12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache is a wickedly funny, sharp-edged festive thriller that blends family drama with murder in the most delightfully twisted way. When Olivia agrees to spend one last Christmas with her husband’s unbearable relatives before a planned move to Australia, she doesn’t bargain on being trapped in a snowed-in country estate where family squabbles turn deadly. As tensions rise, secrets unravel, and bodies begin to fall, the story balances dark humor with clever suspense, making each chapter more deliciously outrageous than the last. Perfect for fans of Knives Out and The White Lotus, this biting holiday mystery skewers dysfunctional families and seasonal chaos with equal relish, making it the ultimate antidote to a “perfect” Christmas.

I was excited to read this because of the parallels to knives out, unfortunately this book is nothing like the description and suffers from being very predictable, having poorly written characters and no spark.

Unfortunately I don't think this one is for me. I couldn't get into the story no matter how many times I tried. DNF'd around 30% through.

After reading the synopsis I was really looking forward to this and to start with struggled to get into it but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. Initially I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and how they were all connected. Olivia and Miles go to spend Christmas with his family one last time before relocating to Australia. Except for Olivia, Mile’s and their children I couldn’t find any endearing features in any of them! Then one by one the family starts to die and the body count just keeps rising! Written from Olivia’s POV and with diary entries from the murder I found this humorous at times and it kept me guessing until the end. Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC

Poor writing that should be urgently revised, predictable outcome, too many characters and not enough time dedicated to them, meaning there is nothing to connect with.

If Knives Out, Clue, and a very dysfunctional Christmas dinner had a baby—it would be this book.
12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas is a gloriously dark, wildly entertaining festive whodunit that delivers murder, mayhem, and a mansion full of people you’ll love to hate. Olivia, along with her two children, is enduring one final miserable Christmas with her husband Miles’s utterly awful family before they emigrate to Australia—likely to escape this exact nightmare. But when the snow starts falling and the bodies start piling up at Weiss Manor, it becomes clear that someone’s taking “holiday family drama” to a deadly new level.

Each character is more toxic than the last—vain, manipulative, greedy, or just completely unhinged—and that’s exactly what makes it so addictive. You’ll find yourself rooting for the killer more than once (and cheering as the worst of the bunch start dropping). Special shoutout to Miles’s mother Jeannie for winning the “Most Psychotic Matriarch” award.

The writing is sharp, witty, and fast-paced, with clever chapter titles and a plot that keeps you guessing. It’s got strong Agatha Christie and Knives Out energy, full of twists, tension, and dark humor. Yes, it’s set at Christmas, but this one’s so entertaining it can be devoured any time of year—I read it in July and had an absolute blast.

Bonkers, brilliantly plotted, and completely unputdownable. A deliciously twisted holiday treat!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The ending had my jaw on the floor!! The whole book I thought I had it figured out and then in the very last chapter, everything flipped upside down! Not to mention I’m in the Christmas spirit now!

"Perfect for fans of The White Lotus, Knives Out and anyone who's ever wanted to strangle someone over Christmas lunch.

All Olivia wanted was one last miserable Christmas with her husband's awful family before moving to Australia. She didn't expect a murder.

Now the snow has cut them off and she's stuck in a stately country house, with her increasingly deranged relatives and the rising suspicion that someone is picking them off one by one.

As the bodies pile up and the festive façade starts to crack, Olivia must survive the season, or, at the very least, get through lunch without anyone else choking on a sprout.

Sharp, smart and deliciously twisted, this is Christmas with all the trimmings: cold cuts, warm lies and at least one suspicious pudding."

This is why I read murder mysteries over the holidays, so I don't strangle someone over Christmas lunch.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
This book was such a wickedly fun twist on holiday reading. Natasha Bache delivers a sharp, darkly comic mystery filled with dysfunctional family dynamics, sarcastic wit, and just enough festive cheer to keep it perfectly balanced. Imagine your typical cozy Christmas gathering—then add secrets, simmering resentment, and a narrator who may or may not be plotting the downfall of every single relative. It’s part satire, part thriller, and completely bingeable.
The writing style was engaging and fast-paced, with each chapter pulling me deeper into the tangled mess of family drama. I especially loved how Bache infused dark humor into tense moments—it kept the book from feeling too heavy while still giving you plenty of suspense. The characters are over-the-top in the best way, and the layered storytelling makes you question motives until the very end.
If you enjoy holiday mysteries with a wicked streak—something in the vein of Knives Out meets How to Kill Your Family—this one is a perfect December pick.

Besties, you NEED to read 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache—it needs to be added to your holiday tbr. I could not put this book down. It’s the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud dark humor and a totally addictive murder-mystery vibe that kept me guessing (and snickering) the whole way through. I loved how sharp and clever the writing was, and honestly, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to shove it into your friends’ hands just so you can talk about all the jaw-dropping, hilarious moments together. If you’re craving a holiday read that’s smart, funny, and wickedly fun, this is the one.

