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Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Bache, One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.

This is such a fun read! It's twisted, it's humorous, it has you guessing until the end who the killer is. I'll definitely be adding this one to shelf when it's released!

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Well I definitely picked the wrong murderer. A thoroughly horrible, entitled and condescending family .
Family members dying by the day, each one in a different manner. Not just the older generation but the younger ones as well.
Who is the family member with the nerve to kill so many people in such a short timescale.
Full of twists, that will leave you wondering right up to the last page.

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🎄🔪 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas is the perfect blend of festive cheer and absolute unhinged chaos. It definitely gave me Knives Out vibes as advertised, but with more tinsel, awkward in law drama, and a suspiciously high body count. It also reminded me of the Christmas themed episode of Only Murders in the Building, mixing the holiday with killing.

From page one, I was hooked. The Weiss family is the definition of gloriously awful. Every single character feels like the person you’d secretly want to avoid at Christmas dinner (and here, some of them get permanently avoided). Olivia’s dry sarcasm was the lifeline I needed while navigating this snowbound circus of greed, secrets, and sprout related tension.

The murders were ridiculously creative and unique. The drama was nonstop. The family dynamics were peak dysfunction. Every time I thought I had the killer pegged, Natasha Bache threw another curveball that made me second guess everything. By the time I hit the ending, I was grinning like a maniac.

It’s dark, it’s funny, and it’s exactly the kind of murderous holiday adventure I didn’t know I needed. If you’ve ever survived a family Christmas and thought “one of us might not make it through dessert,” this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Bache, One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.

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Hmm, let's see. Locked room mystery vibes. Trapped with unlikable family members. Egos. Nastiness. Family drama. Blizzard. Snowed in. Cut off from rescue. An "innocent" murder game. Then the real murders begin. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm not going to divulge the plot other than to say the Agatha Christie vibes were strong. As twisted holiday gatherings go, this one was deadly with each victim offed in creative, even Christmas-y ways. Since it was so easy to dislike most of the characters, I found myself wondering more about how the next murder would happen than whodunit, to be honest. And, no, I didn't guess the culprit. My only concern was that the family dog be okay at "The End". Spoiler: It was. Other than that, as far as I was concerned, everyone else in the distasteful Weiss Family was fair game.

The story alternates between the point of view of Liv/Olivia and the killer. Oddly enough, there was humor, too. True, dark, dark humor at times, but humor. This is definitely one warped, twisted family. Money doesn't make you nice or kind. Yes, I know. No surprise there. Thanks, #HarperCollinsUK and #NetGalley for this entertaining, early peek at this truly despicable family. It was well written and kept me turning pages until well past my bedtime. Oh, that ending!

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This book was honestly so fun and unhinged in the best way. It gave Knives Out meets family holiday chaos, and I was hooked from the start. The characters were completely ridiculous, the drama was nonstop, and Olivia’s sarcasm made the whole thing even better. If you’ve ever had a terrible Christmas with family, you’ll totally relate minus the actual murder (hopefully). Dark, funny, and exactly what I needed.

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Loved this book!!
This book had me on edge!! 🙈 when you think you know who the killer is you’re back to questioning yourself over and over again!! The writing was easy to understand and you knew exactly where you were in the book which I loved. Most of the side characters you will hate as their personal come across as snobby and just so mean!! 👀 I loved the Fmc she’s a writer and loves to write porn novels 🙈😅 (Im just repeating what a character says) I had my guess who the killer was 30% into the book and was honestly shocked I guess right 😃 (it was just a hunch I had!! Also thinking outside the box that’s how I figured it out)
This book had me laughing out loud a lot, had a fun time reading definitely a book for thriller lovers to read 🥰
Highly recommend for my thriller lovers

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12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas is the chaotic festive murder mystery I didn’t know I needed. Think Knives Out in the snow, with the most horrible family you’ll ever meet—and I loved every second of it.

