MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS | Alexandra Benedict
10.05.2023 | Poisoned Pen Press
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Eighteen passengers. Seven stops. One killer.
In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. With the train stuck in snow in the middle of nowhere, a killer stalks its carriages, picking off passengers one by one. Those who sleep on the sleeper train may never wake again.
Can former Met detective Roz Parker find the killer before they kill again?
I’ve long been a fan of mysteries and thrillers written in the locked room style and will immediately pick up any containing a setting that features people trapped on a mode of transportation. Murder on the Christmas Express checks these boxes and throws in the stress of the holidays to amp up the urgency surrounding our cast of characters.
Speaking of characters…oh man did I have fun making a list of suspects with this book! From the start the reader knows about the death coming, so you’re immediately eyeballing each new person who is introduced to the story. There are a lot of unlikeable characters and plenty with reasons for murder. Benedict stages the grand reveal in a way that felt like an homage to Agatha Christie (I mean come on, look at the title!) and allows our detective and main character, Roz, to meticulously reveal what has happened. Don’t get comfortable thinking you know all the facts, because Benedict saves quite a few twists for the ending.
One thing I wasn’t expecting from this story was the dark subject matter within. I’m not talking about the fact that there’s murder or details that go along with this. I believe this may be a case of marketing a book as more of a cozy holiday mystery when in reality this book covers a range of tough subjects. Benedict includes a lot of examination in detail regarding rape, rape victims, and domestic abuse that could be triggering for readers who don’t know that these topics are included within. If these are topics that you find triggering, please be aware before picking this one up.
What Jess Reads 