The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

book notes

title: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
author: Ally Carter
published: 9.24.2024
publisher: Avon
Source: Book of the Month
genre(s): holiday/seasonal, mystery, romance
pages: 293
format: hardcover
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:

the blurb

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.
The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.
Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan
She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.
He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.
She hates his guts.
He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)
But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.
That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.
She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?
As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.
Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

a few notes

POV: 1st person; dual
setting: New York City; England
keywords/phrases: writing, betrayal, holidays
tropes: puzzle solving, double-cross, locked-room, close quarters, dramatic reveal, twist ending
spice: 2/5
language: 2/5

mood reading: in the mood for a modern-day mystery with Agatha Christie vibes and a side of the holidays.
bonus points: the badass that is Eleanor Ashley

my review

The Agatha Christie vibes are strong with a locked-room mystery surrounding the disappearance of an eighty-something famous mystery writer. Eleanor Ashley vanishes without a trace from her study in her English manor in the middle of nowhere, with a house full of guests (and suspects) and in the midst of a blizzard. Most of the guests are family, but at least two are not. They are cozy-mystery writer Maggie Chase and thriller writer Ethan Wyatt, two authors who are published by the same house as Eleanor. They’ve been invited by Eleanor to spend Christmas in England, for reasons neither knows. And to top off the fun, while Ethan loves to tease and antagonize Maggie, she utterly detests him.

What makes the book for me are the characters. What a wild group of people! Some of them were truly over-the-top, but in a way that fit the dramatic, almost old-school feel of the close-quarters aspect of the suspect pool. The setting, too, was perfect for this story. The English manor in the middle of a blizzard, isolated from the rest of the world. It made for an incredibly atmospheric reading experience.

The mystery is fun, with more than one possible suspect and some good twists and red herrings. The suspect pool is well done, with multiple people with both motive and opportunity, which keeps the reader guessing. And the romance? At first, it was a bit of a slow burn, but once it started to cook, it was lovely to see unfold. The two had good chemistry, witty banter, and just a little spice to keep it interesting.

There were only two things I didn’t love about the book. One was Maggie’s near constant and obsessive self-degradation. While some of it was understandable, due to her backstory, the constant rehashing became overwhelming at times. The second thing I didn’t love was Ethan’s savior complex. Some level of it fit with his backstory, but it sometimes felt a little cringey. But neither of these things were enough to dampen my overall enjoyment of the story.

Rating Report
the story
the characters
the writing
the pacing
the world-building
the mood
the emotional significance
the conclusion
Overall:

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2025 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
• 2025 Christmas Reading Challenge
• 2025 Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge
• 2025 Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge
• 2025 Linz the Bookworm & Logophile Reading Challenge