If you are a fan of Knives Out this book is for you. Such a fun read and will be buying a physical copy to read again during the holidays. This has you cheering for the killer almost from the start and then you get to go on a wild ride that does not disappoint. While the scenarios are unrealistic it was still so fun to read and a great book to get you out of a reading slump. Thanks, netgalley.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I think - I know - that there are probably people out there right now for whom the idea of a 'family christmas; sends a chill through their bones. Making nice with the 'mother-in-law from hell' over a soggy Yorkshire pud (cardinal sin) and trying desperately had not to say something that will lead to the ultimate in familial arguments breaking out and counting down the minutes until you can escape the festive madness. Maybe you are one of the few who actually likes your extended family, and look forward waring matching jim-jams on Christmas Eve and nestling in front of a movie with a glass of hot chocolate or eggnog. In case you are the former though, you can just be thankful that you are not Olivia Weiss and that your mother-in-law is not (hopefully for you) anything like as bad as this stories Matriarch, Jeannie. Because if ever there was a family that truly inspires the urge to murder, then the Weisses, so skilfully brought to life by Natasha Bache, are most certainly it.

I really enjoyed this book. From the very early chapters I was chuckling to myself, partly because it happens to be set in my home county of Shropshire, but also because the entire Weiss family are so delightfully loathsome that seeing them being picked off one by one really tickled me. I should be clear - these are not necessarily what you might deem to be comedic deaths. Despite the sheer number of unique methods of despatch the author - or should I say the killer - employs, they are of a fairly typical variety. A fall, a plausible accident. A tragedy whilst selecting the family Christmas tree - gruesome but also possible misadventure. Face planting in figgy pudding ... Ok. So that one was a little bit funny. It's very clear that spending any extended time in Weiss Manor is not good for your health, but it's only two weeks. How bad could things get?

Pretty bad, if you're Olivia, especially when you get snowed in with no hope of escape. I liked Olivia, which is largely because the action is narrated from her perspective, but also she is a brilliant character. She is kind of the outsider in this madcap bunch, a writer of Romantasy novels who is going through a bit of a difficult patch when it comes to inspiration. She's down to earth, none of the airs and graces - faked - of the rest of the Weiss clan who, with the exception of her long suffering husband, Miles, and their two children, Martha and Cal, are all fairly vile. With the family very much ruled with an iron fist by Miles' mother, Jeannie, it's very easy to see why Olivia is her least favourite daughter-in-law, but it is all the reasons that make her such a wonderfully open and likeable character to journey through this hellish Christmas with. From judgmental Grandmother, Toots, god awful twin nieces Beebee and Ceecee, an insufferable brother in law, Tristan, and his equally snobbish wife, Mimi, and a seemingly freeloading Aunt Clem with lechy Uncle Fergus, it's hard to find a redeemable quality about the rest of the clan, and lord knows I tried.

I love the way in which the author has built up this story. Each day in the house brings a new kind of torture for Olivia and her nearest and dearest, as Jeannie organises specific activities that must be attended, no matter what. Not even a few deaths in the household will prevent her holding her annual neighbourhood get together. This is keeping up appearances supersized. I just admit, that with each day that passed, I found myself trying to guess who might be next and what method the killer may employ this time around. A couple of deaths were perhaps more obvious that others - I cannot for one minute believe no-one would be as suspicious as I was about one particular death, but then perhaps I just read too much crime fiction and had the benefit of knowing that I was expecting a good few more murders to occur. This is not a spoiler, you only have to look at the book's title to work that one out.

In amongst Olivia's often angst ridden musings about what is going on and how to keep her family safe, we have a few interesting diary entries which, along with the opening chapter of the book, really did keep me on the hook. A number of red herrings deployed along the way really do keep the mystery alive in this one, even if the same can't be said for the family. Surprisingly, in spite of the rapidly depleting pool of suspects, it helped to keep the killer's identity well hidden right to the end too. And it was an ending that really did make me smile. A very fitting solution to this particular mystery and totally not what I was expecting. As to whether Olivia and her family come out of the whole episode unscathed, well you'll have to read to find out. The book will certainly give you perspective if you have any misgivings about your own impending family christmas. Fresh, witty and thoroughly entertaining, I tore through this book and loved every minute of it. Definitely my kind of Christmas.

Olivia and her husband Miles are dreading their annual Christmas trip to his family home but are looking forward to moving to Australia at the start of the year. They do their best to endure the slights and insults from the remainder of the family. Miles's father slips off the roof while putting up Christmas lights and meets his maker. His brother, Tristan, has an accident at the Christmas tree farm. The family chalks it up to weird coincidences, the matriarch, Jeanette, powering through until Grandma Toots dies after accusing someone of murdering her husband. Jeanette is determined that Christmas must go on even as family members continue to meet strange ends. Who is responsible for the catastrophes? Can Olivia figure it out before the police do?

A fun murder mystery story set at an English country house at Christmas. Sure to entertain fans of Agatha Christie.

