Editorial note: I received a copy of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is such an original and fun tale set during the holidays. It combines the best aspects of a locked-room mystery, with the delightful charm of a romance.
I’m all about the holiday reads in 2024! Instead of looking ahead to all that awaits in 2025, I vowed this was the year I would read holiday-themed novels in December. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is one I anticipated for months. I was so intrigued with the idea of a locked-room mystery with a holiday romance.
And it all worked together so well. It was quite an inventive approach and I can’t imagine it was easy to blend all those genres together. But Ally Carter did a fantastic job. I loved the mystery components as it was intriguing and I truly was wondering what would happen next. It reminded me a bit of the movie Clue in all the best ways possible.
The romance between the two writers was very well done and I was certainly rooting for them. And while not an overly Christmasy-themed book, it does take place during Christmas, and I enjoyed some holiday mentions as well.
What’s the Story About
Maggie Chase is known for her popular cozy mystery stories, while Ethan Wyatt is a big-time thriller guy. Maggie considers Ethan her nemesis, but he doesn’t understand where the animosity is coming from. Despite calling her Marcie, when she is in fact a Maggie.
Everything changes when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at an English estate. But neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley.
That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.
She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?
As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.
The Mystery
In the author’s note, Ally Carter mentioned she was inspired to write this story after hearing about the time Agatha Christie disappeared without a trace. (BTW, if you’re looking for a fictional account of the real-life story, I highly recommend The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont).
You feel that real-life inspiration when super successful mystery writer Eleanor Ashley goes missing. I thought it was such an interesting and engaging take. And I really was clueless on what happened to her.
We meet an eccentric cast of characters, in addition to Maggie and Ethan, including Eleanor’s snobby relatives, her attorney, a local police inspector, and another famous author. It made the mystery more rich and compelling, and it did make you wonder who was involved in Eleanor’s disappearance.
I very much enjoyed Maggie and Ethan going in detective mode, which also brought them closer together too.
Maggie and Ethan
While very much a mystery, the heartbeat of the story is the relationship between Maggie and Ethan. We learn why Maggie has so much disdain for Ethan, and also why he is somewhat confused by it all. We also get to know both on a deeper level, including why both seem to push people away.
Both had quite a bit of depth, and their relationship progression made sense and felt true to both characters. I loved the banter between them, and also the softer moments too.
I would love to read a sequel starring the two and solving another mystery!
Verdict
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a fun, and enjoyable mystery/romance. It serves both genres well, with the nice added touch of the holiday season.
It does cover serious topics, but never veers too far away from serving as a fun, escapist read.
Highly recommend! For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
