Setters, Secrets, and Seasonal Suspense: Alexandra Benedict’s Midwinter Mind Games – Tags: Alexandra Benedict, Christmas, puzzles
Book Reviews📚 | Detective & Mystery – Christmas 🎄
Alexandra Benedict’s Festive Mysteries: Murder and Mind Games
Do you enjoy deciphering clues? You’ll love Alexandra Benedict’s Christmas mysteries, in which she cunningly hides puzzles and games! From book and film titles to anagrams, these extras boost the fun.
The Edie O’Sullivan Series
Edie O’Sullivan, a somewhat grumpy elderly lady with a flair for fashion, is a renowned puzzle setter. Relationships with family and friends are far trickier than any puzzle she’s encountered – until she is forced to use her sharp mind to solve real-world crimes.
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders
In this ingenious mystery, the puzzle is quite literal. Edie O’Sullivan receives jigsaw pieces in the post depicting a murder scene, leading her into a lethal game where every fragment reveals a new clue – or a new victim. Can she outwit the murderer, ‘Rest in Piece’, and fit the truth together before it’s too late?
We loved the “puzzle-box” nature of the plot. It challenges the reader to piece the truth together alongside Edie, blending a sharp-witted, modern edge with a classical sense of seasonal dread.
The Christmas Cracker Killer
Edie, whose heart has thawed considerably since we first ‘met’, looks forward to enjoying a family Christmas on a remote Scottish island. However, when guests receive mysterious Christmas cracker messages and begin to die, it’s up to Edie to work out the riddles before the killer strikes again.
The claustrophobic setting of the island adds a fantastic layer of tension, and the clever wordplay hidden within the crackers makes for a fast-paced, highly addictive winter read.
On the Shelf
Our featured photo captures the striking cover of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders alongside some vintage detective essentials—a nod to the “Mind Games” theme. While we are still scouting for a physical copy of The Christmas Cracker Killer to join its sibling on our shelf, both stories have earned a permanent place in our digital collection. They are the ultimate “brain-teasers” for a cold winter night.
The Verdict
Benedict delivers an ingenious blend of “locked-room” tradition and modern, high-stakes psychological play. While the character arcs can occasionally feel a little rushed — with personal evolutions that shift abruptly to suit the festive setting rather than a natural narrative arc — the “puzzle-box” nature of the plot remains the star of the show. For readers who want an interactive, intelligent challenge, this is seasonal suspense at its most inventive.
Our Rating: 7.5/10 ✨
The Edie O’Sullivan series on Amazon:
We provide these links to help you find the books we love; as an affiliate, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.