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A cena con l'assassino
Lily Armitage ha deciso che non metterà mai più piede a Endgame House, la grande dimora di famiglia in cui sua madre è morta ventuno anni prima. I suoi propositi, però, vacillano quando riceve una lettera dalla zia, che la invita alla sfida tradizionale che si tiene ogni anno: il Gioco di Natale. In cosa consiste? I partecipanti dovranno trovare dodici chiavi con i dodici indizi a disposizione. Quest'anno c'è un premio speciale: l'atto di proprietà di Endgame House. A Lily non interessa nulla della casa, ma nel biglietto c'è un dettaglio che basta da solo a convincerla: durante i giochi verranno rivelati gli indizi per scoprire finalmente la verità sulla morte di sua madre. Ma è davvero così o si tratta di uno scherzo di pessimo gusto? Per scoprirlo, Lily deve trascorrere dodici giorni nella grande casa insieme ai cugini, risolvendo enigmi e indovinelli per rivelare, uno a uno, i segreti più oscuri della famiglia Armitage. Quando una tempesta di neve isola la casa da ogni contatto con l'esterno, tutto può succedere...
287 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,119 reviews
January 1, 2022
What an awful book. The writing is unnecessary festive and flowery in an attempt to hide anagrams but it just takes you out of the story. You think that no-one would describe a room with the phrase "womb-like tomb" without a valid reason but here we are.
The characters either have one single defining personality trait (b***h, strong and silent, self-pitying trauma victim, or warm and friendly) or no personality at all (lesbians in love. That's it. They're lesbians and they're in love.) You know who's going to make it to the end because they're the only people with anything resembling a personality. Also Tom is a counsellor and you will be reminded of this at every opportunity.
It's generally completely ridiculous, which could have made it fun if it wasn't for the idiotic language (womb-like tomb will haunt me til my dying day), poor character development, and glaringly obvious resolution. Have I mentioned that Tom is a counsellor?
There were two small but significant sections which made me hate this book with a burning passion.
1) The author uses the word 'obvs' in the prose. This would be okay if it were a character speaking, but it's not, it's just the author being...idiotic? Trying to be cool? Trying to appeal to the youths? Or just to wind me (and specifically me) up?
2) There's a great* moment when a young child asks her aunt why her mother killed herself, and the aunts response is "because you didn't listen enough"?????? And then we're meant to see this aunt as a loving and caring individual who everyone looks up to and loves?? Daft. Straight up daft.
*And by 'great' I do mean 'awful'.
Other people may like this book for the same reasons I dislike it, but it's the closest I've ever come to writing in then burning a book whilst dancing around naked in the garden to celebrate. The sooner I forget this book the better.
Also, Tom's a counsellor.
The characters either have one single defining personality trait (b***h, strong and silent, self-pitying trauma victim, or warm and friendly) or no personality at all (lesbians in love. That's it. They're lesbians and they're in love.) You know who's going to make it to the end because they're the only people with anything resembling a personality. Also Tom is a counsellor and you will be reminded of this at every opportunity.
It's generally completely ridiculous, which could have made it fun if it wasn't for the idiotic language (womb-like tomb will haunt me til my dying day), poor character development, and glaringly obvious resolution. Have I mentioned that Tom is a counsellor?
There were two small but significant sections which made me hate this book with a burning passion.
1) The author uses the word 'obvs' in the prose. This would be okay if it were a character speaking, but it's not, it's just the author being...idiotic? Trying to be cool? Trying to appeal to the youths? Or just to wind me (and specifically me) up?
2) There's a great* moment when a young child asks her aunt why her mother killed herself, and the aunts response is "because you didn't listen enough"?????? And then we're meant to see this aunt as a loving and caring individual who everyone looks up to and loves?? Daft. Straight up daft.
*And by 'great' I do mean 'awful'.
Other people may like this book for the same reasons I dislike it, but it's the closest I've ever come to writing in then burning a book whilst dancing around naked in the garden to celebrate. The sooner I forget this book the better.
Also, Tom's a counsellor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2021
Those poor, tortured metaphors.
September 24, 2021
Alexandra Benedict serves up a traditional country house Christmas mystery set in the Yorkshire Dales as the snow falls heavily, threatening to cut off Endgame House. 33 year old Lily Armitage lost her mother, Mariana, as a child in an apparent suicide in the famous maze at Endgame House, an event that scarred her, which she has never got over, as she keeps the world at bay, not allowing herself to get close to anyone so that she would never be hurt again. She is a gifted dressmaker, rustling up copies of whatever her clients desire, living in a tiny place in London. Her adoptive mother, a professor of poetry at Cambridge, Aunt Liliana, has died, leaving behind instructions that Lily must go to Endgame House, a place she has avoided after her mother died there.
Lily really doesn't want to go, but is enticed by Liliana telling her Mariana was murdered, and if she wants to know more, then she must spend Christmas at the manor. Her cousins will be there, and a Christmas puzzle game has been set up for them to solve with 12 clues, 12 keys they must get, with the prize, Endgame House itself. However, they have to stay for the entire 12 days of Christmas, looked after by the housekeeper, Mrs Castle, but they have to give up their phones and any device that might provide them access to the internet. All of them are welcomed by a familiar face, Isabelle Stirling, a lawyer who sets out the terms of Liliana's wishes which they must abide by, after which she leaves. It is not long before the first murder occurs, and everyone is trapped with a ruthless killer among them intent on ensuring Endgame House will be owned by them.
This is a dark and intense locked room Christmas mystery which I am sure many readers will enjoy, although perhaps there was a little too much repetition of Lily's grief and memories of the loss of her mother for me. Benedict adds a series of anagrams from the 12 Days of Christmas in the narrative, along with titles of other known murder mystery novels too. This is a entertaining and engaging seasonal crime read, of secrets, Lily's, Endgame House's and others in her family, and murders, past and present. Although it did take me a little time to become immersed in it, I liked the second half of the book more, and the puzzles within the novel will appeal to those who love the crime and mystery genre and want to use their own little grey cells! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Lily really doesn't want to go, but is enticed by Liliana telling her Mariana was murdered, and if she wants to know more, then she must spend Christmas at the manor. Her cousins will be there, and a Christmas puzzle game has been set up for them to solve with 12 clues, 12 keys they must get, with the prize, Endgame House itself. However, they have to stay for the entire 12 days of Christmas, looked after by the housekeeper, Mrs Castle, but they have to give up their phones and any device that might provide them access to the internet. All of them are welcomed by a familiar face, Isabelle Stirling, a lawyer who sets out the terms of Liliana's wishes which they must abide by, after which she leaves. It is not long before the first murder occurs, and everyone is trapped with a ruthless killer among them intent on ensuring Endgame House will be owned by them.
This is a dark and intense locked room Christmas mystery which I am sure many readers will enjoy, although perhaps there was a little too much repetition of Lily's grief and memories of the loss of her mother for me. Benedict adds a series of anagrams from the 12 Days of Christmas in the narrative, along with titles of other known murder mystery novels too. This is a entertaining and engaging seasonal crime read, of secrets, Lily's, Endgame House's and others in her family, and murders, past and present. Although it did take me a little time to become immersed in it, I liked the second half of the book more, and the puzzles within the novel will appeal to those who love the crime and mystery genre and want to use their own little grey cells! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
January 26, 2023
EXCERPT: Dearest Lily,
I hope you never have to read this letter, because if it now lies in your hands then I am dead. I've entrusted your old friend Isabelle Stirling with the task of making sure you get this if I die before the Christmas Game begins. I fear that I shall. I hope I'm utterly, shamefully askew on the subject. But I don't think I am.
So, this is my insurance policy, delivered by my lawyer. I know you don't want to come to Endgame, or play a silly divertissement. I know that you have absolutely no interest in inheriting the house, even though I dearly wish it to be yours. But I have another reason for asking you to take part in the game. It is time that you learned the truth, and the game is the way I will reveal it.
