Many thanks to my friends at @williammorrowbooks and @bibliolifestyle for the #gifted copy of this book.  

 

Fast paced and clever.  Merriment is swapped for murder in this holiday mystery told in epistolary format. 

 

Anna was hoping for an idyllic Christmas in the Cotswolds with her classmate and friend.  But when townspeople see her resemblance to a recently murdered girl, the holiday takes a sinister turn.  

 

The juxtaposition between the gothic atmosphere and holiday cheer is expertly crafted.  Reading by a roaring fire.  Visiting the local pub full.  I was easily endeared to the idea of Christmas at a country manor.  And yet there was a cold draft, coming from both the declining estate and its strange guests that created an ominous and foreboding sense. 

 

Swanson knows how to plot a mystery.  The mid-point reveal had me scratching my head.  But the master knew his craft.  That reveal allowed a perfect crescendo to a standout ending and all the questions it posed!  

 

This was my very first Christmas mystery, and it did not disappoint.  I’m hoping Swanson makes this a yearly tradition.