in one thread at a time. And just when you think that you have an idea of who might have done it and how, that is disproven. It makes for very entertaining reading, and a book that you can’t put down. There are characters you will love, characters you will hate, and a possible murder that you just have to solve.
Saskia Maarleveld is also one of my favourite narrators. She narrates the large majority of the book, and she is a blend of youthful, sarcastic, and energetic here that just works! One of my favourite books of 2024! (And I’ve read ~140, so it’s not a small pool of competition.)
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, Benjamin Stevenson
My name is Ernest Cunningham.
I’m not a detective. I just happen to have a knack for what makes mysteries – and murderers – tick. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any killers out there might be willing to take a break for the holidays.
I was wrong.
So here I am, backstage at the Christmas show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. From the magician’s assistant to the hypnotist, my suspects are all professional tricksters. Masters in the art of misdirection.
My clues are even more of a mystery:
A suspect covered in blood, with no memory of how it got there.
A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens.
And an advent calendar. Because, you know. It’s Christmas.
Solving the murder is the only gift I want this year. But can I catch a killer, and make it home for Christmas alive?
Why You Should Read This…
This is one of two books that belong to a series in this list, but you don’t need to have read the previous books to follow along. (All you really need to know is that the protagonist keeps finding himself wrapped up in closed-room murders.) Stevenson’s novels are unique- the narrator, Ernest, breaks the fourth wall and talks through the case with you. While it takes a little bit of time to get used to, you will quickly adapt here!
This book is particularly perfect for the holidays as it was written to be an Advent calendar– there are twenty four chapters, one for each day. (And yes, if you listen to the audiobook, there is a little door opening noise at the start of each chapter, ha!) If you want to read it faster, it does move along at a good pace. However, it would also work well if you want to treat it as your Advent calendar.
The Christmas Appeal, Janice Hallett
One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?
Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up. Of course there’s also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list?
Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?
Why You Should Read This…
Janice Hallett is a very popular author- her books have become quick favourites in the mystery world. However, I do struggle with them somewhat. They are super creative as you are typically following a mystery through different forms of evidence. I find that it can get a bit tedious to read through a hundred pages of evidence and not have any idea of who has actually died.
The Christmas Appeal solves that problem, though! This is a shorter novel from Hallett, and I found that the faster pacing solved pretty much all of my issues with it. The Christmas Appeal does follow her previous novel, The Appeal, but you don’t need to have read it to follow along (much like Stevenson’s novel). It’s a very entertaining format when it’s set in the context of the chaos of Christmas.
This a fun and creative mystery that will absolutely keep you guessing while you see this pantomime through to the end!
Death Comes At Christmas, J. T. Ellison, Angela Clarke, David Bell, Helen Sarah Fields with Paul Kane, Marie O’Regan (NETGALLEY)
The award-winning Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed and award-winning writers in tribute to classic crime stories.
From locked room mysteries on Christmas Eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these eighteen seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn.
So, unwrap the presents, pour a mug of mulled wine and follow the bloodstained footprints through the freshly fallen snow as winter descends and darkness lurks in the shadows.
Featuring stories by:
Fiona Cummins
Angela Clarke
A.K. Benedict
Susi Holliday
J.T. Ellison
David Bell
Sarah Hilary
Claire McGowan
Tina Baker
Sam Carrington
Liz Mistry
C.L. Taylor
Helen Fields
Russ Thomas
Tom Mead
Vaseem Khan
Samantha Hayes
Belinda Bauer
Why You Should Read This…
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of short stories was not for me at all, but I did want to include it as I think that many of my readers will definitely enjoy it. These stories range from cosy to horror-mystery and everything in between! (The horror/darker element is what did not work for me, but I know that most people are okay with it.)
I think that this collection has two major strengths: firstly, there are so many incredible authors represented here! They are all the best at what they do, and it is easy to see why. Secondly, these stories are all quite short. Given that the holiday season is typically quite busy for all of us, it works well! (If you only have a few minutes before you head to bed, you can still quickly read a story.)
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, Agatha Christie
In Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, the holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder — and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case. The wealthy Simeon Lee has demanded that all four of his sons — one faithful, one prodigal, one impecunious, one sensitive — and their wives return home for Christmas. But a heartwarming family holiday is not exactly what he has in mind. He bedevils each of his sons with barbed insults and finally announces that he is cutting off their allowances and changing his will. Poirot is called in the aftermath of Simeon Lee’s announcement.
Why You Should Read This…
While I’ve already shared my happiness at the number of holiday-themed mystery novels being published now, I did want to include a classic pick in this list. And of course, I had to go with an Agatha Christie novel. This is a standard Poirot novel, so if you’re familiar with our favourite Belgian detective, you will know what you are in for. Christmas is rather in the background for this novel, so it may just appeal to you if you find the holidays overwhelming but still want a touch of that feeling.
What authors are you featuring on your list of the best Christmas mystery books?
Cheers,
The Historian
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