Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.
Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people’s minds.
The game is set – but playing fair isn’t on everyone’s Christmas list.
Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by
Martin Edwards is a cozy mystery set in a very remote area of England. Set around Christmas, this is a murder mystery waiting to be solved by a select group of people who were specifically invited by the town of Midwinter’s Trust. Clues are given throughout for the reader to participate in figuring out whodunnit.
The title drew me in, since it reminded me of the game of Clue, which I always enjoyed playing. There is a diverse group of six characters brought together to sift through clues and red herrings of the game to win the prize, and it seems like all of them could use the money since their careers have gone off the rails. They all have backgrounds in crime writing in different ways—an author, publishers, and podcasters. The representatives of the Trust, along with six other characters, keep alluding to something that happened five years prior, and it sounds sinister.
There are vivid descriptions and details throughout. I could envision the location, the buildings, the weather, and feel the cold of the wintry conditions. Secrecy abounds, since there can only be one winner, and they are pitted against each other.
There are riddles to solve and codes to crack. The story lacks a good flow, and it took me a while to become invested. There are numerous twists and turns, especially since it is a mystery, and actual crimes are being committed. There is closure in solving the crime, and I hadn’t figured out who did it. The Cluefinders at the back of the book was unexpected and added some clarity for me.
Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ His novels include the eight Lake District Mysteries and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers, including the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. He has received four lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
