12 murderous mysteries to read.

20 perplexing puzzles to solve.

1 mystifying murder to unravel…

Mastermind Puzzlemaster Sarah Dunnakeycordially invites you to crack the code of who killed Edward Luddenham.

It’s the first anniversary of the mysterious death of Edward Luddenham, found dead at his home on the Yorkshire moors one frosty Christmas Eve.

Now nine people gather at his manor house for the reading of the Will. Each has their own motivations for coming: curiosity, duty, unrequited love, desperation, greed.

They have been instructed to bring a “festive mystery story” to share.

But all you need is a pencil.

Safe from the biting cold and the relentless snowfall outside, settle in with your favourite tipple in hand, as the storytelling begins.

Though you’ll need to keep your wits about you – for among those present is Edward’s killer…

Can you solve the puzzles and unmask the murderer before they strike again?

My Thoughts:

I loved the uniqueness of this book, there are 12 stories to read and 12 stories to work out whodunnit. I loved the way each story was told and as the reader trying to work out who the murderer was, was really fascinating. I thought all the characters were good and well rounded. It was great to use my brain and I devoured this in the evening time when I wanted to relax. It was an interesting concept for a book but one that worked really well. A great whodunnit for Christmas time. Perfect for a puzzle fan.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Eileen, Veronica’s ever-patient assistant, is content taking care of other people. But when a new adventure calls, it makes her question everything…

Ten-year-old, penguin-obsessed Daisy can’t wait to be reunited with Mrs McCreedy in her huge house by the sea for the school holidays.

When they discover that the local Sea Life Centre is under threat, the unlikely trio are determined to save it and the penguins that live there.

Inspired by the penguins and fuelled by Darjeeling tea and finger sandwiches, they embark on an epic fundraising walk. But soon, their mission becomes so much more and it might just lead each of them to a new beginning…

My Thoughts:

If you have not read the first two books in this series, go back and read them first as this one will make more sense if you do. You will get to know the characters more and also the wonderful Mrs McCreedy. The local Sea Life Centre is under threat so Mrs McCreedy and other penguin obsessed fans come together to try and save the centre as it is a big part of people’s lives and to help protect the sea life. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends and I knew Mrs McCreedy would pull through, she is a strong woman. I loved this book and really enjoyed reading about penguins again.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Sophie used to adore everything about Christmas. Hot chocolate and velvet bows, fairy lights and mince pies.

Until the December her fiancé jilted her.

Since then, Sophie opened Sunnyside Hotel, a quaint guesthouse nestled deep in the Cumbrian countryside.

And, though it might be winter at Sunnyside, it’s never Christmas.

Marketing her hotel to those who wish to avoid the festivities, Sophie is busy preparing for a season full of joy and laughter, but without the tinsel and mistletoe.

Yet, as she finds herself growing closer to her gorgeous neighbour, Brody, her heart begins to melt.

Will this Christmas bring the touch of magic Sophie needs to give love another chance?

My Thoughts:

Sophie has been having a rough time of late and now she is not a fan of Christmas, after a major event happens in her life she knows she needs to get away from it all and start a new life elsewhere. The Lake District it is, she ends up owning a guest house and decides to open up for Christmas but not in the usual sense, this time it will be escape for Christmas and is for people that want to avoid Christmas. The characters are all spectacular in their own way and Sophie’s neighbour is a bit of a hunk, will romance come alive this Christmas I wonder? it was a good read to while away the time with. An easy pick me up read and set in the most magical of places. I could almost imagine the crispiness of The Lake District air on my face.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Six friends gather at a country house for a birthday weekend. They decide to play a game.

All six names go in a hat. Choose two, and imagine one murdering the other.

Write it down. Type it up. Read it out.

Points are given for making the murders sound convincing.

Of course, when given such a task, it’s only natural to use what you know.

Secrets. Grudges. Affairs.

But once you’ve put it in a story, that secret is out.

So with each fictional murder, someone gets a motive for a real one.

Which leads to the most important question:

When a real murder comes, will you be able to spot it in time?

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of this read, it sounded different and unique and I could not wait to get started. How the book is set out, it makes you as the reader become the detective and work out who the real killer is. Six people, six names in a hat, they have to make it sound as though it happened, but with secrets and many other things thrown in who really is telling the truth. I felt as though I had to concentrate on this read as I did not want to miss a thing. I failed miserably but when I did find out the outcome I was like oh yeah. I would not make a good detective but I had lots of fun along the way. A great read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.

After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing.

Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.

But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an axe at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place..

