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‘A true Christmas cracker!’ Andrew Taylor
‘What fun!’ Lynne Truss

A Christmas murder mystery featuring the real-life couple who invented Cluedo

‘An ingenious plot’
‘A great read for Christmas . . . nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining.’
‘Unexpectedly emotive, engaging and sweet.’

Christmas Eve, 1943. Anthony and Elva Pratt arrive in a snowy English village to run a murder mystery game – and instead discover a real murder.

The Pratts had planned for festive cheer, despite the wartime shortages: with Elva’s map of the hotel and Anthony’s prop weapons to use as clues, the guests in their parlour game would move through the rooms to figure out whodunnit.

But when Anthony discovers the cook’s sister Miss Silver beaten to death, they instead find themselves investigating a shockingly real crime. The hotel manager Mr Browning is trying to keep the peace but the guests are agitated, Colonel Colman is about to take over the hotel for the war effort – and the mysterious Mrs Threadgold hasn’t been seen at all.

In games, there’s only one victim – but this is real life. Can the Pratts puzzle out this Christmas mystery before it’s too late?

Praise for Nicola Upson:
‘Always a delight.’ Sunday Times
‘Upson [. . .] gives new life to a classic murder setting.’ Spectator
‘Wonderful writing.’ Ian Moore
‘A talented author of historical crime.’ Scotsman