I have already got this on my Christmas list for family members I enjoyed it that much
The puzzles wow! This had everything I love in a good book and set around Christmas I couldn’t ask for more
Family drama locked room mystery perfect Christmas read

A very clever read. Lots of riddles to solve . You can’t work it out . Audrey invites friends for Christmas and an x body guard who is a friend. You get so many twists and a Christmas to remember. If you like mystery you will love this .

I had no idea that when I'd started this book, I would be caught up in a wild family struggle, dead bodies, and a wicked storm that leaves everyone trapped, wondering who the killer was.
The puzzles were a lot of fun, and even though I couldn't solve them all, I had a good time trying to.

I received a free copy of, The Christmas Dinner Murder, by Sarah Dunnakey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was an intriguing Christmas murder mystery, which the reader can help solve before the characters in the book solves it.

I gave The Christmas Dinner Murder by Sarah Dunnakey a go, hoping the festive cozy-crime setup would click. Renowned puzzler Audrey Peppertree throws a luxurious Christmas dinner at her manor with riddle-filled invitations, only for an anonymous RSVP to arrive carrying a threat. She brings in her old friend Eloise, a retired bodyguard, to suss out which guest might be after revenge, and soon a storm traps everyone while the killer starts taunting them with cryptic games. The book does a solid job with the seasonal atmosphere, steady pacing, and a cast full of motives and secrets that keep the mystery from being too obvious too early.

That said, I tried to like this one but just didn’t. It’s fairly well written and the intrigue plus family tensions are there on the page, but I couldn’t get into any of the characters or the situation itself. It was easy to walk away from; perfectly fine while I was reading, yet I never felt that pull to pick it back up the way I do with books that really grab me. Fans of light holiday whodunnits might still enjoy the puzzle-solving and cozy vibes, but for me it stayed at “all right” rather than something I was eager to finish.

If you love a good Christmas mystery, throw in a luxurious manor, a suspicious guest list, a snowstorm and 50+ puzzles, and you have a seriously fun festive read! 🎄🕵️‍♀️🧩

The Christmas Dinner Murder was such a brilliant and unique take on the classic Christmas murder mystery. I absolutely loved the idea of not just reading along and trying to work out whodunnit, but actually getting to put my own brain to work along the way!

Audrey Peppertree is a renowned puzzler hosting a lavish Christmas dinner at her famous manor. But when one of her RSVPs comes back anonymously with an ominous threat, the festive celebrations suddenly take a much darker turn. 😳

Concerned for her safety, Audrey calls on her old friend Eloise Dodd, a retired bodyguard, to join the dinner and help figure out which of the guests might have a reason for revenge.

And then things get even more interesting...

Trapped inside by storms, the guests find themselves being taunted with cryptic games by someone who clearly enjoys playing with their food. 🍽️🔪

What I really loved was how interactive the story feels. The puzzles aren't just there for decoration — solving them and putting the answers together helps lead you towards the solution of the murder. 🧩🔍

I found myself constantly trying to piece everything together and work out whether I could beat the detectives to the answer!

There was something wonderfully classic about the whole setup too. A grand manor, a gathering of suspicious characters, bad weather trapping everyone together and, of course, a killer hiding among them. It gave me all those classic murder mystery vibes while still feeling fresh and different.

The puzzle element makes this especially fun because you're not simply sitting back and watching the mystery unfold. You're invited to become part of the investigation yourself! 🕵️‍♀️

With 50+ original puzzles, this is definitely one I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries, brain teasers, quizzes or interactive reads. And if you're a fan of Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries or books like Murdle, this sounds like one to have on your Christmas TBR. 🎅📚

I loved the combination of festive fun, murder mystery and puzzles, and it made this such an entertaining read.

A brilliant choice for anyone who likes their Christmas reading with a little less tinsel and a LOT more suspicion! 😂🎄🔪

Can YOU solve the puzzles and beat the detectives to the killer? 🧩🕵️‍♀️

Audrey, ma’am. An RSVP comes back anonymously threatening your life, and your response is not “Christmas is canceled.” No. You invite retired bodyguard Eloise Dodd to dinner and proceed with the festivities because apparently once you’ve planned a luxurious Christmas at the manor, attempted murder is merely an inconvenient dietary requirement.