If that's not enough of a reason, then let me give you one part of the puzzle. Your mother was wrongfully killed. There. I've said it. I know you will have so many questions, and the answers will come. They will be there, in every clue: the beginning and end of all that has haunted our family for so many years.
ABOUT 'THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME': The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for--deeds to the house itself--but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.
Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer.
Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.
MY THOUGHTS: Set at Christmas, this is a 'locked room' Christmas murder mystery, enhanced by the addition of a challenge to find a series of anagrams from the lyrics of the 12 Days of Christmas in the narrative, along with twelve titles of other known murder mystery novels. Unfortunately, I found the challenges quite distracting, so abandoned them quite early on in favour of just enjoying the read.
Although this wasn't quite as atmospheric as I expected, and became a little repetitive in places with regards to Lily's grief over the death of her mother many years previously, the mystery itself intrigued me.
There is some beautiful writing in this novel. The author sets the scene well and her character depictions are detailed and complete.
I had absolutely no idea who the killer was until it was revealed, and even wondered if there was an unknown entity hiding within the house.
This was an entertaining read, quick and fun.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#TheChristmasMurderGame #NetGalley
I: @a.k.benedict @poisonedpenpress
T: @ak_benedict @PPPress
#christmasfiction #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Alexandra Benedict is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts.
She started writing early, and her first publication was in the school magazine when she was 7 and involved a creepy old house. She loves Golden Age crime.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I hope you never have to read this letter, because if it now lies in your hands then I am dead. I've entrusted your old friend Isabelle Stirling with the task of making sure you get this if I die before the Christmas Game begins. I fear that I shall. I hope I'm utterly, shamefully askew on the subject. But I don't think I am.
So, this is my insurance policy, delivered by my lawyer. I know you don't want to come to Endgame, or play a silly divertissement. I know that you have absolutely no interest in inheriting the house, even though I dearly wish it to be yours. But I have another reason for asking you to take part in the game. It is time that you learned the truth, and the game is the way I will reveal it.
If that's not enough of a reason, then let me give you one part of the puzzle. Your mother was wrongfully killed. There. I've said it. I know you will have so many questions, and the answers will come. They will be there, in every clue: the beginning and end of all that has haunted our family for so many years.
ABOUT 'THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME': The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for--deeds to the house itself--but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.
Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer.
Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.
MY THOUGHTS: Set at Christmas, this is a 'locked room' Christmas murder mystery, enhanced by the addition of a challenge to find a series of anagrams from the lyrics of the 12 Days of Christmas in the narrative, along with twelve titles of other known murder mystery novels. Unfortunately, I found the challenges quite distracting, so abandoned them quite early on in favour of just enjoying the read.
Although this wasn't quite as atmospheric as I expected, and became a little repetitive in places with regards to Lily's grief over the death of her mother many years previously, the mystery itself intrigued me.
There is some beautiful writing in this novel. The author sets the scene well and her character depictions are detailed and complete.
I had absolutely no idea who the killer was until it was revealed, and even wondered if there was an unknown entity hiding within the house.
This was an entertaining read, quick and fun.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#TheChristmasMurderGame #NetGalley
I: @a.k.benedict @poisonedpenpress
T: @ak_benedict @PPPress
#christmasfiction #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Alexandra Benedict is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts.
She started writing early, and her first publication was in the school magazine when she was 7 and involved a creepy old house. She loves Golden Age crime.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 6, 2021
I feel like I could just copy and past my thoughts about The Christmas Killer for this one. The premise is there, a murderous Christmas game involving family secrets and riddles, but the execution just wasn't up to scratch. The plot is predictable, the characters flat and one dimensional, and the writing just isn't good.
I'm still on the hunt to find a decent Christmas mystery thriller.
I'm still on the hunt to find a decent Christmas mystery thriller.
December 23, 2022
I recently attended a book buzz event at a local bookstore and this book caught my interest, as it has all the ingredients for an intriguing mystery! Highly recommended by the publisher, I decided to give it a shot.
Huzzah! It was available on Hoopla, so I listened to the audiobook, read by Ana Clements. I enjoyed this format, but wished at times that I could refer to the hard copy, as the author included a family tree diagram to keep track of the family members. Also, I might have been a better sleuth if I had seen the clues written on paper! Fortunately/unfortunately I did not guess any of them!
Lily Armitage returns to Endgame house to play the annual Christmas game at the bequest of her late Aunt Liliana. However, she is not there to win the prize of the ownership of Endgame. Instead, she must figure out the clues in order to discover who murdered her mother many years ago. The competition is fierce between the cousins, and nothing is off limits. 12 clues, 12 keys, and 12 days of Christmas until all is revealed. Who will solve the mystery, win the house, and most of all, survive?
This is a clever mystery that feels current with themes of love is love (LGTBQ relationships), while distinctly evoking a Victorian flair, as Lily designs corsets. It was also fun to read close to the holidays!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Huzzah! It was available on Hoopla, so I listened to the audiobook, read by Ana Clements. I enjoyed this format, but wished at times that I could refer to the hard copy, as the author included a family tree diagram to keep track of the family members. Also, I might have been a better sleuth if I had seen the clues written on paper! Fortunately/unfortunately I did not guess any of them!
Lily Armitage returns to Endgame house to play the annual Christmas game at the bequest of her late Aunt Liliana. However, she is not there to win the prize of the ownership of Endgame. Instead, she must figure out the clues in order to discover who murdered her mother many years ago. The competition is fierce between the cousins, and nothing is off limits. 12 clues, 12 keys, and 12 days of Christmas until all is revealed. Who will solve the mystery, win the house, and most of all, survive?
This is a clever mystery that feels current with themes of love is love (LGTBQ relationships), while distinctly evoking a Victorian flair, as Lily designs corsets. It was also fun to read close to the holidays!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
November 4, 2022
3.75/5
Uważam, że to naprawdę świetna pozycja dla tych, którzy nie przepadają za świątecznymi książkami, ale chcieliby coś takiego przeczytać!
Mamy tu rodzinne tajemnice, mamy niesnaski między bliskimi, niewyjaśnione morderstwo, posiadłość, która tylko czeka na nowego właściciela…
Zagadki, rywalizacja — cudo!
A jednak wiele wątków i rozwiązań się tu powtarza i przywodzi na myśl typowe kryminały/thrillery, gdzie bohaterowie zamknięci są na małej przestrzeni.
Wiedziałam kto zabił zanim ktokolwiek zginął 😅
Jest reprezentacja 🏳️🌈i to taka naturalna — za to wielki plus.
Książka daje mi vibe Christie i Ware — a obie uwielbiam, więc jestem na tak!
Uważam, że to naprawdę świetna pozycja dla tych, którzy nie przepadają za świątecznymi książkami, ale chcieliby coś takiego przeczytać!
Mamy tu rodzinne tajemnice, mamy niesnaski między bliskimi, niewyjaśnione morderstwo, posiadłość, która tylko czeka na nowego właściciela…
Zagadki, rywalizacja — cudo!
A jednak wiele wątków i rozwiązań się tu powtarza i przywodzi na myśl typowe kryminały/thrillery, gdzie bohaterowie zamknięci są na małej przestrzeni.
Wiedziałam kto zabił zanim ktokolwiek zginął 😅
Jest reprezentacja 🏳️🌈i to taka naturalna — za to wielki plus.
Książka daje mi vibe Christie i Ware — a obie uwielbiam, więc jestem na tak!
January 7, 2023
i am late to the...game on this one, but since retailers have trained us to start focusing on christmas the day after thanksgiving (or in SEPTEMBER, if we're talking about michael's), i'm ignoring those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that are already peppering the drugstore shelves and claiming an extension on christmas in t'other direction, without the panic and only the joy! joy! joy! of it. and, i suppose, also the murrrrrrder.
and if i buy some heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to munch on while i'm reading this, that's my own holly jolly business.
and if i buy some heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to munch on while i'm reading this, that's my own holly jolly business.
