The Christmas Cracker Killer

IT'S THE MOST MURDEROUS TIME OF THE YEAR... Puzzle compiler and former Christmas sceptic Edie O'Sullivan returns in the newest seasonal mystery from bestselling author and 'Queen of the Christmas Mystery' Alexandra Benedict. When Edie O'Sullivan wins a two-day Christmas break in a hotel on a remote Scottish island, she's looking forward to a picture-perfect Christmas full of winter walks, roaring fires, good books and even better whisky. But when a guest dies under mysterious circumstances, Edie realises that there is a killer amongst them. As more guests begin to die, it's up to her to solve the strange riddles found in the victims' Christmas crackers and stop the killing spree. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in the way of a devious and clever murderer. Can Edie solve these Christmas killings before she becomes the next victim? PRAISE FOR ALEXANDRA BENEDICT'S CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES: 'The perfect gift for quizzers and mystery addicts' VAL McDERMID  'Whatever you unwrap for Christmas, you had better hope it's this book. This is 21st-century cosy Christmas crime that doesn't shy away from the darkness' JANICE HALLETT 'A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended' ELLY GRIFFITHS 'It's wonderful! A page-turning homage to the Golden Age, with a dash of Poirot and a dark, modern heart' S J BENNETT 'The conquering queen of cosy Christmas crime' FINANCIAL TIMES

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