What a deliciously dark read. I kept changing my mind over the killer. Wow, the ending was totally insane.
Peppered with a mix of old school family traditions, old money British stiff upper lip, and kids gaming and live streaming, we wound our way through one family's Christmas nightmare. You have got to read this book.

I started this one a little skeptical—after all, the Goodreads chatter had some readers absolutely roasting it. But to my surprise, I found myself still turning the pages at 2 a.m., utterly hooked, hunched over the pages, half horrified and half gleeful at just how spectacularly messy this family drama gets. There’s a wicked kind of satisfaction in watching a group of people who totally deserve each other fall apart piece by piece (or in this case, body by body). The cover’s chilling rhyme “On the first day of Christmas, my in-laws gave to me, a body in the snow and a motive or three” sets the tone for a wickedly funny, murderous ride. Bache’s humor transforms 12 grim murders into something bizarrely cozy, like laughing through a horror movie. The dysfunctional extended family is a chaotic masterpiece, their venom making every demise a twisted thrill.

At the heart of the mayhem sits Olivia, Miles, Martha, and Callum—a family unit I rooted for from the very first chapter. They’re flawed, quirky, and not above eye-rolling at one another, but their devotion absolutely shines through. You’ll root for them as they navigate a holiday gone homicidally wrong. I was obsessed with guessing the killer, my theories bouncing all over the place, but I did not see that ending coming! The murderer’s reveal is a jaw-dropping masterstroke, blindsiding me in the best way.

What really makes this book sing, though, is Natasha Bache’s narrative style. She manages to take the most dysfunctional family dynamics and weave them with perfectly timed humor. Yes, the story is jet-black dark (we’re talking 12 murders!), but it somehow feels cozy because her wit drops in exactly when it’s needed. Mark October 9, 2025, for a Christmas thriller that’s equal parts hilarious and shocking—add it to your TBR!

A Christmas murder mystery? Give it to me. It's cozy, funny, entertaining, smart and thrilling. I like the writing style. There's a good amount of suspense and hints to make you wonder but also a lot of humour and interesting characters. Give it a try for the season!

This book was the perfect amount of nonsense chaos and murder all packed into one silly Christmas book

This was exactly what I wanted it to be and because of that, this is an excellent read I’d give it a solid five stars. This is not a life-changing read by any means but I didn’t want it to be. I needed something that was just simple and fun and then had good vibes and that was spooky and hilarious and this hit the spot.

All of these family members are absolutely insane in someway, shape or form and some of them are literally just horrible people so this was quite entertaining to read.

I love that there was character development, even though there were so many different characters, and it didn’t matter too much about the development of them because the actual murder mystery was more of the front plot as well as the main characters, but I still was angry at some of the other characters and I feel like the author did a really good job at developing them with limited page real estate to work with.

Ironically, I actually think this would be a really great Christmas gift or just a gift in general to a friend who has a good sense of humor.

This was hilarious and the best of ways and it was absolutely chaotic, and I loved it

Thank you for this ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

Olivia and Miles, and their children, Martha and Callum, are going to spend Christmas with Miles family as usual. Olivia feels she can cope with this Christmas as it will be the last one spent with the family before the four of them move to Australia. Christmas can be a tense time when spent with other family members, especially a dysfunctional family like Miles has, but most people manage to get through it without resorting to murder.
This reminded me of Agatha Christie novels, the large mansion with disagreeable family members all hoping to inherit the family fortunes. the hidden jealousies and resentments simmering below the surface, and the heavy fall of snow ensuring no one can leave, all coming together to make a great who done it.
I didn't really engage with any of the characters, none of them were particularly likeable, and I did manage to figure out who the killer was. That said, I did enjoy the story, it was a fun read, and I love a festive who done it.
Thank you for my advance copy.

This book has been compared to Knives Out and to some extent I would agree. It has the same family vibe for sure! I felt it was somewhere between that and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Miles, Olivia Weiss and their children have been summoned to spend Christmas at Miles family home with his entire extremely awful family. Night one, mother Jeannie harasses her husband George into hanging the Christmas lights outside the following day. Meanwhile she announces that her nephew, Quentin will be released from prison in the next day or two and will be joining them for Christmas. Everyone else takes exception to him getting out and being there, but she is the matriarch for a reason! The following morning George heads out to hang lights refusing offers of help from Miles, even though the weather is less than ideal. The rest of the family appears to go off about their own endeavors. Soon enough they find George hanging by his foot from a lower rung of the ladder, dead. Jeannie decrees that all of the family holiday traditions will continue without consideration to circumstances. One by one, the other family members meet potentially accidental, yet sometimes grizzly ends. One by one my suspects died, until I was left with only two viable suspects. So as not to spoil the ending for you, I'll leave this here.
I have to say, this one had me questioning myself for agreeing to read it in Chapter one, then, I could hardly put it down, I was totally hooked, grimly rooting for the person knocking this clan off one by one and partly horrified that anyone could be so cold-blooded.
Definitely not one to read if you are planning to spend the holidays with your family, but otherwise a definitely entertaining read!
My thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.