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This is a great holiday romp of a novel. It could just as effectively be titled How Many Ways to kill Your Family at Christmas. The Weiss family are summoned to the ancestral pile in the outskirts of London every year for two weeks from December 11 through Christmas. The holiday is orchestrated to the minute by Jeannie, the stereotypical matriarch who inspires comic dread in the family.
This year is especially fraught because youngest son Miles, wife Olivia who is also the narrator the story, and their children are moving to Australia immediately after the holiday. And Jeannie is furious at this escape of Miles from her control.
Olivia is that refreshing narrator in today's literary climate, reliable. She provides the reader with descriptions of the family, traditions, and serial murders that are well crafted hilarious spoofs of the snowed in mansion murders genre.
Bache introduces a short insight into the mind and motivation of the killer after each body is discovered. It's a testament to her writing that each murder baffles the police because they can be explained as accidental. Meanwhile Jeannie plows ahead with Weiss traditions, including a hosted cocktail party.
And there the review must end because to continue would be a monumental spoiler. Suffice it to say you will do well to include this as a gift to your friends who love mysteries if they love Knives Out, Clue, and Only Murders in the Building. Give to family members and they may question your motives.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. What a fun way to stay up all night.

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A fun holiday who done it mystery book. Olivia just wants to quickly get through this last Christmas holiday with her husband’s family and then they are moving to Australia. The snow adds to the creepiness of everyone being stuck in the house and someone is eliminating family members one at a time. It gives off Agatha Christie vibes and knife out as you try and figure out who is behind it all. All the family members where pretty awful people all hoping to inherit the family fortune. The bodies pile up quickly making it a quirky entertaining read as you try and sleuth out who is behind it all.

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Synopsis: This Christmas, Olivia and Miles Weiss aren't sure how they'll live through two long weeks with his deplorable family at the Weiss Manor. But when family members start having fatal accidents, it's not just their disdain they'll have to survive...

Review: What a mystery! This had me questioning who the killer was right up to the last chapter, and unfortunately I was a little let down by the reveal. With all the Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders references, I was expecting big twists and red herrings that never eventuated.

With thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was an entertaining and quick read. Definitely the kind of book I'd pick up during the Christmas holidays to read. In terms of the mystery, I think it was quite obvious from very early on but I didn't guess the characters motivation for doing so...can't decide if this is a good thing or not. I felt like a few of the characters weren't utilised as thoroughly as they could have been, and a few plot points were started and then not explored or completed to their full potential. But, for a Christmas thriller it was fun and I was engaged! I think I'd give it 3.5 stars but rounding to four.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC of "12 Ways To Kill Your Family At Christmas."

This was a delightful read that was fast paced and addictive. It had a lot of the characteristics of a classic who done it, such as being set at a huge manor in the English countryside, being trapped by the elements, and family members with dubious intentions. It also featured a fair amount of gallows humor that injected levity to the story.

I enjoyed the diary entries after each murder as it helped in trying to narrow down the culprit. Overall, a highly recommended and very enjoyable book!

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Talk about the misery of spending the holidays with your in-laws! Olivia never thought murder would be the gift this year. It's the game of clue come to real life. A case of "who done it?" The transitions are smooth and honestly was a fun and quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eArc.

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3.5 stars

Olivia Weiss is off to spend yet another miserable Christmas with her husband, Miles’s family before they and their two children, Callum and Martha begin their new life in Australia. But Olivia has no idea how terrible this holiday will be.

First, she and her family are essentially disinherited. Then the snow begins and the entire family is trapped at Weiss Manor. Oh, and then the murders begin.

This wasn’t much cuter than expected. It’s not quite a cozy, but has that same spirit and it’s entirely unrealistic, yet fun. I thought I knew who the murderer was right up until the very end, but I was fooled. Frothy enjoyment to drink down with your eggnog.

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I found it good but a bit dry for my taste. It was kinda predictable but that was me. The writing was good so that’s a plus.

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I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.

I really enjoyed 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas. It’s funny, it has twists, it’s fast-paced, and I found myself laughing and feeling just a little bit unsettled in the best way. Around Christmas, this big, large, horrible, rich family starts dying off one by one, and we are left to try to figure out who it is. The story is told from Olivia’s point of view — she’s the main character, and she and her husband Miles and their two kids are invited to one last Christmas with her dreadful, horrible in-laws. And then… people start dying.

I had a feeling about who it was, but I wasn’t completely sure. I had other suspicions too, so I wouldn’t say I was shocked at the ending, but I didn’t know for sure. I thought the ending was good — funny, fun, and a satisfying wrap-up. It’s a bit of a “fun murder mystery,” kind of like Knives Out. Honestly, I think it would make a great movie or TV series.

