The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

This may seem like the wrong time to be reading a book that takes place the week of Christmas, but I have been on the wait list for months so I took my chance when I could. Now that you know how long I've been waiting, it will come as no surprise that The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is on the Amazon Editors Picks list for best romance. It is also Ally Carter's most recent novel and one of the only standalone novels that she's written. It deals with bullying, death, domestic violence, emotional abuse, gun violence, toxic relationships, kidnapping, car accidents, murder, fire, gaslighting, injury, and one woman who is completely socially inept.

Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are two popular mystery writers. She writes cozy mysteries (her last one was about a cat that can sniff out poison), he writes action thrillers with leather jacket wearing protagonists. And he is her arch nemesis. Too bad he doesn't seem to realize it. In fact, he doesn't seem to realize that she exists unless she's standing right in front of him - he's been calling her Marcie for years. Now they've both been invited to the home of Eleanor Ashley, the Queen of Mystery Novels and Maggie's personal hero, for Christmas. They're joined by an eclectic cast of characters: another mystery novelist, Eleanor's long lost niece, her not so long lost nephew and his family, a doctor, a lawyer, a Duke and Duchess, and a detective. Their first night, there's a huge blizzard that knocks out the power and any hope for communication with the outside world, and Eleanor very inconveniently goes missing without a trace. How did the eighty year old woman with a bum ankle sneak out of a second story room in the middle of a snowstorm completely undetected? Or was there foul play involved? Maggie and Ethan need to learn to play nice and work together before Eleanor is lost forever.

What a delight! A cozy mystery taking place in the English countryside with a cast of quirky characters, brings out all the nostalgia I feel for Clue. I loved the way this book unfolds the story between Maggie and Ethan. Why she hates him, what she's been going through recently, and what he thinks about any of it. They are incredibly likeable if not the most dynamic characters, although they are far from two dimensional. And the mystery was delightful, that's all I can say without giving too much away. A nice easy read that keeps you enthralled and entertained with a touch of romance and a surprise ending. What's not to love? Put a hold on it now so you can finally read it near Christmas.

For more from Ally Carter, check out her website at https://allycarter.com/

Pairs well with shrimp puffs and a hidden passage... or two.