The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (2024)

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (2024)

Two mystery writers are thrown into a mystery of their own where the stakes are life and death.

Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars

Plot: Cozy mystery author Maggie Chase and cool guy crime writer Ethan Wyatt are both invited to spend Christmas with a mysterious fan at a huge estate in England. Two problems: Maggie hates Wyatt, who can’t even bother to remember her name… and their host goes missing shortly after their arrival. 

Analysis: This book is a delightful read. I loved the cozy setting, mystery plotline, and banter-filled romance. The book feels like a cross between the classic mystery set up of an Agatha Christie novel, mixed with the flirtatious banter of an Emily Henry book. It was perfect for this time of year and balanced the genres perfectly. I also didn’t figure out every part of the mystery so it kept me guessing till the end.

This would have been 4.5 or 5 stars, but the ending felt a little scattered and wasn’t quite the perfect conclusion I was looking for. It felt like the author had a couple of endings in mind and tried to use them all, rather than choosing one and fleshing it out completely. Other than that, I really enjoyed The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year and I absolutely recommend it for a December read.