The Advent of Death

The ingenious new Christmas crime novel from Alexandra Benedict, the 'Queen of the Christmas Mystery' (Financial Times). When Edie O'Sullivan receives an invitation from an old friend to spend a pre-Christmas break in the picturesque town of Rye, she jumps at the chance to escape - and reconnect. But when she arrives with her wife, Riga, it quickly becomes clear this is no festive getaway. Edie hasn't been invited for comfort, but for help. Four days earlier, her friend's daughter Rebecca - the town crier - received an unusual gift: a handcrafted wooden advent calendar shaped like Rye itself. At first, it seemed like a charming curiosity, part of her public role. Then, on December 1st, a burglary at 1 Church Square. December 2nd, an ABH at 2 Martello Close. December 3rd, a GBH at 3 Allendale Drive. Each door opened. Each crime escalating. Now Rebecca is certain the calendar is counting down to something far worse - and she's turned to the only person she believes can stop it. With Christmas approaching and the body count rising, Edie must decipher the deadly pattern before the final door is opened.

Alexandra (A. K.) Benedict is a bestselling, award-winning writer of short stories, novels and scripts. Educated at Cambridge, Sussex and Clown School, Alexandra has been an indie-rock singer, an actor, an RLF Fellow and a composer for film and TV, as well as teaching and running the prestigious MA in Crime Thrillers at City University. She is now a full-time writer and creative coach. As A. K. Benedict she writes acclaimed short stories, high-concept novels and award-winning audio drama for Big Finish, Audible UK, Audible US and BBC Sounds, among others. She won the Scribe Award for her Doctor Who radio drama The Calendar Man, and was shortlisted for the eDunnit Novel Award for The Beauty of Murder and the BBC Audio Drama Podcast Award for Children of the Stones. As Alexandra Benedict she writes puzzle-filled Christmas mysteries, of which The Christmas Murder Game and Murder on the Christmas Express were both bestsellers and The Christmas Murder Game was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Her first festive thriller to feature Edie O'Sullivan, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders, was published in 2023. She lives on the south coast of England with writer Guy Adams, their daughter Verity, and dog Dame Margaret Rutherford. Follow her on X @ak_benedict and Instagram @a.k.benedict