December 11, 2022
3 stars
Well, it wasn’t at all Christmas-y, but there was murder (yay?).
Lily returns to her annual family Christmas game after the death of her beloved aunt. But the stakes of the game are higher this year, with her and all her cousins locked in the house. The winner of the game gets the house. But Lily doesn’t want the house, what she wants is answers about her mothers death.
I saw this on a friends list about mystery books set during Christmas, and since holiday romance isn’t my favorite I thought I would give this one a try. I liked it, for the most part. But it was incredibly predictable and at times… well, boring. I felt no satisfaction by the end of the book and I can already tell in a couple of months (maybe weeks) that I will have entirely forgotten all about this book.
Well, it wasn’t at all Christmas-y, but there was murder (yay?).
Lily returns to her annual family Christmas game after the death of her beloved aunt. But the stakes of the game are higher this year, with her and all her cousins locked in the house. The winner of the game gets the house. But Lily doesn’t want the house, what she wants is answers about her mothers death.
I saw this on a friends list about mystery books set during Christmas, and since holiday romance isn’t my favorite I thought I would give this one a try. I liked it, for the most part. But it was incredibly predictable and at times… well, boring. I felt no satisfaction by the end of the book and I can already tell in a couple of months (maybe weeks) that I will have entirely forgotten all about this book.
August 3, 2022
It's always obvious when an author is focusing only on one aspect of the story and instead of writing cohesive, quality prose, they just cater to one element and entirely ignore the rest. In this case, Benedict was bent on writing a crime novel where characters solve one riddle for each day of Christmas in order to win a mansion from a dead wealthy aunt. The problem is the author also started killing off those characters and despite them being one family, each death is simply brushed off by everyone and every day they go back to solving riddles, as if no one died. It was clear to me that should the author care about psychological credibility in her story, she would have added some emotional reaction from people that were still alive, but no, if she did that, they wouldn't focus on the riddles, and riddles were the only thing that the author seemed to enjoy when writing.
Despite being a crime mystery fan it was very hard for me to read a book where characters are blank and deprived of emotions (at some point it was deemed sort of a quality for the main character, as if to explain why she doesn't display any feelings, but sorry, it doesn't work like that) so it seems like their relatives dying is like every other Tuesday for them. The plot was also very repetitive and I guessed who is the killer around 30% of the book.
Very mediocre read.
Despite being a crime mystery fan it was very hard for me to read a book where characters are blank and deprived of emotions (at some point it was deemed sort of a quality for the main character, as if to explain why she doesn't display any feelings, but sorry, it doesn't work like that) so it seems like their relatives dying is like every other Tuesday for them. The plot was also very repetitive and I guessed who is the killer around 30% of the book.
Very mediocre read.
December 12, 2022
Chyba nigdy jeszcze nie czytałam thrillera, którego rozwiązanie by mi się podobało :(
Wielki plus za queerową reprezentację pokazaną w tak zwyczajny sposób <3
Wielki plus za queerową reprezentację pokazaną w tak zwyczajny sposób <3
December 18, 2023
Un ottimo libro per passare le giornate fredde di un dicembre per ora senza neve.
Che dire, ho assaporato ogni pagina, ogni capitolo, ogni giorno, fino ad arrivare alla conclusione di questa bella lettura.
Se non fosse stato per tutte le morti che hanno segnato la storia, avrei voluto partecipare anche io a quel gioco di natale.
Quanto è bello ritrovarsi tutti insieme durante le feste? Anche se durante l'anno non ci si vede mai, perché la vita è fatta di impegni, di "oggi non mi va", di "ma si, abbiamo tempo per vederci" e, in men che non si dica è passato un altro anno. Di cose ne sono cambiate, cambiano in tutte le famiglie: bambini che nascono, amori che finiscono, persone che resteranno sempre nei nostri cuori anche se non ci sono più, ma quando ci si ritrova beh....è una coccola, una valanga di emozioni che fanno venire a galla ricordi ormai sepolti, ricordi di quando sei bambino. Riportano alla mente profumi dimenticati, come per me la cannella....mi piace solo a natale chissà perché poi!
E finalmente quest'anno saremo ancora tutti insieme, a mangiare come se non ci fosse un domani, a giocare a tombola, a cantare con il karaoke che sta a prendere polvere per 12 mesi meno un giorno....tanto lo sanno già tutti cosa canterò, perché "montagne verdi" è la MIA canzone di quando ero piccina.
BUONE FESTE e mi raccomando, non rimandate un ti voglio bene o un ti amo, perché non si sa mai con chi ci si ritrova a cena, magari è un assassino.
Per la cronaca, io e gli anagrammi non andiamo molto d'accordo, quindi uno dei giochi per il lettore nemmeno ho provato a farlo...tanto poi alla fine ci sono le soluzioni 😝
Che dire, ho assaporato ogni pagina, ogni capitolo, ogni giorno, fino ad arrivare alla conclusione di questa bella lettura.
Se non fosse stato per tutte le morti che hanno segnato la storia, avrei voluto partecipare anche io a quel gioco di natale.
Quanto è bello ritrovarsi tutti insieme durante le feste? Anche se durante l'anno non ci si vede mai, perché la vita è fatta di impegni, di "oggi non mi va", di "ma si, abbiamo tempo per vederci" e, in men che non si dica è passato un altro anno. Di cose ne sono cambiate, cambiano in tutte le famiglie: bambini che nascono, amori che finiscono, persone che resteranno sempre nei nostri cuori anche se non ci sono più, ma quando ci si ritrova beh....è una coccola, una valanga di emozioni che fanno venire a galla ricordi ormai sepolti, ricordi di quando sei bambino. Riportano alla mente profumi dimenticati, come per me la cannella....mi piace solo a natale chissà perché poi!
E finalmente quest'anno saremo ancora tutti insieme, a mangiare come se non ci fosse un domani, a giocare a tombola, a cantare con il karaoke che sta a prendere polvere per 12 mesi meno un giorno....tanto lo sanno già tutti cosa canterò, perché "montagne verdi" è la MIA canzone di quando ero piccina.
BUONE FESTE e mi raccomando, non rimandate un ti voglio bene o un ti amo, perché non si sa mai con chi ci si ritrova a cena, magari è un assassino.
Per la cronaca, io e gli anagrammi non andiamo molto d'accordo, quindi uno dei giochi per il lettore nemmeno ho provato a farlo...tanto poi alla fine ci sono le soluzioni 😝
January 14, 2022
How... HOW do you make a whodunnit set in a Scooby-doo house with a Christmas theme so dull!?
The idea of The Christmas Murder Game is great but the execution is horrendous. What should be a fun, Agatha Christie type book is serious and overly complicated (yet the 'who' of the whodunnit is obvious from about the 50% mark). The characters are weak, generally 1-dimensional.
The explanation at the end is just making me angry as these people conceived of this game for a mansion and just let a whole family be murdered over it. Once the first body shows up... would you not stop the game? As far as I'm concerned, they should all be in prison.
To be completely fair, it would make a pretty good movie in the right hands.
The idea of The Christmas Murder Game is great but the execution is horrendous. What should be a fun, Agatha Christie type book is serious and overly complicated (yet the 'who' of the whodunnit is obvious from about the 50% mark). The characters are weak, generally 1-dimensional.
The explanation at the end is just making me angry as these people conceived of this game for a mansion and just let a whole family be murdered over it. Once the first body shows up... would you not stop the game? As far as I'm concerned, they should all be in prison.
To be completely fair, it would make a pretty good movie in the right hands.
January 13, 2023
No soy mucho de leer novelas navideñas, pero en este caso siendo un libro de misterio no pude resistirme cuando me propusieron leerlo.
