Cosy mysteries are really not my thing - they used to be - I used to read a lot of Agatha Raisin books, but I got bored and drifted to other things. However, this choice from #BookstaBritsBookClub may have persuaded me to try some more again, and for that I guess I have to thank Alexandra Benedict, author of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders.
I really enjoyed this, Edie is a feisty octogenarian who sets crossword puzzles and is famous amongst crossword puzzle solvers. She doesn't care what she says, or who she upsets as she goes along her merry way, trying to help (or hinder) the police solve the murders that are being committed, all of which look to be just one piece of a bigger jigsaw puzzle.
There are thriller vibes woven through the book and despite the cosy mystery setting, there are some dark and heart-stopping moments included which I loved. I would definitely like to read some more of Alexandra's books, and I'm glad I read this just before Christmas.
There are some puzzles included within the pages, for the reader to solve, but I admit I didn't bother with these. I just wanted to get on and read!
About the Book
On 19th of December, renowned puzzle setter, loner and Christmas sceptic Edie O’Sullivan finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene – blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. Included in the parcel is a message: ‘Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.’ It’s signed, Rest In Pieces.
Edie contacts her nephew, DI Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, and together they work to solve the clues. But when a man is found near death with a jigsaw piece in his hand, Sean fears that Edie might be in danger and shuts her out of the investigation. As the body count rises, however, Edie knows that only she has the knowledge to put together the killer’s murderous puzzle.
Only by fitting all the pieces together will Edie be able to stop a killer – and finally lay her past to rest.
About Alexandra
Alexandra Benedict has been a composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and lecturer in crime fiction, and is now an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts. As AK Benedict, she writes high-concept novels, speculative short stories and scripts. Her first novel, the critically-acclaimed THE BEAUTY OF MURDER, was nominated for the eDunnit Award; her short stories have featured in many anthologies; and her audio drama has been shortlisted for multiple awards including the BBC Audio Drama Award 2020, and, twice, for the Scribe Award, winning it in 2019. As Alexandra Benedict, she writes contemporary tributes and takes on Golden Age crime fiction. THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME was an Amazon Fiction Bestseller and was long-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Her latest novel, MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS, arrives on November 10th. She lives on the south coast of England with her fiancé, writer Guy Adams, their daughter, and their dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.
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