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Murder at Christmas
A thrilling Christmas murder-mystery adventure - the perfect cosy crime read to keep you gripped this festive season!
After another dreary term away at school, Grace is desperate to see her mum and brother again. Excited to spend Christmas with them, she arrives in Bath full of expectation and happiness. But the family's time together is suddenly interrupted when a shocking murder at their hotel throws everything into chaos. And when Grace's mum disappears soon afterwards, Grace trusts nobody.
With her mum missing and younger brother Billy in tow, Grace enlists the help of new friends Olive and Doug. Streetwise and clever, they help Grace and Billy come up with a plan to find out why Mum left the hotel and what happened to her.
Full of twists and turns, the mystery takes the four friends on an adventure. And as they start to uncover the truth behind the murder, they wonder if anyone at the hotel is really who they say they are.
More exhilarating reads from Fleur
Murder in Midwinter
Murder at Twilight
Waiting for Murder
Murder at Snowfall
After another dreary term away at school, Grace is desperate to see her mum and brother again. Excited to spend Christmas with them, she arrives in Bath full of expectation and happiness. But the family's time together is suddenly interrupted when a shocking murder at their hotel throws everything into chaos. And when Grace's mum disappears soon afterwards, Grace trusts nobody.
With her mum missing and younger brother Billy in tow, Grace enlists the help of new friends Olive and Doug. Streetwise and clever, they help Grace and Billy come up with a plan to find out why Mum left the hotel and what happened to her.
Full of twists and turns, the mystery takes the four friends on an adventure. And as they start to uncover the truth behind the murder, they wonder if anyone at the hotel is really who they say they are.
More exhilarating reads from Fleur
Murder in Midwinter
Murder at Twilight
Waiting for Murder
Murder at Snowfall
256 pages, Paperback
Published October 9, 2025
7 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Fleur Hitchcock
24 books81 followersBorn in Chobham, by an airfield, and raised in Winchester on the banks of the River Itchen, Fleur Hitchcock grew up as the youngest child of three. When she was eight, she wrote a story about an alien and a jelly. It was called THE ALIEN AND THE JELLY and filled four exercise books. She grew up a little, went away to school near Farnham, studied English in Wales, and, for the next twenty years, sold Applied Art in the city of Bath. When her younger child was seven, she embarked on the Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa and graduated with a distinction. Now living outside Bath, between parenting and writing, Fleur Hitchcock works with her husband (a toy maker), looks after other people's gardens and grows vegetables.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 26, 2025
Well this book is for a junior reader but I have to say it was a throughly enjoyable read and I'm nearer 50. I've read many christmas mystery/crime and this was a joy. I say it had like an agatha christie vibe. the story was fast flowing and the characters where also enjoyable I wish there was more like this when I was growing up. for any child this is a fun christmas themed read if you read to your child its brilliant....you'll enjoy too.
December 7, 2025
An enjoyable Christmas mystery adventure for young readers that brings Home Alone to mind.
The book opens as Grace is reunited with her mum and younger brother in snowy Bath. They live in Australia because of her mum's job with the Foreign Office but Grace has just finished her first term at an English boarding school. They are all going to stay at Aunt Mollie's luxury hotel for Christmas. Dad is on a tech-free artist's retreat in Spain and is due to join them in a few days.
Grace's gran is in a care home in Bath and her mum sets out the next morning to see her and sort out some paperwork, leaving the kids in the hotel. After enjoying the fancy breakfast buffet, they set off to do some Christmas shopping. Upon returning to the hotel, they discover the police are there. They learn that there has been a death, and it seems it wasn't an accident.
However, Grace is more concerned about the fact that her mum hasn't returned from the care home. Nor is she answering her phone.
As the weather worsens, it becomes clear that Aunt Mollie and Uncle Steve won't be making it back from Edinburgh any time soon. Wary of her mum getting in trouble with the Foreign Office, Grace keeps her mum's disappearance a secret as she struggles to look after her brother and decide just how much to tell him of her suspicions. Help arrives in the form of two local children, Olive and Doug. They team up to uncover the truth and take down the bad guys.
The setting of the luxury hotel was a brilliant choice. At first it is wonderfully opulent and exciting, but not everything is as good as it looks. The characters are away from the comfort and security of home. They can't even really lock the door as hotel staff can still enter the suite. It really adds to the unsettled feeling of the children being alone without their parents.
As I mentioned at the start of the review, there are definite Home Alone vibes. It's been a while since I watched those films, but I thought it was more Kevin acting to defend himself. Here the kids' actions are more proactive rather than defensive and they do things that would absolutely not be advisable in real life, although I am sure the intended audience of younger readers will revel in it.
The pacing is good and you want to keep reading. The countdown to Christmas works well to build tension. There are some good red herrings as the mystery unfolds which will keep readers guessing. I felt there was the odd loose thread (e.g. where was Steve the whole time? Were he and Mollie ever actually in Edinburgh?) but they are only minor niggles. To balance that, it lovely to see that the kids are mentioned as reading before bed. I often encourage students to read before bed and it's great for that to be modelled in books too.
Overall, it's a great mystery adventure that will have readers dreaming of luxury hotel stays and outsmarting adults.
Thanks to Toppsta for the review copy.
The book opens as Grace is reunited with her mum and younger brother in snowy Bath. They live in Australia because of her mum's job with the Foreign Office but Grace has just finished her first term at an English boarding school. They are all going to stay at Aunt Mollie's luxury hotel for Christmas. Dad is on a tech-free artist's retreat in Spain and is due to join them in a few days.
Grace's gran is in a care home in Bath and her mum sets out the next morning to see her and sort out some paperwork, leaving the kids in the hotel. After enjoying the fancy breakfast buffet, they set off to do some Christmas shopping. Upon returning to the hotel, they discover the police are there. They learn that there has been a death, and it seems it wasn't an accident.