La casa de los enigmas es un libro al más puro estilo de Ágatha Christie (salvando las distancias claro) ya que es un misterio en una habitación cerrada, es decir todo ocurre en una casa y cualquiera puede ser culpable.
Reconozco que al principio no me enganchó mucho pero a partir del 30% más o menos empecé a meterme más y más en la historia y la verdad es que me ha gustado bastante.
En este caso ya iba avisada por algunas amigas lectoras quela editorial había vendido una cosa que no era y es que publicitan que es un libro con acertijos para el lector. Esto no es del todo cierto.
Hay un par de retos que propone la autora al principio que bueno… uno viable y el otro bastante complicada, sobre todo si quieres ser ágil en la lectura. Vamos os puedo decir que hice el del primer capítulo y ya. Y eso que otra de las cosas que más me gusta en el mundo es hacer escape rooms.
Luego tenemos los enigmas que tienen que ir resolviendo los participantes siguiendo el juego navideño familiar que ha organizado la dueña de la casa en la que se desarrolla todo: la casa Arcana. Dueña que es tía de un@s y madre de otr@s. Estos enigmas no pueden ser resueltos por el lector porque a pesar de que viene un planito de la casa en plan Cluedo, es necesario tener mucha más información de la que se tiene leyendo.
De cualquier modo, como os decía me ha gustado bastante como está escrito, la historia y los personajes, unos más que otros claro, pero están todos bastante bien perfilados.
Retos:
Pop Sugar cat.22- Protagonista Queer
Todos locos 2023 cat.35 Misterio habitación cerrada.
Portadas: Invierno-arma
La pecera de Raquel cat.8 - Personaje LGTBIQ+
La casa de los enigmas es un libro al más puro estilo de Ágatha Christie (salvando las distancias claro) ya que es un misterio en una habitación cerrada, es decir todo ocurre en una casa y cualquiera puede ser culpable.
Reconozco que al principio no me enganchó mucho pero a partir del 30% más o menos empecé a meterme más y más en la historia y la verdad es que me ha gustado bastante.
En este caso ya iba avisada por algunas amigas lectoras quela editorial había vendido una cosa que no era y es que publicitan que es un libro con acertijos para el lector. Esto no es del todo cierto.
Hay un par de retos que propone la autora al principio que bueno… uno viable y el otro bastante complicada, sobre todo si quieres ser ágil en la lectura. Vamos os puedo decir que hice el del primer capítulo y ya. Y eso que otra de las cosas que más me gusta en el mundo es hacer escape rooms.
Luego tenemos los enigmas que tienen que ir resolviendo los participantes siguiendo el juego navideño familiar que ha organizado la dueña de la casa en la que se desarrolla todo: la casa Arcana. Dueña que es tía de un@s y madre de otr@s. Estos enigmas no pueden ser resueltos por el lector porque a pesar de que viene un planito de la casa en plan Cluedo, es necesario tener mucha más información de la que se tiene leyendo.
De cualquier modo, como os decía me ha gustado bastante como está escrito, la historia y los personajes, unos más que otros claro, pero están todos bastante bien perfilados.
Retos:
Pop Sugar cat.22- Protagonista Queer
Todos locos 2023 cat.35 Misterio habitación cerrada.
Portadas: Invierno-arma
La pecera de Raquel cat.8 - Personaje LGTBIQ+
September 23, 2021
Death by simile. I have no idea how this managed to be both utterly predictable and also way too complicated!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2022
Novela leída en el Club de Lectura de La librería ambulante.
Me ha gustado:
🎄 La originalidad de la propuesta por parte de la autora al plantear juegos y enigmas tanto a los personajes como a los lectores.
🎄 Recuerda en cierto modo a “Diez negritos” en clave familiar.
🎄 Es entretenida y navideña.
Me ha gustado menos:
🎄 Los enigmas propuestos a los personajes son muy difíciles de resolver por el lector y pienso que habría estado bien que nos implicara un poco más en sus resoluciones.
🎄 Recuerda a Agatha Christie, pero no es Agatha Christie.
🎄 Esperaba un final más sorprendente.
Iba a ponerle tres estrellas, pero estamos en Navidad… y le voy a dar cuatro.
Alexandra Benedict esconde varios anagramas en la novela y nos invita a descubrirlos.
Anagrama: Cambio en el orden de las letras de una palabra o frase que da lugar a otra palabra o frase distinta.
¡¡¡Me gustan los anagramas!!! En julio de 2018 escribí en Instagram una publicación usando anagramas. La rescato para desear a toda la comunidad Goodreads unas felices fiestas.
❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️
55 anagramas y una historia de amor.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Los adioses eran odiseas debido al ausentismo de entusiasmo, cuando penetré de repente en tu diáfana y afinada vida de diva.
No reprimo que primero me arropaste con peroratas. Piropos propios o ajenos que no enojan ni temen que mi mente colmase con camelos.
Sin medios ni miedos a una ácida caída, anidamos sin andamios. Animados e imanados. Una melodía demolía tus fronteras y fraternos parajes para parejas eran un escenario necesario para mi listado de latidos.
Mis ciudades sin suciedad precisan de una princesa. Mi costilla por tu castillo. Pieles en elipse encrestaron al encontrarse.
Alteras mis alertas y desde los altares relatas letras sin lastre mientras cortas la costra de una herida que adherí en esmerados desamores.
Andamos nómadas y nacimos sin caminos, pero hemos sentido un destino en el que siempre imperes. Conquistadores reconquistados amándose emanados de toneladas de adelantos.
Me posaría en tu paraíso de miradas rimadas. Te legaría mi galería de alegrías sin alergias. Vetaría lo que evitara los actos en los que tocas y retocas sin recatos.
Haremos una hermosa y traviesa travesía en la que mis revisados desvaríos rozarán sin razonar a tu magia amiga. Entera y eterna. Viajera sin aviejar. Souvenir del universo.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
¡Retemos a los temores! ¡Tintineemos este sentimiento!
❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️
Me ha gustado:
🎄 La originalidad de la propuesta por parte de la autora al plantear juegos y enigmas tanto a los personajes como a los lectores.
🎄 Recuerda en cierto modo a “Diez negritos” en clave familiar.
🎄 Es entretenida y navideña.
Me ha gustado menos:
🎄 Los enigmas propuestos a los personajes son muy difíciles de resolver por el lector y pienso que habría estado bien que nos implicara un poco más en sus resoluciones.
🎄 Recuerda a Agatha Christie, pero no es Agatha Christie.
🎄 Esperaba un final más sorprendente.
Iba a ponerle tres estrellas, pero estamos en Navidad… y le voy a dar cuatro.
Alexandra Benedict esconde varios anagramas en la novela y nos invita a descubrirlos.
Anagrama: Cambio en el orden de las letras de una palabra o frase que da lugar a otra palabra o frase distinta.
¡¡¡Me gustan los anagramas!!! En julio de 2018 escribí en Instagram una publicación usando anagramas. La rescato para desear a toda la comunidad Goodreads unas felices fiestas.
❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️
55 anagramas y una historia de amor.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Los adioses eran odiseas debido al ausentismo de entusiasmo, cuando penetré de repente en tu diáfana y afinada vida de diva.
No reprimo que primero me arropaste con peroratas. Piropos propios o ajenos que no enojan ni temen que mi mente colmase con camelos.
Sin medios ni miedos a una ácida caída, anidamos sin andamios. Animados e imanados. Una melodía demolía tus fronteras y fraternos parajes para parejas eran un escenario necesario para mi listado de latidos.
Mis ciudades sin suciedad precisan de una princesa. Mi costilla por tu castillo. Pieles en elipse encrestaron al encontrarse.
Alteras mis alertas y desde los altares relatas letras sin lastre mientras cortas la costra de una herida que adherí en esmerados desamores.
Andamos nómadas y nacimos sin caminos, pero hemos sentido un destino en el que siempre imperes. Conquistadores reconquistados amándose emanados de toneladas de adelantos.
