An atmospheric and dialogue-driven crime story that builds suspense from the very first page.
Grace arrives at Auntie Mollie’s hotel to join her Mum and brother and celebrate Christmas. Mum goes to visit Granny in a care home and organises some practicalities for her, but then she suddenly goes missing. Not only are the kids alone, anxious, and worried about their mum, but Grace and Billy find that the hotel manager, Damien, has been murdered. Dad is on a digital ‘diet’ in Spain, and Aunt Mollie is stuck in a storm in Scotland, but after a phone call with her, a picture reveals her different location. The children become friends with a brother and sister, Doug and Olive, who help them gather clues about Mum and organise a plan to rescue her. Not without complication, the crime is solved, and the person behind the plot is found.
Murder at Christmas explores themes of family values and the balance between work and family, offering glimpses of boarding school life, single-parent families, and social differences. Hitchcock delivers a wintery, festive mystery that is fast-paced and easy to read, while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. It offers well-developed characters and settings that build the reader’s mood. On the one hand, children will feel Grace’s loneliness as she cares for and protects her brother; on the other hand, they will see a strong sibling bond between Olive and Doug. The grand hotel, with its luxurious ambience, heightens the Christmas mood, in contrast to the cold, deserted buildings on the outskirts of the town, where some of the turning points take place.
Murder at Christmas offers reflection for both children and adults. Young readers will find that adults do things because of circumstance and fear, too. Adult readers may reflect on the importance of prioritising people over work, and what makes school truly a nurturing place for a child.
Festive, atmospheric crime story that can be enjoyed by children and adults when reading aloud.
The Stats:
- Title: Murder at Christmas
- Author and Illustrator: Fleur Hitchcock
- ISBN: 978 1 80513 2240
- Publication Date: 2025
- Page Count: 256
- Publisher: Nosy Crow
- Recommended age: 8-11
- Categories/Topic: Christmas, mystery, families, twins, siblings, social differences
Other books by Fleur Hitchcock: Murder at Snowfall: The Sunday Times & The Times Children’s Book of the Week; Murder in Midwinter
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