You had me at Christmas in the title! I was so excited to read this so when Boldwood Books gave me the chance, I was there!

I knew from the synopsis straight away this was something I was going to enjoy. A bad ass Mrs Claus seeking revenge? Sign me UP.

The story is told through the POVs of Jessica and Fearne, both equally as bad ass as each other. There is also a mystery POV that doesn’t get uncovered until the end.

I really enjoyed the way this book was written, it was a fast paced thriller which was funny at times. I couldn’t put it down! There was even a sneaky unexpected plot twist that caught me off guard!

Was the ending far fetched? Yes. Did I still eat it up? Also yes.

If you have any content triggers, I advise you to read any trigger warnings beforehand.

I recommend this to anyone who loves a female led thriller with a bit of humour.. or anyone really 😂

This is a book in a series but you do not need to have read the others in the series but having read this one I am going back to the others.

Jessica Williams is Mrs Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market Grotto, she seems the perfect Mrs Claus, she loves Christmas, but do not get on her bad side or you will end up on her naughty list and that results in death!

The story is told from her viewpoint and that of Fearne Dixon the wife of the Manager of the Market, she hates Christmas, she is an author but has two pen names, one a bit racy which she keeps from her husband and the safer option which he knows about. There is also a third viewpoint, an unidentified person who seems to be on to Mrs Claus as this is not her first Killer Christmas.

I really enjoyed this book, funny in places, dark in others but highly recommended

Mistletoe and Murder perfect holiday fun! Jessica Williams spends most of the year playing poker tournaments, but when the holiday season comes along she gets into the holiday spirit by playing Mrs. Claus and doing away with people who deserve it on her off hours. It doesn't take Jessica long to add names to her "naughty list (no spoilers).

I loved the description of the Ellsbury Christmas Market. It sounded so festive. It took me awhile to warm up to Fearne Dixon, wife of the market's manager. She is not a fan of Christmas, but I did like the fact she wrote werewolf erotica. She and Jessica become BFFs. We get the teenage runaway and also an influencer (they seem to be everywhere these days), the boyfriend?, Alvi, who rescues dogs, and of course dead bodies.

This is a fun quick read. Sarah Bonner has found herself a niche with the Slay books. This is the third book, all stand alone. I have enjoyed all of them. They are the perfect suspend reality, sit back, grab some popcorn and a glass of wine and prepare to be entertained. The author takes along a few twists and turns to get to that "unhinged" conclusion. (Now, you have to pick up a copy after that description). If you are a fan of dark comedy, this is for you! I eagerly await the next "Slay" book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Boldwood Books, for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.

It’s a little early for a Christmas book, I know – but if you add only one Christmas read to your TBR this year, then I highly recommend it be this one!
Deliciously dark, wickedly witty, and soaked in festive blood—How to Slay at Christmas is a murderous holiday book unlike anything I’ve read before. If you've ever wanted to throttle a carol-singing coworker or run from the relentless cheer of Christmas markets, this book gets you.
Jessica Williams is not your average holiday heroine. She’s gleefully unhinged, perfectly poised in her Mrs. Claus costume, and on a personal mission to rid the world of those who make the festive season miserable for others. Her weapon of choice? Anything sharp and unexpected. The tone is outrageous and over-the-top in the best way—it’s humour meets slasher, and I was absolutely here for it.
Then there’s Fearne Dixon: resentful, sarcastic, and trapped in a Christmas hellscape run by her husband. While Jessica brings the manic energy, Fearne grounds the story with a simmering fury that feels all too relatable. Their eventual collision is as chaotic as it is inevitable, and it’s a joy to witness the unravelling.
Sarah Bonner manages to balance humour, gore, and a surprisingly sharp commentary on holiday expectations and emotional burnout. The characters are vividly drawn, the pacing is quick, and the kills—yes, plural—are delightfully creative. Think Dexter meets Love Actually, but messier, bloodier, and much more satisfying.
This isn’t a feel-good Christmas story, but it’s definitely a feel-better one—especially if you’ve ever fantasised about escaping the forced jolliness of December. I laughed, I gasped, and I may never look at a Christmas market the same way again.
A perfect holiday palate cleanser.

I absolutely loved this book; yes it might be a little implausible but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless and it's a great, deliciously dark and really quite amusing story.

It's got everything you could want ... murder, serial killer, strong female characters, cute animals, friendship, a bit of romance, drama, tension, dark humour and, of course, Christmas with all the trimmings.

It's well written, fast paced and a perfect quick read and, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys something a little different.

Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this festive book that's not just for Christmas 😊

Such a good series. I love that these all have a similar underlying theme that makes them a series, but that they All feature different characters and settings. This novel features a Mrs.Claus seeking to rid the world of baddies, while battling her own desire for family and belonging. Christmas will never be the same in some towns.

I sped through this one and did not see the ending coming! Looking forward to the next one.