Me posaría en tu paraíso de miradas rimadas. Te legaría mi galería de alegrías sin alergias. Vetaría lo que evitara los actos en los que tocas y retocas sin recatos.
Haremos una hermosa y traviesa travesía en la que mis revisados desvaríos rozarán sin razonar a tu magia amiga. Entera y eterna. Viajera sin aviejar. Souvenir del universo.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
¡Retemos a los temores! ¡Tintineemos este sentimiento!
❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️
November 21, 2022
Spoiler alert: Everyone and everything dies in this book, including my patience with bad writing.
November 7, 2024
**3.5-stars**
The Christmas Murder Game was the perfect audiobook for me to listen to over my Christmas holiday.
It didn't require surgical-levels of concentration and the plot was easy enough for my holiday-fried brain to follow.
In this story we meet Lily Armitage, who is returning to her family's lavish estate, Endgame House, for the first time since the tragic death of her mother, twenty-one years ago.
The Armitage family has an annual tradition called the Christmas Game and this year, the stakes are higher than ever. The winner receives the deed to Endgame House itself.
Lily doesn't really want the house, but she receives a personal invitation she can't refuse. If she attends, she may be able to get further information about her mom's death, which Lily has long not believed the official story on.
The Christmas Game takes twelve days, with riddles and clues to finding twelve separate keys, and Lily must compete against her estranged cousins for the ultimate prize.
When bodies start dropping and the family gets snowed in, it's clear someone will do anything to win this year's game, even if it means killing off the competition.
I liked this. It's a solid story with a lot of reveals and red herrings along the way. I really enjoyed the setting, including the harsh weather that helped build tension.
With this being said, while it did feature a lot of elements I enjoy, such as a locked room feel, unlikable characters, inclement weather and deeply-held family secrets, I didn't find the overall story that gripping.
Most of the characters were a bit one-dimensional, but I did definitely want to know what was going on. I had many theories, none of which panned out 100%.
This is the second story that I have read from Alexandra Benedict. I think I preferred Murder on the Christmas Express a bit more, but reading this over Christmas probably did have a slight impact on my enjoyment level.
I do always find it a bit more challenging to really focus around this time of year, particularly when traveling.
Either way, I will be continuing to pick up anything I can from Alexandra Benedict, and you should too!
The Christmas Murder Game was the perfect audiobook for me to listen to over my Christmas holiday.
It didn't require surgical-levels of concentration and the plot was easy enough for my holiday-fried brain to follow.
In this story we meet Lily Armitage, who is returning to her family's lavish estate, Endgame House, for the first time since the tragic death of her mother, twenty-one years ago.
The Armitage family has an annual tradition called the Christmas Game and this year, the stakes are higher than ever. The winner receives the deed to Endgame House itself.
Lily doesn't really want the house, but she receives a personal invitation she can't refuse. If she attends, she may be able to get further information about her mom's death, which Lily has long not believed the official story on.
The Christmas Game takes twelve days, with riddles and clues to finding twelve separate keys, and Lily must compete against her estranged cousins for the ultimate prize.
When bodies start dropping and the family gets snowed in, it's clear someone will do anything to win this year's game, even if it means killing off the competition.
I liked this. It's a solid story with a lot of reveals and red herrings along the way. I really enjoyed the setting, including the harsh weather that helped build tension.
With this being said, while it did feature a lot of elements I enjoy, such as a locked room feel, unlikable characters, inclement weather and deeply-held family secrets, I didn't find the overall story that gripping.
Most of the characters were a bit one-dimensional, but I did definitely want to know what was going on. I had many theories, none of which panned out 100%.
This is the second story that I have read from Alexandra Benedict. I think I preferred Murder on the Christmas Express a bit more, but reading this over Christmas probably did have a slight impact on my enjoyment level.
I do always find it a bit more challenging to really focus around this time of year, particularly when traveling.
Either way, I will be continuing to pick up anything I can from Alexandra Benedict, and you should too!
November 26, 2021
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
"Follow the clues. Find the fortune. Solve the Mystery. This Christmas is to die for. Let the game begin . . ."
Lily is an impoverished artist who reluctantly returns to her family's manor home for the Christmas festivities. The games this family play are far different from that of most others, however. Twelve clues are dropped on the twelve days of Christmas and twelve keys are scattered throughout the house for Lily and her relatives to find. This has long been a tradition but the prize this year far exceeds all others. The first individual to uncover the secret room will receive the entire house, and the land it resides upon, as their own. Lily's prize differs however, as she is playing to discern which, amongst all those gathered, are keeping secrets about her mother's death.
This read like the adult version of The Inheritance Games, which is a YA thriller series with a similar premise, mixed with the beloved game of Cluedo, given the setting and dual mystery that is presented. I was immediately invested in guessing the answers to the riddles, anagrams, and clues that featured throughout this, as well as discovering who, amongst this large cast, could be trusted. Answers to both were definitely had fought for.
I did guess most of what the ending would contain and did find the trajectory a little predictable in places, but this did not detract from the fun I had whilst reading it, nor did I feel let down by all the conclusion consisted of.
The plot initially captured my attention, but it was the quality of the writing that entirely captivated it. This may not be a style for all readers, as it relies heavily upon simile and metaphor throughout, but I adored how inventive Benedict was with her prose and how vividly she conjured each scene, setting, and character for the reader.
The plot included "twists and turns like a conversation". Lily describes a family member as "talk[ing] so quietly, as if he doesn't want his words to disturb the world. His voice [was] loam-rich and grave-deep as he read of the dead." Interactions are depicted as containing "the restful quiet of two people who can be silent with each other settl[ing] over them like an extra duvet. Darkness tucks them up tight." And similarities between setting, character, and plot are continually drawn:
"His voice is monotone, as flat as the pane of glass between him and the freezing fog that haunts the grounds.
Lily can't see the woods or any trees at all. Everything is a mystery in white.
'Is this how you feel?' she asks. 'As if you're covered in mist?'
Ronnie nods. 'Cold. Numb. Like there's nothing in front of me.'"
This all combined to completely enchant me and ensured that Alexandra Benedict is an author I will read anything, and most probably everything, from in the future.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Alexandra Benedict, and the publisher, Zaffre, for this opportunity.
"Follow the clues. Find the fortune. Solve the Mystery. This Christmas is to die for. Let the game begin . . ."
Lily is an impoverished artist who reluctantly returns to her family's manor home for the Christmas festivities. The games this family play are far different from that of most others, however. Twelve clues are dropped on the twelve days of Christmas and twelve keys are scattered throughout the house for Lily and her relatives to find. This has long been a tradition but the prize this year far exceeds all others. The first individual to uncover the secret room will receive the entire house, and the land it resides upon, as their own. Lily's prize differs however, as she is playing to discern which, amongst all those gathered, are keeping secrets about her mother's death.
This read like the adult version of The Inheritance Games, which is a YA thriller series with a similar premise, mixed with the beloved game of Cluedo, given the setting and dual mystery that is presented. I was immediately invested in guessing the answers to the riddles, anagrams, and clues that featured throughout this, as well as discovering who, amongst this large cast, could be trusted. Answers to both were definitely had fought for.
I did guess most of what the ending would contain and did find the trajectory a little predictable in places, but this did not detract from the fun I had whilst reading it, nor did I feel let down by all the conclusion consisted of.
The plot initially captured my attention, but it was the quality of the writing that entirely captivated it. This may not be a style for all readers, as it relies heavily upon simile and metaphor throughout, but I adored how inventive Benedict was with her prose and how vividly she conjured each scene, setting, and character for the reader.
The plot included "twists and turns like a conversation". Lily describes a family member as "talk[ing] so quietly, as if he doesn't want his words to disturb the world. His voice [was] loam-rich and grave-deep as he read of the dead." Interactions are depicted as containing "the restful quiet of two people who can be silent with each other settl[ing] over them like an extra duvet. Darkness tucks them up tight." And similarities between setting, character, and plot are continually drawn:
"His voice is monotone, as flat as the pane of glass between him and the freezing fog that haunts the grounds.
