My huge thanks to Ayo Okojie at Quercus who sent me a copy of The Christmas Eve Murders by Noelle Albright way back in 2024. I’m delighted finally to have got round to reading it and to share my review today.
Already available in other formats, The Christmas Eve Murders will be published in paperback by Quercus on 23rd October and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
The Christmas Eve Murders
It’s Christmas Eve at the Merry Monarch.
Nestled amongst the Yorkshire Dales, the pub is preparing to host its annual scavenger hunt for its rabble of regulars. There’s the landlord, Mickey, his wife Sofia and their wayward son, James; local policeman Alex and his supernaturally minded deputy Don; as well as Sita, Mrs Fazarkaley, the Kapoors and Curtis, who’s never far from his beloved dog Barkley. Quite the crowd.
And this year, they are interrupted by a knock at the door from Maddie Marlowe, a journalist who was homeward bound to Edinburgh for Christmas – only to be stranded by car failure, and by the snow storm that’s closing in on the village.
But Maddie’s arrival won’t be the only surprise of the night. When the power is cut off and darkness descends, the hunt turns deadly. Maddie and her unexpected Christmas companions must try to find the murderer amongst them, as it seems one of the group would kill to win . . .
My Review of The Christmas Eve Murders
Journalist Maddie Marlowe’s car has broken down en route to Edinburgh to spend Christmas with her parents.
What a fabulous cosy crime story. I loved every bit of The Christmas Eve Murders.
Those who eschew reading Christmas books other than in December needn’t worry at all. Whilst there is significance to the date, this book can be thoroughly enjoyed as a crime story at any time of the year.
The plot is brilliant. It has all the hallmarks of traditional crime fiction, with unity of time – Christmas Eve, unity of place – the Merry Monarch inn, and unity of action – murder! With a carefully crafted cast of characters and a locked room feel as they are all trapped by the weather in the pub, The Christmas Eve Murders is such a satisfying narrative. There’s a real sense of Agatha Christie as the strands of the story play out, with a Poirotesque denouement when the killer is revealed. With outsider Maddie akin to the reader and gaining information at the same time as them, Noelle Albright really draws in that reader, holding their attention completely. Because it is so well written, I devoured this story and quite honestly suspected every character, except perhaps Maddie, as being the murderer – even the first victim! Add in power cuts, secret passageways, coded knocks on doors and there’s everything here to satisfy even the most demanding lovers of the genre.
I thought Maddie was inspired. She is realistic, level headed, witty and strong. However, she also has a vulnerability and hints about her past help develop her as a person so that I am desperate for her to appear in future stories.
Whilst murder is at the heart of the story, it is presented with a skilled lightness of touch so that there’s humour to be found too. Add in themes of family, community, age, romance, rivalry and just a hint of the supernatural and this is such a fabulous read. It would make the most perfect winter Sunday night television series.
Having struggled to read recently and having become weary of expletive ridden texts that aim to shock, The Christmas Eve Murders completely drew me in. Indeed, I thought The Christmas Eve Murders was a sparkling, entertaining and absorbing example of the genre and cannot recommend it highly enough. Wonderful stuff!
About Noelle Albright
Noelle Albright is a Yorkshire-born author and poet based in the north east of England. After completing her MA in creative writing at the York St John University, she wrote for a range of publications, edited her own independent film magazine and penned three non-fiction books. Noelle Albright currently lives by the sea in Sunderland, where under the name of Helen Cox she writes poetry, romance novellas and the Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mystery Series.
English (US) · 