The only tricky part for me was keeping track of all the characters. There are a lot of them, but once the story got going (and once some characters died), it became easier to follow. You do have to suspend a bit of disbelief about the ways people die — it’s not the most realistic — but I enjoyed it enough that I didn’t care.

I’ll definitely check out this author’s other work because I really liked her style. If you’re looking for a funny, slightly dark murder mystery in the same vein as Knives Out, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

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12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache is darkly funny and full of sharp twists that keep you hooked from start to finish. The humour is wicked and irreverent, perfectly balancing the holiday setting with a murderous edge. I found myself laughing and gasping in equal measure as the story unfolded. It’s a clever, entertaining read for anyone who enjoys a Christmas story with a seriously twisted sense of humour.

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I loved the idea of this, thinking instead of the 12 days of Christmas, it might be a murder a day. But sadly this fell flat. A bunch of completely horrible and unlikeable characters which I didn't mind. However, too many characters to keep track of, remembering who was who. It all got lost in a bit of blur for me and as such spoilt the novelty.

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"12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas" by Natasha Bache is a wickedly funny and clever murder mystery that entertained me from start to finish.

The book follows Olivia Weiss and is written from her POV. She, her husband Miles, and their two children, Martha and Callum, are invited to spend one last Christmas with her dreadful in-laws before their move to Australia. Since Olivia comes from a working-class family, none of the Weiss clan like her and look down on her—especially her MIL, Jeannie.

The plot thickens as one incident follows another and murder becomes the endgame. As the body count increases, it becomes clear that someone is picking them off one by one. The question is: who will make it to Christmas?

I enjoyed the book immensely. Most of the characters were horrible and nasty—except Olivia's family—so one doesn't mind their deaths too much. The writing is great, and I flew through the pages. As the body count increases, the number of suspects decreases. I thought I had an inkling of who the culprit was, but boy was I wrong.

Chapter headings provided comic relief, as did the murderer’s diary entries scattered throughout the chapters. While we don’t have an in-depth view of every character, there is enough personality to differentiate between them. The tone strikes a satisfying balance between comedic and dark, making the reading experience both intriguing and entertaining.

The book explores extreme family dysfunction, greed, homophobia, troll comments, and social media commentary. I liked the locked-room mystery slash Agatha Christie vibes. The book pays homage to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", which I loved. Most of us have a relative or two we don't like, but we don't go around and murder them—at least I hope so...

All in all, this was an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages. The writing is masterful, and the plot is well thought out. Secrets, secret passages, lies, red herrings, and inventive methods of death make this a fun read despite the body count. Some things seemed over the top, but it didn’t ruin the enjoyment.

I deducted one star as I am tired of people getting away with things they did. I would recommend this book to those who like locked-room, snowbound mysteries and don’t mind one murder or two...

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

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12 Ways To Kill Your Family At Christmas - Review
By: Natasha Bache
 
Published by: One More Chapter
 
Release Date: 09th October 2025
 
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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•••••••••
 
Olivia and her family are due to start a new life in Australia. All she has to do is get through one more ghastly Christmas with her husband’s awful family. Disagreements and squabbles are expected … A murder, less so. And multiple murders? Absolutely not.

They are now stuck in the stately country house after a snow storm, with a murderer running around and not knowing who to trust.
As bodies start to build up, Olivia needs to just survive the season. Or at the very least, get through lunch.

•••••••

A comical tale of a rich family’s dysfunction, complete with drama, secrets, and an unexpected murder - or two!

I really enjoyed this ‘whodunnit’ tale from the very first page to the last. A classic, old fashioned murder mystery tale, with a comical twist.
Each character complex, unique and colourful. And some, very very flawed. What a horrible bunch of people. Greedy, entitled, conniving, and cold-hearted. Oh, how I ate this story up.

The story starts with what’s meant to be a “fun” family murder mystery game on the first night that, much to everyone’s surprise, becomes very real.

You have to suspend your disbelief and let this entertaining story sweep you away. As family members begin to drop dead in bizarrely creative (and often comical) ways, the remaining characters carry on with a cool detachment that only the fabulously wealthy can manage. It’s sharp, absurd, and utterly addictive.

The perfect festive read (but also great to read anytime).
Inventive, satirical, twisty and very funny. I recommend this read 🫶🏻.

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