Lily can't see the woods or any trees at all. Everything is a mystery in white.
'Is this how you feel?' she asks. 'As if you're covered in mist?'
Ronnie nods. 'Cold. Numb. Like there's nothing in front of me.'"
This all combined to completely enchant me and ensured that Alexandra Benedict is an author I will read anything, and most probably everything, from in the future.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Alexandra Benedict, and the publisher, Zaffre, for this opportunity.
September 12, 2022
This book makes me so angry. Just thinking about it makes my insides boil with rage. That’s because I was promised a murder mystery in the English countryside, in a big house with lots of secrets and a plot filled with twists and things to discover. So basically something very similar to an Agatha Christie book.
Well, this book is as far from an Agatha Christie one as humanly possible. If I were to smash my head on a keyboard, I would produce something closer to a Poirot novel than this.
But let’s go in order.
The setting would be the best part, as I love an isolated house. But this specific one is called Endgame House. Endgame House. Endgame. Just like the last Avengers movie. Endgame. Who in their mental sanity gives such a name to a house???? This is the less house-y name ever!
The characters are awful. I don’t mean that they are bad people (which they actually are), but they are written so poorly. Each is so unidimensional and has one characteristic:
Lily: spineless
Sara: The Bitch
Tom: the protective counselor
Ronnie: fun guy
Rachel: ??the lesbian??
Gray: silent
Philippa: God knows, she was horrible to Rachel and Holly and super greedy, but then she was very nice to Lily for no reason making her characterisation totally wrong.
Mrs Castle: Mrs Rottermeier
I swear there was nothing else. The characters were acting in a single way all the time. Lily was constantly being treated like shit and would NEVER say a thing. Tom repeated 20 times in a few chapters that he was there as their cousin but also as counselor and it doesn’t matter that he is on holiday. The most unrealistic thing in the whole book is probably how no one would slap the bitch out of Sara. She is unreasonably mean, like not a single human is this horrible. Every time she opens her mouth, she says something offensive to someone, and in the real world no one is this soulless, and the people around would never just take it without grabbing her and kicking her out of the house so hard in the ass she would fly in the air and comically land face-first in the snow.
The plot would be ok if done well. These people are in a house and everyday they must solve a riddle. And the riddles are unsolvable to us readers because they refer to things we never saw, which makes for such a fun experience.
I would think that all the flashbacks would be useful to solve the riddles but no. Every chapter we have an 80% of Lily mourning her mother and remembering random stuff about her childhood. These parts are so boring and mean absolutely nothing. They just make the book really hard to read.
The ending is sadly very predictable. I thought it could go two ways: it was either going to be
The writing does not help as it is really poor. There are the weirdest metaphors I have ever read. “She is stung in the heart with holly” What??? Who even thinks that??
Other examples of the weirdest metaphors:
"Cruelty ran through Liliana like tannic raisins in tea-soaked brack".
"Liliana was as soft as the medjool dates she loved at Christmas".
So is Liliana cruel like raisins or soft like a date? If I were Liliana, I would simply be offended by these stupid comparisons.
"Funny how yeast in champagne is good, but in an infection it’s bad. That’d be another good reply, for someone braver than her."
Mmh no that is a bad reply in any situation.
It also doesn’t help that it is coupled with enormous stupidity. We have a woman alone in a maze with her neck snapped. And it is ruled as suicide. Really???? Then Liliana tells Lily that her mother died because the 12-year-old girl didn’t listen enough and didn’t do enough??? What kind of monster would say that??? But well, this is the woman that spewed Sara, so I kind of get it.
And this is the family that makes a whole ceremony when the children turn 5 to give them keys to the house so the house would be theirs and they would be the house’s. Insert the biggest eye roll here.
But maybe the very thing that makes this different from an Agatha Christie book is that let’s say in a Poirot’s novel, you get to meet the characters and care a bit about them, but only as an outsider looking in and being very interested and absorbed in order to find the culprit.
Here instead, it’s like the author wants us to care soooooooo much about Lily and her mother and aunt and some of the characters and feel for them. Which is NOT something very nice in a classical mystery and doesn’t even work because the writing is so bad they sound pathetic, Lily is a spineless wimp and the others are simply not characterised.
After skim reading till half of the book, I just gave up. I can’t even read it to mock it because it just makes me angry.
Well, this book is as far from an Agatha Christie one as humanly possible. If I were to smash my head on a keyboard, I would produce something closer to a Poirot novel than this.
But let’s go in order.
The setting would be the best part, as I love an isolated house. But this specific one is called Endgame House. Endgame House. Endgame. Just like the last Avengers movie. Endgame. Who in their mental sanity gives such a name to a house???? This is the less house-y name ever!
The characters are awful. I don’t mean that they are bad people (which they actually are), but they are written so poorly. Each is so unidimensional and has one characteristic:
Lily: spineless
Sara: The Bitch
Tom: the protective counselor
Ronnie: fun guy
Rachel: ??the lesbian??
Gray: silent
Philippa: God knows, she was horrible to Rachel and Holly and super greedy, but then she was very nice to Lily for no reason making her characterisation totally wrong.
Mrs Castle: Mrs Rottermeier
I swear there was nothing else. The characters were acting in a single way all the time. Lily was constantly being treated like shit and would NEVER say a thing. Tom repeated 20 times in a few chapters that he was there as their cousin but also as counselor and it doesn’t matter that he is on holiday. The most unrealistic thing in the whole book is probably how no one would slap the bitch out of Sara. She is unreasonably mean, like not a single human is this horrible. Every time she opens her mouth, she says something offensive to someone, and in the real world no one is this soulless, and the people around would never just take it without grabbing her and kicking her out of the house so hard in the ass she would fly in the air and comically land face-first in the snow.
The plot would be ok if done well. These people are in a house and everyday they must solve a riddle. And the riddles are unsolvable to us readers because they refer to things we never saw, which makes for such a fun experience.
I would think that all the flashbacks would be useful to solve the riddles but no. Every chapter we have an 80% of Lily mourning her mother and remembering random stuff about her childhood. These parts are so boring and mean absolutely nothing. They just make the book really hard to read.
The ending is sadly very predictable. I thought it could go two ways: it was either going to be
The writing does not help as it is really poor. There are the weirdest metaphors I have ever read. “She is stung in the heart with holly” What??? Who even thinks that??
Other examples of the weirdest metaphors:
"Cruelty ran through Liliana like tannic raisins in tea-soaked brack".
"Liliana was as soft as the medjool dates she loved at Christmas".
So is Liliana cruel like raisins or soft like a date? If I were Liliana, I would simply be offended by these stupid comparisons.
"Funny how yeast in champagne is good, but in an infection it’s bad. That’d be another good reply, for someone braver than her."
Mmh no that is a bad reply in any situation.
It also doesn’t help that it is coupled with enormous stupidity. We have a woman alone in a maze with her neck snapped. And it is ruled as suicide. Really???? Then Liliana tells Lily that her mother died because the 12-year-old girl didn’t listen enough and didn’t do enough??? What kind of monster would say that??? But well, this is the woman that spewed Sara, so I kind of get it.
And this is the family that makes a whole ceremony when the children turn 5 to give them keys to the house so the house would be theirs and they would be the house’s. Insert the biggest eye roll here.
But maybe the very thing that makes this different from an Agatha Christie book is that let’s say in a Poirot’s novel, you get to meet the characters and care a bit about them, but only as an outsider looking in and being very interested and absorbed in order to find the culprit.
Here instead, it’s like the author wants us to care soooooooo much about Lily and her mother and aunt and some of the characters and feel for them. Which is NOT something very nice in a classical mystery and doesn’t even work because the writing is so bad they sound pathetic, Lily is a spineless wimp and the others are simply not characterised.
