Death on Holly Island: The perfect cosy Christmas crime novel for the festive season from the author of Murder at Mistletoe Manor

by F. L. Everett

A crime festival on a remote Scottish island. A crumbling Victorian hotel.
Eight authors . . . and a ruthless killer.

'Great fun... packed with Flic's wintry wit, twisty word-play and feuding authors trapped on a freezing island with a psychopath. If Traitors were rewritten by Richard Osman, Simon Brett and Agatha Christie they might have come up with this.' Amanda Craig

Welcome to Holly Island, where the annual Christmas crime-writing festival is about to begin.

Eight writers are already in residence at the island’s solitary hotel. But before the audience can arrive by boat, the island is cut off by blizzards – and a famous author is found murdered.

With the killer still among them, podcaster Jenna is forced to turn detective. Can she track down the murderer before it’s too late – or will she become the next chapter in this deadly tale?

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PRAISE FOR DEATH ON HOLLY ISLAND . . .

A gripping Christmas crime mystery … Full of twists, secrets, and suspense, this is an extremely entertaining whodunnit — Woman & Home

Grab a cuppa and lock in because this cosy murder mystery is about to get chilly. If you want a crime read that is a little less gritty then this is for you. — Scottish Field

A storm-isolated death-fest… very good and really witty. — The Critic

With eclectic characters, clever clues and red herrings, this is a highly entertaining read that will keep you guessing until the last page. — Candis Magazine

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LOVE FOR F. L. EVERETT . . .

‘With echoes of the golden age of crime fiction … very entertainingly done’ The Times

‘Brilliant …A perfect contemporary whodunnit.' Ian Moore, bestselling author of Death and Croissants

'Brilliantly festive and utterly gripping . . . A whodunnit that’s perfect for armchair detectives.' Yours Magazine

'This yule-fuelled mystery is the perfect read with a glass of mulled wine in front of a roaring fire.' Candis Magazine

'Agatha Christie for a new generation' The Herald

'Murder in a snowed-in country hotel - and a killer with a grudge against the season of goodwill. What could be better?' Faith Martin, bestselling author of The Last Word is Death

'A festive mystery to read by the fire with a glass of mulled wine... brilliantly inventive... will keep you turning the pages well into the night. Loved it.' Catherine Cooper, bestselling author of The Chalet

‘A contemporary locked in whodunnit that pairs well with mulled wine and candlelight.' Woman & Home

'I loved it... a perfect festive read.' Andreina Cordani, author of Murder at the Christmas Emporium

'The perfect whodunnit.' Scottish Field

‘Gripping and atmospheric . . . A killer Christmas read.' Psychologies

Genres: Christmas, Mystery

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2026

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was brilliantly done, a perfect cosy mystery!! A remote Scottish island, eight authors, a storm keeping them trapped and one killer... This kind of mysteries are my favourite and I absolutely adored this one!!

Jenna, a podcaster, is invited to attend a crime writers festival on Holly Island. Eight authors out of twelve are in attendance and so is Ross, her ex.. Before the rest of the authors and the audience has a chance to come, a storm traps them in a hotel, with a body of a famous author and a killer among them.. Someone killed him and left a clue and it's up to Jenna, with a little help of Ross, to figure out the clue and find the killer, hopefully before they hurt someone else..

I loved the atmosphere, mysteries where everyone is trapped with a killer have always been my favourite and this one was absolutely amazing!! We got a glimpse into the work of the authors, we eliminated them one by one slowly and found out their secrets..
I really liked Jenna and I enjoyed the process of her working out who the killer is, she did go around accusing everyone though, but honestly who wouldn't.
The pace was steady, plot cleverly designed and the characters while all different, were all fascinating, flawed and quite entertaining. I had the best time reading it and coming up with theories, I loved all the twists, the array of secrets and the atmosphere was both cosy and tense.

I had a few theories about what happened and as the plot progressed, it was made clear which one is the correct one.. The reveal, while not shocking, was very satisfying and I love that we got an epilogue, so we could see where everyone was.

This is the second book from this author I read and I have to say I truly enjoy her writing and I'll read any book she writes in the future!!

*Thank you to Netgalley and to Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with an ARC.*

[Farah G · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Eight writers coming to participate at an island crime writing festival over Christmas was probably always going to be a recipe for drama, but no one bargained for the extent of what is now unfolding in the historic hotel on the remote Scottish island where they are staying, when a perfect storm (circumstances-wise) leads to the discovery of one author's body.

