It’s time to move on from cozies to slightly darker fare—which also means it’s time to return to one of my favorite holiday mystery writers, A. K. Benedict. In a first for the author, she continues the story of one of her protagonists, crossword setter Edie O’Sullivan.

This sequel to The Christmas Jigsaw Murders brings Edie and her family to a luxury hotel on a remote Scottish island. While they’re looking forward to a picture-perfect Christmas, someone on the island has other plans. As guests start dropping one by one, it’s up to Edie and her son Sean to figure out what’s happening.

Puzzles on puzzles on puzzles

One of A. K. Benedict’s most distinctive features is her love of puzzles. Like most mysteries, there is the puzzle of the plot—whodunnit and why. But Benedict also challenges the reader with additional puzzles: word games she’s hidden throughout the pages and chapters. These have never personally been my speed, as I like to focus on one puzzle at a time, but they’re a fun addition and add to the sense of planned puzzling.

The core mystery itself is interesting. It’s meticulously well-clued and technically Fair Play. But unlike many modern mysteries, most of those clues are physical, with some rather large leaps required to reach the psychological heart of the story. Solving the crime relies on a more visceral understanding of the cast and their psychology than Benedict actually projects on the page, and it often feels like her focus is more on technical clues than the human core underlying the crime. In that way, her stories resemble modern cozies more than the Golden Age works she so clearly admires.

Eerie, creeping dread

That’s not to say there’s no psychology or plot at play—just not primarily within the mystery itself. Like many modern cozies, Benedict centers her protagonists and their lives. Much of the story is taken up by Edie’s thoughts and fears: her hopes for the holiday, and her anxiety for her family’s safety. The two other POV characters—the hotel owner and the anonymized murderer—are similar, focusing on their own worlds and fears. The result is a story that feels far more like a thriller than a mystery, despite being layered with puzzles.

The structure of the murders and their deliberate, calculated nature only heightens this tension. The killings begin with the opening of Christmas crackers at lunch, which reveal the victims’ sins and hint at their paths to demise. At the same time, the murderer lays out each death scene in the owner’s scale miniature of the hotel. It’s all very elaborate, and it combines to create a sustained sense of dread throughout the book. (This is helped along by the spooky setting: the Scottish isle is known for children who died there long ago.)

Christmas crimes, not festive ones

It’s that creeping dread that keeps me from calling this a truly festive read. Which is a bit of a shame, because it begins with such delightful holiday trappings. There are warm moments early on, as the family takes the train to the hotel and enjoys their luxurious surroundings. Even better, they’re genuinely thrilled to spend Christmas together. After years of reading Christmas mysteries, I’m still surprised by how rare it is to find protagonists who actually enjoy one another’s company.

I’ve always found it hard to describe Benedict’s writing. Her books are consistently set at Christmas, but they don’t ooze festive spirit. Instead, they feature familiar Christmas activities—often luxurious ones—which are twisted from delightful to dark. While they’re technically Fair Play mysteries, all of her books read much more like thrillers to me, due to the fear and tension that dominate the emotional landscape. And while there are puzzles galore, many requiring holiday knowledge, solving them doesn’t necessarily leave the reader feeling festive.

This is Benedict’s fourth book, and she has a very specific voice. I personally enjoy her brand of Christmas crime, and if you enjoyed her other books, you’ll likely have fun with this one too. But if you’re looking for something to give you festive warm-and-fuzzies, this may not be the right choice.

Incredibly, The Christmas Cracker Killer is one of several reads this year centered on luxury holiday vacations. I’ve got a few more coming up soon, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow to unwrap the next. Until then—stay cozy, and stay curious!