My Thoughts:

This is the third book in the Dream Harbour Series and you can read this book as a standalone but I would recommend reading the other two books also. When Kira buys a Christmas tree farm little does anyone know how much she hates Christmas, she does not know what she is doing and it does not help when people are getting in her way telling her how to do her job. Ben is in Dream Harbour on his holidays, he does not realise what he has got himself into when he tries to help Kira but can the two really make a go of it? It was a well rounded story. It felt festive and cosy and I was excited to see if Kira would melt her tough exterior to really make a go of her business. I liked the fact that it was centred around a Christmas Tree Farm, I found that side of things fascinating.

Get your copy here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Tree-Farm-TikTok-Harbor/dp/0008610746/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LIAUWIS6RSTW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nnMbj5TKsCm1_u3DcmzweeV0Bwkwa-4rTJlxpqtxqF_c7sfFa1D6fMimi6I-h28VFDV9QlOGitntIxuwKWiesFvb7u5BMkN-2DlUXp3y_kF4wfyHchgvWThS7RM4U9NmHXz6v5Op3BdDnIhxzqg5OihX6RfDkM-Ic6mVewyWhOd93D0ha5BbZkq5lNHETf3iYgrHYrSkNnzKUG4l0xw3-RJw9q7IpLSgG220TeTiKtY.Wcsifc-rqdFh_p-HVcBeTJW4ILckxhh7ZEfIHj9tM3E&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+christmas+tree+farm+laurie+gilmore&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1730881786&sprefix=the+christmas+tree%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can’t understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he’s been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Dream Harbour Series and is centred around Hazel and her bookshop. Hazel feels as though she is a nobody, she does not have an exciting life, nothing is happening for her and she just feels down. Until secrets codes keep popping up in her bookstore but who is leaving her the clues to a better life? she also has the hots for Noah who is a local but she thinks he would never even look at her. Little does she know she is wrong big time, as the pair start working on who is leaving the clues will pair see more than meets the eye? It was a great second book in the series. I like that this one was set in a book shop, and that we catch up with characters from the previous book. You can read these books as a standalone but I would recommend reading them all because why not. This one is quite spicy with what happens through the story. Dream Harbour is definitely a place I can imagine going to, it seems like a lovely place.

Get your copy here:

When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in the Dream Harbour Series. In this story we follow Jeanie and how she is starting a new chapter in her life running her aunts Pumpkin Spice Café. But not everyone is happy that she is there and things start happening at the café that Jeanie does not like but is determined to make a go of things. Logan is a local and finds himself drawn to Jeanie and the both of them try to solve the puzzle but will they get more than they were bargained for. It was a nice easy read, you kind of can guess what will happen but it did not really matter when you just want to escape from the world for a bit. I like the fact that this is a series so we can catch up with all the great bunch of characters that are in this book. It is quite a nice and gentle cosy read that I really enjoyed.

Get your copy here:

Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he’s seen and heard everything.

That is, until he meets Kassie.

Because she claims to have a terrible gift – with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die.

Adam doesn’t believe her, obviously.

But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he’ll strike next.

Against all his intuition, Adam starts to believe her.

He just doesn’t realise how dangerous this trust might be . . .

My Thoughts:

Kassie has a gift but it is not one she would ever want. She has a power that when she looks into your eyes she can she when and how you will die. But no one believes her. When she has to see a psychologist called Adam, he does not believe her either, but he wants to get into her head to understand what is going on in there. When a serial killer is on the loose, Kassie is the only one that can help the police with their enquires, but this is a dangerous game to play. I normally like all of M. J’s books but this one I felt a little odd and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I found it quite a slow start and I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I am glad I finished it though.

Get your copy here:

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn’t stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can’t hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch.

By contrast there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real object of delight to their eldest – fifteen-year-old Willow – who once again will raise the child.

But trouble is brewing for the Star family. Willow is concerned by the desperate online appeals from Sarah and Jake, baby Max has neonatal diabetes and without regular treatment will die. As baby “Blaze” becomes seriously ill, Willow makes a shocking discovery. What is the truth about her family? And how far will they go to hide their deadly secret?

My Thoughts:

M. J. Arlidge is one of my favourite authors of all time, so I could not wait to read this one that he has collaborated with another author. I always wonder if the story will be any good when two authors collaborate but it worked perfectly. Sarah and Jake are married and have kids, but when one fateful day their three month is kidnapped, they cannot believe what is happening. The story opens up more about Sarah and how she is feeling after giving birth to him, and this questions Jakes mind and also other people about what really happened to their son. The story is split into two so we also see a family that live on a caravan park and do what they have to do to make ends meet. How both stories are connected is heartbreaking on both sides. Will the baby ever get back to his real parents? I devoured this story in a day, it was very addictive and the chapters are short which makes you want to read more. I loved it.