The Christmas Eve Murders by Noelle Albright Narrator: Lucy Doig
Published by Quercus on November 7, 2024
Source: Purchased
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 7 hrs 18 mins
Pages: 336
Format: Audiobook
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It's Christmas Eve at the Merry Monarch. Nestled amongst the Yorkshire Dales, the pub is preparing to host its annual festive games night for its rabble of regulars.
But this year, they are interrupted by a knock at the door from a stranger, stranded by the snow storm that's closing in on the village.
And this won't be the only surprise of the night. When the power is cut off and darkness descends, the games turn deadly . . . It seems one of the group would kill to win.
I don’t know. The Christmas Eve Murders had a lot of what I’m looking for in a Christmas cozy – a warm fire, Christmas decorations, good food, too much snow, and quirky characters, but I never really bought into it. Maddie Marlowe, a reporter, is having the worst Christmas Eve ever. She’s heading home to a town just outside of Edinburgh, but got a late start because she had to work late. Then a traffic tie up made her reroute taking her through the Yorkshire Dales, where her car breaks down. Due to the increasing snow, the auto club can’t get to her until the next day, so she has to take refuge at the local pub, the Merry Monarch, which also has rooms for rent. For some reason, the pub hosts a Christmas Eve scavenger hunt, which she is convinced to join in on. And then of course, there’s a murder.
Maybe the fact that Maddie is an outsider, maybe the fact that the whole situation seemed rather bizarre, but it never seemed quite realistic – and that’s saying a lot from someone who reads tons of cozies. It does give an excuse for Maddie, and the reader, to learn about all the relationships and tensions that the locals already know, but it felt forced.
The mystery itself was actually well-done. I can’t say I was surprised by who the killer was, but the author did a good job of creating suspense and showing Maddie’s lack of trust in anyone.
I listened to the audio and the narrator’s voice was absolutely lovely.
About Noelle Albright
Noelle Albright is a Yorkshire-born author and poet based in the north east of England. After completing her MA in creative writing at York St John University, she wrote for a range of publications, edited her own independent film magazine and penned three non-fiction books.
Noelle Albright currently lives by the sea in Sunderland, where under the name of Helen Cox she writes poetry, romance novellas and the Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mystery Series.
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