The Christmas Cracker Killer

Published on 8 October 2026 by Simon & Schuster Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 304 pages
196 x 129 x 24mm | 222g

IT'S THE MOST MURDEROUS TIME OF THE YEAR…Puzzle compiler and former Christmas sceptic Edie O’Sullivan returns in the newest seasonal mystery from bestselling author and ‘Queen of the Christmas Mystery’ Alexandra Benedict.

When Edie O’Sullivan wins a two-day Christmas break in a hotel on a remote Scottish island, she’s looking forward to a picture-perfect Christmas full of winter walks, roaring fires, good books and even better whisky.

But when a guest dies under mysterious circumstances, Edie realises that there is a killer amongst them. As more guests begin to die, it's up to her to solve the strange riddles found in the victims’ Christmas crackers and stop the killing spree. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in the way of a devious and clever murderer.

Can Edie solve these Christmas killings before she becomes the next victim?PRAISE FOR ALEXANDRA BENEDICT'S CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES:‘The perfect gift for quizzers and mystery addicts’ VAL McDERMID ‘Whatever you unwrap for Christmas, you had better hope it’s this book. This is 21st-century cosy Christmas crime that doesn’t shy away from the darkness’ JANICE HALLETT‘A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended’ ELLY GRIFFITHS‘It’s wonderful! A page-turning homage to the Golden Age, with a dash of Poirot and a dark, modern heart’ S J BENNETT‘The conquering queen of cosy Christmas crime’ FINANCIAL TIMES