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A review by themysterymaven
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
2.0
2.5
Anagrams, clues, hidden keys, secret rooms…all to whittle down one family and declare an heir to their famous mansion and all its fortunes. And by whittle down, we mean murders of course…
This novel has me divided down the middle. It’s a locked-room mystery that’s inventive and interactive: the author offers the reader hidden puzzles to ponder while in the grips of the story! The setting is secluded, snow swirls about adding to the isolation, and there’s a The Shining-esque hedge maze to add to the ambience. It all adds up to set us off on a thriller of an adventure, engaging readers in their own games in parallel to the cast of characters who are vying to win an inheritance against a backdrop of family drama, suspicious deaths, and deadly dysfunction.
But, for me, the plot slowly starts to slide downhill in a disappointing way. Character development becomes underwhelming, and there’s a complete lack of context given surrounding some of the circumstances that I frustratingly cannot divulge without spoiling the situation. But here’s a clue for you: Proceed to the Goodreads page and unspoil the first hidden Reader’s Question, and all shall be revealed
Anagrams, clues, hidden keys, secret rooms…all to whittle down one family and declare an heir to their famous mansion and all its fortunes. And by whittle down, we mean murders of course…
This novel has me divided down the middle. It’s a locked-room mystery that’s inventive and interactive: the author offers the reader hidden puzzles to ponder while in the grips of the story! The setting is secluded, snow swirls about adding to the isolation, and there’s a The Shining-esque hedge maze to add to the ambience. It all adds up to set us off on a thriller of an adventure, engaging readers in their own games in parallel to the cast of characters who are vying to win an inheritance against a backdrop of family drama, suspicious deaths, and deadly dysfunction.
But, for me, the plot slowly starts to slide downhill in a disappointing way. Character development becomes underwhelming, and there’s a complete lack of context given surrounding some of the circumstances that I frustratingly cannot divulge without spoiling the situation. But here’s a clue for you: Proceed to the Goodreads page and unspoil the first hidden Reader’s Question, and all shall be revealed