5 RECOMMENDED CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES
Christmas is around the corner, and if you’re a reader who likes to theme your reads to the season, today’s blog post is for you! I honestly never used to read crime novels specifically themed to particular holidays, but last year (for I think the first time in my reading life?!) I intentionally read a couple of Christmas mysteries during the Christmas season… and I absolutely loved it. Today I wanted to round up 5 mysteries I personally love that all involve Christmas—but this blog post has a little twist! Today’s recommendations are organized by how much Christmas actually factors into the book’s plot. Ranked from Christmas level 1 - 5 (with Level 1 being Christmas in the background of the story, and Level 5 being a full-on, 100% Christmas-y plot!), this list will help you find your perfect Christmas season mystery read!
Looking for a general winter thriller recommendation instead? Check out the two blog posts below—both featuring lots of chilling, wintry crime novels I’ve read and loved!
Locked Room Mysteries (not all of these are wintry, but there are a number of wintry recommendations on this list!)
THE GIRL WHO DIED by Ragnar Jonasson
Christmas Level: 1
Why I Loved It:
Ragnar Jonasson is one of my go-to Nordic crime writers, so it’s no surprise I loved his chilling stand-alone suspense novel THE GIRL WHO DIED. If you’re looking for something slow-burning, atmospheric, and slightly spooky to read this Christmas season, this will make a great contender. THE GIRL WHO DIED is the least overtly-Christmas-y story on this list; Christmas is in the background here, but this chilling tale does take place during the Christmas season! Ragnar Jonasson tells this spine-tingling tale of a town haunted by the sins of its past in measured but deliberate timing, and little touches of the possibly-supernatural add an extra-chilling edge to this wintry story of suspense.
About the Book:
Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World
Una wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in Reykjavík. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for a chance to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track.
But Skálar isn’t just one of Iceland’s most isolated villages, it is home to just ten people. Una’s only students are two girls aged seven and nine. Teaching them only occupies so many hours in a day and the few adults she interacts with are civil but distant. She only seems to connect with Thór, a man she shares an attraction with but who is determined to keep her at arm’s length.
As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her rented attic space—the site of a local legendary haunting—drinking her loneliness away. She is plagued by nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. And when a sudden tragedy echoes an event long buried in Skálar’s past, the villagers become even more guarded, leaving a suspicious Una seeking to uncover a shocking truth that’s been kept secret for generations.
THE WIDOWMAKER by Hannah Morrissey
Christmas Level: 2
Why I Loved It:
Hannah Morrissey’s dark, gritty writing style immediately appealed to me when I picked up her debut novel HELLO, TRANSCRIBER last year—and, no surprise here, I loved her second novel THE WIDOWMAKER, too! I’ve described Hannah’s style as “Midwestern Noir” in the past, and that’s still the best way I can think to capture the unique atmosphere she brings to life in her books. Imagine a cross between the gritty darkness of Nordic Noir and a Midwestern USA setting, and that will give you a sense of the universe Hannah brings to life in her Black Harbor novels. THE WIDOWMAKER is the perfect subtly Christmas-y mystery for you if you prefer your stories dark, sinister, and delving into the darkest corners of humanity. This one isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s not a “cozy” mystery by any means, but if you, like me, think the best thrillers are the really dark ones, this is the mystery set during the Christmas season for you!
About the Book:
A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey's stunning Black Harbor mystery, The Widowmaker.
Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago, the name "Reynolds" has become synonymous with "murder" and "mystery." And now, lured by a cryptic note, down-on-her-luck photographer Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into the web of their family secrets and double lives. The same night she photographs the Reynolds holiday get-together, Morgan becomes witness to a homicide of a cop that triggers the discovery of a long-buried clue.
This could finally be the thing to crack open the chilling cold case, and Investigator Ryan Hudson has a chance to prove himself as lead detective. If only he could stop letting his need to solve his partner's recent murder distract him. But as Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?
THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman
Christmas Level: 3
Why I Loved It:
We all know what a soft spot I have for what I like to call “popcorn thrillers”—those lighter, easy-to-devour suspense novels that are packed with entertainment value. If you could cross a popcorn thriller with the Christmas season, the result would be Catherine Steadman’s wickedly entertaining THE FAMILY GAME, a story about a writer about to marry into a wealthy and powerful family… as long as she can make it through the strange series of games the family plays every Christmas. THE FAMILY GAME is a psychological thriller full of deliciously unpleasant characters, slightly unhinged family games and traditions, and tons of secrets for our protagonist—and the reader—to unravel. This book is pure entertainment. It’s got a fact vs. fiction plotline, Krampus, glögg, a vast estate in the countryside, and a cast of larger-than-life characters with all sorts of shadowy motivations. If you loved the movie Ready Or Not, you’ll love this book.
About the Book:
THE RULES
1. Listen carefully
2. Do your research
3. Trust no one
4. Run for your life
Harriet Reed, a novelist on the brink of literary stardom, is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. And even though Edward has long tried to severe ties with them, news of the couple’s marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives.
As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming. So when Edward’s father, Robert, hands Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen.
But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t just a novel. It’s a confession.
A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion.
Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is part of a plan to test her loyalty. Or something far darker. What is it that Robert sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything?
This might be a game to the Holbeck family—but losing might still prove deadly.
READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME . . .
HERCULE POIROT’S CHRISTMAS by Agatha Christie
Christmas Level: 4
Why I Loved It:
I will preface this recommendation by saying: do I think this is Agatha Christie’s best book? No, honestly, I don’t. That being said, if you’re an Agatha Christie fan (or just looking for a classic mystery perfect for the Christmas season!), HERCULE POIROT’S CHRISTMAS is nevertheless a delightful and cozy tale of murder perfect for the holiday season. It’s well worth a read for anyone who loves classic crime fiction and wants something quick, easy, and charming to cozy up with this winter. In this story, a family reunion on Christmas Eve ends with the patriarch of the family dead. Poirot offers to assist with the investigation, and uncovers the many hidden tensions and motivations within the family.
About the Book:
In Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, the holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder—and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case.
Christmas Eve, and the Lee family’s reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture and a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed.
When Hercule Poirot offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man. . . .
THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME by Alexandra Benedict
Christmas Level: 5
Why I Loved It:
I devoured Alexandra Benedict’s delightful Christmas mystery THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME last year in the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s, and it was the perfect choice! Set during the Twelve Days of Christmas, THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME blends a classic country house mystery premise with an interactive plot that allows the reader to solve riddles and puzzles alongside the story’s endearing protagonist. THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME takes a classic premise—a family jockeying for control of their matriarch’s inheritance—and gives it a fresh, engaging spin, driven by a compelling cast of characters and a clever, puzzle-filled structure. This one is tons of fun, and it’s steeped in Christmas spirit from the book’s first pages to its very last. (Bonus: Alexandra Benedict released another Christmas-themed mystery in the UK this winter: MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS. That one is on my Christmas TBR this year!)
About the Book:
Twelve clues. Twelve keys. Twelve days of Christmas. But how many will die before Twelfth Night? Agatha Christie meets Clue in this delightful, tense manor house murder mystery.
The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for—deeds to the house itself—but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.
Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer.
Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.
Including additional scavenger hunts for the reader, this clever murder mystery is the perfect gift for fans of classic mysteries, festive Christmas books, and armchair detective work.
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.