Lily Armitage has never wanted to return to Endgane House, the scene of her mother's unsolved murder. The aunt who raised Lily has recently died and her final wish is for Lily and all her cousins to return to Endgame House to play The Christmas Game one last time with the winner inheriting the house.
It was the cover of The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict that appealed to me initially, closely followed by the title and the blurb. I think the black, white and red design works exceptionally well.
The story begins quickly, immediately drawing the listener in, as we are introduced to Lily and her backstory. Laura Costello pitches the narration perfectly, showing Lily's trepidation at the thought of returning to the place where her mother was murdered. Alongside this, the pace never lets up but doesn't feel rushed.
Lily has no desire to inherit Endgame House, in fact, she'd be happier if she never saw the place again. However, her aunt has promised that by playing the traditional Christmas Game, where riddles are solved to reveal a prize, the clues will also reveal the identity of the murderer.
Cliches can't be avoided as they are used to add menace to the story; the rules mean that anyone who leaves the property forfeits their chance of winning, phones are confiscated and a snow storm means the house is cut off from the outside world. When one of her cousins is found dead, Lily realises that someone is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to inherit the house and that her own life is in danger.
No comments:
Post a Comment