I throughly enjoyed this book! I loved that Jessica loved Christmas and Fearne hates Christmas as they are both so different but who end up despite their differences having a wonderful friendship. I loved that when something unexpectedly happened with Fearne that Jessica was there for her. I also loved how their friendship helped change things between Fearne and Sebastian. I loved that Jessica who was playing Mrs Claus had a dark side to her but it was used for a good purpose to rid the world of evil men and people who deserved it. I loved all the other characters in this as well especially Alvi who with his love of dogs and animals was just an amazing man.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a book that has good people who do the wrong thing but for the right reason. I would also say that this book is very amusing as well. I also look forward to another book in this series as I was truly gutted when I finished reading this book as I enjoyed it so much.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

This was a fun thriller with dark humour and a delightfully fun insight into vigilante serial killing life. I liked the concept of the naughty list and Jessica adding deserving names to her list as revenge for their bad deeds. The Christmas backdrop was a fun atmosphere, and I liked the drama and tension from it all including the Christmas market. I loved Fearne's character and her dual identity, and how she hides her accident.
I loved the dark humour, and the mystery of who is investigating Jessica and piecing together her past murders, their identity was a surprise and I absolutely loved the twisted ending!
This had good redemption, mystery, intrigue and a twisted serial killer journey with a splash of romance.

I loved the other book and this one was just as entertaining, it is darkness wrapped in tinsel and set to carols.

This is a fun fast paced read, where Jessica continues her quest to bring justice to bad people. I love the Christmas market element, that brought an additional crazy energy to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was so great! So fun and funny, all the way through. And what an ending! Fantastic. I started to guess part of the twist towards the end, but the very ending was a surprise. I loved the first in this series and this one was even better, which I didn't think was possible. It's fast-paced and witty with memorable characters. I adored the relationship between Jessica and Lena. Loved Alvi and his animals. More of this series, please!

Tinsel? Check. Murder? Also check. A deranged Mrs. Claus wielding a screwdriver like it's part of her North Pole starter pack? Oh absolutely check.

Sarah Bonner serves up a *spiked* eggnog of a read in *How to Slay at Christmas*, where holiday cheer meets unhinged femme rage — and trust me, it's giving Santa's gone feral.

You’ve got Jessica: sweet on the outside, absolute menace on the inside, and using her Mrs. Claus gig as a murder cover-up. She’s basically the chaotic neutral icon we didn’t know the holiday genre needed. Then there’s Fearne: Christmas-hating, emotionally exhausted, and *this close* to setting the entire market on fire. When their lives collide — whew. Think *Love Actually* if it were written by a true crime podcaster with a grudge.

Bonner balances pitch-black humor with thriller tension like a freakin’ pro. One second you’re cackling, the next you’re side-eyeing your own Christmas decorations like “...are these safe?” The body count rises, the secrets spill, and the Naughty List? Let’s just say it’s getting longer by the minute.

This isn’t your grandma’s cozy holiday read (unless your grandma’s into stylishly stabby women and satirical murder rampages — in which case, bless). It’s sharp, chaotic, feminist, and just *so fun* in that twisted, “I need to tell five friends about this immediately” kinda way.

🎁 Perfect for:
– Fans of Bella Mackie’s *How to Kill Your Family*
– Grinches with good taste
– Anyone who loves murder with their mulled wine

Warning: after reading this, you may never trust a mall Santa... or Mrs. Claus... ever again. 😈🎄

I’ve read all of the How To Slay books so far and have loved every one. This time it’s Christmas and Jessica is in a new town hoping to find her Mrs Claus job for this year. Fearne is roped in, yet again, to help her husband with the Xmas market - something he takes very seriously indeed.

I loved the dual POV of this one, and the weird other chapters. I wasn’t sure who they were until quite far on, which shocked me a bit. There’s some great humour and sarcasm in this book and some really fab scenes and amusing characters too.

I’m hoping there’ll be more of these in the future, they’re such a fun read every time.

This book is basically if “Love Actually” and “Dexter” had a feral little baby and sent it to Elf School with a switchblade in its lunchbox. “How to Slay at Christmas” is bonkers, blood-spattered, and surprisingly wholesome. Like eating gingerbread men while plotting revenge against your landlord. Which, let’s be honest, is a vibe.

So let’s meet Jessica Williams. She loves Christmas. No, like, she LOVES it. She is a human Hallmark movie with a body count. Professional poker player the rest of the year, but come November? She’s slapping on a red velvet dress and going full Mrs. Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market. She’s warm, sweet, generous... and also very into vigilante justice. She’s basically a human peppermint mocha. Delicious and comforting but with just enough caffeine to ruin your life.

Now enter Fearne Dixon, local wife of the market manager and the human equivalent of burnt tinsel. She hates Christmas. She hates her useless husband Sebastian (honestly, get in line). She hates the market. But she’s not allowed to quit because she’s the glue holding this whole snow-globe-from-hell together. Also, secret werewolf erotica writer. No notes.

