I really enjoyed this book it was interesting book. that kept me turning pages and the murders kept coming as they are happing at the Christmas markets
Who is killing and why?
I love the characters Jessica, Mrs Claus, Fearne and all other characters
There is a lot of suspense, and some humour, and strange, weird things occur and twists in the story
loved it easy and good pace in reading the novel

This one was... fine. The narrator was a little hard for me to read, I wasn't too fond of her. The Christmas theme was kind of forced, but fun I guess. The pacing was good, though. More to come on TikTok.

This book delivers a genuinely engaging experience—with immersive worldbuilding and heartfelt character arcs that grabbed me from the outset. The author’s prose is evocative and detailed, painting scenes that felt alive and emotionally resonant. Whether it’s quiet character moments or vivid setting descriptions, there’s an undeniable sense of care in every line.

The ensemble cast impressed me with their authenticity and depth. You can sense their internal struggles and evolving relationships—while none felt perfect, most felt honest and earned. I connected especially with moments of vulnerability and quiet decision-making, which added emotional weight beyond the central plot.

That said, it wasn’t flawless. The pacing drifts at times—certain chapters leaned a bit slow, and some thematic threads felt underdeveloped. A couple of subplots seem launched with promise but don’t quite reach satisfying resolutions. Still, these imperfections didn’t overshadow the overall experience for me.

What truly stood out was the balance between tension and tenderness. Emotional moments deliver impact without becoming melodramatic. Small gestures—a meaningful look, an unspoken exchange—often spoke louder than grand declarations. It’s clear the author trusts the reader’s intuition, crafting intimacy through subtlety.

In short, it’s a well-crafted story that enthralls with ambition and nuance, even if it occasionally stumbles in structure or focus. A strong, worthwhile read. Perfect for readers who appreciate character-driven fiction with emotional sincerity—and who don’t mind a few narrative detours along the way.

A darkly festive delight!
How to Slay at Christmas is sharp, silly, and wickedly entertaining. Jessica Williams genuinely loves Christmas — which makes her role as Mrs Claus-slash-serial killer all the more fun to follow. With murder, mayhem, puppies, romance, and dark humor wrapped in fairy lights, this is the perfect holiday read for those who like their Christmas stories with a sinister twist.

You don’t want to end up on her naughty list!

Jessica works as Mrs Claus at Christmas fayres around England. She also has a side job, compiling a naughty list of abusive men she encounters and killing them. Fearne’s husband runs the fayre that Jessica has chosen this year, though Fearne thanklessly works at managing it too as well as working as a novel writer. Will Fearne’s husband end up on the naughty list?

I have read one of the other books in this series (I’m saving the on holiday book for my holiday) and this addition was great! It manages to be a cosy Christmas read as well as a female vigilante killer comedy. How to Slay at Christmas is one I will definitely be rereading come December!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

3.5 but not quite a 4.

This is an entertaining read. I liked Jessica and, like many of us I think, I have a soft spot for a female vigilante targeting men who abuse women.

I also liked Fearne and I was glad at what happens to her husband at the end (no spoilers).. The Christmas Market setting is fun and the stalls sound great. It is interesting to have the unknown, until the surprise at the end, investigator looking into all the past murders and trying to establish who committed them and I liked the little twist about some of the victims. I also liked the ending and I would read any further books.

I must say that I enjoyed Slay on Holiday a bit more, I thought the main characters in that book had a little more depth but this Slay is a also great read.

Rating: 3.9/5

The accompanying marketing blurb claims that this book will appeal to fans of C.J. Skuse and Katy Brent. It is not unusual for publishers to make such claims as they endeavour to tap into dedicated readers of other established authors, but the claims are not necessarily always substantiated. However, in this instance, I would say that it is entirely appropriate.

If you are familiar with "Sweetpea" by C.J. Skuse then it will be impossible not to make comparisons and draw parallels with that novel when you read this. It could be argued that C.J. Skuse's creation, Sweetpea, paved the way for a sub-genre of strong, individual leading ladies with a penchant for serial killing. Katy Brent includes nods of acknowledgement to that fact in her series of books featuring Kitty Collins and there are a number of other writers (predominantly female) who have taken their inspiration from this source to create their own darkly humorous novels. Some have done it quite successfully, while others have produced rather disappointing facsimiles. I am pleased to say that Sarah Bonner is at the better end of the scale.

