Book Review: The Christmas Murder Game

THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME | Alexandra Benedict
10.04.2022 | Poisoned Pen Press
Rating: 4/5 stars

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.

Do you love locked room mysteries? Add in a surprise blizzard, a murderer on the premise, and a fun seasonal vibe, and we’ve got a winner with The Christmas Murder Game!

Benedict has created a fun game that the Armitage family plays filled with riddles that this time around lead to keys, which will eventually grant the winner the deed of Endgame House. The puzzles are so well crafted and I tried my best to look for clues before the characters got the answers, but I was consistently stumped. 

On top of a great premise, Benedict has created a fantastic setting with a huge house tucked away in the middle of nowhere. The house itself is filled with nostalgia for our cast of characters and starts to take a role of its own as the story progresses. And while we’re talking about the characters…yeah, they’re all suspicious at some point. Lily, our main character, while the most innocent, also has some secrets she’s hiding. Rooting for her to win was so much fun!

If you’re looking for a great seasonal read that will sweep you away into a slow burn mystery, this is definitely one I recommend checking out!