Trapped on the island, is it really going to be the responsibility of podcaster Jenna to discover the truth behind what is going on? Entertaining and lively, this gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned murder mystery, especially one set in a remote location, with dreadful weather, a collection of quite difficult characters and absolutely no chance of escape. F L Everett brings all of these ingredients together in Death on Holly Island, and the result is a thoroughly entertaining festive read.
Eight crime writers have gathered at a somewhat faded Victorian hotel on a Scottish island for a Christmas literary festival. However, the weather has other ideas, and when a blizzard cuts them off from the mainland and one of their number is murdered, crime podcaster Jenna finds herself with a real-life mystery to unravel.
I really enjoyed the gentle send-up of the literary world, with its rivalries, wounded pride and authors who perhaps think rather too highly of themselves! Everett has great fun with her characters, and so does the reader.
Jenna is a likeable, resourceful heroine, and the wonderfully atmospheric setting adds to the enjoyment. There are secrets to uncover, plenty of suspicious behaviour and some lovely touches of humour along the way.
This is cosy crime at its most enjoyable. Clever, witty and full of character, it's just the sort of book to settle down with on a chilly afternoon, preferably with a cup of tea and a mince pie close at hand.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few days after Christmas and podcaster Jenna is on a ferry. Her destination is a Scottish island where the only inhabitants are the people staying at the hotel--the only building on the island. Jenna is nervous for a couple of reasons--she's going to see her old flame for the first time in a decade and she has a chance to further her career at the Twixtmas Crime Writers Festival. She's making plans about interviews and such when she learns that she's on the last sailing of the day. It's a stormy night and the rest of the crossings have been cancelled. It's not clear that all the authors have made it and who knows whether the attendees will even be able to get there. Jenna discovers that 6 authors have made it and hopes to interview them. But everyone is cold and hungry and they settle in to wait out the storm. By the next morning, there's one author less as the obnoxious 'star' author is fund dead with a skewer sticking out of himself. Attached to the skewer is a note advising people that the clue is in chapter 1. What does this mean? Which chapter 1? And since the storm continues, no ferries are sailing, and the causeway to a larger inhabited island is flooded, no one can come or go, so the killer must be one of them. The hunt for a murderer is on, but will the truth be discovered before there's another death?

This is an excellent cozy mystery. I was hooked from the start and I loved it more as I read on. The focus on the various chapter ones was so well done--each one is part of this book in all the different styles and subgenres each of the author characters wrote in. The setting and atmosphere were pitch perfect and I loved that the story takes place during Twixtmas--a nice twist on the holiday mystery. The characters were well drawn and we learn about their back stories in the course of the investigation and questions about how their lives fit into each chapter one. Each character also has to come to grips with some hard truths they've been avoiding and an epilogue gives a brief summary of what happened to each in the year following the murder. The solution was quite satisfying, not in terms of whodunnit, but because of the reasons given and the clues offered in the relevant chapter one. This is definitely a top-tier cozy for me. I think it was skillfully imagined and constructed, with a variety of flawed, interesting, troubled characters, an excellent seasonal setting, and just the right pacing. It's very well written, too. Highly recommend if you're a fan of cozy mysteries--especially cozies set during the festive season.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I really enjoyed this island based mystery. This is set in the days between Christmas and New Year. It’s a crime writing festival, it’s set in a luxury hotel on a remote island. Some of the authors have arrived early before the fans come to get settled, but a number of them didn’t make it before the weather got too bad to cross. It’s set in Scotland and winter storms isolate the people at the hotel.

Something tragic happens and suddenly, everyone’s a suspect. We follow Jenna, a crime book podcaster who was excited to interview many authors at this festival. However she ends up becoming a detective herself, digging into the writers and their works to try and solve the crime.

The joy in this book comes from the range of crime writers, their styles and how it’s reflected in their books, and how this makes them seem suspicious at times. It was really interesting to learn about their different books, their successes and frustrations, and professional jealousies.

The book has a frantic pace. Jenna doesn’t want to be the next victim and she’s hyper aware that she’s trapped on an island with someone who might mean her harm. She’s desperate to solve the crime.

Interesting characters, lots of secrets and lies, a fast pace and a fun setting.