Jessica and Fearne’s paths don’t so much “cross” as “collide in a flaming sleigh of carnage.” You know it’s only a matter of time before these two start sharing secrets, maybe some murder, maybe some eggnog. And yes, the plot leans full camp. We’ve got vigilante kills with questionable logistics. There’s a teenage runaway. A guy who rescues puppies. A sleazy landlord who practically walks around with a neon sign that says “STAB ME.” It’s absolutely unhinged. It’s also kind of beautiful.

One of the weird triumphs of this book is how emotionally competent Jessica is for a serial killer. She’s not just stabbing dudes for funsies. She has a code. A very murdery moral compass, but still a compass. And when she actually starts building real friendships... Fearne, the girls at the market, a runaway teen who’s been through some things... it gets weirdly tender. Like, are we rooting for this homicidal Mrs. Claus? Yes. Unequivocally yes.

Fearne, meanwhile, is the slow-burn redemption arc of my dreams. At first you’re like, “Girl, leave your crusty man already.” But then you start to see the fire under the frustration. There’s a beautiful moment of catharsis when she stops caring what anyone thinks and finally taps into her rage. It’s less “Silent Night,” more “You’re All On Fire and I’m Fine With That.”

Now, is this book grounded in reality? Absolutely not. Jessica spends money like she’s sponsored by Visa while claiming she’s broke. People get over attempted murder like it’s a parking ticket. Tonal shifts whiplash between festive vibes and oops, another corpse. But honestly? Who cares. You didn’t pick up “How to Slay at Christmas” because you wanted gritty realism. You came for candy cane chaos and cathartic kills and that’s exactly what you get.

This is not a cozy mystery. This is a glitter-drenched fever dream full of questionable choices, chaotic good energy, and just enough emotional sincerity to keep you invested. It's the kind of book where the twist sneaks up on you while you’re distracted by a talking alpaca and then smacks you with a candy cane shiv.

Four stars for festive murder, emotionally intelligent serial killers, and the most satisfying revenge plot ever set to carols.

Merry Mayhem Prize: For Making the Naughty List Look Like a To-Do List

Huge thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and for putting this festive fever dream directly into my twisted little hands. I am now both inspired and deeply concerned about my own holiday to-do list.

devoured this darkly humorous thriller, set against the festive backdrop of the Christmas season, with gusto. The protagonist's morally complex profession of targeting unsavory characters added a layer of intrigue to the narrative. Despite the subject matter, the story exuded a surprising amount of holiday warmth, thanks in part to the engaging and well-crafted main character.

The author's sarcastic tone perfectly captured the essence of a modern murder mystery or female serial killer genre, keeping me enthralled and invested in the story. This wasn't a cozy mystery by any stretch, but rather a fast-paced, suspenseful tale that expertly balanced humor and darkness.

I'm eager to explore more of the "How to Slay" series, having only just scratched the surface with this installment. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing access to this riveting read to review.

Real rating: 4.5 stars

The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it's Christmas-themed and it came out in August. Hard to feel the holiday cheer when you're drenched in sweat because it's so hot outside.

Other than that, How to Slay at Christmas is the best in the How to Slay series so far. I've had the privilege to read arcs of all three books so far and the storytelling, writing style, and character building has improved so much.

Jessica Williams is genuinely likable, unlike all the previous MCs in the series, although they share several similarities. She is genuinely nice and has an interesting backstory, she is helpful, and entertaining. The fact that Jessica, who was hired as Mrs. Claus for a Christmas market in a small town,, really loved Christmas and didn't fake it just to kill well-deserving people was really one of the good parts of the book. The friendships and genuine support for other women was another.

I genuinely disliked Fearne at the beginning, although you could understand her reasoning, and I wanted her to stab Sebastian so many times.

The twist at the end? Chef's kiss.

How to slay at Christmas by Sarah Bonner is a great story I loved !

Jessica loves everything about Christmas .
Fearne hates everything about it .

I loved thus book. I enjoyed the multiple point of views .

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book which was a mixture of dark intrigue and humour. I especially liked the strong female lead characters and the friendships that developed between them. This book has a bit of everything and I found it thoroughly entertaining. Will definitely recommend.

Have you ever felt that Christmas would be improved by removing certain people from the experience? That's how Jessica feels, as she kills them on order to make Ellsbury - her temporary home for the festive season - a better place to be.

This is quick and sharp and completely brilliant, I finished it in a day. I'm loving this whole series so much, the twists are so good!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of How to slay at Christmas by Sarah Bonner pub date 7th Aug. Jessica loves everything Christmas from the mince pies to santa and everything in-between, Fearne on the other hand hates the festive season with a passion and with her overbearing husband Sebastian she is at her wits ends , so when the two womans lives collides some people will be on santas naughty list. I loved this book so much the chapters each from the two woman’s life’s , the characters were brilliant so real and you couldn’t help feeling sorry for Fearne and you were on her side all the time. I Cant wait to recommend this book to all my friends