***GIVE THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS EARLY. PRE-ORDER THE NEXT DELICIOUSLY DARK CHRISTMAS MYSTERY FOR FANS OF CLEVER, PUZZLING CRIME. THE PERFECT STOCKING FILLER*** THIS CHRISTMAS, A KILLER TAKES FAMILY GAMES TO A MURDEROUS NEW LEVEL. On 1st of December, renowned puzzle setter, loner and Christmas sceptic Carla Murphy finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box with a question mark on the lid, and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene - blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. On the back of the pieces is a message: 'His death takes place on the solstice, unless you can put together the pieces,' along with a clue to the location of more pieces. When the police say there isn't anything to investigate, Carla teams up with her Christmas-loving nephew, PC Simon Reynard, to solve the clues, find the jigsaw pieces and prevent the murder.

Each set of jigsaw pieces leads to the next, but the more Carla finds, the more she discovers that the mystery is far more connected to her past than it first appeared, and to a Christmas mystery she's being trying to forget for a very long time. Only by fitting all the pieces together will Carla find the peace and goodwill she's secretly always been looking for. Praise for Alexandra Benedict's Christmas mysteries: 'The perfect gift for quizzers and mystery addicts .' Val McDermid 'Whatever you unwrap for Christmas, you had better hope it's this book This is 21st-century cosy Christmas crime that doesn't shy away from the darkness' Janice Hallett 'A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended' Elly Griffiths 'It's wonderful! A page-turning homage to the Golden Age, with a dash of Poirot and a dark, modern heart' S J Bennett.