The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict was published in 2023.
Our Sleuth: Edith “Edie” O’Sullivan, 80, is a former teacher who now creates crossword puzzles to keep her in tea, cats and jigsaws. But don’t mistake her for Miss Marple — she skews caustic in conversation, wears her hair orange and spiky, and loathes Christmas and most people.
The Setting: We’re in Weymouth in Dorset, southern England, on the coast of the English Channel. It’s present day, and the book opens Dec. 19.
The Premise: Because of a newspaper profile, Edie is widely known as the “Pension Puzzler,” a title she hates. So when she receives a wrapped present the week before Christmas, a box containing six jigsaw puzzle pieces of what appears to be a crime scene, it’s initially unclear whether she’s being targeted for her reputation — or it’s personal. Regardless, her anonymous tormentor, “Rest In Pieces,” challenges her to put the pieces together before Christmas Eve or at least four people will die. Soon, the body count rises and Edie’s beloved great nephew and adopted son, Detective Inspector Sean Brand-O’Sullivan, is in danger.
My Take: When you’re writing mysteries — or fiction in general — you get a lot of advice about creating likable protagonists. I’m so glad the author chucked that guidance. Edie is one-of-a-kind, a true beyotch, whose surly words make you wince even on paper. Yes, we learn, there are reasons for her crappy attitude, but no one has made her circumstances worse than Edie herself, who’s tried so hard to shield herself from pain that she’s created a teflon-like shield of bitterness. She allows few people in, including her adopted son, now a police inspector, and Riga, her 95-year-old neighbor who wears vintage Chanel and naughty Christmas sweaters (“I love Santa’s sack” reads one). For example, when her girlfriend tried to amicably end the relationship after realizing the two wanted different things, Edie lashed out and then literally closed the door on the room where their last conversation took place — the dining room — for more than 20 years.
To solve this murderous puzzle, Edie must reach into her past and examine her actions, which forces some much needed introspection. Watching our deeply flawed protagonist wrestle with, and ultimately learn from, past mistakes is one of the pleasures of this novel, as is the puzzle itself. The author intersperses the killer’s perspective in chapters throughout the book, as Edie and Sean — sometimes working together, sometimes not — race to prevent more deaths. To add to the fun, the author scatters anagrams and puzzles throughout the text, including homages to Charles Dickens and Christine McVie. I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately Googled the author to learn more about her and added her two previous Christmas mysteries to my holds list at my local library.
Opening Lines:
No one was dead, not to begin with. That was about to change. Sitting at the desk, looking out to the sea, the killer felt death’s approach as keenly as needles into skin. Hands trembling, they pulled on white gloves that stopped short of the wrists. Santa would come in Reaper’s weaves that year. Holly would be berried with murder.
Heads Up: No major issues here save some coarse language — which somehow sounds better in British slang — and a bit about a wanking Santa decoration.
Of Note: Author Alexandra Benedict is a former singer and composer who also writes under the name A.K. Benedict.
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