And Audrey is a professional puzzler, which becomes important very quickly because nobody in "The Christmas Dinner Murder" is allowed to simply threaten, lie, or potentially kill somebody like a normal person. Everything has to be a GAME. Riddles. Codes. Cryptic clues. More puzzles arriving while everyone is trapped by a storm. Somewhere along the way I realized the killer had apparently decided homicide needed an interactive component, and I became personally offended every time another brain-teaser appeared because I was trying to eat imaginary Christmas dinner in peace.

Eloise is the friend you want at this gathering because she is a retired bodyguard surrounded by people who all immediately qualify for my mental “hmm, suspicious” folder. Audrey has invited a whole table of guests with histories, grudges, secrets, and varying levels of social normalcy, then basically asks Eloise to discreetly figure out which one might murder her before dessert. The word “discreetly” is doing heroic work when everybody is snowed into a manor together and somebody has already mailed in a threat.

Then things start going properly wrong, and suddenly nobody can leave, everyone is scared, and the person behind it all keeps taunting them with puzzles. This killer is exhausting. Sir or ma’am, you have already committed to serious criminal behavior. Why am I also doing homework? Every time I solved something I felt briefly brilliant, followed immediately by the realization that I was voluntarily participating in a murderer’s enrichment activity.

The puzzles were genuinely the part that made this such a fun little Christmas oddity for me. There are more than fifty of them, and some had me feeling very pleased with myself while others made it clear that "University Challenge" would escort me off the premises within minutes. You can absolutely sit there trying to beat Eloise and the others to the answer, which of course turned me into the most annoying person alive because suddenly I wasn’t reading anymore. I was INVESTIGATING.

And underneath the holiday games and wealthy-manor nonsense, there is something deliciously uncomfortable about Audrey realizing that somebody she invited into her home may actually hate her enough to kill her. Christmas gatherings already contain enough emotional warfare without adding literal revenge. One badly timed family comment and somebody is crying in the bathroom. Audrey’s guests have apparently decided to raise the stakes considerably.

By the end I had theories, scratched-out theories, replacement theories, and at least one moment where I looked back at something and realized the book had absolutely handed me information earlier and I had been too busy feeling smug about solving a puzzle to notice. Fair. That’s on me. I cannot simultaneously be Hercule Poirot and the woman getting irrationally competitive with a printed riddle.

3.5 stars for "The Christmas Dinner Murder". It’s festive, weirdly interactive, full of trapped-house suspicion, and occasionally made me feel much less intelligent than I prefer during the holidays. I didn’t fall completely in love with every turn the story took, but I had a very good time sitting at Audrey Peppertree’s deeply unsafe Christmas table trying to determine which guest needed to be removed before pudding.

Merry Mayhem Prize: For Receiving a Death Threat With Your Christmas RSVP and Still Refusing to Cancel Dinner Because Apparently the Canapés Were Nonrefundable

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC, and for making me solve more than fifty puzzles just to survive one Christmas dinner. I came prepared to judge fictional people’s motives over a hot toddy, not sit an entrance exam while a killer played festive mind games. Rude, but effective.

Charming, clever, and entertaining! The setting was cozy, the characters were memorable, and the mystery kept me hooked from beginning to end.

An absolute delight! Cozy and atmospheric this is a perfect winter read that really delivers the Christmas thrill.

The Christmas Dinner Murder by Sarah Dunnakey is an entertaining Christmas mystery that balances intrigue, family drama, and festive atmosphere very well. The story draws you in with its cosy seasonal setting, while the murder investigation keeps the pages turning as secrets and tensions gradually come to light.

Dunnakey does an excellent job of creating believable characters, each with their own motives and hidden agendas, making it difficult to guess the culprit too early. The festive backdrop adds plenty of charm without overshadowing the mystery itself, and the pacing remains steady throughout.

While some plot developments felt a little predictable, the strong sense of place and well-crafted suspense more than make up for it. Fans of cosy crime and seasonal whodunnits will find plenty to enjoy here.

Overall, The Christmas Dinner Murder is a gripping and enjoyable holiday read that delivers mystery, atmosphere, and a satisfying conclusion. A great choice for anyone looking to curl up with a festive murder mystery during the Christmas season.

Thank you to Net Galley the publisher and author for allowing me to review this book. Tho not my most favorite it was quite enjoyable!