Book Reviews, Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas day 23 – 23rd December – Book Review: The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

Happy Thursday everyone! Merry Bookmas day 23! Today is going to be very busy for me because it is my sister’s birthday so I will be spending most of the day with her and making her birthday cake.

But for all of you I am bringing you a book review of The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Christmas Murder Game Plot:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The plot of this book is basically that the Grandmother of the main character, Lily, dies and some of the family are invited to take part in a game to find twelve keys and the winner gets the deeds for the house but then there is a murder. There were so many elements to this plot that I usually like, such as locked room mysteries, isolated settings for murder mysteries, so I thought that I would love this book. It gave me the feeling of a modern take on an Agatha Christie but for me it felt almost too similar to her book – And Then There Were None, it also felt quite similar to The Inheritance Game. The other thing that wasn’t the best about this book was that I had guessed the ending within the first 100 pages. This book was okay but I don’t think I would reread it – except to use it for my PhD.

The Christmas Murder Game Characters:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

So Lily is the main character in this book, I won’t give my thoughts on any of the other characters because it could give away the story, and for most of the book I enjoyed her character. She is exceptionally good at riddles and I liked seeing her thought process behind each one. However, I was hoping for a better character arc for her. I was hoping her character would grow in confidence but this only happened a little.

The Christmas Murder Game Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The writing was one of the best parts about this book. It was clear and flowed really well and the dialogue brought out the personalities of the characters.

The Christmas Murder Game Overall:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I gave this book three stars overall because it wasn’t a bad book it just felt like I was reading something I had already read before.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Twelve clues.
Twelve keys.
Twelve days of Christmas.
But who will survive until Twelfth Night?

Lily Armitage never intended to return to Endgame House – the grand family home where her mother died twenty-one Christmases ago. Until she receives a letter from her aunt, asking her to return to take part in an annual tradition: the Christmas Game. The challenge? Solve twelve clues, to find twelve keys. The prize? The deeds to the manor house.

Lily has no desire to win the house. But her aunt makes one more promise: The clues will also reveal who really killed Lily’s mother all those years ago.

So, for the twelve days of Christmas, Lily must stay at Endgame House with her estranged cousins and unravel the riddles that hold the key not just to the family home, but to its darkest secrets. However, it soon becomes clear that her cousins all have their own reasons for wanting to win the house – and not all of them are playing fair.

As a snowstorm cuts them off from the village, the game turns deadly. Soon Lily realises that she is no longer fighting for an inheritance, but for her life.

This Christmas is to die for . . . Let the game begin

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 9 – 9th December – Which Book Should I Read Over Christmas Quiz!

Happy Thursday bookish people! Merry bookmas day 9. I always love a good quiz, especially around Christmas time so I thought why not combine my love of Christmas, books and quizzes all in one. I will say I did not create this quiz, I found it on readingthroughinfinity.com.

So, let’s get on with the quiz!

Which genre is your go to? A. Fantasy, B. Historical, C. Contemporary/Romance, D. Thriller/Mystery, E. Sci-fi

What do you look forward to most over Christmas? A. Snow, B. Giving/receiving presents, C. Spending time with family, D. Decorating, E. Watching films

Pick a Winter Wonderland:
A –

A Short History of ... "Winter Wonderland" - JAZZIZ Magazine

B –

Annie Lennox 'Winter Wonderland ' - YouTube

C –

Winter Wonderland Boxed Christmas Cards | Redlin Art Center

D –

winter wonderland theme

E –

merry christmas photo backdrop snowflake photography background winter –  dreamybackdrop
  1. What is your favourite Christmas food? A. Mince pies, B. Stollen/Yule log, C. Christmas Cake, D. Roast Dinner, E. Christmas Pudding

    Pick a Christmas jumper:
    A –
ASVP Shop Adults' Unisex Christmas Jumper with Christmas Lights Design and  Pom Pom Baubles - ASVP Shop

B –

Red Fairisle Penguin Christmas Jumper | Women | George at ASDA

C –

Buy Navy Gonk Scene Christmas Jumper from the Next UK online shop

D –

Tips For Reusing Your Christmas Jumpers | Primark Christmas | Primark UK

E –

Green Santa Knitted Christmas Jumper | Kids | George at ASDA


  1. What would you ask for as a present? A. Books, B. An experience day, C. Clothes, D. something else, E. Game

    Choose a decoration? A. Tinsel, B. Baubles, C. Mistletoe, D. Wreaths, E. Lights

If you got:

Mostly As: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Mostly Bs: Three Sisters Three Queens by Philippa Gregory

Mostly Cs: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Mostly Ds: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Mostly Es: Winters Orbit by Everina Maxwell

That’s it for this quiz, what book did you get?