[Kena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death on Holly Island by F. L. Everett was a great festive locked room whodunnit.

A Betwixtmas Crime Festival goes awry when a blizzard cuts Holly Island off from the mainland, leaving eight authors stranded in the island’s only hotel. The morning after the big storm, the body of Malachy McNair, an internationally renowned crime writer is found murdered, with a clue literally pinned to his chest pointing to Chapter One. But which chapter one?

There is no phone signal or phone line and the police can not make it out to the island owing to the bad weather and rough seas. So Jenna, a podcaster, and her former boyfriend Ross, now a journalist, take it upon themselves to investigate.

Jenna and Ross try to unpick the Chapter Ones to identify the killer. I loved that F.L. Everett included each of the Chaper Ones. It was fun reading them and seeing whether I could also try to identify the killer.

The story moves along at pace and there are twists and turns. Authors are pitted against each other, which raises the tension, and also culminates with unfortunate outcomes.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Penguin, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Keighley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me gripped from the start! A crime festival on a remote Scottish island - what a brilliant setup for a cosy crime book! 🏝️🔍

We have a full cast of interesting and eccentric characters: eight crime writers, a podcaster and a newspaper reporter, all stuck on the island after arriving in terrible weather. Of course, there’s going to be a murder!

I thought this book was so cleverly done. I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was and, I don’t think it was obvious at all. I had different theories throughout the book, but none of them were correct!

I loved how the author used the clue the murderer left on the victim, to set up the investigation, and I thought it was such a great touch that we got to see a little of each crime writer’s work within the book. It was fascinating to see each crime writer’s individual writing style, it really did give a good insight to each character!

Overall, this was such an entertaining read and kept me guessing throughout. With the diverse range of characters, there were plenty of secrets waiting to be revealed!

A great choice if you’re a fan of cosy crime books that leave you in suspense right until the very end.

[K McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable, well-plotted mystery centered on a group of mystery writers who gather for an annual winter festival at a remote Scottish hotel. A storm strikes, cutting off the hotel, and then one of the authors is killed. The rest of the guests scramble to figure out which of them is the killer as more guests are killed. The author does a great job of creating a tense atmosphere in which no one feels they can trust anyone else and no one can get out of or in to the hotel until the storm stops. There are lots of twists along the way and a devious set of clues. The characters are well drawn, with very believable reactions and relationships. There is a touch of romance in the book, although it is by no means the main focus of the plot. This is a great one to read on a cold day, curled up by a fireplace or under a blanket. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The annual Crime writing festival is about to start on Holly Island, the storm is coming in and the boat carrying Jenna and a few authors to the festival looks likely to be the last that evening. Eight authors have made it along with Jenna, a podcaster and Ross a journalist from nearby Oban. Jenna and Ross knew each other at university and she is shocked to see him after all this time. The audience for the festival is due the next day.
Before that one of the authors is murdered, the storm has intensified so they are cut off, with a murderer.
The body has a clue held in place on his chest by the weapon that killed him, so all they have to do is solve the clue.
A really enjoyable book with everyone getting accused at some point before the clue is actually solved and the murderer identified. I loved the tidying up in the epilogue.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

[Jen Grá · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on from last year's festive claustrophobic whodunit, "Muder at Mistletoe Manor" F. L. Everett offers another set of suspects isolated away from rest of the world. This time the proverbial stage is set on a remote Scottish island as a group of writers and a couple of multimedia journalists come together in the betwixtmas week for a book retreat only to be stuck there by a storm.
This is confident fare with the action moving quickly. There is little repetition as the suspects are considered and whilst I worked out the killer, I didn't fully forsee the why.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen Arrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death on Holly Island by F. L. Everett
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A locked in wintry mystery. This limits the number of suspects when the murders start happening.

I liked the 'chapter one' part and how we got to read them all, each one being quite different.

I had no idea who it was but found it interesting how it was broken down for us when they'd worked it out.

I did like the little updates on everybody at the end.

A seasonal classic whodunnit.
I received a gifted copy of this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Cornerstone, Random House
This is my honest review.

[Ian Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife gave me this to read, she said I would like it although it's not my thing but, I'm glad I did read it as I thought it was very good, 8 authers traped on a remote scottish island due to bad weather, a murderer amongst them, great characters and plenty of humor, so if your a fan of the Traiters and Scoby doo, then you'll love this book.