After skim reading till half of the book, I just gave up. I can’t even read it to mock it because it just makes me angry.
December 22, 2022
2.5 stars - Meh, unfortunately this was pretty mid. A lot of fun ideas and tropes, but the delivery was pretty flat. This would have worked better as a movie
December 2, 2022
Baaaardzo fajna książka, nie spodziewałam się, że jakaś świąteczna książka aż tak mi się spodoba!
Jeden z plot twistów przewidziałam, ale nie zepsuło mi to czytania. Trochę płaskie były opisy emocji bohaterów po morderstwach na zasadzie "no przykro... w każdym razie [...]".
Polecam też osobom, które szukają książek wlw i golnie z queer/bi reprezentacją.
TW m0rderstwo, kr3w, s4m0bójstwo
Jeden z plot twistów przewidziałam, ale nie zepsuło mi to czytania. Trochę płaskie były opisy emocji bohaterów po morderstwach na zasadzie "no przykro... w każdym razie [...]".
Polecam też osobom, które szukają książek wlw i golnie z queer/bi reprezentacją.
TW m0rderstwo, kr3w, s4m0bójstwo
December 8, 2023
Yay!! My first Christmas Thriller read of the month
And it was a good read. The Christmas Murder Game is a nice little murder mystery read to get you in the thrilling mood for the festive season.
There was some likeable characters and a whole bunch of unlikeable characters.
I did guess early on who the culprit was and some of the twists were quite predictable for me, but I still enjoyed the drama of it all!
The clues and riddles spread out in the book was cute also.
Forewarning that the characters are not fully developed and very one dimensional. Its also told in third person, which sometimes takes away from me feeling a connection to the character/s.
It was about 80 pages too long, but it did read very much like a modern day mystery festive read.
And it was a good read. The Christmas Murder Game is a nice little murder mystery read to get you in the thrilling mood for the festive season.
There was some likeable characters and a whole bunch of unlikeable characters.
I did guess early on who the culprit was and some of the twists were quite predictable for me, but I still enjoyed the drama of it all!
The clues and riddles spread out in the book was cute also.
Forewarning that the characters are not fully developed and very one dimensional. Its also told in third person, which sometimes takes away from me feeling a connection to the character/s.
It was about 80 pages too long, but it did read very much like a modern day mystery festive read.
March 13, 2023
Although it took me months of plodding through, while finishing one book or another in the meantime, I actually really did enjoy this story . If not, I would surely have hit the pilot eject button early in the game.
Cousins and extended members of The Family Household join together in the Family Mansion after the death of Aunt Lillian - mother, sister and spouse of everyone gathered to play or perform in one final traditional 12 Days of Christmas Family Game. Whoever solves the riddles in the (really dreadful) poems Lillian has written, will find a key. Whoever finds all the keys will be the sole beneficiary of her estate....house/manor, in particular. Lilly, her niece, and only child of her sister, who died under mysterious circumstances when Lilly was young, was Aunt Lillian's favorite and it is clear from the start who Lillian intended to win the game and house. Lilly is in this (she would not otherwise have come) to find out who murdered her mother - her Aunt's letter inferred that she would divulge - but there are a myriad of other secrets to be uncovered in this variation on a closed room Christie-like mystery theme, with cousins dropping one by one.
The book is twisty and cute. If the reader's attention span is greater than mine. It is likely to be devoured in one sitting.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and enjoy this story for review.
Cousins and extended members of The Family Household join together in the Family Mansion after the death of Aunt Lillian - mother, sister and spouse of everyone gathered to play or perform in one final traditional 12 Days of Christmas Family Game. Whoever solves the riddles in the (really dreadful) poems Lillian has written, will find a key. Whoever finds all the keys will be the sole beneficiary of her estate....house/manor, in particular. Lilly, her niece, and only child of her sister, who died under mysterious circumstances when Lilly was young, was Aunt Lillian's favorite and it is clear from the start who Lillian intended to win the game and house. Lilly is in this (she would not otherwise have come) to find out who murdered her mother - her Aunt's letter inferred that she would divulge - but there are a myriad of other secrets to be uncovered in this variation on a closed room Christie-like mystery theme, with cousins dropping one by one.
The book is twisty and cute. If the reader's attention span is greater than mine. It is likely to be devoured in one sitting.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and enjoy this story for review.
October 10, 2022
The Christmas Murder Game is an entertaining seasonally-themed read, drawing on the long tradition of the snowed-in country house murder mystery, echoes of the board game "Cluedo" ("Clue" in the US) and the crime fiction trope of the deadly treasure hunt.
After the death of Liliana Armitage, the last surviving member of her generation in the family, six cousins, two accompanied by partners, are invited to the family's Yorkshire mansion, Endgame House, for one last round of the traditional "Christmas Game". The stakes are high, as Aunt Liliana's will dictates that the game's winner will become the heir to Endgame House itself.
As the guests converge at Endgame House on Christmas Eve, the weather outside grows more foreboding and Aunt Liliana's lawyer sets out the details of the task that awaits them. Everyone must surrender their phones and other communication devices, and agree that to leave the grounds of Endgame House at any time during the game will mean instant disqualification. They'll each be given a succession of twelve cryptic clues, one on each of the twelve days of Christmas, each clue leading to a key hidden somewhere on the property. Using the keys found along the way and considering all twelve clues together, they'll also need to find a secret room somewhere within Endgame House by 4.00pm on Twelfth Night (5 January), where the title deeds to the property await the winner. After Isabelle the lawyer leaves, their only company is taciturn cook-housekeeper Mrs. Castle, who is responsible for ensuring everyone plays by the rules and that the clues are handed out on schedule.
The various resentments, alliances and shared histories of the protagonists immediately become clear as the cousins reconnect and settle into Endgame. For our heroine, Lily Armitage - a costume designer hiding an important personal secret - being at Engame again is a confronting experience, as it is the location of her mother's death on Boxing Day, twenty-one years previously. While the family generally regard Mariana Armitage's death as a suicide, Aunt Liliana communicated to Lily prior to her death that her mother was murdered, and suggests that Lily might ellucidate the mystery of who was responsible via the clues in the Christmas Game. If not for this tantalising prospect, Lily would never have been tempted to return to Endgame, whatever the prize.
It doesn't take long before events prove that someone is taking the game very, very seriously, and is prepared to kill in order to get their hands on Endgame House...
After an introductory sequence that sets the scene and introduces the cast of characters, the narrative is structured around the twelve days of Christmas, with a clue in the form of a sonnet-riddle being provided at some point on each day. Lovers of cryptic crosswords and brainteasers like myself will enjoy the liberal use of anagrams, literary and musical allusions and word association with which the participants must contend. Alexandra Benedict adds additional investigative delight for the reader by hiding an anagram for each of the verses of the traditional Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas ("seven swans a'swimming", "five gold rings" etc.) within the narrative for the appropriate day. The titles of twelve of the author's own favourite Christmas murder mysteries are also entwined into the text. Even her acknowledgements are presented in the form of a word search!
While this was a fun read, and I enjoyed the cryptic clues, I felt that the plot became a little repetitive and the identity of the villain didn't really come as any great surprise. Lily was well developed as a complex and sympathetic character, as she contends with her personal trauma associated with Endgame House, but I felt that the majority of the supporting characters seemed fairly superficial as they dashed back and forth in search of clues, constantly sniping with each other. Perhaps that made it easier not to care so much as they began dropping like flies... Certainly, in The Christmas Murder Game, Alexandra Benedict has captured the slightly camp, colour-saturated vibe of modern "cosy mystery" adaptations, but without the accompanying gentle humour of series such as Agatha Raisin and Marple. The setting, a remote Yorkshire pile isolated by snow drifts and featuring such classic settings as an icehouse, a hedge maze and a woodland chapel in its grounds is extremely well described and evocative.
