Alexandra Benedict (2)

Winter storms cancel almost all the trains heading to the north of England to Scotland. Most stops are cancelled, so in what becomes a locked room type mystery, only about twenty souls are on the train when is derails in the snow. Roz is recently retired detective from the police force, on her way to be present for her granddaughter's birth. The social media stars, University quiz students, families and other assorted folks make up the group that has to rely on each other as people begin to die. Great Agatha Christie vibe in a modern setting.… (mehr)

Best for:
Those who enjoy a murder mystery in a locked location (in this case, a derailed train).

In a nutshell:
Roz, retired Met police officer, is heading north on the sleeper train to be with her daughter, who is giving birth up in Scotland. Instead, she finds herself on a derailed train, with a possibly murdered influencer.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
My partner and I don’t exchange gifts at Christmas, except for one book, that we open on Christmas eve. This was his gift to me this year.

What it left me feeling:
Entertained but also sad.

Review:
CN (and the author includes this at the start of the book): sexual assault and rape do factor into at least one storyline within this book. The author is a survivor herself, and takes care with the subject, but obviously its good to know that in case that is a deal breaker for readers.

After delays due to a snowstorm, the train gets going with a much smaller number of people on board. They include a team hoping to make it to a university quiz program; a family with four children; an older man, his elderly mother, and their cat; an attorney, a woman traveling alone, our main character, and an influencer / reality star couple. Roz, the main character, is desperate to get up to her daughter, who has gone into early labor. After a raucous evening in the bar car, the train derails, and someone is discovered dead.

Overall this was a book that was basically right up my alley. It takes place on what in real life is the Caledonia Sleeper train, which runs from London up to various points in Scotland. I’ve taken it twice myself, including a few months ago when we moved to Scotland and needed a safe way to move our cats too. The main character is Scottish, and the coziness (though eventual claustrophobia) of a train traveling through the mountains during a snowstorm is something I hope to experience - though without the derailment. And murder. But it also explores the very real and devastating impact of sexual assault. I know, not exactly a Christmas story, but I think the book does a decent job of it.

The main drawback for me is some of the author’s writing. She has interesting, well-developed characters, and when she’s focusing on telling the story, it is riveting, but also told with care given the subject manner. But she really wedges in some fairly overwritten metaphors that really pulled me out of the story. There aren’t a lot, but enough that it was noticeable.

Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it… (mehr)

The thing that drew me in with this one was that it said it was for fans of Clue. I can’t remember the last time I read a murder mystery and not just a thriller. So what better than a Christmas themed one. I will admit this one started kind of slow for me. But it really picked up once the whole family got together.

Literally nothing like a little family discord and rivalry to get you into the holiday season haha. The family always play a game each year, but this one is different. It’s a game within a game. I loved the way this was done because the aunt left little clues in poetry form and they had to decipher where to find the key based on the riddle.

This one is a fairly quick and cozy read I think. It was real fun to watch all the pieces fall into place and to try and try and guess who the killer was. I really felt like I was playing a game of Clue sometimes haha. It’s fully of suspicious moments and suspicious family members. We have the clear rivalries and the more hidden ones.

I think the range of characters was phenomenal and the overall plot was really well done. I will admit that at points it kind of lagged but by the last like five chapters it felt like things were moving super fast. It really is a great choice if you want mystery and Christmas together.… (mehr)