The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is THE most fun book I’ve read in a while! A twisty romance/mystery/thriller set on a huge old English estate in the middle of a snowstorm with no escape, it delivers on all fronts.

Rival NY mystery authors Maggie and Ethan receive mysterious invitations to England for Christmas, and the next thing they know, they’re whisked away on a private jet to a massive northern English estate. Where they meet their idol, famous mystery author Eleanor Ashley. And a bunch of selfish jerks who happen to be her family. But then Eleanor disappears, and it’s clear to Maggie and Ethan that something weird’s going on…

They pull together to figure it out, now realizing maybe Eleanor brought them for this reason. Can they trust each other? Is there a killer among them? Are they really enemies?

LOVED the characters in The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, Ethan in particular once we learn what’s under his charming exterior. The author did a tremendous job filling in their backstories and what shaped them. Loved how they put everything together and how they slowly opened up to each other. Loved the twists and turns of the mystery AND their relationship.

LOVED the premise and the story, which felt like Clue mixed with Knives Out and combined my favorite genres into one. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year’s pace was perfect, I never got bored and just wanted to know what would happen next.

Rating: 5
Themes and Tropes: Romantic suspense, enemies/rivals to lovers, forced proximity/trapped, whodunit mystery, author characters
Steam: Low
Pair With: Something warm for a cold night

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