From the publisher:
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 two days before Christmas.
Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:
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 world: 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 wonder: 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.
The laugh out loud holiday “romystery” that you’ve been waiting for!
“Full of tongue-in-cheek humor, excellent dialogue, and fantastic characters, this expertly crafted story from Carter (The Blonde Identity) is a heart-melting rivals-to-lovers romance combined with a delightful locked-room mystery.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Perfect for fans of “Knives Out” and “The Hating Game,” this enemies-to-lovers cat-and-mouse game boasts serious stakeouts and charged make-outs.” — Washington Post
“Carter spins a clever romantic mystery with a Christmassy twist. [Her] impressive plotting means the final, Agatha Christie–esque reveal is a genuine surprise, and she pulls off the enemies-to-lovers trope beautifully. Romantic suspense fans on the hunt for something festive will want to snap this up.” — Publishers Weekly
“The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter blends genres with the expert hand of a bartender crafting the perfect gingerbread martini.” — People
I know Christmas is over but I don’t care – this was such a great read! It may be my favorite holiday read this season.
I love a good locked-room mystery, and this one goes above and beyond because in addition to the mystery, there are a lot of laughs and a romance, making this an unputdownable read.
Maggie is our heroine, a best selling cozy mystery writer who has a bit of a bump in her career when she dumps her husband after finding him in bed with her best (and only) friend. He manages to get his hands on her copyrights, and she is working her butt off, writing several books under a variety of pseudonyms to make enough money to buy him out. When she reluctantly attends her publisher’s holiday party, her editor tells her she has been invited to spend the holidays with her biggest fan, but won’t say who it is. She decides to go as she has no family and no one to spend the holidays with. She is shocked to find a private jet waiting to whisk her off to England, but before she can enjoy it too much, the “leather jacket” she hates shows up to make the trip as well.
Ethan is the “leather jacket”, a best selling thriller writer with the obligatory author photo on the back of the book with the very good looking Ethan wearing a leather jacket. Look at most thrillers and you will see a similar author photo, men and women alike. It’s a thing for sure. Maggie detests Ethan; for one thing he always calls her Marcie which she finds maddening. But off they go and it turns out the fan is Eleanor Ashley. Maggie has read every one of her 99 books, most more than once, and is shocked to find her own books in Eleanor’s library. After greeting her guests, she goes to work in her office, locking herself in. The next morning, the door is still locked but Eleanor is gone.
Maggie thinks that this is some sort of contest, possibly to pick her successor. There are several other guests there for the holidays, and everyone is a suspect to Eleanor’s disappearance. Maggie finds a clue in the library, but when she follows her instincts, she ends up outdoors with Ethan hot on her trail. When shots are fired at her, Ethan saves her and Maggie decides maybe he isn’t as bad as she thought.
There are lots of red herrings and suspects galore, but as Ethan and Maggie work together, it turns out they have more in common than she thought and feelings are burgeoning. This was a fast read with lots of laughs and a terrific mystery with a totally unexpected ending, and I loved it!
1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR by Ally Carter. Avon (September 24, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063276680. 304p.
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