In summary, The Christmas Murder Game is an enjoyably macabre Christmas romp of a read, employing many familiar and beloved tropes of the genre. I'd recommend it as a seasonal read to any reader who enjoys modern interpretations of traditional formats and cryptic puzzles sprinkled throughout their mystery reads.
My thanks to the author, Alexandra Benedict, publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
After the death of Liliana Armitage, the last surviving member of her generation in the family, six cousins, two accompanied by partners, are invited to the family's Yorkshire mansion, Endgame House, for one last round of the traditional "Christmas Game". The stakes are high, as Aunt Liliana's will dictates that the game's winner will become the heir to Endgame House itself.
As the guests converge at Endgame House on Christmas Eve, the weather outside grows more foreboding and Aunt Liliana's lawyer sets out the details of the task that awaits them. Everyone must surrender their phones and other communication devices, and agree that to leave the grounds of Endgame House at any time during the game will mean instant disqualification. They'll each be given a succession of twelve cryptic clues, one on each of the twelve days of Christmas, each clue leading to a key hidden somewhere on the property. Using the keys found along the way and considering all twelve clues together, they'll also need to find a secret room somewhere within Endgame House by 4.00pm on Twelfth Night (5 January), where the title deeds to the property await the winner. After Isabelle the lawyer leaves, their only company is taciturn cook-housekeeper Mrs. Castle, who is responsible for ensuring everyone plays by the rules and that the clues are handed out on schedule.
The various resentments, alliances and shared histories of the protagonists immediately become clear as the cousins reconnect and settle into Endgame. For our heroine, Lily Armitage - a costume designer hiding an important personal secret - being at Engame again is a confronting experience, as it is the location of her mother's death on Boxing Day, twenty-one years previously. While the family generally regard Mariana Armitage's death as a suicide, Aunt Liliana communicated to Lily prior to her death that her mother was murdered, and suggests that Lily might ellucidate the mystery of who was responsible via the clues in the Christmas Game. If not for this tantalising prospect, Lily would never have been tempted to return to Endgame, whatever the prize.
It doesn't take long before events prove that someone is taking the game very, very seriously, and is prepared to kill in order to get their hands on Endgame House...
After an introductory sequence that sets the scene and introduces the cast of characters, the narrative is structured around the twelve days of Christmas, with a clue in the form of a sonnet-riddle being provided at some point on each day. Lovers of cryptic crosswords and brainteasers like myself will enjoy the liberal use of anagrams, literary and musical allusions and word association with which the participants must contend. Alexandra Benedict adds additional investigative delight for the reader by hiding an anagram for each of the verses of the traditional Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas ("seven swans a'swimming", "five gold rings" etc.) within the narrative for the appropriate day. The titles of twelve of the author's own favourite Christmas murder mysteries are also entwined into the text. Even her acknowledgements are presented in the form of a word search!
While this was a fun read, and I enjoyed the cryptic clues, I felt that the plot became a little repetitive and the identity of the villain didn't really come as any great surprise. Lily was well developed as a complex and sympathetic character, as she contends with her personal trauma associated with Endgame House, but I felt that the majority of the supporting characters seemed fairly superficial as they dashed back and forth in search of clues, constantly sniping with each other. Perhaps that made it easier not to care so much as they began dropping like flies... Certainly, in The Christmas Murder Game, Alexandra Benedict has captured the slightly camp, colour-saturated vibe of modern "cosy mystery" adaptations, but without the accompanying gentle humour of series such as Agatha Raisin and Marple. The setting, a remote Yorkshire pile isolated by snow drifts and featuring such classic settings as an icehouse, a hedge maze and a woodland chapel in its grounds is extremely well described and evocative.
In summary, The Christmas Murder Game is an enjoyably macabre Christmas romp of a read, employing many familiar and beloved tropes of the genre. I'd recommend it as a seasonal read to any reader who enjoys modern interpretations of traditional formats and cryptic puzzles sprinkled throughout their mystery reads.
My thanks to the author, Alexandra Benedict, publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
December 21, 2022
Momentami irytująca ale od połowy wciągająca i niespodziewana
December 20, 2023
"Lily Armitage vows never to return to Endgame House, the family estate where her mother died twenty-one years ago. However, her resolve falters when she receives a letter from her aunt inviting her to the annual tradition: the Christmas Game. The challenge involves finding twelve keys hidden by twelve clues. This year, the prize is the deed to Endgame House. Lily, uninterested in the house, is swayed by a detail in the note: the game will reveal clues about her mother's death. But is it true or a cruel joke? To find out, she must spend twelve days in the mansion with her cousins, solving puzzles to uncover the darkest secrets of the Armitage family. As a snowstorm isolates the house, anything can happen…”
The author in her work was evidently inspired by the greats of classic mysteries like Agatha Christie. The main innovation was the emphasis on the playfulness and interactivity of the story, although these aspects didn't entirely convince me. Perhaps because I read the book translated into my mother tongue, I found wordplay and connections proposed to be inaccessible. Personally, I found the plot clever but not adequately developed, and the revelations about the culprit rather predictable. The protagonist, Lily Armitage, with her weak character and evident lack of self-confidence, contributed to making the plot less engaging.
In conclusion, the novel starts from an original idea but, in my opinion, falls short in its execution. It's undoubtedly smooth and intriguing, but not a masterpiece of suspense as many details are easily deducible.
The author in her work was evidently inspired by the greats of classic mysteries like Agatha Christie. The main innovation was the emphasis on the playfulness and interactivity of the story, although these aspects didn't entirely convince me. Perhaps because I read the book translated into my mother tongue, I found wordplay and connections proposed to be inaccessible. Personally, I found the plot clever but not adequately developed, and the revelations about the culprit rather predictable. The protagonist, Lily Armitage, with her weak character and evident lack of self-confidence, contributed to making the plot less engaging.
In conclusion, the novel starts from an original idea but, in my opinion, falls short in its execution. It's undoubtedly smooth and intriguing, but not a masterpiece of suspense as many details are easily deducible.
September 25, 2022
An unusual mystery book, The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict has twelve anagrams in each chapter to decode, a classic fiction crime title. Lily hasn’t returned to the Endgame mansion she happily grew up in since her mother’s apparent suicide. With her Aunt Lillian’s death, Lilly is instructed to return, along with all her cousins, for twelve days of a Christmas hunt, with the winner inheriting the Endgame property. Lilly has the additional incentive as she will also discover the truth of her mother’s death. So, a classic English murder mystery unfolds in snowy yuletide, with numerous family members and tensions that could end up being deadly. Tensions mount as they are snowed in, cut off from help and the first dead body is found. An enjoyable variation of classic English crime fiction, with a three and a half star rating. With thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
October 6, 2021
The Christmas Murder Game is wildly entertaining- a chilly, locked room mystery that echoes a classic Agatha Christie tale and offers the reader their own game to play within the novel.
A family gathers, one of them will walk away with an inheritance but first they must solve the clues..then a killer strikes and the stakes are suddenly much higher.
Fun to read, fun to unravel , with excellent writing and plotting- darkly delicious as the bodies pile up and the snow keeps falling, there's a cosy sense of menace to the whole thing which sounds contradictory but is true none the less.
I loved it. I found nearly all the hidden elements and also guessed the killer so I'm pretty smug all in all.
Recommended.
A family gathers, one of them will walk away with an inheritance but first they must solve the clues..then a killer strikes and the stakes are suddenly much higher.
Fun to read, fun to unravel , with excellent writing and plotting- darkly delicious as the bodies pile up and the snow keeps falling, there's a cosy sense of menace to the whole thing which sounds contradictory but is true none the less.
I loved it. I found nearly all the hidden elements and also guessed the killer so I'm pretty smug all in all.
Recommended.
December 18, 2022
No niby fajnie, pomysł ekscytujący, ale jednak coś mi to nie weszło.
Ocena: 2,0.
Ocena: 2,0.
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