Review: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't even know where to begin with this one, just many thanks to Dear Author for the review which led me to pick this up.

Maggie Chase is a reclusive author of cosy mysteries featuring a cat. Her recent divorce has lost her the two friends she had in the world and she has become a bit of a hermit, only brought out of hiding by her publisher's dire threats if she doesn't attend their Christmas drinks party.

Ethan Wyatt writes military special ops/spy type thrillers for the same publisher. He seems to be a total PR construct from his mysterious past (was he special forces, CIA, Navy Seal?), his iconic leather jacket, his cheeky grin and his artfully styled hair. He also appears to be Maggie's enemy and consistently calls her Marcie.

Maggie is coerced into spending Christmas in England with what her publisher calls 'her biggest fan', only to discover that Ethan has also been invited. When they arrive at a 2,000 acre country estate Maggie is astonished to discover that her biggest fan is none other than Eleanor Ashley, celebrated octogenarian author of ninety-nine crime thrillers and Maggie's favourite author.

The other guests are a motley crew consisting of a Duke and Duchess, Eleanor's long-lost niece, her son, her lawyer, the butler, a Detective Inspector, another crime writer, and a Doctor. When a snow storm hits and the guests are stranded the scene is set for some kind of mystery - and indeed Eleanor goes missing on the first night, from her locked study . Dum. Dum. Dum! Maggie is convinced that this is some elaborate contest devised by Eleanor, perhaps to reveal who of the three authors could continue writing her award-winning mystery series, based on her previous novels. But when there are multiple attempts on people's lives it seems there maybe a killer amongst them.

I can't even describe why I liked this so much. Maybe because Ethan was such a sweetheart and the reader can see that he like likes Maggie right from the get go. Maybe it was the Downton Abbey meets Cluedo setting. There are all the stock shady characters. The hidden clues (reminiscent of Jennifer Lynne Barnes' Inheritance trilogy), and the flashbacks to previous meetings between Maggie and Ethan.

Only one niggle, an Englishman would boast about attending Eton School not Eaton school.

Loved it.

Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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