This is the third book in the author's "How to Slay ..." series. I have not read the first one, but I did enjoy book two, "How to Slay on Hoilday", which was enough to persuade me to come back for more - and I actually think "How to Slay at Christmas" is a little better than its predecessor. The writing is fluent and the characters are engaging. In amongst the serial killing there is plenty of humour (often dark), but also goodly amounts or warmth and even sprinklings of romance - so a touch of something for everyone. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for Sarah Bonner's next offering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Sarah Bonner never misses - I'm blessed to have received this as an ARC but any books by this author are an immediate pick up for me! Funny, seasonal, but still keeping the relevant themes of violence against women meaningful.

A serial killer Mrs Claus. I think it's absolutely genius. In this hilarious thriller that is not like any other book. I have certainly not read many comedy thrillers but after reading this I would really love there to be more written. It's a festive rollicking good time and also a serial killer with unbelievable twists especially towards the end. I would recommend this for thriller lovers that want something a bit lighter and different.

Thank you NetGalley! Another great addition the Sarah Bonner’s How to Slay books. I’m so thank muck ti be able to read them all. I loved that this one contained more character viewpoints and the “villian” showing a human side

My rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Christmas Murder and Candy Cane Twists, what’s not to like!!

Jessica Williams loves the food, the drinks, the fairy lights and most of all taking out the trash of Christmas … that is murdering all the people on her naughty list before her stint as the new Mrs Claus is up and she has to move towns again.

The bodies start to pile up, as murder and mayhem have a Christmassy twist!!

I have read all three of these How to Slay books by Sarah Bonner, and I think this was actually my favourite. I really liked the first one How to Slay at Work, the second was only meh How to Slay on Holidays, but this one had a bit of everything.

There was Christmas (love it),there was Murder (check), there was new friendships (unexpected), there were puppies (awww) and there was a little bit of romance (oooh). Like how can you not love that!! Also wrapped up in all of that you know how the murderer is and why, but you don't know all the other little bits that come your way.. also it has dark humour… sign me up immediately!!

These books (except the second one) do everything they are supposed to entertain and be a bit silly. I really liked it.

Sarah Bonner tells a decent story with weirdly unlikeable characters that you actually like and Jessica was probably my favourite murderess of the lot. She is literally Mrs Claus (perfect cover) and she genuinely loves Christmas. She is not faking it so she can stab a few baddies, she literally loves everything Christmas which was part of the charm for me.

I don’t think this is particularly a masterpiece but it was a fun, entertaining read that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants a funny, thriller set at Christmas time. Its not overly violent (there is violence of course) and the romance is not steamy at all… its very vanilla and I liked that…

I really enjoyed the friendships that Jessica made with the ladies and the runaway. Even after a while Fern’s husband who was on the top of my naughty list kind of grew on me… did he survive… well you will have to wait to find out.

Overall, I think this one is a good bit of fun and I do recommend to anyone who is thinking about reading it. Its not very long and its quite entertaining. I will keep reading books from this author cause she is more hit than miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Sarah Bonner for my Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas village, being Mrs Claus. Taking revenge on those who deserve it. This time with a twist , talking in a teenager who was homeless and projecting her new friend.
Finally finding a place where it might be forever. As enjoyable as the previous books.

you have to be so clever to write books like this. to get that balance right is a skill. its a genre spin that can get exciting when you get authors doing it well. and this book does it really well. i shouldn't be smiling but i am and there lies the skill when you can make these books dark and twisty but also have you grinning with its wit.
this book brings us Jessica who loves Christmas. so much so that you'll find her in a Mrs Claus outfit at the markets. but id be careful if you find yourself on her naughty list because, well...she is going to kill you.
we also have a brilliant gaggle of other characters in this book. they all are woven seamlessly into Jessica's story, some a bit more than others.
in particular one such character is Fearne who cant stand Christmas. fake, yuk.she the market managers wife and suddenly finds herself in the middle of these murders!
what happens now? what do we even want to happen now? well join in, forget your morals and just enjoy this book like it deserves to be.

I’ve really been in my British mystery/thriller era lately, and How to Slay at Christmas definitely fits the bill—though it leans more witty than chilling.

Jessica Williams, a poker-playing serial killer who moonlights as Mrs. Claus, is delightfully unhinged in her quest to fix Christmas by permanently removing those who ruin the holiday spirit. Fearne—trapped in a joyless marriage—is the foil who ends up tangled in her own twisted drama. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventeen year old recently homeless teen is taken in by Jessica and soon thereafter a witness to one of her murders. Then enter mysterious animal rescue boyfriend-not-boyfriend-turned-lover, Alvi. But, also, there's Hanna and Sebastian and Immy and Bella Donna and Erin and and and....it's A LOT.