However, Grace is more concerned about the fact that her mum hasn't returned from the care home. Nor is she answering her phone.
As the weather worsens, it becomes clear that Aunt Mollie and Uncle Steve won't be making it back from Edinburgh any time soon. Wary of her mum getting in trouble with the Foreign Office, Grace keeps her mum's disappearance a secret as she struggles to look after her brother and decide just how much to tell him of her suspicions. Help arrives in the form of two local children, Olive and Doug. They team up to uncover the truth and take down the bad guys.
The setting of the luxury hotel was a brilliant choice. At first it is wonderfully opulent and exciting, but not everything is as good as it looks. The characters are away from the comfort and security of home. They can't even really lock the door as hotel staff can still enter the suite. It really adds to the unsettled feeling of the children being alone without their parents.
As I mentioned at the start of the review, there are definite Home Alone vibes. It's been a while since I watched those films, but I thought it was more Kevin acting to defend himself. Here the kids' actions are more proactive rather than defensive and they do things that would absolutely not be advisable in real life, although I am sure the intended audience of younger readers will revel in it.
The pacing is good and you want to keep reading. The countdown to Christmas works well to build tension. There are some good red herrings as the mystery unfolds which will keep readers guessing. I felt there was the odd loose thread (e.g. where was Steve the whole time? Were he and Mollie ever actually in Edinburgh?) but they are only minor niggles. To balance that, it lovely to see that the kids are mentioned as reading before bed. I often encourage students to read before bed and it's great for that to be modelled in books too.
Overall, it's a great mystery adventure that will have readers dreaming of luxury hotel stays and outsmarting adults.
Thanks to Toppsta for the review copy.
November 29, 2025
My recent trip to the bookstore was driven by a single, shallow motive: finding holiday books with the most charming covers. Murder at Christmas by Fleur Hitchcock certainly fit the bill; its cover was instantly adorable. The premise sealed the deal: a murder in a fancy hotel, followed by four friends who must race against time to solve the mystery before Christmas Day. I purchased it in a flash.
The good news is that this is a solid, quick read that you could easily finish in one cozy sitting.
Here’s the catch: the book is essentially a children’s novel. While a closer look at the cover might suggest a younger cast, the style of writing and the overall plot execution are firmly targeted towards a younger audience, likely middle-grade or younger YA. This created a jarring sense of confusion for me, given that the story revolves around serious themes like murder and a subsequent kidnapping. The light, fast-paced narrative style and the gravity of the central crimes didn't quite match up.
When I bought it, I was envisioning something along the lines of a cozy, witty whodunnit like Only Murders in the Building, but what I got was closer to a children's spy or adventure novel. It’s not a bad book by any means, and I’m sure a younger reader would love it, but ultimately, it was not the book for me.
The good news is that this is a solid, quick read that you could easily finish in one cozy sitting.
Here’s the catch: the book is essentially a children’s novel. While a closer look at the cover might suggest a younger cast, the style of writing and the overall plot execution are firmly targeted towards a younger audience, likely middle-grade or younger YA. This created a jarring sense of confusion for me, given that the story revolves around serious themes like murder and a subsequent kidnapping. The light, fast-paced narrative style and the gravity of the central crimes didn't quite match up.
When I bought it, I was envisioning something along the lines of a cozy, witty whodunnit like Only Murders in the Building, but what I got was closer to a children's spy or adventure novel. It’s not a bad book by any means, and I’m sure a younger reader would love it, but ultimately, it was not the book for me.
December 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It was very cleverly written, and it definitely kept me on my toes!
When Grace comes back from boarding school for Christmas, all she wants to do is spend time with her family. But when strange things start to happen in the hotel that they’re staying at, she and her brother Billy start to look for clues. With their mother missing, things getting weirder by the day, and help from their new friends Doug and Olive, will they be able to get right just in time for Christmas?
I really enjoyed this book! I really enjoyed Fleur’s writing style, and I really liked all of the characters. I also liked where it was set, as that was very clever. It really kept me on my toes, and I did not want to put it down, and it was so intriguing and interesting. I really hope that there will be more to come, and I hope to read more of Fleur’s work in the future!
When Grace comes back from boarding school for Christmas, all she wants to do is spend time with her family. But when strange things start to happen in the hotel that they’re staying at, she and her brother Billy start to look for clues. With their mother missing, things getting weirder by the day, and help from their new friends Doug and Olive, will they be able to get right just in time for Christmas?
I really enjoyed this book! I really enjoyed Fleur’s writing style, and I really liked all of the characters. I also liked where it was set, as that was very clever. It really kept me on my toes, and I did not want to put it down, and it was so intriguing and interesting. I really hope that there will be more to come, and I hope to read more of Fleur’s work in the future!
December 29, 2025
rather enjoyed this, and will read some more by Fleur now. have been eyeing up her books in my school library for a while (they are super popular) . I fancied some Christmassy books over the Christmas holidays, and was not disappointed. a nice murder mystery to try and solve - aren't the children clever to work things out?!
October 15, 2025
Absolutely first class middle grade, cosy crime/murder mystery for readers aged 9+
There’s a longer review on my blog: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
There’s a longer review on my blog: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
November 23, 2025
it was okay
January 1, 2026
Definitely for a younger audience. I usually live kid books, but this one was just okay.
January 6, 2026
Chill à lire en anglais
January 18, 2026
It was very good read lots of plot twist, everything linked at the end, read in a week, a few action less, boring parts.
Such a good ending….
Such a good ending….
December 11, 2025
Festive young whodunnit (even if I wish there was a bit more Bath!)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews