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February 2, 2026
  • Ally Carter
  • December 20, 2024

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

4.5
Rival writers snowed in days before Christmas at an English manor with a murderer on the loose and a woman missing, and delicious banter make 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 one of my tops reads of the holiday season! I would not say I am a mystery person, but the short chapters, the bits of Ethan’s POV (it was delightful, and I screamed in delight when it changed unexpectedly), and the mysterious clues had me hooked from the beginning Maggie, a mystery writer coming off a rough divorce, is delightful. She deals with the trauma of her ex while doing the work, which feels both believable and allows the reader to become invested in her heart. Ethan Wyatt is a “leather jacket guy”—aka a best-selling thriller writer heartthrob who is actually a golden retriever with a complicated past. I loved the snippets we got into his POV, and the way he wanted Maggie was top-notch! This fades to black but has enough tension. I didn’t miss the lack of “more.” The romance here is sweet and endearing, and I loved that it is almost the background to the mystery playing out! The banter is perfect! (slight trope spoiler ahead) There is (perhaps my new favorite thing) two different tropes running parallel in the romance. It is enemies to lovers for her but more like an unrequited crush for him. I tend to love everything Saskia narrates, and this was no exception! Her vibrato is perfect for the mystery element, and I enjoyed her in the moments of Maggie’s self-reflection! The audio was well done, with some moments of playing recordings and some sound effects! If you like audio, that is the way to go! Overall, this well-hyped book was worth all the hype! It is not Christmasy, so I recommend you pick it up ASAP!
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Rival writers snowed in days before Christmas at an English manor with a murderer on the loose and a woman missing, and delicious banter make 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 one of my tops reads of the holiday season!

I would not say I am a mystery person, but the short chapters, the bits of Ethan’s POV (it was delightful, and I screamed in delight when it changed unexpectedly), and the mysterious clues had me hooked from the beginning
Maggie, a mystery writer coming off a rough divorce, is delightful. She deals with the trauma of her ex while doing the work, which feels both believable and allows the reader to become invested in her heart.

Ethan Wyatt is a “leather jacket guy”—aka a best-selling thriller writer heartthrob who is actually a golden retriever with a complicated past. I loved the snippets we got into his POV, and the way he wanted Maggie was top-notch!

This fades to black but has enough tension. I didn’t miss the lack of “more.” The romance here is sweet and endearing, and I loved that it is almost the background to the mystery playing out! The banter is perfect!
(slight trope spoiler ahead)

There is (perhaps my new favorite thing) two different tropes running parallel in the romance. It is enemies to lovers for her but more like an unrequited crush for him.

I tend to love everything Saskia narrates, and this was no exception! Her vibrato is perfect for the mystery element, and I enjoyed her in the moments of Maggie’s self-reflection! The audio was well done, with some moments of playing recordings and some sound effects! If you like audio, that is the way to go!

Overall, this well-hyped book was worth all the hype! It is not Christmasy, so I recommend you pick it up ASAP!

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