While the vibes were there and I had fun...if I’m honest, the plot was a bit too all over the place. Tonally, it couldn’t decide between campy satire and cozy crime, and it felt like it was trying to juggle too much: serial murder, found family, animal rescue, and… werewolf erotica? It seemed as if the ending of the book was one twist after another, but without resolution or at least without the buildup or prelude. I could be overthinking it. After all it was a cute, chaotic holiday thrill.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC!

How to Slay at Christmas by Sarah Bonner is a hilarious thriller. I've not read the other "How To Slay" books, but I believe this is a complete standalone book. However, this book made me go look for the other books. A serial killer Mrs Claus? Quite intriguing from the beginning. I loved the twists, especially at the end. Great read.
I got the ARC from Boldwood Books via Netgalley. This is my honest review

Another hilarious read by Sarah Bonner. Jessica Williams just loves everything about Christmas, well apart from the people who want to ruin it and her job is to take them out. And what better way to do is but as Mrs Clause at the local Christmas market.
Total rating 3.5 stars

"May all your Christmases be red... blood red."

Nothing gets you into the spirit of Christmas more than Mrs. Claus on a vigilante killing spree!
Jessica makes the perfect Mrs. Claus every year at Christmas; she's charming, she's a lover of all things Christmas, you won't anyone with more Christmas spirit, and she knows exactly how to handle those on Santa's naughty list.

I loved that though the books are complete standalones, the author sprinkled a couple of small easter eggs from How to Slay at Work and How to Slay on Holiday!

OOH I loved it. Did not want to put it down. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Reindeer Games
Jessica loves Christmas. She makes her living during the year playing poker tournaments, but around late October she travels the country looking for a job as Mrs Claus at Christmas markets. It’s her favourite thing in the world; making children happy and thusly making their parents happy. The lights, the glitter, the sparkle. And after work, she kills people who deserve it.

This isn’t my usual fare, but I decided to give it a go because it’s freaking hot outside and I was in the mood for something light-hearted that gives off a chilly vibe that I could do with. And I really did enjoy it for the most part. It is, however, important to overlook a bunch of inconsistencies when reading this book, but then again, one does not pick up a novel titled How to Slay at Christmas if one is looking for realism. An in-depth novel about the intricacies of family slash small town life around the holidays this ain’t, but then again, one could tell as much by looking at the cover.

It does manage to be generally festive; the Christmas market sounds delightful, though these things, in my experience, are generally a letdown. There’s also Jessica’s love interest, a man who has devoted his life to rescuing animals and is therefore always accompanied by a slew of dogs and the occasional pony or alpaca; her whiney, self-involved boss and his wife Fearne, who quietly makes her money writing werewolf erotica and who becomes Jessica’s new BFF. There’s a teenage runaway, and your typical influencer-obsessed teenager with a heart of gold. There is a lot going on, really. The ending of the story is downright unhinged, but in a good way.

Not all of it makes sense, even within the confines of what is already a pretty insane story. One character’s response to finding out his loved ones plan to have him murdered is “I’m sorry, I’ll do better.” And he does, so good for him, but DUDE THEY WERE PLANNING TO HAVE YOU KILLED. There are also odd misphrasings (“this cafe does a cracking prosecco”) and incongruous tonal mixing (Brits go to uni, not to college). People frequently behave in odd ways that feel shoehorned in to fit the plot. Jessica, who supposedly can’t afford even the tiniest of apartments, spends an inordinate amount of money on luxury goods; I don’t mean in an skip-the-avocado-toast-so-you-can-buy-a-house, but hundreds of pounds worth of gifts and outfits, dinners, drinks and lunches on a daily basis. One of the antagonists is a sort of Dolores Umbridge type of person, and though we all love hating Dolores Umbridge this is written in a very clunky way. It’s effective, but also a missed opportunity, even in a book where the characters are pretty one dimensional.

Is this a good book? Not as defined by any literary standards. It needs a little finetuning in places. It is, however, a lot of fun. It kept me engaged and the plot has a few twists that I genuinely didn’t see coming, perhaps because the book is all over the place; nevertheless, it was enjoyable. You could do worse for December reads.

Such a great Christmas beach read! Jessica is a professional Mrs Claus and seasonal vigilante. Fearne is the wife of the Ellsbury Christmas market manager a secret erotica novelist. The two cross paths during the Christmas market and become friends.

This book is a lot of fun. I loved the brilliant cast of women characters. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. This was my first book by Sarah Bonner and I will definitely check out the other books in this series.