Ally Carter

Maggie Chase doesn't like Christmas, but her publisher convinces her to go to England for it at the behest of a mysterious benefactor. Unfortunately, her nemesis, Ethan Wyatt, is also coming along. When they're brought to an estate owned by the brilliant, admired mystery writer Eleanor Ashley, Maggie is positively star struck. But then Eleanor disappears, and she and Ethan may just have to team up to find out what's really going on.

I put this on my list last year and decided it would be an show more excellent seasonal read this month. I enjoy a good enemies-to-romance with a slow burn as they get to know each other. Carter does a nice job of including both Maggie and Ethan's perspective of events in the past and present so we can see the places they've miscommunicated over the years. Maggie's dealing with repercussions from a past relationship, too, so while the prose is light and humorous, it never crosses over into full-on frothy. A very fun blend of mystery and romance that hit all the right spots for a close-to-holiday reading. show less

Book Review: The Most Wonderful
Crime of the Year
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Ally Carter @theallycarter
Publisher: Avon @avonbooks
Thank you to the publisher for my gifted book.

A locked-room mystery meets enemies-to-lovers in
this smart, twisty, and delightfully festive whodunit!
When rival authors Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are
invited to a Christmas house party at the grand estate
of the legendary crime writer Eleanor Ashley, they
expect a literary showdown, not a real-life mystery. But
when show more Eleanor vanishes from a locked room in the
middle of a blizzard, Maggie and Ethan must put aside
their rivalry to uncover the truth—before the killer
strikes again.

This book delivers everything I wanted: an
atmospheric, snowbound mystery à la Clue, sizzling
banter between two authors who claim to hate each
other (but clearly don’t), and a perfectly paced plot full
of red herrings and sharp twists. Maggie and Ethan’s
chemistry is electric, and their dynamic—Maggie’s
sharp wit vs. Ethan’s playful charm—kept me
entertained throughout. Their slow-burn romance
builds naturally, blending tension, humor, and
emotional depth in a way that enhances the mystery
rather than overshadowing it.

The novel’s clever storytelling, nods to classic
mysteries, and engaging side characters (Eleanor is a
standout!) make this an absolute must-read for fans of
locked-room mysteries and rom-com-style banter. My
only gripe? Some repetitive dialogue, but it’s a minor
flaw in an otherwise fantastic read.

A perfect holiday mystery with a touch of
romance—grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy!

#TheMostWonderfulCrime #AllyCarter
#LockedRoomMystery #CozyMystery
#EnemiesToLovers #HolidayReads #ChristmasMystery
#Bookstagram #MurderMystery #RivalAuthors
#WhoDunIt #MysteryLovers #CrimeFiction
#WinterReads #ClueVibes #MustRead #BookReviewer
#BookReview #Bibliophile #Bookstagram
#BookCommunity #ReadingAddict #BookLove
#Bookish #BookBlogger #IGReads show less

Maggie Chase is a cozy mystery writer. Ethan Wyatt is a massively popular thriller writer. She hates his guts. He can never get her name right. And they're spending Christmas together as they've been invited by an avid fan to her large estate in England. When they arrive, they discover that their hostess is Eleanor Ashley, the undisputed queen of mystery novels. However, on their first night there, Eleanor disappears. From a locked room. With the weather awful, Maggie and Ethan decide to show more investigate what happened and determine just who in the party may have wanted to harm Eleanor. But as Christmas approaches the number of suspects keeps stacking up and Maggie and Ethan are discovering there's more than meets the eye.

I ADORED this holiday mystery romance. Carter crafts a really solid mystery that obviously owes a debt to Agatha Christie while also building a romance between Maggie and Ethan that had such lovely surprises. Plus there's a heavy dose of humour that made me laugh out loud. However, it's not all light and fluffy. Maggie is recovering after getting out of a toxic relationship and Carter deals with the repercussions so deftly. If you're looking for a fun read for the Christmas season, I recommend this one highly. show less

I really enjoyed this romance-mystery mash-up about two writers who are invited by an iconic writer to spend Christmas at her manor house and who find themselves in the middle of a real-life mystery. The enemies-to-lovers romance trope was well done, and I loved the banter between the two leads, as well as all the nods to classic mysteries. This could easily have been a 4.5 star holiday read for me, but I was bothered (to a silly degree, probably) by one detail at the end How did the show more Inspector carry Maggie all the way to the greenhouse on his bum ankle?!?, and I thought not offering a full resolution to the over-arching mystery was kind of a cop-out. Still, a very fun read and perfect for this time of year. show less